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EDITORIALS
Jan 23, 2014

Can't bury the nuclear issue

The Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election will not only decide the leader of the nation's capital but also indicate whether Japan will rely on nuclear power.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 23, 2014

Abe's way of thinking merits scrutiny before Tokyo's poll

Rational questions raised by Morihiro Hosokawa and Junichiro Koizumi ahead of the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election could exert a big influence on the direction of the Abe administration.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 23, 2014

Nuclear energy fight highlights aging economy

The 'nuclear village' is at the root of the cronyism, corruption and inertia that continue to prolong Japan's malaise and dent its competitiveness. Tokyo gubernatorial candidate Morihiro Hosokawa threatens that village.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 22, 2014

Teachers tread water in eikaiwa limbo

Every year, thousands of young native English-speakers fly to Asia in search of an adventure, financed by working as English teachers. They come from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Britain, Canada and elsewhere.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2014

Kadena moms demand truth

Six months ago, dangerous levels of dioxin were discovered near two U.S. Department of Defense schools on Okinawa Island — but only now are many service members based there learning the full extent of the contamination.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 16, 2014

Iwate's Yonamine never loses track of ultimate goal: winning

Tsubasa Yonamine doesn't grab front-page headlines or dominate the highlights segment on TV sports shows. He helps his basketball team achieve success.
EDITORIALS
Jan 16, 2014

Election spotlight on nuclear power

Expect the question of whether Japan should rely on nuclear power generation in the future to be a main theme of the Feb. 9 Tokyo gubernatorial election after former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa announced his candidacy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 12, 2014

No lack of ideas on a course of action for English education

Last week's Learning Curve column, "English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul," looked at the persistent mismatch between the education ministry's stated goals and the actual outcomes of English language education in Japan.
LIFE
Jan 11, 2014

The return of Godzilla, the king of kaiju

'Godzilla' first appeared in cinemas across the country in November 1954 but its story line was heavily influenced by an incident eight months earlier at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 11, 2014

A new-year Asian reading list to savor and inspire

At this time of year, many newspapers publish such lengthy lists of must-read books that it's daunting to even imagine them all piled up gathering dust on the bedside table. So let me narrow the field by sharing some amazing titles about or from Asia that I have enjoyed over the past year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jan 9, 2014

Anime/manga experts hopeful for year ahead

Aside from Hayao Miyazaki's sudden departure from filmmaking in September, the anime world saw some potentially hopeful developments in 2013.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2014

How South Korea rides out emerging-markets turmoil

With seven of every 10 high school graduates attending a university, there is a surplus of educated people in South Korea. Estimates are that 40 percent of college graduates are redundant.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 6, 2014

Abe squandering good will

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's weakening public standing doesn't bode well for the 'third arrow' of his economic plan — lower trade barriers, less regulation and a greater embrace of free-market principles.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 5, 2014

English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul

Ringing in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a dream: One nation that will actively re-engage with the global marketplace.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 4, 2014

Slippery slope to Yasukuni, Nago oiled by lucre

As with the Yasukuni story, most of the commentary on Okinawa base relocation deal focused on its contentious nature, but also like the Yasukuni story, the main impetus behind the actions reported was economic.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 4, 2014

Imagining Edo Period intrigue from the U.S.

At the climax of "Shinju"(1994), Laura Joh Rowland's first mystery novel, gallant yoriki (police sergeant) Sano Ichiro rescues the shogun from an assassination plot and earns himself a big promotion. It's a pyrrhic victory leading to what Sano immediately realizes will be a thankless position that risks...
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 2, 2014

Abe's diplomatic overtures are likely to fall on deaf ears

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saw relatively smooth diplomatic sailing in 2013, but he flushed his year-long effort down the drain with his surprising visit to Yasukuni Shrine.
CULTURE
Jan 1, 2014

Lucky food, charming decorations and visiting deities: welcoming the new year with history and tradition

Wearing kimono, getting together with family and friends, and not working for the first three days of a new year. Shogatsu, or New Year's, is when Japanese generally work less than the rest of the world.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 28, 2013

Charles E. McJilton: 'Stop attempting to control nature already'

What confuses you about Japan? When Japan says it loves nature but then cements rivers and prunes back trees so they resemble poodles on a stick.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 28, 2013

After Abe Yasukuni jaunt, all eyes on Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping's reaction to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine will determine whether Asia's top two economies come closer to a hostile incident.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 27, 2013

Researcher sees digital maps as key to understanding, alleviating crises

'Maps put into pictures what policymakers traditionally see in numbers,' says Elise Montiel-Welti, a researcher at Doshisha University who produces digital maps to explain global crises. 'They also put us in perspective: We can see how small we are in the face of huge disasters or conflicts.'
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 27, 2013

'Abenomics' turns Japanese hedge funds into world's best performers

Japanese hedge funds are heading for record returns this year as investors bet that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies will succeed in reviving the world's third-largest economy.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’