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COMMENTARY / World
May 15, 2013

U.S. defense cuts: An ax is needed, not a scalpel

The fact the U.S. government devotes too much to Social Security is no argument for spending too much on the military. The defense budget could use a meat-ax.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 14, 2013

Inose's slurs anger, bemuse Turks in Tokyo but may boost Istanbul's Olympic bid

It's prayer time at Tokyo's biggest mosque and the congregation is pondering God, community and Naoki Inose, the city's governor, who many here say has revealed himself to be, well, a bit of a bigot.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 13, 2013

Exoskeletons allowing handicapped to regain abilities

The first kick of the 2014 FIFA World Cup may be delivered in Sao Paulo next June by a Brazilian who is paralyzed from the waist down. If all goes according to plan, the teenager will walk onto the field, cock back a foot and swing at the soccer ball using a mechanical exoskeleton controlled by the teen's...
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2013

New digital divide threatens economic growth

The struggle by several developing countries to upgrade digital connectivity means they are losing out on the social-economic rewards of IT infrastructure.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 11, 2013

Genesis of a brawl: Decades of Sherpa resentment fuel confrontation on Mount Everest

It's an irresistible contrast. On the one hand, modern mountaineering superstars with their blogs and sponsorship deals, scrapping with outraged Sherpas on the slopes of Everest. On the other, one of the defining images of the 20th century, the photograph of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary standing...
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2013

Ideological splits endanger Arab nation-state

The 'Arab Spring' generated a wave of hope for democratization of authoritarian regimes. The outcomes have called into question the viability of the Arab nation-state.
COMMENTARY / World
May 8, 2013

Globalized sacrificial altars

The Bangladeshi garment factory collapse poses moral questions for politicians and business executives worldwide, including: What is the value of a human life?
Japan Times
WORLD
May 6, 2013

Syrian conflict risks ancient heritage

A Shiite king ruled northern Syria more than a millennium ago from behind the towering walls of the citadel in Aleppo. In later centuries, Arab armies repelled medieval crusaders from the hilltop fortress, Mongol invaders damaged it and Ottomans used it as military barracks.
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2013

Austerity era appears over (for now)

Something remarkable has happened in the last few weeks. It looks like world financial leaders are focusing on too few jobs instead of the risks from government debt.
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2013

New global environment of human hybridization

While Catholic doctrines evolve slowly, the Latin vocabulary has been expanding steadily in recent years, reflecting the surge of neologisms like telephonium.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 30, 2013

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu on a mission to spread Japan's kawaii culture

'Cool' may have been the official buzzword, but if the chants of the 20,000 strong audience at a recent festival are to be believed, that word has been ousted by a new one: 'kawaii.'
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 30, 2013

People's award: glittering honor or political tool?

The People's Honor Award, bestowed on those who have made tremendous achievements in their careers, has often drawn criticism for its vague nomination criteria and opaque selection process.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / JAPAN-CHINA SYMPOSIUM
Apr 30, 2013

Japan, China at risk of losing sight of true interests

As Japan deals with China, the nation needs to get an accurate picture of what the giant neighbor is and where it is headed, rather than be swayed by what could be a larger-than-life image of the new economic and military power in East Asia, China watchers said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 27, 2013

Data gathering on all Indians seen as key to alleviating poverty

Could a semi-Orwellian program to collect biometric data for 1.3 billion Indians become a key tool to pulling people out of extreme poverty and integrating them into the global economy? The world's largest democracy is betting that it will, and that it could offer important benefits in poorer countries...
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Apr 24, 2013

Mao certain to face massive pressure if she tries to retire

Mao Asada's recent proclamation at the World Team Trophy that she “intends” to retire after next year's Sochi Olympics took many by surprise, but I think the proclamation is far from set in stone.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2013

Boston's terrible theater of terrorism

The attack on the Boston Marathon is a reminder of the adage that terror is theater — as is the response to terror. It matters who gives the better performance.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2013

Boston's terror and the children of the fault lines

Civilizational battles were once waged by warriors who donned garments of different lands. Today it is boys with baseball caps who carry death in their backpacks.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 14, 2013

Profiles of Japanese living overseas; CM of the week: Astalift

It's been said that Japanese people, especially younger ones, no longer travel abroad in search of adventure. This week there are three programs that go looking for Japanese people who do just that.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 13, 2013

How keeping it real took Matt Damon to the top

In 1987, when Bruce Springsteen wrote the song "Ain't Got You," he was the biggest rock star in the world. He had vast estates in New Jersey and Beverly Hills, and he had not long returned from a honeymoon at Gianni Versace's villa in Lake Como. "Ain't Got You" was Springsteen's attempt to make a self-aware...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 11, 2013

Japan: a most interesting story in economics

Regardless of whether the Japanese economy makes a Keynesian recovery or enters a gargantuan sovereign debt crisis, there will be lessons for all.
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 9, 2013

'Natch' gets ghostly on stage

"If I thought too much about my future plans, I would kind of get stuck," says Natsumi Abe. "So I just try to concentrate on the next day's work and do it as well as I can."
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 7, 2013

Doomsday Clock designer Langsdorf dies at 96

Martyl Langsdorf, the artist who designed the Doomsday Clock, dies in Illinois at the age of 96.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 7, 2013

A portrait of the poet as a child

This remarkable book is an autobiography of childhood, written by the poet Mutsuo Takahashi (born 1937) when he was 32, and issued in 1970, although its separate chapters had appeared as a series of essays in a magazine the year before.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 5, 2013

'Flammable ice': a bad choice

Exploiting domestic offshore reserves of methane hydrate may be too tempting for Japan's leaders to resist. But this 'flammable ice' is a fuel decoy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 4, 2013

JR's portraits put a face on Tohoku

French artist JR, whose show of photographic artwork is on display at the Watari-um (Watari Museum of Contemporary Art), inspires while questioning the role of art in war-torn and disaster-ridden places, asking whether art could really change things for the better. JR not only documents but also involves...

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear