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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 3, 2018

Anniversaries loom for gum producer Lotte and the Yoshiwara red-light district

In 1941, a 19-year-old Korean chemistry student named Shin Kyuk-ho traveled to Tokyo to study at a technical college. He remained in Japan following the war and, under the name Takeo Shigemitsu, founded Lotte Co. in 1948. The brand's name was inspired by Charlotte, the heroine of Johann Wolfgang von...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 1, 2018

Ex-Trump top aide Paul Manafort pleads not guilty, gets September trial date

U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a new indictment brought against him in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and will face trial in September.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 28, 2018

Sumo-rich Osaka ready for stormy Spring Basho

That stretch in the evenings and the plum blossoms in bloom means just one thing to sumo fans — it's time for the Osaka Basho.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 26, 2018

Let's discuss that Armani school uniform

A public elementary school in Tokyo's posh Ginza district has decided to adopt new uniforms designed by Armani, triggering protests.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 25, 2018

China to scrap term limits for president, paving way for Xi to stay at helm

In a move likely to pave the way for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to stay at the country's helm beyond his second five-year term, the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee has proposed to remove term limits for the president and vice president.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 24, 2018

U.S. imposes more North Korea sanctions, Trump warns of 'phase two'

The United States said on Friday it was imposing its largest package of sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear missile program, and President Donald Trump warned of a "phase two" that could be "very, very unfortunate for the world" if the steps did not work.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 19, 2018

Let's discuss 'obligatory chocolates'

A recent Godiva ad challenged the culture of 'obligatory' Valentine's chocolates.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 17, 2018

Nagaya nostalgia: The long and the short of Tokyo's famed 'row houses'

Nagaya have been disappearing from downtown Tokyo for many decades, with row upon row of these "long houses" torn down to make way for more comfortable — and profitable — residential complexes and office blocks.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 14, 2018

Chinese newspaper says Britain is 'trying to validate its existence and grab attention' with South China Sea patrol

Chinese state-run media has blasted London for its plans to send a warship through the disputed South China Sea next month, saying that "by acting tough against China, Britain's Ministry of Defence is trying to validate its existence and grab attention."
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 13, 2018

Disgraced senior Chinese politician Sun Zhengcai charged with bribery

Chinese prosecutors have charged disgraced senior politician Sun Zhengcai with bribery, state media said Tuesday, the latest development in a corruption probe into a man once considered a contender for top leadership.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 9, 2018

Japan must pursue a strategic pivot to Asia

Japan should pivot to Asia by seizing the frontier opportunities of the 600 million strong ASEAN market.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 8, 2018

Olympic diplomacy: VIP seating plan a headache for Pyeongchang's opening party

The neighbors don't get along but you are still obliged to invite them all to the party. So where do they all sit?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 7, 2018

Abe and Pence say no divide on North Korea during Tokyo meeting, warn against Pyongyang’s ‘smile diplomacy’

Amid signs of a gradual thaw in inter-Korean relations, Prime Minister Abe and visiting U.S. Vice President Pence reaffirm the policy of maintaining “maximum pressure” on North Korea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2018

Abe explains uncompromising stance on inserting 'explicit SDF mention' in Article 9

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is reluctant to compromise on the substance of constitutional amendments, emphasizing his commitment to the ambitious goal of altering the war-renouncing Article 9.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 5, 2018

H.I.S. plans eight more robot-staffed Henn na Hotels across Japan

Travel agency H.I.S. Co. is eyeing an ambitious plan to build eight more android-staffed Henn na Hotels in addition to the one it opened in Tokyo's high-end Ginza shopping district on Thursday.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Feb 5, 2018

Let's discuss cryptocurrencies

Echoing the Mt. Gox fiasco nearly four years ago, Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck disclosed Friday it had been hacked and lost about u00a558 billion ($532 million) worth of its holdings, sending clients into a panic about the fate of their virtual assets.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 5, 2018

Ecuadoreans back limits on presidential re-election in blow to former leader Rafael Correa

Ecuadoreans on Sunday voted to prevent presidents from holding more than two terms in office, according to the elections council, a win for President Lenin Moreno that blocks his mentor-turned-adversary Rafael Correa from returning to power.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 30, 2018

Kuroda deserves a second term

A figure of Haruhiko Kuroda's experience and credibility is required to dispatch the dissenters and give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the support he needs to run the economy hot for several more years.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 30, 2018

North Korea scraps joint Olympic cultural event with South

North Korea has canceled a joint cultural performance with South Korea at a mountain resort north of the border, blaming the media in Seoul for "defaming" its position on next month's Winter Olympics.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 29, 2018

South Korean defense chief skeptical of North nuclear threats, says tactical nukes won't be reintroduced to peninsula

Seoul's defense chief on Monday cast doubt on Pyongyang's threats to strike the United States or South Korea with nuclear weapons, saying that such a move would result in the country being "literally wiped off the face of the Earth."
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 29, 2018

Let's discuss Tetsuya Komuro's retirement

Music producer Tetsuya Komuro says he will retire from the industry following a recent magazine report about his alleged extramarital affair with a nurse.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 26, 2018

Trump sought Van Gogh but Guggenheim offered him potty of gold: report

New York's Guggenheim Museum offered to lend an 18-karat gold toilet to President Donald Trump after the White House asked to borrow a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2018

Kobe teacher taps time at helm of student-run quake-shelter newspaper to boost sense of community

Sanae Nakajima clearly remembers the disarray at an elementary school in Kobe as more than 2,000 displaced residents sought shelter in the immediate aftermath of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, which left 6,434 people dead and about 43,800 injured.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji