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JAPAN
Mar 13, 2017

App developed to help judge whether calling an ambulance is really necessary

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency comes up with a new way to cut down on unneeded ambulance runs.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Mar 13, 2017

China lawmakers add defaming Communist Party 'heroes' to civil code offenses

Lawmakers on Sunday introduced amendments to China's nascent civil code to make defaming "heroes and martyrs" of the ruling Communist Party a civil offense, as the leadership moves to strengthen its grasp on the history of the People's Republic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2017

Noise outfit Endon takes a hard look at itself in the mirror

The term "noise music" has come to define a variety of artists and sounds, from guitar feedback to drones to white noise. Japan is certainly no stranger to the concept, birthing formidable pioneers of the genre such as Merzbow, Hijokaidan and Incapacitants over the years. However, singer Taichi Nagura...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 12, 2017

Seeing Ainu as they want to be seen

Portrait project on show in Tokyo is the result of months spent living as part of Hokkaido village community.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Mar 12, 2017

Cuddle me quick: a dog named Tucker

Seven-month-old Tucker is one of two siblings who came to ARK as strays. Now, he and his brother are looking for a roomy home, either separate or together.
BASEBALL
Mar 11, 2017

Teams makes preparations for second round

Tokyo Dome was mostly silent, with only the sounds of practice ricocheting off thousands of empty seats at the Big Egg, as the 2017 World Baseball Classic took a day off to prepare for the final push to the championship round.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 11, 2017

Relief over Tillerson at State Department replaced by unease

U.S. diplomats breathed a sigh of relief three months ago when Rex Tillerson was nominated as secretary of state, welcoming the oilman as a seasoned manager who would shield them from ideologues ready to gut America's foreign policy machinery.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Mar 10, 2017

Fukada's filmmaking a breath of fresh air

Koji Fukada's black comedy "Hospitalite" ("Kantai") won best film in the Tokyo International Film Festival's Japanese Eyes section in 2010 and since then he has become accustomed to stepping up on stages to receive prizes for his work.
EDITORIALS
Mar 9, 2017

Taking a stand on defense research

University scientists should avoid the lure of easy government money aimed at promoting research with military applications.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 8, 2017

A dystopian future set in the present aftermath

With "Homo Sapiens", director Nikolaus Geyrhalter paints a haunting dystopian vision of civilization minus its creators. This unique documentary consists of nothing but steady, perfectly framed wide-shots of abandoned structures and wastelands. Imagine Wes Anderson doing location shots for "The Walking...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 7, 2017

'Tohoku — Kumamoto Exhibition Linked by Art, Architecture and Design'

March 1-April 30
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 7, 2017

Russian hackers target U.S. liberal groups in bid to get hush money

Russian hackers are targeting U.S. progressive groups in a new wave of attacks, scouring the organizations' emails for embarrassing details and attempting to extract hush money, according to two people familiar with probes being conducted by the FBI and private security firms.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2017

Abe says latest North Korean missile launch represents 'new level of threat'

North Korea demonstrated its growing military capabilities with the launch of four ballistic missiles Monday, three of which fell into the Sea of Japan, in what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe characterized as "a new level of threat."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 5, 2017

Yoshiki: 'We had to make our own world'

Yoshiki Hayashi hardly sleeps. The drummer, pianist, songwriter and leader of rock band X Japan has been in and out of the country constantly these past few months, promoting his band's new documentary film, "We Are X." At the same time he has been performing solo concerts, recording and squeezing in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 5, 2017

Actress Haruka Abe balances others' expectations and her own dreams

It can be tough to catch a break in the world of acting, but Haruka Abe got a boost when cellist Grace Chatto of British dance-pop act Clean Bandit sent her a message over Facebook.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Mar 5, 2017

Government of Japan, survey thyself

Something landmark happened late last year. Japan's government undertook a nationwide survey of discrimination toward Japan's long-term non-Japanese (NJ) residents.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Mar 5, 2017

Spick and span: Cats find a home in Kyoto — and keep it clean

Kinomi and Konoha were featured here in 2015. Since then, the two have been lucky enough to find a home in Kyoto.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 5, 2017

China anti-graft overhaul paves way for Xi to retain ally — and sets precedent for him to stay on beyond 2022

China's sweeping overhaul of its anti-corruption architecture could enable President Xi Jinping to justify retaining his key ally and top graft buster Wang Qishan beyond retirement age, sources with ties to the leadership say.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 5, 2017

Offering no evidence, Trump claims Obama wiretapped him during campaign

U.S. President Donald Trump accused predecessor Barack Obama on Saturday of wiretapping him during the late stages of the 2016 election campaign, but offered no evidence for an allegation which an Obama spokesman said was "simply false."
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 4, 2017

Culture and commerce thrive under Japan's elevated train tracks

At dusk, the bars and restaurants that crowd the underside of the tracks at Yurakucho Station come alive.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 4, 2017

Japan's magazines get misty-eyed over Showa Era brothels

Commencing with the death of Emperor Taisho on Christmas Day, 1926, the Showa Era ran for 62 years and two weeks, ending with the death of Emperor Hirohito (posthumously referred to as Emperor Showa) at the age of 87 on Jan. 7, 1989.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 4, 2017

China to boost defense spending by 'about 7%' in 2017 amid 'outside meddling' in maritime disputes

China will boost its defense budget by "around 7 percent" this year, a top official said Saturday, as Beijing seeks to inject more cash into its increasingly modern military amid "outside meddling" in territorial disputes in the East and South China seas.
EDITORIALS
Mar 3, 2017

A shady deal over state-owned land

The government should address questions raised by the steeply discounted sale of public land to an Osaka-based school operator.

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