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CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2018

'Amachan' star rebrands as Non and kicks out the jams on 'Super Heroes' debut

During the summer of 2013, when millions of viewers tuned in every morning to catch the latest installment of NHK's "Amachan," the show's sprightly 19-year-old star, Rena Nonen, seemed destined for big things. But her breakout role quickly became a cautionary tale about the perils of the entertainment...
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 9, 2018

Kim, Xi talk denuclearization as North Korean leader makes second secret visit to China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he was committed to giving up his nuclear weapons if security guarantees were met, during a surprise visit to the Chinese port city of Dalian just weeks ahead of a planned summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese...
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
May 8, 2018

Rafael Arutunian looking forward to coaching teen star Marin Honda

Rafael Arutunian is going through a bit of deja vu right now.
JAPAN
May 8, 2018

Education ministry includes 'open kitchens' in new kindergarten guidelines

The education ministry has suggested that kindergartens install open-style kitchens that allow children to watch their meals being prepared, to spark their interest in food and teach them healthy eating habits.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 8, 2018

U.S. court blocks transfer, apparently to Saudi Arabia, of alleged American Islamic State fighter held in Iraq

A U.S. appeals court on Monday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from immediately transferring an American citizen accused of being an Islamic State member from military custody in Iraq to an unidentified country, apparently Saudi Arabia.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 7, 2018

Let's discuss relations between Japan and North Korea

Despite what appears to be good news that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is eager to hold a bilateral summit with Japan, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remains cautious, saying there are many hurdles to be overcome.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2018

Conservatives steal liberal term as Illinois counties declare 'sanctuary' status for gun owners

Several rural Illinois counties have taken a stand for gun rights by co-opting a word that conservatives associate with a liberal policy to skirt the law: sanctuary.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 2, 2018

Environmental group looks to carve Trump's face into arctic iceberg

In a move that some may consider cold-hearted, a Finnish nongovernmental organization is aiming to raise €400,000 ($480,000) to carve U.S. President Donald Trump's face on an arctic iceberg to highlight global warming.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 1, 2018

Paper plane protesters urge Russia to unblock Telegram app, which Iran also banned

Thousands of people marched through Moscow, throwing paper planes and calling for authorities to unblock the popular Telegram instant messaging app on Monday.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 30, 2018

Let's discuss that Seven-Eleven that was forced to stay open in a blizzard

The owner of a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Fukui Prefecture was allegedly forced to work for about 50 hours without sleep in February after the chain rejected his requests to suspend business amid the heaviest snowfall in decades, a labor union has said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 30, 2018

Pakistan's Imran Khan woos poor, vows radical change in populist poll pitch

Pakistani opposition figure Imran Khan on Sunday vowed to sweep to power in upcoming elections, promising radical change for the poor at a campaign kick-off rally in the city of Lahore that has long been the power base of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 27, 2018

North Korea's Kim and South's Moon pledge 'new era of peace'

In a historic summit that few could have imagined just months ago, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in announced Friday the opening of "a new era of peace" that would end the Korean War and achieve a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 27, 2018

'Avengers: Infinity War': Bold, bombastic and a bit of a bummer

This review contains discussion of plot points that may be seen as mild spoilers for "Avengers: Infinity War."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 21, 2018

Sumo incident in Kyoto rekindles gender debate in the ring

In Japan's ancient Shinto religion, purity comes before morality. Indeed, purity is morality. Women are impure. They menstruate and bear children. The exclusion of women from certain religious and ceremonial functions went unquestioned for millennia. It no longer does — but it is not extinct either....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 20, 2018

Still reasons for optimism despite trade fears, says Panama Canal CEO

Although a war of words over tariffs has intensified between China and the United States, there is still good reason to be optimistic about prospects for global trade, the administrator and CEO of the Panama Canal Authority said in an interview with The Japan Times on Wednesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 20, 2018

Did North Korea's Kim Jong Un just remove a key stumbling block in negotiations with the U.S.?

By affirming that American troops can stay in South Korea under a possible nuclear deal, did North Korean leader Kim Jong Un just remove a key stumbling block in negotiations with the United States?
Reader Mail
Apr 20, 2018

Setting the record straight on Akiba

The March 6 article "Japanese official allegedly did not rule out building nuclear weapons storage site in Okinawa" repeated an allegation by a U.S. researcher that we know not to be true. This is in reference to a 2009 discussion between the U.S. Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 19, 2018

Trump says he would walk away if Kim summit isn't 'fruitful'

U.S. President Donald Trump voiced hopes Wednesday of a successful planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but warned that he could "respectfully" walk away if it appeared the talks would not be "fruitful."
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 19, 2018

Trump tweets Stormy Daniels-linked sketch is of a 'nonexistent man'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said a man portrayed in a sketch released by porn star Stormy Daniels, who she said warned her to stop discussing her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump, does not exist.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 19, 2018

Trump confirms CIA chief visited North Korea for secret meeting with Kim Jong Un

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that CIA chief Mike Pompeo had held clandestine talks with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, as the two nations move closer to a landmark summit that would see their sitting leaders meet for first time ever.
EDITORIALS
Apr 18, 2018

Build on the momentum of Japan-China talks

Tokyo and Beijing should continue efforts to put their bilateral relationship back on track.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2018

China launches new website that lets users report 'foreign spies'

China has ramped up its crackdown on foreign espionage with a new website in both Mandarin and English that allows users to report alleged threats such as collusion with foreign countries that endangers the country's "sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security."

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes