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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2017

Perilous South China Sea plan

If the U.S. pursues U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson's South China Sea position as policy, it will almost certainly mean high tension, instability and conflict in the region.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 17, 2017

'Kohei Kobayashi × Kohei Takahashi: Work on Five Hypotheses to Cut Off...'

Jan. 14-April 2
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2017
Jan 17, 2017

Ancient seat of Japan's warrior culture

The origin of Japan's ruling class extends into the mists of ancient history, far before the country was unified after a period of civil wars and well into the first millennium A.D.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2017

Japan and U.S. sign deal clarifying civilian protection under SOFA

In a bid to reduce crimes committed by U.S. military base workers, Tokyo and Washington sign a supplementary agreement to limit and clarify the definition of the civilian component protected under the Status of Forces Agreement.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 16, 2017

Steadily implement 'comfort women' agreement

North Korea's leader stated in his New Year's address that the country "entered the final stage of preparation for the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile," threatening the peace and stability of the international community. Last year, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and launched...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 16, 2017

Samsung boss faces arrest as Park corruption scandal grows

South Korea's special prosecutor's office said Monday it was seeking a warrant to arrest the head of Samsung Group, the country's largest conglomerate, accusing him of paying multimillion dollar bribes to a friend of embattled President Park Geun-hye.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 15, 2017

Paellas aim to redefine the sound of 'now'

Fitting into the sound of the moment while still standing apart from it can be a tricky thing to do. Paellas guitarist Satoshi Anan says he wanted the feeling of "now" to come out on his band's newest album, "Pressure."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jan 15, 2017

Trucker girls

One cold rainy night in Tokyo's Koto Ward, two tiny kittens were rescued from inside the hood of a truck in a parking lot. Sitting atop the engine, they were surprised by the swift reactions of their rescuer who scooped them into safety. Kohnan (left), named after the lot's shop, and Dyna, named after...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2017

Clash between Japan, U.S. casino moguls throws spotlight on gray zones in FBI bribe probe

In April 2015, a sworn statement submitted in a Nevada lawsuit between rival casino moguls Steve Wynn and Japan's Kazuo Okada contained an unusual assertion. Its author said Wynn's head of security had asked to meet him in Japan and then persuaded him to travel to the United States to talk to federal...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / PHOTO ESSAY
Jan 14, 2017

Echigo-Tsumari: Creative adventures on the art field

It's winter. Inclement weather in December far north of Tokyo should come as no surprise: the farms and forests are normally blanketed in snow. So while preparing for our stay at the "House of Light," an installation in Niigata Prefecture by U.S. conceptual artist James Turrell, we aren't deterred when...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 14, 2017

The little black screen we just can't take our eyes off

A great weight sits perched on us. It's called a head. It houses our brain and presents our face to the world. It comprises roughly 10 percent of our body weight. Heavy enough at the best of times, it grows heavier as it inclines forward. Held high, it's a 5.5-kilogram burden on the neck of a person...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 14, 2017

Assad linked to Syrian chemical attacks for first time

International investigators have said for the first time that they suspect President Bashar Assad and his brother are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 14, 2017

Trump's nominees stray from his path on Russia, torture

In two days of Senate confirmation hearings, Donald Trump's national security nominees have shown they aren't afraid of disagreeing with their boss, even on matters at the heart of his campaign promises.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2017

Takata to plead guilty, pay $1 billion U.S. penalty over air bag defects

Takata Corp. on Friday agreed to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing and to pay $1 billion to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation into ruptures of its air bag inflators linked to at least 16 deaths worldwide.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 14, 2017

Trump adviser Flynn had five calls with Russian envoy on day of hacking sanctions: sources

Michael Flynn, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for national security adviser, held five phone calls with Russia's ambassador to Washington on the day the United States retaliated for Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election, three sources familiar with the matter said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jan 13, 2017

Ginza sushi restaurant tests Champagne pairing

Nothing says "festive" like Champagne, that most elegant of elixirs. The drink's life-affirming effervescence makes it a natural choice for New Year's celebrations, but Champagne pairs so well with many of my favorite foods that I drink it far more often than once a year — with everything from raw...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 13, 2017

China, Russia take aim at U.S. anti-missile system planned for deployment in South Korea

China and Russia have agreed to take unspecified "countermeasures" in response to the planned U.S. deployment of an anti-missile system to South Korea — a move that came as Defense Minister Tomomi Inada inspected a version of the system on the U.S. territory of Guam on Friday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2017

Trump's crazed transition is making history

Judging by his post-election transition — which has been, hands down, the strangest in U.S. history — all we really know about how Donald Trump will govern is that we must expect the unexpected.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / OKINAWA BEAT
Jan 13, 2017

Okinawa prepares for new effort to block Henoko base by rallying local opposition

Okinawa Prefecture is scrambling to plot its next move in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling siding with the central government's effort to relocate the operations of a U.S. military base within the prefecture despite fierce local opposition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 12, 2017

'Garage Rockin' Craze': 'It's not about fame, they want 15 minutes of fun'

Mario Cuzic used a video camera to face the question that keeps many expat English teachers up at night: What am I going to do before I head back home? His answer, "Garage Rockin' Craze," is a documentary on the history of Japan's underground garage rock scene that has nurtured internationally renowned...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 11, 2017

Secondhand bookshop exorcizing ghosts of the past

The first floor of the crumbling art deco building where my daughter lives in Riga, Latvia, houses a well-patronized secondhand English bookstore. I've bought several titles there. It led me to wondering why a business of this kind, a social space for readers, can thrive in the tiny Latvian capital,...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 11, 2017

Italy arrests siblings for hacking into emails of ECB's Draghi, former Italy PM Renzi

Italian police arrested two siblings on Tuesday for hacking the emails of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and thousands of others.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 11, 2017

Giant Chile telescope to hunt for habitable planets in Alpha Centauri

The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile will be modified in order to allow it to search more effectively for potentially habitable planets in Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 10, 2017

Chinese professor fired after criticizing Mao online

A Chinese professor has been fired after enraging leftists with an online criticism of Chairman Mao Zedong on what would have been on the leader's 123rd birthday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 10, 2017

Hyundai, IHI among firms weighing $5 billion Turkey roads and bridge project: sources

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., Itochu Corp. and Chinese builders are among companies that may bid for a $5 billion contract to build a network of roads and a suspension bridge across Turkey's Dardanelles waterway, according to people familiar with the matter.
EDITORIALS
Jan 9, 2017

Promoting local autonomy

This is the 70th year since the concept of local autonomy was introduced in Japan under the Constitution. Both the national and local governments should be reminded that local autonomy is an important and essential heritage of the postwar political and legal transformation. Serious efforts need to be...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 9, 2017

Tillerson ethics plan foreshadows knotty Trump Cabinet confirmations

Rex Tillerson's disclosure that he stands to receive a $180 million cash payout from Exxon Mobil Corp. if he becomes the next U.S. secretary of state offers a preview of the thorny ethical questions that may be raised this week over a presidential Cabinet stacked with wealthy tycoons.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 9, 2017

Studies find worrying misuse of medicine worldwide

Up to 70 percent of hysterectomies in the United States, a quarter of knee replacements in Spain and more than half the antibiotics prescribed in China are inappropriate, over-used health care, researchers said on Monday.

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