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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2016

'Ex Machina': When the machine has its own ghost

When the histories are written years from now, our era will be defined by information technology in much the same way that the 1960s were defined by rock 'n' roll and social protest, or in the U.S., the '20s by Prohibition. People will look back with bewilderment at images of us — like we do at those...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 8, 2016

Drones emerge from shadows to become key cog in the U.S. war machine

When U.S. drones obliterated a car carrying Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour last month, it was the kind of targeted killing that unmanned aircraft are best known for.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 8, 2016

China may build seabed 'space station' to help hunt for minerals in South China Sea

China is speeding up efforts to design and build a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea, one that may also serve a military purpose in the disputed waters.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jun 6, 2016

Rakuten chief named in Panama Papers

Rakuten Chairman and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani is named as a shareholder of a company in an offshore tax haven in the Panama Papers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 6, 2016

Ransomware making costly inroads into online Japan

Advances in technology always come at a price.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2016

Is China winning the contest for South China Sea control?

China views the U.S. as a declining power that would not be able to sustain a major war in Asia.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jun 5, 2016

Where the heart is: a cat named Pu'er

Though her eyes are a brilliant jade green, Pu'er's personality is like that of the sweet girl next door.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2016

Japanese court issues first-ever injunction against hate-speech rally

A Kanagawa Prefecture bench prevents an anti-Korean activist from holding rallies near a group that supports ethnic Koreans.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 3, 2016

Mitsume's long days on the road pay off

Over the past decade, a go-to method for older rock bands to drum up excitement for a tour is the promise of playing a classic album in its entirety. It's a win-win proposition: Fans get to feel nostalgic while the artists themselves can coast by on material they've played countless times before.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 3, 2016

Satellites find 39 unreported sources of major pollution

Researchers in the United States and Canada have located 39 unreported sources of major pollution using a new satellite-based method, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OBJECT-ORIENTED
Jun 3, 2016

Sori Yanagi's magnificently 'normal' bowl and strainer

Hidden away in an unlikely courtyard in Tokyo's Yotsuya neighborhood is what may well be the world's first design shop stocked only with products by a single product designer. The Yanagi shop was opened in 1972 by Sori Yanagi, the son of Mingeikan (The Japan Folk Crafts Museum) founder Soetsu Yanagi,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2016

Bain, PAG Asia get in line for potential Takata purchase

Bain Capital and PAG Asia Capital are evaluating bids for Takata Corp., joining KKR & Co. among private equity firms with an interest in the Japanese air bag supplier behind a record safety recall, according to people familiar with the matter. Takata's shares surged.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 2, 2016

Composers Joe Hisaishi and Philip Glass team up for a special performance

The term "contemporary classical music" may sound straightforward, but it isn't. That is why one of Japan's most influential composers has made it his mission to guide people through what is essentially a sonic labyrinth.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jun 1, 2016

The EU is on firm ground when it comes to film

The European Union might be teetering on the brink of collapse politically, but culturally it's still presenting a united front. EU Film Days, a showcase of movies from Portugal to Lithuania, Finland to Greece, is entering its sixth year in Japan, with daily screenings throughout the rainy season at...
BUSINESS
Jun 1, 2016

Crisis management driving Japan Inc. deals as firms divest

The nation's companies are targeting mergers and acquisitions abroad as the third-largest economy stagnates, yet it is crisis management that is driving deal volume in the country this year, not international expansion.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2016

EU deal on removing online hate speech also draws fears of more government restrictions

An agreement on Tuesday by four major U.S. internet companies to block illegal hate speech from their European services shows the pressure the companies face to monitor and control content.
JAPAN
May 31, 2016

Liaison with group holding Japanese hostage Jumpei Yasuda in Syria says time running short

A recent photo showing journalist Jumpei Yasuda pleading for his last chance to live is not an empty threat, according to a Syrian liaison between the media and the people holding him hostage.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 30, 2016

Obama visit highlighted differences in Japan and U.S. over 'an apology'

Prior to U.S. President Barack Obama's recent Asian visit, many of his critics back home were already mocking the trip, calling it an "apology tour."
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
May 30, 2016

Let's discuss ex-PM Koizumi's support for the ailing U.S. sailors

Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has thrown his support behind a group of former U.S. sailors suing the operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
May 29, 2016

The dream of the '90s is alive in Kansai

A big part of Japanese music's wild overseas image is defined by groundbreaking artists from the Kansai area.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 29, 2016

WHO rejects medical experts' call for delaying or moving Rio Olympics due to Zika

The World Health Organization on Saturday rejected a call for the Rio Olympic Games to be moved or postponed due to the threat posed by a large outbreak of Zika virus in Brazil.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 28, 2016

The vagina on trial: more absurd than obscene

Though the obscenity trial of the artist known as Rokudenashiko — real name Megumi Igarashi — ended earlier this month with a conviction on one of her charges, we haven't heard the last of her. She plans to appeal the verdict, which is good news for the press and the public, since few court trials...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 28, 2016

Poverty and boredom gnaw at Japan

Boredom, poverty and war: three themes you’d think (wrongly) would be extinct by now — war because humankind as a whole is more peaceably inclined than ever before, poverty because of an abundance of riches and boredom because ... doesn't it go without saying, given the endless stream, not to say...

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