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EDITORIALS
Aug 17, 2017

Regional banks' merger dilemma

Regional banks pursuing mergers to ensure their survival should also scrutinize their operations to find areas where they can improve their performances.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 50 years of ASEAN
Aug 9, 2017

University actively participating in exchange programs

Sophia University in Tokyo was selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as one of 11 subsidy recipients for participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) International Mobility for Students (AIMS) Program in 2013. Since then, Sophia University...
WORLD
Jul 28, 2017

Mongolia bans grain exports due to drought from hottest temperatures in 56 years

Mongolia has suspended grain exports with as much as a third of its farmland suffering from severe drought after temperatures last month rose to the highest in more than half a century, agricultural officials said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 18, 2017

Nagoya assembly creates day care room for nursing mom among ranks

The Nagoya Municipal Assembly has created a private day care room for one of its members with a 1-year-old son, the first such facility among governments in the Tokai region and a rarity in other parts of Japan as well.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / EMBASSY PRESENTS ECO-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE
Jul 13, 2017

Palau boasts incredible maritime diversity

Palau has boosted its efforts to preserve its rich maritime environment for generations to come, with some of the measures including the introduction of environmental protection taxes and education for children, an official from the Tokyo branch of the country's tourism office said at a recent seminar...
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jul 10, 2017

Venomous fire ants found at Osaka port

Venomous fire ants, native to South America, have been found, including a queen ant.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jul 9, 2017

Saitama woman turns maligned waste disposal firm into recycling powerhouse

As a child, Noriko Ishizaka was ashamed of her father's company — a waste disposal firm with towering smoke stacks overlooking a small town in Saitama Prefecture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 30, 2017

A fitting tribute to the city of Minamata

Suffering and stigma are being transformed into action: The entry into force of the Minamata Convention.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2017

Foreign IT workers seen as solution to industry shortage

There is a rising demand for IT engineers in Japan as many point out there is a shortage of such professionals domestically. An estimate shows that Japan will face a shortage of close to 600,000 IT-related professionals by 2030.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jun 25, 2017

One woman's suicide shines a harsh light on the plight of Japan's doctors

I think many people hold the following preconceived notions of what it means to be a physician. Doctors, we believe, are:
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2017

Preventing disabilities in the elderly

No one can stop the aging process, but there are many ways to minimize its negative effects.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 2, 2017

Why China's drones are taking off

China's hands-off approach, whether intentional or not, has created an environment in which startups can experiment with trial-and-error, take on increased risk and thrive.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 29, 2017

Civil society across Asia is flowering but fragile

The proliferation of civil society organizations throughout Asia is having a significant impact on relations between the state and citizens, on the institutions of the state and on prevailing norms and values.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 26, 2017

For Japan and U.S., joint drills could signal the start of a new 'normal'

As the impasse with nuclear-armed North Korea reaches a critical juncture, Japan and the U.S. have seen their security bonds grow ever closer, conducting new naval exercises.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 18, 2017

U.N. credibility is at stake

The U.N. is strugging to reaffirm its raison d'etre as the vanguard of international peace and security.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2017

Drawing on Seattle startup revolution, Fukuoka angling to be entrepreneur hub

From the fifth-floor office of his internet startup, Kazz Watabe can see the sea bass jump in the bay as he works on his fishing website to the sound of jazz and the waves washing on the beach below.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Mar 11, 2017

Namie: one step forward, a few steps back

Evacuees from the Fukushima town of Namie are struggling to find a good reason to return to their homes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2017

Trump factor has Japanese students rethinking study in U.S.

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to have succeeded in building cozy ties — at least for now — with U.S. President Donald Trump, the president's controversial executive orders and remarks have made some Japanese students aspiring to study in the U.S. think twice about their choice of destination....
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2017

China needs a new grand strategy in Trump era

Donald Trump's presidency has already upended the key assumptions underpinning China's post-Cold War grand strategy.
EDITORIALS
Jan 21, 2017

Relief for Minamata victims

The government has done a poor job of identifying and providing relief to victims of Minamata disease.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 31, 2016

New year, new you: What to expect personally and professionally in the Year of the Rooster

If you haven't made a New Year's resolution or have been too busy for the customary ōsōji (big cleanup) this holiday season, there is still time, according to feng shui. Under the Chinese philosophical system, the new year is marked by the lunar, rather than Gregorian, or solar, calendar, giving us...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2016

Japan's restaurant chains cut overnight hours to help workers, stem losses

Like convenience stores, many nationwide restaurant chains used to stay open 24 hours a day, targeting younger generations who want to dine or sip beer in the late-night hours.
EDITORIALS
Nov 29, 2016

Wage hikes vital to sustained growth

Companies must to better at raising the wages of their employees.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2016

Board examines the future direction of news coverage

Identity of The Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2016

Contamination: Documents reveal hundreds of unreported environmental accidents at three U.S. Marine Corps bases on Okinawa

Since 2002, at least 270 environmental accidents on U.S. Marine Corps bases on Okinawa have contaminated land and local waterways but, until now, few of these incidents have been made public. Internal reports highlight serious flaws in training and suggest the lessons of past accidents have not been...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2016

Deserted Yubari tries creating new population nucleus in test case for Japan

A former coal-mining town in Hokkaido is taking unprecedented measures to combat its biggest challenge: a devastating shrinking of its population. Its success could decide the future for hundreds of other local governments waging the same battle for survival.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 24, 2016

Hiroshi Sambuichi: The nature of architecture

What is most remarkable about Hiroshi Sambuichi's work is the sensation of air and wind movement that the shapes of the architect's buildings encourage. The experience is testament to Sambuichi's philosophy that architecture should work in harmony with the environment surrounding it so that it becomes...
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2016

Brexit and the pound in your pocket

The early returns on Brexit are in and the data are not good, regardless of claims to the contrary by 'leave' supporters.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami