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COMMENTARY / World
Jun 23, 2015

A way of helping the poor that actually works

Ideas to help the world's poorest people should be funded based on evidence that they work — not hope.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
Jun 20, 2015

Clarke’s legendary records still resonate 50 years later

Nearly three weeks after American sprinter Henry Carr's passing, another iconic runner from the 1964 Tokyo Games has passed away.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jun 17, 2015

In leaked draft encyclical, pope urges urgent action to thwart climate change

The world could see the destruction of entire ecosystems this century without urgent action on climate change, Pope Francis says in a draft of his keenly awaited encyclical on the environment.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 16, 2015

Hong Kong on high alert as new democracy showdown looms

Hong Kong's leader warned Tuesday that violence will not be tolerated, a day after authorities arrested 10 people and seized suspected explosives ahead of a crucial vote on a China-backed electoral reform package this week.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 10, 2015

New twist in Hong Kong's democracy movement

Not only do many young people in Hong Kong no longer care about building democracy in China, they don't even care about China.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 8, 2015

Imported food, limousines await as Chinese spare no expense when pampering their pooches

Shanghai bank employee Frances Chen spends about a fifth of her monthly salary on her poodle, Cookie, one of the millions of pet owners turning China's pet care industry into one of the fastest growing in the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 6, 2015

Blame batted about for stadium blunder

The media is still very positive about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but its ardor has cooled significantly with regard to the way the central government is holding up its end of the bargain.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jun 6, 2015

Law still a long way behind fertility boom

As the population declines, the number of domestic businesses involved in fertility is growing, giving birth to a slew of additional problems.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE HIGH GROUNDS
Jun 5, 2015

Zen and the delicate art of demitasse coffee

Shingo Naganuma isn't exaggerating when he compares the atmosphere of his coffee shop, Nejimakigumo, to a temple. Open the menu here and you'll find a list of rules, ranging from prohibitions (no smoking, no pets) to a requirement that laptop users buy extra drinks if they plan on occupying one of the...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 30, 2015

Life inside a juvenile correction center

Young offenders are encouraged to acknowledge the crimes they have committed before learning how to survive in the outside world after their release.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NAGOYA RESTAURANTS
May 29, 2015

Om Nom Nom brings chili halal to Nagoya

If you're looking for a decent halal meal in Nagoya you'll be mostly restricted to curry or kebabs. But British expat Rajib Ali has added a little variety to the landscape by opening a 100 percent halal-chili restaurant.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 29, 2015

Success taking a toll on LDP

The quality of the LDP's Diet members is sorely lacking, and the cause comes from the top — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
May 26, 2015

More bags to bring; new routes to Taiwan; Hiroshima gains flights

More bags to bring
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 26, 2015

Southeast Asia accelerates its maritime buildup amid tensions with China

Southeast Asian nations are prioritizing spending on their navies and coast guards amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, but as their capabilities grow, so does the risk that any confrontation in the contested waterway will be harder to contain.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 15, 2015

Funassyi — Japan’s favorite shrieking pear

It's all going pear-shaped, and that's a good thing for Funabashi's popular mascot.
Japan Times
JAPAN / TELLING LIVES
May 13, 2015

Nagoya DJ brings Japanese history to life

Chris Glenn's participation in relief efforts in the disaster-hit Tohoku region made the news in 2011, when as a member of a group of pilots he flew a helicopter to deliver food, water and medicines for evacuees.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 12, 2015

Philippines watches from rundown outpost as China turns reef into island in disputed sea area

As the Philippine military C-130 transport plane made its approach to the country's most precious outpost in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, it flew past a reef that China is quickly turning into an island.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2015

Sound waves: the music of Okinawa

How is it possible that a people who have experienced poverty, famine and discrimination, outlasted efforts at cultural annihilation and suffered the indignities of occupation can manage to celebrate life in song and dance with a passion and joy that belies everyday reality?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 9, 2015

The golden arches lose their luster

The sharp downturn in business at McDonald's — which has thrived for most of the past 44 years in Japan — has got everybody talking. This past January alone, revenues at existing outlets, the company announced, had fallen year-on-year by a whopping 38.6 percent, with losses for the 2014 business...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 2, 2015

Giving parents credit where rent is due

We choose our friends but we don't choose our parents. Nor do they choose us. It's a pretty fraught relationship, sometimes, that between parent and child. Perhaps "love-hate" best describes it — hopefully with love dominant.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 30, 2015

Sixteen teams ready to battle for title in expanded playoffs

The playoff format was expanded to 16 teams for the bj-league's 10th season.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 29, 2015

Former Asahi Shimbun reporter says threats against him are getting worse

A former Asahi Shimbun reporter who has sustained a spate of personal attacks relating to his coverage of so-called "comfort women" years ago says the threats against him are growing worse.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2015

Mideast supply disruption threat sends oil trading to near four-month high

Oil traded near the highest price since December on concern that Middle East supplies may be disrupted as Saudi Arabia expanded its military campaign against Yemen.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 25, 2015

U.S. towns pulled into Japanese politics

A recurring news story over the past several years concerns claims of the harassment of Japanese nationals residing on the East and West coasts of the United States. Most appear to have originated from municipalities where South Korean immigrants and Korean-Americans have successfully campaigned to erect...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2015

From Vine to Billboard, Shawn Mendes lands chart-topping album

Teen singer Shawn Mendes, who grew a devoted fan base as a Vine star on social media, landed at No. 1 on the U.S. weekly Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, ousting the "Furious 7" soundtrack from the top spot.

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