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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 16, 2019

North Korean leader visits sacred mountain as speculation grows of fresh provocation

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made yet another improbable trek to the top of 2,744-meter-high (9,003-feet-high) Mount Paektu, which the country calls "the sacred mountain of the revolution" — and this time, he did it atop a white steed.
BUSINESS / Brexit: How it affects Japan
Oct 15, 2019

Buffeted by Brexit, British firms try to chart a course in the Japanese market

British companies are coming under more pressure than ever to develop a footprint in non-EU markets.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 12, 2019

Consumers look for ways to blunt impact of consumption tax hike

Japan's consumption tax on goods and services has arguably been unpopular from the get-go. Introduced at 3 percent in 1989 as a means of improving public finances, the rate was raised to 5 percent in 1997, 8 percent in 2014 and, from Oct. 1 of this year, to 10 percent.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 11, 2019

Sino-U.S. trade war brings chances and challenges for Vietnam's skilled laborers

A new front has opened in the U.S.-China trade war as companies shifting manufacturing to Vietnam engage in a fierce battle for skilled labor, aggravating an existing shortage and prompting calls for education reforms to address the problem.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2019

Worker shortage eating into Japanese day care centers' profits, survey shows

The profitability of private preschools, nurseries and certified day care centers plummeted from fiscal 2016 to in fiscal 2018, a Cabinet Office survey has found.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 9, 2019

Ebisu Food Grand Prix: Searching for the taste of Ebisu

At this year's Yebisu Beer x Ebisu Food Grand Prix, which goes until Oct. 31, 51 bars are offering a special food item paired with a glass of Yebisu beer. Many locals make the event an annual pilgrimage, aiming to visit all participating locations to vote for their favorite pairings.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 7, 2019

Simple, serious and fatal mistakes in politics

When it comes to rational, sophisticated and consistent policymaking, dictators like China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan have the advantage.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF,MEDIA MIX
Oct 5, 2019

Debating contraception and a woman's reproductive rights

In May, the Sendai District Court dismissed a suit against the government filed by two women who underwent forced sterilization under the now-defunct Eugenic Protections Law because the statute of limitations had expired. However, the judges said that the law, which allowed the government to prevent...
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2019

Iranians tried to hack Trump's re-election campaign, sources say

A hacking group that appears to be linked to the Iranian government attempted to break into U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election campaign but were unsuccessful, sources familiar with the operation told Reuters on Friday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Oct 2, 2019

Brex, Brave Thunders ready for season-opening clash

The B. League has wrapped up its season with championship games at Yokohama Arena, one of the best venues for basketball in Japan, in each the last two years.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 2, 2019

Robert Mueller, who oversaw Trump-Russia probe, returns to private practice

Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who oversaw a two-year probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election to help Donald Trump become president, is returning to his old law firm.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2019

No-deal Brexit could prompt Nissan to reconsider Sunderland plant, FT reports

Japanese carmaker Nissan will review its decision to build the Qashqai SUV in northern England if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, potentially leading to the closure of the Sunderland plant, the Financial Times reported.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 1, 2019

Theater for all as Tokyo festivals cast a wide net

Festival/Tokyo and Tokyo Festival offer a full package of domestic and overseas performances in the capital during October and November
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Sep 27, 2019

Brother guilty in 'honor killing' of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch

A Pakistan court on Friday convicted the brother of social media star Qandeel Baloch of her murder, a 2016 killing that sparked a change in laws and ignited fierce debate over the prevalence of "honor killings" of women.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 23, 2019

BOJ's next step down a narrow path

Other central banks will likely release fresh rounds of monetary easing, but Japan's central bank is out of ammunition.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 23, 2019

World's poorest people getting less than a cent per day in international aid to battle climate change

The world's poorest people, increasingly buffeted by storms, floods and droughts, have been getting less than 1 U.S. cent (¥1.1) a day each in international help to protect them from wild weather and rising seas as the Earth heats up, aid group Oxfam said Monday.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2019

The Jack Bauers of Europe love facial recognition

As regulators wake up to the threat of this technology, governments are pushing back with an unconvincing public-safety defense
Japan Times
Rugby
Sep 19, 2019

England favorites to win World Cup, says former Brave Blossoms assistant Sawaki

Keisuke Sawaki, 44, a former Japan assistant coach under Eddie Jones in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, has made bold predictions for the upcoming World Cup in Japan. Sawaki, who has been analyzing recent test matches, highly values the Jones-led England team. Here are Sawaki's predictions during the interview...
Rugby
Sep 19, 2019

Retooled Brave Blossoms look to take world by storm

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph has a clear goal for the 2019 Rugby World Cup — lead his team to the quarterfinals for the first time in history.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 19, 2019

Robert O'Brien, Trump's new national security adviser, seen as an arbiter rather than a confrontationalist

Donald Trump's selection of top hostage-affairs official Robert O'Brien as his new national security adviser sends a clear signal the president is seeking to turn the page from the confrontation and controversy that defined John Bolton's tenure in the job.
Japan Times
Rugby
Sep 17, 2019

Italy captain Sergio Parisse optimistic team can deliver big World Cup surprise

To say the draw for the Rugby World Cup pool stage was unkind to Italy would be an understatement.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 11, 2019

Hong Kong unrest gives Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen a timely boost

Heading into 2019, Tsai Ing-wen looked at risk of becoming Taiwan's first one-term president. Then came the unrest in Hong Kong.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2019

South Korean human rights watchdog finds no foul play in defection of North Korean waitresses

An investigation by South Korea's human rights watchdog found no evidence the country's spy agency tricked or coerced a dozen North Korean restaurant workers into defecting in 2016, as some have alleged, documents reviewed by Reuters showed on Tuesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2019

After subpoena snub, U.S. House panel calls on former Trump aide Flynn to testify Sept. 25

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee has sent a letter to Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, demanding he testify before the panel on Sept. 25, a committee aide said on Monday.

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