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JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Jun 15, 2015

Osaka's assault on ethnic invective stalls

With last week's decision by the Osaka Municipal Assembly to delay a decision on what would have been Japan's first city ordinance to combat hate speech and to issue a nonbinding statement instead, local legal efforts to crack down on racist rhetoric have slowed.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 15, 2015

Sahara crossing claims 18 Europe-bound migrants in Niger, IOM says

The bodies of 18 West African migrants hoping to reach Europe have been found in the Sahara desert near Arlit in Niger, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday.
WORLD
Jun 14, 2015

Britain pulls out spies as Russia, China crack Snowden files: report

Britain has pulled out agents from live operations in "hostile countries" after Russia and China cracked top-secret information contained in files leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Sunday Times reported.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jun 13, 2015

Take on the samurai in Edo Period Toei

When my parents were young, action movies were about gunslingers, sheriffs and saloons. For my in-laws in Osaka, however, cinema was more about swords and samurai.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 13, 2015

Cultural historian James Vardaman reflects on his journey into Japanese publishing

Between two sips of coffee, Waseda University professor James M. Vardaman comes clean to me about his decades of addiction.
OLYMPICS
Jun 12, 2015

Residents must have stadium say: Masuzoe

The wrestling match between the central government and Tokyo over how to handle the cost of the new stadium for the 2020 Olympics is showing no signs of cooling.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 12, 2015

Cronut master is concocting new pastries for Tokyo store

Cronut fans in Japan can swap local imitations for the real thing when the creator of the croissant-doughnut hybrid, pastry chef Dominique Ansel, opens his new bakery in Tokyo on June 20.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 12, 2015

Tasting the many shades of Japan's regional sake

At the risk of sounding like a killjoy, I have to confess that drinks festivals rarely excite me. These events are often promoted as learning opportunities that can help you improve your tasting skills and discover new brands. While the lure of convenience (the chance to sample hundreds of varieties...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 12, 2015

Free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman dies at 85

Ornette Coleman, a self-taught alto saxophone player who polarized the jazz world with his unconventional "free jazz" before coming to be regarded as an avant garde genius, died on Thursday morning in New York at the age of 85, according to his publicist.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2015

Russian president's secrets are right on his face

What does Vladimir Putin's face reveal about his personality and likely actions as Russia's leader?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 11, 2015

'Mockingjay' rises toward a revolution

Today's Hollywood is great at catering to the superfan. Whether it's the dedicated following that supports (or argues over) TV shows like "Game of Thrones," "True Blood" or "The Walking Dead," or the comic-book enthusiasts that salivate over every detail of a superhero flick like "Avengers: Age of Ultron,"...
WORLD
Jun 11, 2015

Hackers targeted Iran nuclear talks: Kaspersky Lab

A computer virus was used to hack into venues linked to international talks on Iran's nuclear program, the Russian computer security company Kaspersky Lab said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 11, 2015

Liberating the robot from factory floor by inflating it

Kevin Albert is playing the part of lion tamer. The 33-year-old engineer, with a passing resemblance to Joe Namath, sticks his head into the four-fingered grip of a robotic hand, pauses for a moment and then emerges unscathed.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 10, 2015

Life inside a Nepalese cable car in 'Manakamana'

One summer in Tokyo, as I was unemployed and without any better ideas about how to occupy myself, I spent an entire day riding the Yamanote Line. It takes roughly one hour to complete a loop of the line and, in the course of the day, I managed 19 laps before having to stop and catch the last train home....
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2015

International students face job hunting hurdles in Japan

A 23-year-old student from China who attends the prestigious University of Tokyo is now looking for a job in Japan.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2015

National Stadium architects reject reports they may be fired

The architects behind Tokyo's new National Stadium deny reports that they may be fired from the project as criticism mounts over the building's cost and appearance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 9, 2015

Apple boasts new music streaming to bolster lead in tunes segment, preps News app, ups OS ante

Apple Inc. showed off a new streaming-music service that will give users access to a vast inventory of songs for $9.99 a month, seeking to regain ground against upstarts that have lured listeners by offering unlimited access to music.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 9, 2015

Cops grill woman who worked at N.Y. prison where two killers bolted; schools on alert

Authorities were questioning a woman who worked at an upstate New York prison where two convicted killers escaped over the weekend as a manhunt entered its third day, police said on Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 8, 2015

Toyota museum breaking records as tourists flock to Nagoya

A museum dedicated to the history of Toyota Motor Corp. is attracting so many foreign visitors that attendance has set a new all-time high.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 8, 2015

Hedge funds seek returns in Japan as China bubble concerns mount

While China's world-beating stock market rally is generating headlines, some of the biggest Asia-focused hedge funds are looking further east for profits.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / ADOPT ME!
Jun 7, 2015

Number one: a tabby named Tournesol

Tournesol is a young, gorgeous tabby that wants to schmooze his way into your world.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 7, 2015

Rush hour with bangin' bass: My night on ageHa's EDM train

A woman with purple hair sits in the waiting room on the platform at Nerima Station, surrounded by salarymen who look exhausted from their workday. Nearby, a private security guard herds four friends wearing matching floral-print pants and light-up shoes toward a line. An assortment of middle-aged workers...
CULTURE / Music
Jun 7, 2015

Old Lacy Bed and a legacy left by Vivian Girls

"Share the Joy," the 2011 album by Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls, starts off with the distinctive rumble of a drone strike in progress before suddenly veering into a lollygagging eighth-note groove for beginner musicians.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 7, 2015

Why the new USA Freedom Act is worthless

Most of the United States' controversial Patriot Act will remain in force under the USA Freedom Act.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Jun 7, 2015

NEC develops way to ID everyday objects

Envision a container filled with tens of thousands of metal screws made from the same mold. Is it possible to tell one from another?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Jun 6, 2015

Osamu Dazai's travel guide 'Return to Tsugaru' is more concerned with people than place

In the northernmost reaches of Honshu, Japan's largest island, lies Tsugaru, an area isolated even from its neighbors in Aomori Prefecture, let alone the rest of Japan. As a celebrated author and son of Tsugaru himself, Dazai Osamu must have seemed the perfect choice for this 1944 volume in Oyama Shoten's...

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