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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 19, 2017

British parliament backs May's plan for June 8 snap election

Prime Minister Theresa May won parliament's backing for an early election on Wednesday, a vote she said would strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union and help heal divisions in Britain.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2017

Bilateral free trade pact with Japan a possibility, Pence says

Visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday officially opened the door to a bilateral free trade agreement with Japan, saying formal negotiations on such a move are possible.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 18, 2017

For North Korea and China, defense pact proves a complicated document

In U.S. President Donald Trump's calculus, a choice between Chinese cooperation or American military action loom large as part of any solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. But one often unspoken aspect of this outlook has been Beijing's rarely mentioned mutual defense pact with Pyongyang — a...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 17, 2017

Let's discuss job hunting in Japan

A job interview can be an etiquette minefield.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 12, 2017

Xi, Trump talk on phone in bid to tamp down surging tensions over North Korean nukes

As a U.S. Navy "armada" steamed toward the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump over the phone, reiterating the need for a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear standoff.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2017

Guidelines on supporting preschool children with disabilities under final review

The government's first set of guidelines to help facilities improve services and opportunities for preschool children with disabilities are close to being finalized.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 11, 2017

Toshiba submits unaudited results, raises questions about ability to survive as a company

Embattled Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday its grave financial situation puts it at risk of not being able to survive as a company.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 7, 2017

U.S. strike on Syria changes North Korea dynamic as Trump, Xi meet

U.S. President Donald Trump’s stunning order for a missile strike on a Syrian military airfield Friday may change the calculus on how China views his threats of unilateral action against nuclear-armed North Korea, experts say.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 6, 2017

The enemy within: Russia faces changing Islamist threat with metro bombing

Akbarzhon Dzhalilov, the man suspected of blowing up a Russian metro train, represents a new wave of radical Islamists who blend into local society away from existing jihadi movements — making it harder for security forces to stop their attacks.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2017

Diplomatic dialogue paves way for Abe-Xi talks

Senior diplomats from Japan and China held talks in Tokyo Tuesday on measures to counter North Korea's nuclear provocations, laying the groundwork for a possible July meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Apr 3, 2017

Let's discuss the cherry blossom season

Every spring, people across Japan are enraptured as the cherry trees explode into bloom, clothing the country in pink.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 2, 2017

Japanese collegiate sports study ends Phase 1

Japan is currently working to reform college sports and establish its own version of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), creating athletic departments at universities to help it function more efficiently.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 29, 2017

Satellite imagery shows North Korea may be in final stages of preparing for nuclear test

Satellite imagery of North Korea's main nuclear test site "strongly suggests" that preparations for the country's sixth atomic test are entering the final stages, a leading U.S. website that monitors the isolated nation said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 28, 2017

Labor reform panel adopts final report calling for overtime caps

A government labor reform panel adopted a final report Tuesday calling for revised labor laws capping overtime at 100 hours a month and improving conditions for nonregular workers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 28, 2017

The tortured artist is not just a cliche

Sai Hashizume's latest exhibition of precision realist painting, "This Isn't Happiness," is about updating some of the masters of Western art history. In her five new works, she deals prominently with the surrealist Rene Magritte and Vincent Van Gogh. She also adopts the ominous chiaroscuro of 17th-century...
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 27, 2017

Let's discuss Henn na Hotel coming to Kanto

Major travel agency H.I.S. Co. celebrates the opening of its second robot-staffed Henn na Hotel.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Mar 26, 2017

Music's shifting tides reveal a hunger for artistry in Japan

Music is often characterized over-simplistically as a battle between rock and pop, seriousness and fun, but the two are always in an ever-shifting balance. With this column coming to the end of its six-year run, it feels timely to cast a look back — and perhaps also a hopeful eye forward — over the...
EDITORIALS
Mar 23, 2017

Penalizing uncommitted crimes

The government needs to convince a skeptical public why proposed legislation that could compromise privacy rights through increased surveillance activities is necessary.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 21, 2017

Did America's top diplomat inadvertently offer China a 'new great power relationship'?

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's use of phrases and language commonly employed by China's Communist Party during his first trip to the country as top diplomat has left some regional experts wondering if he may have inadvertently endorsed Beijing's push for a new "great power relationship."
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 20, 2017

Let's discuss the Tokyo 2020 Cultural Olympiad

Japan's celebration of culture leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will 'deliver something inspiring for the people of Japan and the whole world,' says the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Director.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 20, 2017

Hard-line priest's elevation a sign Modi is putting India on path toward becoming a Hindu nation

A saffron-robed Hindu holy man was sworn in Sunday to lead India's most populous state, sealing what appears to be a shift in course by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that could redefine the world's largest democracy as a Hindu nation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 18, 2017

'Where They Create: Japan': Glimpsing the minds of creatives through their workspaces

When asked how his design process works, Teruhiro Yanagihara, creative director of the ceramics collaboration project 1616/Arita, says, "My brain is initially 'where I create.'"
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 17, 2017

Tillerson's tough talk on North Korea garners mixed reviews

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued bold proclamations during his Asia visit, saying that “all options are on the table” in dealing with nuclear-armed North Korea.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 16, 2017

Radwimps were the perfect choice when it came to soundtracking 'Your Name.'

Yokohama Arena feels special on this chilly Tuesday night in early March. It's here that Radwimps — a rock outfit from Kanagawa Prefecture whose members could bike to this very venue when they were teens — are playing the first of two sold-out shows.

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