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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 9, 2014

'Into Great Silence'

Imagine a movie that's not a movie at all, but an act of contemplation. This is "Into Great Silence." Sometimes a prayer, more often a rumination, it's a film that sprung from one man's urge for silence. Director Philip Groning wanted to make a documentary about the monks living in the Grande Chartreuse...
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 9, 2014

Tokyo to inspect 'dappo' narcotics sellers

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to inspect stores suspected of selling quasi-legal narcotics, after the Cabinet called for a crackdown on so-called “dappo” drugs.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jul 9, 2014

First legal pot shops open in Washington state

Eager customers lined up before dawn on Tuesday as Washington became the second U.S. state to allow the sale of marijuana for recreational use, although shortages and high prices were likely to accompany any euphoria.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2014

North Korea test-fires more missiles, but abduction talks likely to continue

North Korea's launch Wednesday morning of what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles prompted a fresh protest from Tokyo, but appears unlikely to derail ongoing talks over the abduction of Japanese nationals.
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jul 9, 2014

The Miraikan is going down the pan — in a good way

Using the toilet is an everyday part of our lives, yet it's something we rarely talk about in public. But it is of such importance, involving health, sanitation and human dignity, that perhaps it should become a topic of general discussion.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 9, 2014

Osaka Culturarium at Tempoza gets suited up for 'Gundam'

If giant robots excite you, then you will know Gundam — a name that has become synonymous with the sci-fi mecha genre.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 9, 2014

Yokohama hosts its largest dance festival

Dance in Japan has a long, rich history, dating back to ancient times when it was used as a form of prayer to the gods. Celebrating that varied background, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse is this Sunday hosting what it boasts is one of Japan's largest dance events — the first Yokohama Dance Festival....
WORLD
Jul 9, 2014

Moscow accuses U.S. of 'kidnapping' accused Russian hacker

Russia accused the United States on Tuesday of violating a bilateral treaty and "kidnapping" a Russian accused of hacking into U.S. retailers' computer systems to steal credit card data.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 8, 2014

Abe declares war on quasi-legal 'dappo' drugs

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declares war against quasi-legal highs known as “dappo” drugs, pledging to adopt a speedier process by which regulators can identify and outlaw products with dangerous narcotic or hallucinogenic ingredients.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 8, 2014

Conductor Hubert Soudant to put down his Tokyo Symphony Orchestra baton

Dutch conductor Hubert Soudant will make his final appearances with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra this month, before his contract with the organization officially expires in August.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Jul 8, 2014

Aoi-jaya: Traditional Japanese cuisine without the traditional price tag

A combination of train delays and the restaurant I had intended to eat at closing earlier than advertised meant that I had to find a replacement on the hoof. Fortunately, I was in the Isetan department store in Kyoto Station. The top two floors are given over to restaurants: the 10th floor to mostly...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2014

Japan's innovation challenge

The Abe administration's capacity for deciding how to raise the birthrate, improve child-care facilities, realize an appropriae work-life balance and promote other 'innovations' that enable Japan to solve its many problems is now being tested.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jul 7, 2014

BayStars' Gourriel could be in line for rare honor

The Yokohama BayStars don't look like they're going to do much winning this season. The team can, however, be associated with at least one historic victory at the conclusion of the season.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 7, 2014

What the government doesn't pay in pensions it will have to make up for with welfare

People are facing a widening gap between retirement age and the age they are eligible for pensions.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Jul 7, 2014

Letters: adoption from Japan, book bores, returnees, workers' rights and fleeing U.S. guns

Some letters in response to recent articles in the Community section about a wide range of subjects.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 7, 2014

Momoiro Clover Z to open for Lady Gaga on tour

Idol group Momoiro Clover Z has been selected by Lady Gaga to be the opening act for one of her Japanese performances next month.
WORLD / Society
Jul 7, 2014

Cameron under pressure to launch child abuse inquiry

British Prime Minister David Cameron is facing calls to launch a full-scale inquiry into allegations that well-known politicians abused children in the 1980s, after an official said the government had lost files that may shed light on the matter.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 5, 2014

Fiery Shinjuku protest goes global without NHK

Until the Great East Japan Earthquake, social media didn't have much purchase on Japanese social life. But disasters are transformative, and in a country where the mass media is cautious about its role vis-a-vis the authorities, social media came into its own after the tsunami and meltdown.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 4, 2014

Mei Shigenobu's words continue the fight for her mother's cause

On her 8th birthday, Mei Shigenobu's mother sat her daughter down and told her that she was the leader of the Japanese Red Army Faction, a group of revolutionary Marxists fighting to violently overthrow global capitalism. It was part of a very unconventional childhood.
EDITORIALS
Jul 4, 2014

Watch progress on abduction issue

The government needs to watch North Korea to ensure that it follows through on a pledge to reinvestigate the fate of Japanese nationals kidnapped by North Korean agents, now that Japan has decided to lift some economic sanctions on the country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / DEALING WITH DEMENTIA
Jul 4, 2014

Assistance for vulnerable elderly on the rise

Last in a three-part series
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2014

While Japan presses North on abductions, South Korea victims are forgotten

Kim Young-nam was a teenager living on the coast of South Korea when he disappeared in 1978, only to turn up in North Korea. There, he met and married Megumi Yokota, a Japanese national abducted by North Korean agents on her way home from school a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2014

Japanese banks trail peers on dividend payouts

Japan's biggest banks, which posted record earnings last year, are less generous than their global peers in sharing profits with investors while they search for more takeovers abroad.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jul 2, 2014

Get your kids into music

With so many pop and idol groups in Japan, classical music is often neglected when it comes to kids' preferences in music. But, perhaps surprisingly, infants and toddlers have been found to respond just as positively to works such as Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Mozart's piano sonatas.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 2, 2014

Belgian beer, food and music

Who doesn't enjoy a frosty cold beer in the hot weather? This weekend you can drink to your heart's content, while enjoying a little culture at the Belgian Beer Weekend in Yamashita Park.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 2, 2014

Dancing between cultures in Yokohama

Contemporary dance has always pushed the boundaries of corporal expression by exploring themes that traditional dance genres and their movements have difficulty conveying. As one of the Month of France series of events organized by the Yokohama branch of the Institut Francais du Japon, CrossDance continues...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 2, 2014

Battle it out in Shinshiro

During the Sengoku period (1482-1573), the Takeda family was one of the strongest clans in Japan, known in particular for its successful cavalry charges. Yet in 1575, it found itself up against something that rendered it powerless — the new western technology of firearms.

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