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EDITORIALS
Oct 15, 2017

Too much power for the prime minister?

If there is room for abuse, discussions are needed on whether the prime minister's power to dissolve the Lower House should be restricted.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2017

How Japan's service industry is trying to adapt to the worst labor crunch in 25 years

Before Hisashi Kanbe in 2013 introduced BakeryScan, the world's first image recognition checkout system designed specifically for bread, it was the job of every bakery worker in Japan to memorize the assorted prices of each baked good — from baguettes back to bagels.
BASKETBALL / B. League
Oct 14, 2017

Chiba's defenders clamp down on Tochigi in pivotal fourth quarter

The defending champion Tochigi Brex fell to 2-3 to open the new season, losing 76-70 to the visiting Chiba Jets on Saturday afternoon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Oct 14, 2017

Autumn is peak season for ‘sanma,’ a once-common fish that's playing hard to catch

The sanma (Pacific saury) that's caught at this time of year is rich with heart-healthy oils, and is considered a quintessential autumn delicacy in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 14, 2017

Shake Shack experiments with automated order kiosks in U.S.

Beloved burger chain Shake Shack recently announced plans to use automated kiosks in lieu of employees to take orders at its new Astor Place location in New York.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 14, 2017

Success is elusive on the wrong side of the wealth gap

When the political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) visited the infant United States in 1831, he was struck above all by the "equality of condition" that prevailed there.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 14, 2017

The bottom line in publicly shaming celebrities

Anyone interested in Japanese television is familiar with the term "yarase," which refers to on-air situations staged to look natural and spontaneous.
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Oct 14, 2017

Posting a pair of overalls overseas

'I'd like to send a pair of overalls overseas. Do I need a special kind of package?'
EDITORIALS
Oct 14, 2017

Passive smoking and children

Tokyo has set a good example for the rest of Japan with its by-law to protect kids from secondhand smoke.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 14, 2017

North Korea renews threat to target Guam ahead of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises

North Korea renewed its threat to the American Pacific territory of Guam on Friday as the U.S. and South Korean militaries geared up for 10 days of joint naval exercises set to kick off next week.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 13, 2017

In surprise move, Samsung CEO Kwon Oh-hyun to resign after record profit

The chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics Co. is stepping down in a surprise resignation after decades at the company, saying it needed new leadership following a bribery scandal that led to the imprisonment of its de facto chief.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 13, 2017

Trump's tax plans provoke friction with IMF after study advocates social cohesion and less inequality

The International Monetary Fund spent decades telling the world's governments how to run their economies on an American-inspired blueprint that became known as the Washington Consensus.
Reader Mail
Oct 13, 2017

Smartphones and the end of conversation

It was a sticky hot summer's night in Tokyo. The last time I was here was 10 years ago. I was now lost in Shibamata in search of an apartment we had rented. All the train riders exiting the small station were looking at their cellphones, except for one staggering businessman in a dark blue suit. Let...
Reader Mail
Oct 13, 2017

Japan needs strong center-left party

Seeing the election platform of the nascent political party Kibo no To (Party of Hope), I got a weird feeling. It is no exaggeration to say that its election pledges are hard to tell apart from that of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Reader Mail
Oct 13, 2017

Demographics sour, not sweet

All due respect to Jesper Koll in his opinion piece in the Oct. 2 edition ("Japan's demographic sweet spot"), but I found that his logic and evidence fail in substantiating his claim that Japan's demographics are in a "sweet spot."
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Oct 13, 2017

Okinawa innkeeper transforms 'love hotel' into castle with a floral view

Hotel Sha La La is one of Okinawa's newest hot spots, enticing tourists with its castle-like structure.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 13, 2017

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg vows to release info on Russia ads linked to election meddling

Facebook Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said on Thursday the company was fully committed to helping U.S. congressional investigators publicly release Russia-backed political ads that ran during the 2016 U.S. election.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 12, 2017

Suzuki's ball distribution making difference for NeoPhoenix

Early in his pro career, Tatsuya Suzuki displayed a flair for making the right pass at the right time.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 12, 2017

It's more than 400 years old, but 'Richard III' is just as relevant today

Romanian theater director Silviu Purcarete has staged several plays in this country before, but now he's working with an all-Japanese cast for the first time as he prepares to present his brand-new "Richard III" at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in Ikebukuro from Oct. 18 to 30, ahead of a three-city tour....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2017

African-Americans twice as likely as whites to default on student debt: DOE

Nearly half of black Americans who borrowed from the federal government to attend college defaulted on their student loans — more than double the rate among white student debtors, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2017

Uber, Ola's Indian legal woes put SoftBank's funding in firing line

An Indian taxi company has stepped up its legal challenge against local competitor Ola and U.S. rival Uber, alleging the firms are abusing their market position, and believes that planned investments in both by Japan's SoftBank underscore its view.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 11, 2017

Trump sought dramatic increase in U.S. nuclear arsenal, NBC says

U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to dramatically increase the country's nuclear arsenal, he said in a meeting with his national security advisers in July, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing three officials who were present in the room.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Oct 11, 2017

This woman's work is never dull

Hidetomo Masuno says he thinks too much. The 41-year-old comedian who goes by the name Bakarhythm says he spends most of his waking hours deep in thought — "but first," he stresses, "I observe."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2017

Saying a final goodbye to King Bhumibol

King Bhumibol successfully transformed the declining monarchy into the most important political institution in Thailand.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 11, 2017

China's Communist Party makes final preparations for key congress

China's Communist Party opened a meeting Wednesday to make final preparations for a key party congress later this month, state media said, a five-yearly event where President Xi Jinping is expected to further tighten his grip on power.

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers