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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2014

Power play: the debate over renewable energy

On Aug. 26, 2011, the same day that Prime Minister Naoto Kan resigned after widespread criticism of his handling of the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the Diet passed legislation that created a new feed-in...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 16, 2014

Grisly Sasebo murder defies explanation

Homicides involving dismemberment, referred to in Japanese as bara-bara jiken (scattered incidents), fall into a wider category known as ryōki hanzai (bizarre crimes) — written with kanji meaning "hunting the strange." Typically when minors were involved in such cases they tended to be victims, not...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 14, 2014

How Japan's art inspired the West

In the decades after Japan was forcibly opened to large-scale international trade in the early 1850s, a fever spread across Europe for items from the exotic country: its textiles, ceramics, paper fans, woodblock prints and more. Meanwhile, the term "Japonism" was coined to describe works made in Europe...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Aug 9, 2014

Gazing in awe on nature's flying bullet, the brown booby

"Sleekly elegant" is a befitting way to describe a catwalk model in the fashion world, suitable even for an ultramodern city tower or a bullet train, and appropriate on the race circuit for describing a pleasingly aerodynamic two-seater convertible. It is a surprisingly relevant way too for describing...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 6, 2014

A palace fit for the queen of consumption

What sort of person would decide to build the biggest house in America? Not just the biggest, but a monstrous, mega-mansion replica of the Palace of Versailles, overlooking Florida's Walt Disney World, complete with its own bowling alley, spa, 10 kitchens, 30 bathrooms, and an entire wing for the kids....
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2014

A little self-control can add up to big savings

An American economics columnist reports that having to spend cash out of an envelope rather than just pulling out the debit card has made her much more frugal.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2014

In this Gaza war, the truth lies underground

One of the more astonishing facts of this Gaza war is that the tunnels that Hamas has dug under the border with Israel are not designed for commerce, but for kidnapping. The tunnels reportedly contain tranquilizers and handcuffs, seemingly meant to gain physical control over Israelis who have been seized.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 26, 2014

Cypulchre

Many writers have tried in vain to emulate the cool tech-lingo-driven prose of author William Gibson's early cyberpunk fiction, and it's easy to pick those budding science-fiction writers who cast themselves as his successor — fellow Canadian Joseph MacKinnon falls into this category.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 13, 2014

Shifting from the SOFA to permanent residency

An American civilian worker on a U.S. military base who has plans to retire here with his older Japanese wife wonders what will happen to his visa status if she predeceases him.
Reader Mail
Jul 5, 2014

Flag the opinion of a nonresident

It's very useful to hear about perceptions of Japan from people living outside the country.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2014

Lower school age and offer free preschool, education panel says

Japan should offer free education for children as young as 3 years old and reduce the age at which all children must start school, from 6 to 5, a government panel on education reform advised Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 30, 2014

Despite wowing West, Ukraine leader dependent on Putin

Three weeks into his job, President Petro Poroshenko looks like a man in a hurry.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
Jun 28, 2014

IOC visit puts spotlight on 2020 venues, budget

It's no shocking revelation that the IOC's planning revolves around lots of meetings.
EDITORIALS
Jun 27, 2014

Legal tussle over parental ties

Japan's Supreme Court next month is scheduled to hear two cases that challenge the traditional legal presumption of a father-child relationship when DNA test results deny the existence of blood ties.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2014

'Kawaki (The World of Kanako)'

Some parents pride themselves on knowing their teenage children, and some parents truly don't have a clue. There is a fair amount of overlap between the two groups, especially when the teenagers try to please Mom and Dad while going their own sweet way.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jun 24, 2014

Spurs set example for rest of league with consistency

The great American sportswriter Grantland Rice wrote a poem, "Alumnus Football," that ended like this:
EDITORIALS
Jun 16, 2014

Work-hour 'reform' ripe for abuse

The Abe administration is pushing to exempt certain kinds of workers from labor standards as part of his economic growth strategy without soliciting the views of labor organizations concerned about the fate of overtime pay.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jun 13, 2014

JOC grooms young athletes for international success at Elite Academy

Since 2008, the Japanese Olympic Committee has run a national youth athlete development program called the JOC Elite Academy. It's a part of the JOC Gold Plan, which was drawn up to improve Japan's international competitiveness in sports seven years before the development program was established.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 13, 2014

Were dinosaurs cold-blooded killers? Perhaps not

The hot question of whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded like birds and mammals or cold blooded, like reptiles, fish and amphibians, finally has a good answer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2014

Pokemon ring, Sailor Moon stick are among top toys

Takara Tomy's Pokemon Mega Ring was declared best boys' toy in this year's Japan Toy Prize contest, it was announced Tuesday.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jun 10, 2014

Love in demand despite never making the playoffs

So what's the big fuss about a player who in six seasons as his team's best player never has played for a team with a .500 record, never has made the playoffs, has averaged missing 20 games per season with injuries and in his five full seasons (a 66-game lockout shortened season in the other) his team...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2014

Only amnesiacs could laud this recovery path

American graduates this season are entering an economy where more than 40 percent of recent college grads are either unemployed or in jobs that do not require a college degree. Barack Obama seems to suffer from amnesia concerning the policies that produced the robust recovery from the severe recession of 1981-82.

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