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COMMENTARY / World
Aug 15, 2016

Brazil's partisans go for the Olympic gold

Brazil's fueding parties lost no time in trying to politicize a judoka's gold medal performance.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 15, 2016

Forgoing visit, Abe sends ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine on war anniversary

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe avoids visiting the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine and instead dispatches a proxy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Aug 13, 2016

'Peanuts' can be a treat for adults, too

There is one precise moment when I question the wisdom of taking my two young daughters to visit the Snoopy Museum in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 10, 2016

These women ain't afraid of the 'Ghost-bros'

Excuse the time-honored phrase, but the new "Ghostbusters" is a whole new ball game. The hype surrounding its U.S. release last month was considerable, and not just because it's a long-overdue followup of a beloved 1984 Hollywood classic: It has also dared to do what few have done before, which is to...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 8, 2016

安: a peaceful character for these turbulent times

One kanji character that learners encounter at a fairly early stage is u5b89, pronounced 'an' or 'yasuraka' and meaning 'peaceful' and, by extension, 'safe.'
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Aug 8, 2016

Let's discuss the Emperor's possible abdication

Emperor Akihito does not necessarily intend to relinquish the throne early but has indicated he is prepared to abdicate if he becomes unable to fulfill his duties.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Aug 7, 2016

Japan's Minor Offenses Act has major untapped potential

Law has the teeth to tackle everything from peeing and posters to more serious matters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 5, 2016

Clint Eastwood makes Trump's day, notes Donald diverges from 'kiss-ass generation'

Clint Eastwood, the 86-year-old four-time Oscar winner, excoriated the current generation of Americans as weak and overly sensitive while backing Donald Trump even though the Republican presidential hopeful has "said a lot of dumb things."
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2016

Chinese Navy holds live-fire drills in East China Sea

The Chinese Navy held live-fire drills in the East China Sea on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in a short statement posted to its website.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Aug 1, 2016

Talking about Harajuku Station's new look

Harajuku Station is getting a makeover, let's describe how we think it should go.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jul 30, 2016

Inky points of interest in Tabata

Under glowering clouds, I decide to explore the area around Tabata Station in Tokyo. Though recently renovated, the station is one of Tokyo's oldest depots, dating from 1896. The station offers nifty spots for watching shinkansen trains bullet by, but I take the north exit to find the Tabata Bunshi Mura...
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 26, 2016

Kerry says U.S. backs resumption of China-Philippines talks on South China Sea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday he supported the resumption of bilateral talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, following a ruling against Beijing over the dispute earlier this month.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 26, 2016

Trump says he would consider alliance with Russia to 'knock the hell out of' Islamic State

Republican nominee Donald Trump said Monday that if elected U.S. president he will weigh an alliance with Russia against Islamic State militants but rejected any suggestion Russian President Vladimir Putin might be trying to help him win.
LIFE / Language
Jul 25, 2016

Looking at vocabulary in the runup to 'Pokemon Go'

'Pokemon Go' fans in Japan are vexed by the wait for the popular game.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jul 25, 2016

Watered-down ASEAN statement could diminish grouping's already waning clout: analysts

A watered-down statement Monday by Southeast Asian nations that failed to mention a landmark legal ruling over China's claims to most of the South China Sea could diminish the clout of the region's key grouping, analysts say.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2016

Since the '60s, imperfect progress on race

African-Americans have it better now than they did in the 1960s, but the progress has been woefully uneven.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 22, 2016

Abe's boys club makes mockery of 'womenomics'

If Shinzo Abe cared about gender equality he would back Yuriko Koike's bid to be Tokyo's first female governor.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NEW IN TOWN
Jul 21, 2016

Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience

New to the Spiral building in Omotesando is Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience, which has relocated from its original Nishi-Azabu location to a spot directly next door to Mina Perhonen’s newly opened Call.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jul 20, 2016

Eiken broadens language tests to address criticisms

As the Eiken Foundation tries to meet the demands of a growing number of test-takers, what do students, parents and teachers make of the tests?
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 20, 2016

Pyongyang says triple missile test simulated attack on South Korean ports and airfields

North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a ballistic missile test that simulated preemptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the U.S. military, a likely reference to the launches of three missiles on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 14, 2016

China's 'might makes right' strategy vs. international law

Unless China is made to realize that its future lies in cooperation and not confrontation, a systemic risk to Asian stability and prosperity is bound to arise, with far-reaching implications for the world.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami