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JAPAN
Mar 17, 2014

Yokota couple: Meeting a 'miracle'

The parents of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korean agents in 1977, say their dramatic meeting in Mongolia last week with her 26-year-old daughter was 'like a miracle' and they were also very happy to see her 10-month-old baby, both for the first time.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 17, 2014

Nikon to fix camera flaws cited by China

Nikon Corp. said it will fix digital cameras at no charge after claims on Chinese state-run television that product defects caused "black spots" on photographs.
BUSINESS
Mar 17, 2014

Mitsubishi Estate to repair defect

Mitsubishi Estate Co., Japan's biggest developer by market value, said Monday it will rebuild a Tokyo residential complex where it stopped selling apartments after finding defects. The units were going for as much as ¥350 million.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 16, 2014

Will the fate of Flight MH370 ever be known?

After a week of false leads, U-turns, wild speculation and outright contradictions, experts wonder if the missing Malaysia Airlines 777 will ever be discovered.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 15, 2014

1866 and all that: the untold early history of rugby in Japan

The history of rugby in Japan is arguably longer than that of every major rugby-playing country in the world outside of the British Isles and Australia. Very sorry France, New Zealand and South Africa! Regarding early documented rugby history, Japan wins. Until the recent discovery of an 1864 article...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 15, 2014

Olympics highlight the need for foreign blue-collar laborers

In a recent column, Tokyo Shimbun sportswriter Masaru Ogawa called on past and future Olympic athletes to come forward and talk about what he sees as the biggest problem facing the Tokyo 2020 Games: lack of construction workers. Next year, work on venues will start in earnest, but Japan is already burdened...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 14, 2014

Culture of safety can make or break nuclear power plants

On the third anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and its devastating impact on Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima nuclear power plants, we need to understand why Tohoku Electric Power Co.'s Onagawa Nuclear Power Station — which was even closer to the quake epicenter — had a drastically different fate.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 13, 2014

U.N. details how North sidestepping sanctions

North Korea has developed sophisticated ways to circumvent United Nations sanctions, including the suspected use of its embassies to facilitate an illegal trade in weapons, a United Nations report issued Tuesday said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 13, 2014

Surviving the latest trend in American cinema

Who is this man? The protagonist in "All is Lost" is also its sole character — an older (but astoundingly fit) stranded sailor portrayed by 77-year-old Robert Redford. He's unnamed, and does not speak except for right at the beginning of the film when he's reciting a letter to persons unknown. The...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 13, 2014

Ueno Park to welcome springtime with a song

The cherry trees of Ueno Park are inspirational in full bloom. Come early spring and Tokyoites head to the area early to snag spots beneath the pink blossoms, which inspire romance, revelry and perhaps more than a few visionary ideas.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 12, 2014

Sakenojin has 500 reasons why sake lovers should go to Niigata

Learning about sake is similar to discovering the world's wide range of wines. Even if you can navigate the sometimes complicated, kanji names on a drinks menu at a local eatery, it's unlikely that they'll be that helpful in finding the right sake for you. Each sake brewery has its own history and creates...
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2014

Radiation from stricken plant not reaching U.S. West Coast waters: NRC chief

Claims that radiation from the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is contaminating U.S. waters are "simply not correct," Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane said on the disaster's third anniversary.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 11, 2014

Mothercoat sees tour as a step in cultivating a global fanbase

Most bands in Japan come to Tokyo to reach for stardom. Indie rock act Mothercoat did the opposite, however, when its members all relocated to Fukaya, Saitama Prefecture, two years ago.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2014

Ukraine batters a broken world

Surely the prize for the most cynical news item of the month should go to the announcement from Oslo that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2014.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 11, 2014

Despite ongoing civil war, Assad readies for election

After three years of grinding conflict, the destruction of whole city districts and an exodus of refugees all triggered by an uprising against his rule, President Bashar Assad is quietly preparing to be re-elected.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NOTEBOOK
Mar 11, 2014

Globalization in depth, Complimentary Coffee

symposium
COMMUNITY / Voices
Mar 10, 2014

Three years after 3/11, how is the Tohoku recovery effort going?

In the waiting room at Tokyo Station, Liane Wakabayashi asked passengers en route to Tohoku for their opinions on recovery efforts since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, which devastated the region three years ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2014

New map shines light on Tokyo air raid horrors

In an attempt to preserve people's fading memories of the World War II air raids on Tokyo, scholars and citizens have drawn up what is considered the most comprehensive map so far of their efforts to escape from U.S. bombs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 8, 2014

Farmers not waiting for politicians

When it comes to trade policy, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a choice between the fears of an aging farm lobby and the hopes of suburban families.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 8, 2014

Fukushima: animal kingdom

Kumassy is a cat. As yet he has no owner.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 8, 2014

Island hop to friendly Okinoerabu

At the end of March, having reached the age of 70 three months ago, I'll retire from my post as a lecturer at Okinawa Christian University — mandatory retirement.

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