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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 5, 2015

TV sexism comes from a problematic place

At the World Assembly for Women held in Tokyo last week, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, lauded the social achievements of women worldwide but added that "we are not there yet." Sirleaf didn't say where exactly "there" is, but during the same week, two media-related...
WORLD / Society
Sep 2, 2015

All priests should forgive abortions during Holy Year, pope proclaims

Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions — the Argentine pontiff's latest move toward a more open and inclusive church.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 31, 2015

Tokai thrill-seekers find haunted houses a scream

Fairground-style haunted houses where actors leap out at visitors are increasingly popular in the Tokai region. Many such facilities were set up for a limited period this summer.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 31, 2015

Iowa poll puts Clinton support rate under 50% for first time; rival Sanders closing gap

U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders narrowed the gap with leading Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in a recent opinion poll in the political bellwether state of Iowa as support for the front-runner fell below 50 percent for the first time this year.
CULTURE
Aug 29, 2015

Culture clash: Entertainers add weight to government protests

Judging from recent comments posted on Twitter and websites such as abe-no.net, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe doesn't appear to have endeared himself to a number of celebrities who hold plenty of sway over public opinion with regards to his moves to change the nation's Constitution.
BUSINESS
Aug 27, 2015

Kinokuniya to buy up first editions of new Murakami book

The major bookstore chain said there are two main motives behind the announcement: to get a competitive edge over online bookstores and to energize smaller book shops.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 25, 2015

New Ishinha performance taps timeless 'Twilight' zone

Tokyo may be Japan's performing-arts hub, but a growing number of artists are swapping the strictures of its cultural marketplace for the creative and lifestyle benefits of life outside the capital.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 24, 2015

Aichi meets challenge of surge in non-Japanese students

Schools in Japan are struggling to meet the needs of children with non-Japanese parents who come from a diverse range of countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2015

Training academy needed to boost ranks of Japanese at U.N., ex-official says

The government needs to establish a training facility to nurture the skills of Japanese who want to work for the United Nations, according to Hitoki Den, a former senior political affairs officer with the global body.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Aug 17, 2015

NPO backs global certification for Minamiaizu's sustainable forests

In the town of Minamiaizu in southwestern Fukushima Prefecture, local efforts are gathering steam to promote its rich forestry resources to the world by obtaining global certification for quality woodlands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 17, 2015

Perceived dangers posed by selfie sticks prompt bans at some tourist venues

As selfie sticks become popular among young people and foreign visitors, more tourist facilities in the Chubu region are banning them over the apparent dangers they can pose.
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Aug 15, 2015

'Folk Legends from Tono' brings new life to Kunio Yanagita's fantastic tales

"Folk Legends from Tono," takes the reader inside a land of superstition and pragmatism, farming and faith. The tales unravel in short vignettes, loosely grouped by myriad topics ranging from "Biology and Human Emotion" to "Survival on the Edge."
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 10, 2015

China's largest 'social video' websites carry out self-censorship, study finds

In China, even aspiring singers and would-be comedians bow to constant and automatic online surveillance.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Aug 9, 2015

Desperately seeking visas: a mixed bag of queries

One of the perennial topics that crops up regularly in reader inquiries is visas. Here are some answers that cover fairly common situations.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 9, 2015

Republicans pile on Trump following controversial debate comments

Rival Republican presidential candidates piled on Donald Trump Saturday for his caustic remarks about a female debate moderator, and the billionaire celebrity candidate backpedaled in an effort to keep his campaign from unraveling.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Aug 6, 2015

China, Philippines vying to host 2019 FIBA World Cup

Before the start of the three-day FIBA Central Board meeting on Friday, the Japan Basketball Association hosted a welcome party for the sport's executives at a Tokyo hotel. The dignitaries included FIBA president Horacio Muratore and FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann on Thursday night.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 3, 2015

Deep-sea creepy crawlies turned into crackers in Japan

Here's a novel treat: a senbei rice cracker made of giant isopods, creepy crawlies from the ocean deeps. The snacks are now on sale at a range of outlets in Japan and are quickly gaining popularity.
WORLD
Aug 2, 2015

Extraordinary measures used to fight militant Islam in 'stans'

Authorities in Central Asia's former Soviet "stans" are taking draconian measures to stamp out militant Islam, but their harsh methods and the absence of democratic politics risk provoking a backlash that could bring even greater instability.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2015

The midsize newspaper in America is toast

If endangered U.S. midsize papers collapse, who will do the local and regional news-gathering?
JAPAN / Society
Jul 31, 2015

Changing the culture of long working hours key to increasing Japan's female workforce

The plight of Japan's working women has improved dramatically over the past two decades. Maternity leave has become the norm, slots at nurseries have increased by more than 340,000 and the percentage of female executives or women serving as department chiefs at companies has tripled.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 27, 2015

Tokai broadcaster pushes ninja idol adventure overseas

Tokai Television Broadcasting Ltd. has started to air a new series called "Ninja Boimenkun" ("Ninja Boys and Men") earlier this month.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 25, 2015

Shizuka Kamei and Shintaro Ishihara have the security debate the Diet should have had

When Shintaro Ishihara retired from politics after failing to get re-elected last December, it seemed we wouldn't have the right-wing firebrand to kick around any more, but last week there he was in Shukan Asahi talking to former Liberal Democratic Party comrade Shizuka Kamei about various topics, including...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jul 25, 2015

Gunman in Louisiana theater rampage had history of mental illness

A 59-year-old man once hospitalized for psychiatric care was identified by authorities on Friday as the gunman who fatally shot two people in a rampage at a central Louisiana movie theater before killing himself as police closed in.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2015

Japan seen seeking U.K. help to best German bid for Aussie sub deal

A Japanese government team is in talks with at least two top British firms to help a Japanese consortium land one of the world's most lucrative defense contracts, sources in Tokyo said, a $50 billion project to build submarines for Australia.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 23, 2015

Hitachi dubs new data-mining software 'artificial intelligence'

Hitachi Ltd. says it has developed an "artificial intelligence" system that draws on a massive range of data sources, such as millions of news articles, and can provide a reasoned response to hot-button topics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2015

20th women's conference looks to make history

Gender equality in the workforce is not a simple thing to achieve.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 21, 2015

Performing arts poised to bloom at ETAT 2015

The sixth Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is set to start July 26 in Tokamachi City and Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture, north-central Honshu.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2015

U.S. nuclear sub's visit to Yokosuka is show of ties as Japan tackles defense reform

The USS Michigan is an 18,000-ton demonstration of deepening U.S.-Japan military ties against the backdrop of an increasingly muscular China.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 20, 2015

Centrair emerges as key freight hub for agricultural exporters

Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture has emerged as a key hub for agricultural exporters as they capitalize on local subsidies, a global washoku food boom and weakening yen.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight