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BUSINESS
Jan 23, 2014

Nomura sees Japanese IPOs doubling to ¥1 trillion in 2014

Nomura Holdings Inc., the nation's top manager of initial public offerings in 2013, expects debut share sales will almost double to ¥1 trillion this year as buyout funds recoup investments amid a stock rally.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 18, 2014

Hirata and Saito: love on the run

The trial of Makoto Hirata, which commenced Thursday, is expected to reveal a number of new facts about the former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive, but of most interest to investigators will be how he managed to stay hidden for so long.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 18, 2014

Lexicon for today's Japan: Reading between the lies

Plowing through the news, one is often struck by the proliferation of acronyms, jargon, new names and terms. It can be a baffling experience, so I thought I would provide some explanations, keywords, synonyms, associative notions and interpretations to aid comprehension — even at risk of differing...
EDITORIALS
Jan 13, 2014

Protecting consumers against fraud

The Diet has enacted a law that sets the procedure for class-action lawsuits aimed at helping consumers who have suffered financial damage from unscrupulous sales methods receive compensation from companies.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2014

Russian road to mediocrity

Only a few economists in Russia seem to stress the importance of understanding the impact of the current mass outflow of capital and the sharp deterioration of the situation in world commodity markets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / NOTEBOOK
Jan 7, 2014

'Washoku' in Florence; JTA's whale shark jets

EVENTS
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 2, 2014

Google's drive into robotics should concern us all

Over the past year, Google has bought eight robotics companies. Its most recent acquisition is an outfit called Boston Dynamics, which makes the nearest thing to a mechanical mule that you are ever likely to see. It's called Big Dog and it walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. It's the size of...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 29, 2013

Education in 2013: an 'A' for ambition, but Japan will have to do better

Will 2014 be the year we start to see a genuinely forward-thinking, globalized outlook for education in Japan? The rapidly changing global economy, regional tensions and shrinking population suggest huge challenges await the country's youth on their emergence into the job market in the coming years.
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2013

Year of ups and downs for Japan

Japan in 2013 was besieged by problems in politics, business and society even while several key events helped to rekindle a sense of confidence in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 26, 2013

Budget limits trim NASA's plans for big projects

The Cassini spacecraft is in splendid shape as it circles Saturn. Conceived in the 1980s and launched in 1997, Cassini arrived at the gas-giant planet in 2004 and has continued to deliver stunning images of the jewel of the solar system.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Dec 24, 2013

Familiar obstacles stymie change in domestic music industry

While the Japanese music industry ended last year on a promise of change, 2013 has highlighted a few of the ingrained practices that are going to be a little bit more difficult to dislodge.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2013

Help Ukrainians stand up for Western values

Make no mistake, Ukraine's so-called oligarchs still support President Viktor Yanukovych, and they will be prime beneficiaries of the $15 billion in bailout loans and lower natural gas prices that he secured from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 22, 2013

This year's buzzwords show how Japanese is evolving

Last month I shelled out ¥2,980 for my 2014 edition of 現代用語の基礎知識 ("Gendai Yogo no Kiso Chishiki", "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Words"). It's a 1,660-page monster that's well worth the outlay, and this year publisher Jiyu Kokumin-sha, as an extra bonus, included a 74-page booklet that...
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM EUROPE
Dec 14, 2013

Leaders from outside box could ignite Japan

On Nov. 30, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company shocked Japan Inc. by announcing that it plans to appoint Frenchman Christophe Weber as its next president by June 2014. Until then, Japanese companies with foreigners in the top spot had fallen into two categories: those that promote foreigners who have performed...
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2013

UNESCO honor gives traditional fare boost

UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage designation of “washoku” has the government and food industry hoping for a boost in its appeal, both overseas and at home.
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2013

Tokyo restaurants loses Michelin three-star ranking

The Michelin Guide has cut the number of Tokyo restaurants with its top rank by one, reducing the city's three-star winners for the second year in a row.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2013

Ruling bloc may yield a bit on state secrets bill

The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc is wooing the opposition camp this week to reach common ground on the contentious state secrets bill that the administration hopes the Lower House passed by Friday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Nov 14, 2013

Funding gap puts NBL on unequal footing in drive to attract fans

This fall, the National Basketball League proudly launched as Japan's new top hoop circuit. But it has also been ridiculed by naysayers as simply a rebranding of its predecessor — the Japan Basketball League — with its content practically the same.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 8, 2013

Yamamoto gets Imperial ban for letter; Inoki faces discipline

The Upper House Steering Committee will no longer allow Taro Yamamoto, the anti-nuclear lawmaker who made a public stir by handing a letter to Emperor Akihito, to participate in any event hosted by the Imperial family.
EDITORIALS
Nov 6, 2013

Mr. Abe stacking the deck at NHK

Three of the five people named to fill vacancies on NHK's Board of Governors are close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, prompting concern that the public broadcaster's neutrality is at risk.
EDITORIALS
Nov 2, 2013

Washoku as a cultural heritage

Coming this December, traditional Japanese cuisine, 'washoku,' is likely to be designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage if the voting by UNESCO goes as expected.
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2013

Japan's poor gender gap worsening, WEF survey finds

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may have set the empowerment of women as a major pillar to spur economic growth, but Japan's already poor gender gap has gotten even worse, according to a report by the World Economic Forum released Friday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 24, 2013

U.S. keeps Pakistani officials in loop on drone strikes

Despite repeatedly denouncing the CIA's drone campaign, top officials in Pakistan's government have for years secretly endorsed the program and routinely received classified briefings on strikes and casualty counts, according to top-secret CIA documents and Pakistani diplomatic memos obtained by The...

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