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LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 9, 2017

Let's discuss the disappearance of traditional festivals

Sixty traditional festivals and dances in 20 prefectures designated by local governments as intangible folk culture assets have been ended or suspended due to declines in population and the aging of rural communities, a survey has found.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2017

China shouldn't burn its 40-ton ivory stockpile

Despite the visceral appeal, 30 years of burning hasn't appreciably reduced elephant kills or ivory consumption. In fact, it likely raises its value on the black market.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 9, 2017

North Korean nukes seen as time bomb for any potential Trump re-election bid

North Korea will probably claim with credibility within four years that it can hit the U.S. with a nuclear weapon, a potential time bomb for Donald Trump's re-election prospects, according to Christopher Hill, a former senior U.S. diplomat who led talks with the reclusive regime.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 9, 2017

Tillerson ethics plan foreshadows knotty Trump Cabinet confirmations

Rex Tillerson's disclosure that he stands to receive a $180 million cash payout from Exxon Mobil Corp. if he becomes the next U.S. secretary of state offers a preview of the thorny ethical questions that may be raised this week over a presidential Cabinet stacked with wealthy tycoons.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 9, 2017

McConnell says Senate will act this week on Obamacare repeal, 'rapid' replacement

The U.S. Senate will take its first steps toward repealing President Barack Obama's signature health care reform act by the end of the week, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Sunday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 7, 2017

Players ramp up training before camps

There were a number of NPB stars on the move during the first week of 2017.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 6, 2017

Japan recalls envoys over new 'comfort women' statue in Busan

The Japanese ambassador to South Korea is recalled over a new statue representing the wartime “comfort women” near the Japanese Consul in Busan.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 6, 2017

Koike unveils plans for cheaper, easier access to public records

Backing her pledges to improve transparency, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced plans Friday to improve access to public documents.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2017

Charcoal becomes first Cuban export to United States in half a century

Cuba announced a landmark deal on Thursday to sell charcoal to a U.S. company, the first legal Cuban export to the United States in five decades, as part of the fragile rapprochement between the former Cold War foes.
WORLD
Jan 6, 2017

Nuclear-armed subs move ahead at Pentagon before Obama goes

The Pentagon's top weapons buyer has approved advanced development for a fleet of 12 new nuclear-armed submarines, a potential $128 billion project that the U.S. Navy calls its top priority.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 5, 2017

China says carrier testing weapons and engaged in 'scientific research' in South China Sea

A group of Chinese warships led by its sole aircraft carrier is testing weapons and equipment in exercises this week in the South China Sea that are going to plan, China's foreign ministry said Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 4, 2017

The silencing of an anti-U.S. base protester in Okinawa

The extended detention of Hiroji Yamashiro is a shocking display of raw government power.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 4, 2017

North Korea's claim of ICBM test plausible, experts say

North Korea has been working through 2016 on developing components for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), making the isolated nation's claim that it was close to a test-launch plausible, international weapons experts said on Monday.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 3, 2017

Karl up to old tricks with new book

Many who know George Karl will tell you there's a good side, welcoming, generous, warm and funny, though George works very hard to hide it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 3, 2017

How ties to an 'equestrian princess' landed Samsung at the center of the Park scandal in South Korea

Samsung Electronics' sponsorship of the equestrian daughter of a longtime friend of President Park Geun-hye has helped to land South Korea's top company in the center of the country's influence-peddling scandal.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 3, 2017

Trump spokesman says there is 'zero evidence' Russian hacking swayed election; poll finds little confidence in president-elect

No evidence has emerged to suggest that Russian hacking influenced the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, and it would be irresponsible to jump to conclusions before receiving a final intelligence report, Donald Trump's spokesman said on Monday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 2, 2017

China considering strong measures to contain Taiwan: sources

China's military has become alarmed by what it sees as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's support of Taiwan and is considering strong measures to prevent the island from moving toward independence, sources with ties to senior military officers said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / 2017 NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2017

Big changes likely in '17

A year of surprises has come to a close, but its unresolved questions will generate many more quakes in 2017. Where are the fault lines, what about President-elect Donald Trump, and what does all this mean for Japan?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 31, 2016

New year, new you: What to expect personally and professionally in the Year of the Rooster

If you haven't made a New Year's resolution or have been too busy for the customary ōsōji (big cleanup) this holiday season, there is still time, according to feng shui. Under the Chinese philosophical system, the new year is marked by the lunar, rather than Gregorian, or solar, calendar, giving us...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 31, 2016

Buried truths: Digging deep into Japanese media from 2016

Everyone agrees 2016 was a terrible year, and not just because so many popular celebrities died. In addition to the wars, both hot and rhetorical, that continue unabated throughout the world, the political situation in Europe and America veered toward isolationism. Hatred ruled, and no resentments were...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 31, 2016

Buried alive in the shadow of a Kyushu volcano

"Is the temperature alright for you ma'am?" my Japanese attendant asks in a polished U.S. accent as he cheerfully heaps another pile of hot sand on my torso.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 31, 2016

Chinese firms ordered to pay Disney, Pixar $194,000 for copying 'Cars': Xinhua

A Shanghai court ordered two Chinese firms to pay Walt Disney Co. and Pixar more than 1.35 million yuan ($194,440) compensation for copying parts of their hit movies "Cars" and "Cars 2," the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past