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COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2016

The chorus against the posh boys grows louder

The global elites' competence and moral legitimacy are being questioned like never before.
Japan Times
Rugby
Feb 1, 2016

JRFU lays out vision for future under new coach Joseph

Following the Japan Rugby Football Union's recent announcement that Jamie Joseph would take over as head coach of the men's national rugby union team, the governing body explained its selection process for Eddie Jones' successor and the team's plans for the future on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Feb 1, 2016

NLD takes control in Myanmar

At long last, Myanmar has a democratic government.
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 1, 2016

China says U.S. seeks 'hegemony' after South China Sea sailing

China accused the United States on Monday of seeking maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation after a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 1, 2016

Look to 'senpai' to help take your Japanese reading to the next level

If not for the generosity of several brave and patient souls, I would never have developed the foundation necessary to read on my own.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Feb 1, 2016

U.S. risks credibility gap by swatting China with international treaty it has never ratified

In the wake of Washington's second "freedom of navigation" operation near Beijing's man-made islets in the South China Sea, an often overlooked fact remains: The set of laws governing global maritime behavior that the U.S. has been touting has never been ratified by the Senate.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jan 31, 2016

NPO founder fights to reverse plight of Asia child sex victims

When Sayaka Murata visited Cambodia while in university, she was shocked to see a little girl around 5 or 6 years old among those who had been rescued after being tortured by electric shock and forced into the sex trade.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 31, 2016

Fighters head west for spring camp

While most Japanese teams headed south to begin "spring" camp and ride out the final few weeks of winter, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters took a distinctly different track and flew west instead.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 30, 2016

NHK may need to rethink its 'taiga' formula

An article that appeared in December in the Yomiuri Shimbun weighed the prospects for the 2016 edition of NHK's year-long historical taiga drama series, which premiered Jan. 10. "Sanada Maru" is the title of the 55th marathon show, and the name of a fortification added on to Osaka Castle to protect it...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 30, 2016

Bringing Japanese folk dance into focus

As with many cultures, before modernization the Japanese people relied heavily on agriculture, holding a spiritual affinity with and respecting the power of nature. Bountiful harvests were celebrated in festivities that played a significant role in community activities, and the distinctive folk rituals...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 30, 2016

Is society on the cusp of massive change?

Philosopher Tatsuru Uchida, interviewed earlier this month by the Asahi Shimbun, merely confirms what we all know, or sense, when he says: "This is an age of transition. We're going through the confusion characteristic of bedrock change."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 30, 2016

Work-life balance in Japan leans in one direction

The concept of work-life balance is intrinsically appealing. People are so busy with work nowadays that they can't escape, tethered as they are to their jobs by smartphones. This situation generates stress and encroaches on private time with family and friends. Weekends? What weekends?!
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 30, 2016

Takayuki Ohira: 'Dreams are always worth chasing, however challenging'

Planetarium creator on handmade rockets, Yuri Gagarin and the Milky Way
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Jan 30, 2016

Sound of silence

My husband and I rarely speak to each other.
Reader Mail
Jan 30, 2016

Opposition shows again its weakness

Regarding the story "Opposition makes plans to grill economy chief Amari" in the Jan. 25 edition, the Democratic Party of Japan's response to Akira Amari's offer to explain his conduct with regard to recent allegations made against him just goes to show how lackluster and ineffectual opposition parties...
Reader Mail
Jan 30, 2016

Ocean protection a long-term need

The story "Oceans trapping heat at alarming rate" in the Jan. 20 edition says man-made heat absorbed by oceans has doubled since 1997. It is important to recognize that warming the oceans is by itself a significant threat.
Reader Mail
Jan 30, 2016

Purging the nation of racism

Chulbom Lee, in his Letter to the Editor in the Jan. 17 issue titled "Move forward by protecting foreign residents," reminds readers that not even two years ago the U.N. Committee of Racial Discrimination called on Japan to take action against incidents of racism that continue to plague the country....
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 29, 2016

New economy chief Ishihara vows to stick to Abenomics program

New economy and fiscal policy minister Nobuteru Ishihara vowed Friday to pour his utmost efforts into Abenomics and ease public anxiety over the economy after Akira Amari's sudden resignation.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jan 29, 2016

Tochigi's Brenton a multitalented player

In Japanese basketball, teams usually ask import players to provide size and scoring ability. But what Tommy Brenton supplies is much more than that.
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 29, 2016

Pellegrini perseveres despite being in difficult position

For a man who is apparently going to lose his job at the end of the season, Manuel Pellegrini is doing more than enough to earn a new contract.
EDITORIALS
Jan 29, 2016

Amari still has much to answer for

Even though he has stepped down as economic and fiscal policy minister, Akira Amari still owes an explanation of his acts to a public weary of the repeated money scandals involving key members of the Abe administration.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 29, 2016

The future of rice farming in Japan

Rice has been at the center of Japan's economy and culture for centuries. But changes are afoot. There is growing concern among Japanese farmers that the country's rice-producing capabilities are diminishing in the face of international trade pacts such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In fact, all...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 29, 2016

Japan's 'quiet property bubble' faces end as transactions slide

The number of property transactions in the nation has tumbled, rents have been muted and inflation expectations have waned — all of which has prompted a growing number of analysts and economists to turn bearish on property prices, which have been recovering since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to power...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 29, 2016

Japan at risk if West unable to confront growing geopolitical threats, says analyst

The world can expect more geopolitical conflicts that will also impact Japan if Western powers fail to tackle global issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis and the rise of terrorism, according to leading political risk analyst Ian Bremmer.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo