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Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 7, 2018

Fujio Kariya recalls memorable moments in announcing career

For Fujio Kariya, NHK's executive commentator (the broadcaster's top news commentator), the most impressive bout in his 31-year career as an NHK sumo announcer took place at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in 1988.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 5, 2018

Seoul moves the goalposts yet again

If the South Koreans remain obsessed with the past and do not respect the rule-based international system, they are committing international political suicide.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 5, 2018

U.S. drones and the Khashoggi murder

The U.S.'s actions instilled Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's deep sense of impunity.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2018

Think tank says applicants for planned blue-collar visas should have college degrees

A newly launched think tank researching policies for accepting more foreign workers said Monday that as a condition for new visa statuses currently being discussed in the Diet, the government should require prospective applicants to have a college degree.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 3, 2018

Twitter deletes over 10,000 accounts that sought to discourage U.S. voting

Twitter deleted more than 10,000 automated accounts posting messages that discouraged people from voting in Tuesday's U.S. election and wrongly appeared to be from Democrats, after the party flagged the misleading tweets to the social media company.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 2, 2018

Two stabbed in catering staff fight at Sony Music U.K. headquarters

Sony Music said two of its catering staff had been involved in a violent altercation at its U.K. head office in central London on Friday after police reported two people had been stabbed.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 2, 2018

Sri Lanka's strongman is back, and he's brought his family too

In a compound secured by the Sri Lankan elite special task force that protects the island nation's top leaders, beneath framed photos of himself in army uniform, the brother of newly installed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is mulling a presidential run.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2018

Japanese towns that thrive on once-abundant squid suffer as numbers decline at alarming rate

Takashi Odajima picked up a cracked and faded photograph and dusted it off with his sleeve. He smiled a little sadly at the image from long ago, back when he was a baby boy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Nov 1, 2018

A blond Swedish landscape artist flexes for NHK — remember his name ... Tatsumasa Murasame

Who's that hunk of blond beefcake crunching his abs on NHK's workout program "Minna de Kinniku Taiso"?
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 1, 2018

Austria to join U.S. in shunning global migration pact

Austria will follow the United States and Hungary in backing out of a United Nations migration pact over concerns it will blur the line between legal and illegal migration, the right-wing government said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2018

Takeda may sell some European over-the-counter assets as it seeks to slash debt

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. is considering a sale of assets from its over-the-counter business in Europe, as the drugmaker pursues ways to cut debt after its $62 billion takeover of Shire PLC, people familiar with the matter said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 29, 2018

Mother of Japanese boy killed in '92 U.S. shooting hopes her book will promote stricter gun control

Mieko Hattori, 70, from Nagoya, whose son, Yoshihiro, 16, was gunned down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1992, is working on a story for children that calls for stricter gun control measures in the United States.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 28, 2018

Japanese rugby history embedded in Hanazono

Harumi Okuno pours another batch of octopus-filled batter into the round hollows of the hot griddle and looks out of the serving hatch toward the rugby stadium at the end of the street.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 28, 2018

Indian women in Japan struggle to find their niche

After following their husbands to Japan, educated Indian women face obstacles tracking down work that matches their qualifications.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Oct 27, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: When anime and manga went global

The Heisei Era commenced after two gods fell in rapid succession. The first, Emperor Hirohito, was no longer officially a god, having repudiated his quasi-divine status under the terms of Japan's surrender in World War II, but he remained god-like in stature. His January death in 1989 at age 87 signaled...
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 27, 2018

Supporters of All Blacks, Wallabies enjoy taste of Rugby World Cup atmosphere in Yokohama

Australia and New Zealand fans are already looking forward to next year's Rugby World Cup after getting a taste of the atmosphere in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup game in Yokohama.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 26, 2018

Three odd points about Abe's tax hike

Raising the consumption tax could once again hurt the economy more than help it.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 25, 2018

Airstrike kills at least 10 civilians in Yemen's Hodeida, medics and residents say

At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday in an airstrike that hit a group of farmers in a vegetable market in Yemen's Hodeida province, medical workers and residents said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 24, 2018

Alibaba harnesses vast trove of shoppers' data to create 'spicy' Snickers bar

Brands spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year trying to figure out what consumers want.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2018

Junji Sakamoto points his camera at small-town Japan in 'Another World'

Born in Osaka in 1958, Junji Sakamoto belongs to a generation of Japanese directors who carved out independent paths in the industry, outside the then-defunct studio system. His feature debut, the 1989 boxing film "Knockout," won a shelf of domestic prizes, including the Blue Ribbon Award for best film....
Japan Times
JAPAN / United Nations Day special
Oct 24, 2018

Comedians boost SDGs awareness

"Why did an entertainment company such as Yoshimoto decide to become involved in promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?" asked U.N. Information Centre Director Kaoru Nemoto when she recently reunited with Akihiko Okamoto, COO of renowned Japanese entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. (Yoshimoto)....
MORE SPORTS
Oct 23, 2018

Ai Fukuhara decided it was right time to step away

There were no traits of a crying baby. Instead of shedding tears, which was her trademark in childhood, Ai Fukuhara kept smiling and repeated the words of appreciation as the 29-year-old table tennis icon spoke to the media on Tuesday, two days after announcing her retirement from competition.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 23, 2018

Philip Morris CEO expects countries to overturn e-cigarette bans

Philip Morris International Inc. expects regulators to gradually become more open to alternatives to cigarettes even after more than 27 governments have prohibited next-generation smokeless devices.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2018

Setouchi sets ¥500 million goal to bring renowned Japanese sword back 'home'

The city of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture, which once flourished as a major producer of swords, said Tuesday it will use crowdfunding as part of an attempt to raise a total of ¥500 million from in and outside the country to bring back "home" a renowned sword called Yamatorige.

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