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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 24, 2014
Consumption tax hike projected to increase appeal of electronic money
Your stash of u00a51 coins is about to get much bigger.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 22, 2014
Waiting for the death-penalty debate that never comes
The media breathlessly cover murder trials and profile suspects who face the death penalty, but once a sentence is handed down, they fall back.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 18, 2014
Believe it or not, pay phones are here to stay
Since 2002, the number of pay phones nationwide has dwindled by two-thirds.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 15, 2014
Olympics highlight the need for foreign blue-collar laborers
In a recent column, Tokyo Shimbun sportswriter Masaru Ogawa called on past and future Olympic athletes to come forward and talk about what he sees as the biggest problem facing the Tokyo 2020 Games: lack of construction workers. Next year, work on venues will start in earnest, but Japan is already burdened...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 10, 2014
Government's new scheme to bolster social security is still hopeless
The welfare ministry plans to spend u00a55.3 billion to 'increase' collections of national pension premiums.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 8, 2014
Media complicit in normalizing xenophobia
Since Japanese reporters are averse to characterizing domestic right-wing positions as being extreme, those positions come across as being normal, even sensible.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Mar 3, 2014
In Japan, you can leave it all up to the moving company
It's often described as one of the most stressful events of human life — but in Japan moving house is virtually a breeze.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 3, 2014
Tax structure encourages getting wasted
Alcohol manufacturers have figured out ways to use the tax system to their advantage.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 1, 2014
Trite TV drama about children's home misses a chance to edify and entertain
Groups including the National Council for Children's Group Homes and Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto have accused NTV of 'violating human rights' and displaying 'prejudice against the children as well as the staff who are working in these childcare institutions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 26, 2014
For young women sex industry offers safety net the government doesn't
Young women with little education and no prospects for marriage face a dire job situation, except for one area.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 22, 2014
Japan takes baby steps toward a proper debate about animal rights
On Jan. 10, convenience store chain Family Mart started selling a new bentō (boxed lunch) with a heavy-duty name to complement its hefty ¥600 price: Famima Premium Koroge Wagyu-iri Hamburger Bento, which "contains" high-quality Japanese ground beef. For an added touch of extravagance, it also came...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 18, 2014
Consumption tax rush approaching peak time
Many who want to avoid the higher consumption tax by buying now may not save as much money as they think.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 15, 2014
Samuragochi scandal shows that tin-eared classical music fans can be suckers for stories
What makes Mamoru Samuragochi's story interesting is not that he got away with his subterfuge for so long, but that the media, the public and even professional musicians accepted the story as being proof of his value as an artist.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 12, 2014
Regional bank hits on novel way to attract business
Chiba resident wins big on year-end lottery thanks to local bank.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 8, 2014
NHK drama takes a wild stab at a dying art
The hero of 'Uzumasa Limelight' has made his living for half a century as a kirare-yaku in sword-fighting movies. Kirare-yaku have a specific role: Their job is to die on screen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 4, 2014
When will they learn: Old folks still falling for swindlers
Telephone swindlers are finding new, inventive ways to cheat old people.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Feb 3, 2014
The housing conundrum: To own or not to own
The population is not increasing and there's a shrinking pool of potential buyers for the home you bought 20 years ago, or 10 years ago, or even yesterday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 1, 2014
Paternity testing opens up a world of hurt for families — and family courts
The paternity test procedure can now cost as little as ¥30,000, which means it's affordable to anyone. Recently, an increasing number of Japanese men have been carrying out DNA testing on their children, usually because they suspect their wives of cheating.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 26, 2014
Special K: Mini-cars come of age in a maxi-world
Japanese mini-cars are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 25, 2014
Nuke issue could restore power to the regions
The LDP fears that if Morihiro Hosokawa successfully taps anti-nuclear sentiment among Tokyoites and wins the gubernatorial election, the movement could spread to areas across the country that host nuclear plants.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
Kansai airports to increase takeoff and landing slots ahead of Osaka Expo
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The upper limit on the number of takeoff and landing slots at the airport as well as Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture will be raised in spring next year ahead of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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