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COMMENTARY / World
Apr 13, 2018

The Orwellian danger of Facebook

Is Mark Zuckerberg really in control of Facebook? Or is he a sorcerer's apprentice that cannot handle the invention?
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2018

Is the U.S. getting Sputnik Syndrome all over again?

In the 1950s, Americans were afraid of the Soviet Union overtaking their economy. Now it's China's turn.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Mar 31, 2018

Japan Times 1918: Japan now has female street car conductors

A private street-car company, the Mino Denki Kido Kaisha, in the Nagoya district, following the example in other belligerent countries has made the interesting experiment of employing women conductors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Mar 18, 2018

Go west to enjoy a family hanami party

At last, winter's grip is loosening and spring in Japan is on its way. Soon cherry blossoms will explode across the archipelago, and parks around the country will be full of smiles and picnic tarps. That's right: it's hanami (cherry-blossom viewing) season again — my favorite time of the year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 21, 2018

What Trump's tax reforms mean for Americans in Japan

Changes under the U.S. Republican administration are likely to affect the bottom line for individuals and companies here alike.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2018

North Korean charm sure beats the alternative

Engaging with Pyongyang may encourage the regime down the path of liberalization.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Jan 30, 2018

Cavaliers, Bucks search for right formula in a tale of two cities

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jan 23, 2018

Japan Times launches basketball ebook giveaway for readers

The Japan Times is holding a contest for readers to win ebook copies of former Sunrockers and Brex forward Tyler Smith's new autobiography, "Called for Traveling: My Adventures Playing Pro Basketball Overseas."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 26, 2017

Earthquake forecasts are bogus

The government should acknowledge that science is unable to reliably prediect when earthquakes will strike or how big they will be when they do, and stop making alarming forecasts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 23, 2017

Short Kyoto hike packs in plenty to stimulate the mind and palate

The last trail in this series is short and sweet — just 4 kilometers. For years I'd been hearing good things about the two-hour hike between the mountain towns of Kibune and Kurama north of Kyoto. The restaurants in Kibune are known for their terraces built out over the river, a tradition that serves...
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 16, 2017

Showa's not giving up without a fight

The government has decided that the 31st year of Heisei will end with the abdication of Emperor Akihito 120 days into 2019, on April 30. Then on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor and a new nengō (name of the period of reign) will be announced.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 11, 2017

Do you know your own productivity?

Becoming more productive is a goal that everyone can achieve with the right effort.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Dec 2, 2017

Akiko Katayama: Making the leap from business to food in NYC

Accountant-turned-food writer rediscovers the Japanese culinary tradition in NYC.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 18, 2017

Ad money makes the news world go round

In a Nov. 8 press release, the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center announced that Katsuya Takasu, the most famous plastic surgeon in Japan, was no longer a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS). Previously, the center had been urging the AACS to expel Takasu because of his public...
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 18, 2017

Sumo helps with heavy lifting in language

Consider today's column my personal testimony that the sport of sumo can be a very useful aid for learning the Japanese language.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Sep 16, 2017

Grading Abe's flailing leadership and policy drift

In his penultimate Counterpoint column, Jeff Kingston gives Shinzo Abe a report card for the prime minister's nearly five years in office.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 5, 2017

'Chinese Script: History, Characters, Calligraphy': Exploring the roots of kanji

From bone shards to swipe keyboards, "Chinese Script: History, Characters, Calligraphy" is a brief but absorbing crash course on the origins and evolution of China's writing system that tackles a range of topics beyond language.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 23, 2017

Gift and inheritance tax reforms leave more of Japan's foreign residents liable

A reader writes to Lifelines about Japan's recently introduced inheritance tax law, which he calls 'one of the most punitive in the world.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 16, 2017

Former Chongqing party chief and Chinese Politburo member under probe, report says

Sun Zhengcai, the former Communist Party chief of the Chinese city of Chongqing, is under investigation by authorities, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing people it didn't identify.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 26, 2017

Asking questions to the Japanese internet

The website Yahoo! u77e5u6075u888b (Chiebukuro, literally 'bag of knowledge') is a great resource for language learners and for anyone interested in observing Japanese interact online.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 19, 2017

At Aichi pharmacy chain, seniors get to work at their own pace

Starting this fall, Sugi Pharmacy Co., headquartered in Obu, Aichi Prefecture, will offer seniors a new type of job contract in order to help its older employees keep fitter for longer as well as address the company's manpower shortage.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / HOOP SCOOP
Jun 7, 2017

Nets star Lopez relishes chance to travel globe

Brook Lopez dunks and rebounds basketballs for a living, and — ouch! — collides with fellow 2-meter behemoths in the lane. So when the grind of the 82-game season comes to a halt, the Brooklyn Nets center is eager to take it easy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2017

Say goodbye to left and right and hello to digitalization

The concept of the state as a sort of ruling elite, or of 'the people' as the toiling masses, is beginning to melt away under the impact of digitization.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 12, 2017

Is the sun setting on the U.S. imperium?

U.S. policy on Asia seems adrift under the Trump administration.
Reader Mail
May 12, 2017

Kingston errs on 'comfort women'

Jeff Kingston's Counterpoint columns in the April 16 and 23 editions regarding the "comfort women" issue contain clearly erroneous assertions and could lead to misunderstanding among readers. I would like to share several points that the author failed to mention or erroneously presented in his articles....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Apr 1, 2017

Hayashi: Ponder the sound of one man slurping

The ticket machine at the door to Hayashi looks more like a Zen riddle than a method of ordering noodles.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Mar 18, 2017

Darwin specimens showcase evolution for first time in Tokyo exhibition

Charles Darwin certainly did not consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird. The 19th-century English biologist killed many of the birds whilst on board the HMS Beagle survey ship as he traveled around the world. The specimens are more important than you might think and you can see a number of them at "Treasures...

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go