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Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 5, 2021

The Moderna vaccine makes more antibodies than Pfizer's. Does it matter?

Subtle differences between the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc. vaccines are emerging across patient groups over time, but what this all means in the real world is still unclear.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2021

Space junk, long feared, is now an imminent threat

Although the vast majority of space junk is the size of a grain of sand or smaller, at least 26,000 pieces are big enough to destroy a satellite.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 2, 2021

The failed coup that failed Russia

The attempted coup 30 years ago against Mikhail Gorbachev is now portrayed by Putin elements as an effort by Soviet forces to preserve the state.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 2, 2021

The Afghanistan war wasn’t a cynical misadventure

When once-good wars go bad, Americans tend to conclude that there was never anything redeeming about them in the first place.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2021

Trudeau’s populist pose could hurt Canada’s economy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's populist panderings are being compared to Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, and if acted upon, could hurt the economy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2021

After dragging its heels, the Biden administration finally embarks on Southeast Asia charm offensive

Against the backdrop of the debacle in Afghanistan, the incidental timing of the U.S. visits to Southeast Asia also helped soothe lingering anxieties over American commitment to the region.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 1, 2021

Moderna's shot makes twice as many antibodies as Pfizer's, study says

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine generated more than double the antibodies of a similar shot made by Pfizer and BioNTech in research that compared immune responses evoked by the two inoculations.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 31, 2021

U.S. withdrawal leaves Afghanistan in crisis and uncertainty

The fate of tens of thousands of Afghans who couldn't flee — civil society workers, women and girls, minorities — is in the balance as the Taliban moves to cement control.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 31, 2021

Don’t let politicians off the hook: Their choices determine Japan-South Korea relations

Many like to blame structural factors for the troubled ROK-Japan relationship. The focus should be on those who weaponize foreign policy to serve domestic political interests.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2021

Modi’s green new deal might actually work

There is no growth story left in India's economy that can enthuse voters and investors, so Prime Minister Modi is hoping a green-growth narrative will pay off economically and politically.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2021

Suga's ratings hit record lows as party leader race looms

A Mainichi newspaper poll showed public support for Suga slid below 30% for the first time, to stand at a dismal 26%, while the Nikkei daily put his rating at 34%.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 27, 2021

Blood clot risk much higher for COVID-19 patients than from vaccines, study finds

The study followed 29 million people who received doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine between December 2020 and April and about 1.7 million COVID-19 patients.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2021

Biden's Afghanistan pullout was the right decision

The Taliban's quick takeover of Afghanistan and the near impossibility of being able to establish a functioning government in Kabul suggests Biden's withdrawal decision was the right one.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 24, 2021

Asian allies aren’t worried by Biden’s Afghan debacle — yet

A failure to engage after a debacle like Afghanistan will undermine U.S. credibility, proof once again that the coverup is often worse than the crime.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 24, 2021

China, Pakistan and India jockey for position in Afghanistan's new 'Great Game'

When the Taliban captured Kabul last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said Afghans had broken the 'shackles of slavery.'
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Aug 23, 2021

Climate science struggles with 'blind spots' in developing nations

The IPCC report relies primarily on lead authors and research from Europe, North America and Oceania, making its findings less relevant to developing nations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Aug 22, 2021

A tradition built on faith is put out to sea

In 1565, a temple abbot sets out on a journey at the age of 61 as is expected of him. Alone, he goes berserk and alters a tradition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 21, 2021

Philip Jodidio: ‘A willingness to transgress and a desire to be extremely innovative’

u2018Contemporary Japanese Architecture' author Philip Jodidio discusses the past and future significance of Japanese architecture and his career as an art/architecture critic and editor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 21, 2021

‘Contemporary Japanese Architecture’: Embracing nature and the need for sustainability

Architecture critic Philip Jodidio's new book examines the ingenuity of Japan's architects, particularly in their response to climate change.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 19, 2021

Amid extreme weather, a shift among U.S. Republicans on climate change

Despite a growing acceptance of the reality of climate change, lawmakers have not thrown their support behind policies aimed at phasing out fossil fuels.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 19, 2021

Terror and the Taliban

The reality is while the Taliban and Al-Qaida do share a similar religious ideology and worldview, they have very different objectives.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 18, 2021

Former Prime Minister Abe bids for a new role: LDP kingmaker

With Suga's falling popularity opening up an opportunity, Abe and his allies are vying for greater control over the LDP at the expense of Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Aug 17, 2021

Taliban mullahs vow softer approach to win over skeptical world

Even before the group announces what's next, it appears to be in a stronger position on the world stage than it ever achieved during its five-year rule that ended after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 17, 2021

Biden has only himself to blame for the Taliban's victory

There was no strategic imperative for U.S. President Joe Biden to order a hasty pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, yet he did.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 17, 2021

With Afghanistan’s collapse, a moment for Moscow and Beijing

The roles played by China and Russia now may well determine whether Afghanistan becomes a threat to the region and the wider world.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 16, 2021

Will central bank digital currencies doom dollar dominance?

CBDCs are coming, but they won't change the face of international payments and they won't dethrone the dollar.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 16, 2021

Sports betting is in the midst of another seismic shift

The sports betting industry will continue to be dominated by today's large players, but augmented by acquisitions of smaller bookmakers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 14, 2021

Olympian tattoos fail to leave their mark on the Japanese press

After Tokyo was awarded the Olympics in 2013, many thought tattoos would be a major issue during the Games. In the end, they barely scratched the surface of public attention.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 12, 2021

Shimoji Island's airport takes on new importance amid China threat

Clearly, circumstances are different today compared to 1971. So the outdated Yara memo preventing Okinawa's Shimoji Airport from being used for military purposes needs to be reconsidered.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 12, 2021

NASA says an asteroid will have a close brush with Earth. But not until the 2100s.

The trajectory of Bennu is known precisely enough that the chances of collision are exactly zero for the next century. But the crystal ball becomes fuzzier in 2135.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake