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COMMENTARY / World
Jun 20, 2014

China turning its attention to the Middle East

Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent invitation to Arab states to upgrade their strategic relationships with China reflects Beijing's broader goal of rebalancing its focus westward in response to America's 'pivot' toward Asia.
EDITORIALS
Jun 20, 2014

Meeting the 100 million goal

The Abe administration is poised to set a target of keeping the nation's population from falling below 100 million by 2060 in order to sustain economic growth and the social security system.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 18, 2014

Japan's 'no immigration principle' looking as solid as ever

In contrast to Hidenori Sakanaka's unbridled optimism, I argue that Japan has little prospect of becoming a 'migrant nation' anytime soon.
EDITORIALS
Jun 18, 2014

Boosting visitors to Japan

The government has adopted a set of measures aimed at achieving a target of doubling the number of visitors to Japan to 20 million in 2020.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2014

Giving a resolute pro-India neighbor its due

It's an indication of the ham-handed manner in which Indian foreign policy is managed that even relations with Bhutan have seemed troubled in the past few years.
EDITORIALS
Jun 14, 2014

Entrance exam scoring errors

The apology by Tokyo's Office of Education for more than 2,000 scoring errors found on high school entrance examinations underscores the need for greater exactitude in the entrance exam system and more transparency about its aims.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 12, 2014

U.S. House Republican No. 2 Cantor to step down after election shock

A shock primary election defeat for Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, left his political party in chaos on Wednesday as financial markets worried the shake-up might renew budget fights that in the past have caused government shutdowns and near credit defaults.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 10, 2014

Pavlicevic to leave Wakayama as team begins massive cost-cutting measures: reports

After a season of sensational accomplishments, the National Basketball League's Wakayama Trians are poised to undergo a complete organizational restructuring, according to published reports.
WORLD
Jun 10, 2014

Asia's wealthy families surge: report

Rich Chinese helped make Asia the fastest-growing region for affluent families as the increase in global wealth accelerated last year, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 9, 2014

Detroit rolls dice on casino-led comeback

Detroit's reliance on casino cash to help fund a recovery from the city's historic bankruptcy is a high-risk bet on an increasingly shaky source of income.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 7, 2014

Kengo Kuma: 'a product of place'

Renowned architect's new book, 'My Place,' reflects an awareness of humanity's close affinity to the world around us.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jun 5, 2014

Toyama named new coach of Shiga

Less than two weeks after a memorable title game, the coaching carousel is moving at warp speed.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2014

What UKIP's EU election win means for Britain's top parties

UKIP's gains in local and European elections were not a political mega-quake but rather the result of public anger with established parties the past decade over economic austerity, the Iraq war and the MPs' expenses scandal.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jun 2, 2014

Bowker relishing second chance

John Bowker’s second chance presented itself one morning in late April. Bowker was just sitting down for breakfast at his apartment in Campeche, a port city on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, when his telephone rang.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 2, 2014

Japan urged to make its cosmetics 'cruelty-free'

While Japanese consumers clamor for items that will make their skin smoother or their hair shinier, relatively few people are aware of the horror behind the products in their cosmetics cases.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2014

Dai-ichi Life edges closer to acquisition of major U.S. insurer

Dai-ichi Life Co. is in advanced talks to buy U.S. insurer Protective Life Corp., in a deal likely to be worth over $5 billion, making it the biggest acquisition by a Japanese insurer yet.
Japan Times
CULTURE
May 31, 2014

Essential summer festivals 2014

A summer without festivals simply wouldn’t be a proper summer in Japan, so now that the humidity has returned, it’s time to slop on an extra layer of sunscreen and line up some outdoor activities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 31, 2014

BOJ steps up growth 'rhetoric'

Japan's risk of spurring inflation without boosting the nation's growth potential is raising the stakes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's next round of economic restructuring measures, due in June.
EDITORIALS
May 31, 2014

Child care to get push after class

The education ministry has announced a plan to double the number of after-school child-care centers over five years so that more women can enter the workforce.
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
May 30, 2014

TPP no longer about free trade

It appears that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be degraded to a system of 'nonfree trade' that will increase the involvement of bureaucrats and inject huge subsidies to certain interest groups.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 28, 2014

Foreign labor key to Olympic gold

At a construction site in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, worker Fan Xiuyu says he's too busy to miss the wife and 6-year-old child he left behind in China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 27, 2014

Abe vows to get more women into workforce after dismal global ranking

The prime minister told an audience of female business executives that he is committed to boosting the number of women in the workforce in a bid to help Japan's ailing economy.
SPORTS / NOTES ON A SCORECARD
May 27, 2014

Mao makes right choice in deciding to take year off

"The feeling here is that she would be better served by taking a year off — like Vancouver Olympic champion Kim Yu Na did — to recharge her batteries before making such a huge choice. Perhaps some time away will let her gain some perspective."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
May 27, 2014

Confident of recovery, Bank of Japan eyes stimulus exit

The Bank of Japan has begun shifting its focus from supporting growth to phasing out its massive stimulus, taking the first tentative steps toward a potentially momentous move for the world economy.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
May 25, 2014

Kyoto law puts 'upskirt' photography in focus

Each spring, Kyoto is at its busiest. The cherry blossoms bring in multitudes of tourists, and the start of the new academic year means not only thousands of local students returning to the classroom, but also busloads of junior high and high school students from around the country arriving at hotels...
Japan Times
WORLD
May 25, 2014

Soccer's crown jewel can't hide Brazil tensions

Brazil, by both area and population, is the fifth-largest nation on Earth. Its economy is perhaps the sixth- or seventh-largest and will soon surpass those of France and Britain. Yet this great state has barely registered its presence globally. In the complex flux of globalized popular culture or the...

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.