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Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 4, 2013

Shimane's Davis stands tall in Game 1 win over Hamamatsu

Shimane center Jeral Davis dominated defensively in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series, helping the Susanoo Magic rout the visiting Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix 80-67 on Friday afternoon.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2013

The French left turns on Francois Hollande

The freshly cut inscription on the marble "tombstone" was savage and to the point: "Betrayal! Here lie the promises of F. Hollande which were made to workers and their families in Florange on 24 February 2012. From the steelworkers of Lorraine." With barely suppressed anger and bitterness, Frederic Weber,...
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 2, 2013

Ricin linked to suspect in Obama letters case

Federal investigators found ricin on a dust mask discarded by the man suspected of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other public officials, according to an FBI affidavit released by a federal court judge on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2013

Australia, Indonesia moving as close as perceptions allow

Irritants in Australia-Indonesia ties stem from popular Australian misperceptions about the changes in Indonesia and political condescension by some leaders.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 1, 2013

IPhone brings carriers record profit

KDDI and Softbank said Tuesday that they posted record high sales and operating profit in the business year through March 31 thanks to the hugely popularity of the Apple iPhone, which is continuing to contribute to their growth.
EDITORIALS
Apr 30, 2013

Stressful hearings for lay judges

The case of the woman lay judge in her 60s who suffered a stress disorder after viewing a photo of a horrific crime scene underscores the weak psychological support for lay judges.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 28, 2013

A double dose of guidance offers more than usual information

SHINTO SHRINES: A Guide to the Sacred Sites of Japan's Ancient Religion, by Joseph Cali with John Dougill. University of Hawaii Press, 2012, 328 pp., $24.99 (paperback)
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 28, 2013

First regular-season NPB games in U.S. nearly set

What do you make of the idea to have the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers open the 2014 Japanese baseball season in the U.S.?
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 25, 2013

Baucus retirement sets stage for sweeping legislative changes

Montana Sen. Max Baucus, one of the most influential congressional figures of his era, announced his intention Tuesday to retire, a move that could produce sweeping changes in the political and legislative landscape over the next two years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2013

Weakening yen helps Toyota outsell GM for fifth quarter

Toyota Motor Corp. outsold all automakers for the fifth straight quarter as the yen's depreciation sharpens its edge over General Motors and Volkswagen.
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2013

Worrying defense spending trends

The 0.5 percent decline in military spending worldwide in 2012 was the first real drop since 1998. But a closer look at the numbers leaves little reason to cheer.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 21, 2013

Yokohama's Big Three key to club's second-season success

Veteran forward Taketo Aoki, a player in the bj-league since the beginning in 2005, called his boss, Yokohama B-Corsairs head coach Reggie Geary, "a great coach" during a post-practice conversation on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 21, 2013

Toyota to start producing Lexus ES sedan in Kentucky

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build Lexus ES 350 sedans in Kentucky, the first U.S. production for its luxury brand, as CEO Akio Toyoda pushes to localize output in the automaker's biggest markets.
JAPAN
Apr 20, 2013

Senate continues to deny Futenma transfer funding

The Senate clarifies that funding for realigning U.S. forces will be denied until a clear timetable and cost estimate for replacing Futenma airbase is provided.
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Apr 17, 2013

Shows on the road: mobile, on-demand TV a hit in Japan

There must be very few homes in the developed world that don't have a television, and Japan is no exception. Even in the Internet era, as terrestrial TV is slowly being replaced by networked TVs, cable channels and computers, regular TV broadcasting still makes up for much of many people's leisure time....
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 16, 2013

JGBs exhibit record volatility as yields fluctuate wildly

Yield swings for five-year Japanese government bonds shot to record levels Monday, a day before an auction, after Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda chose to leapfrog across notes and focus new purchases on longer debt.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 16, 2013

No resting on techie laurels

Only a few years ago, it was forecast that Japan's best growth strategy would be to develop environment-related products. That forecast was off the mark.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 14, 2013

An era of Tokyo art worth another look

Like Britain, Japan is subject to the polarizing forces of the orthodox and radical, the two balancing the flabby middle.
EDITORIALS
Apr 14, 2013

Testing children's English ability

Japan's obsession with testing is growing, according to new information from the Eiken Foundation of Japan. The foundation, which oversees one of Japan's most oft-taken English exams, the Eiken, has reported that the number of primary school students taking the Eiken test in practical English proficiency...
EDITORIALS
Apr 10, 2013

Rubella on the rise

Rubella, aka German measles, which can give rise to birth defects if it infects pregnant women, has become rampant in the Tokyo and Kansai regions.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 9, 2013

Japan's foreign trainee system said still plagued by rights abuses

Last month, a Chinese trainee went on a stabbing rampage at a Hiroshima Prefecture seafood company where he worked, killing the president and an employee and wounding six others.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Apr 9, 2013

British ambassador laments his two 'lost decades'

Tim Hitchens, the new British ambassador to Japan, has observed with his own eyes the country's economic transition since he first visited here as a teenager back in the 1970s.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2013

Comparing tobacco fight to the Opium Wars

The struggle against tobacco is not being won. It is being relocated from industrialized countries to the developing world.
EDITORIALS
Apr 9, 2013

Getting the word out on recalls

The frequency of accidents caused by defective goods highlights a pressing need to make consumers more aware of product recalls.
EDITORIALS
Apr 7, 2013

Money that's twice as easy

The Bank of Japan, under its new governor, doubles down on monetary easing with a policy boldly aimed at a 2 percent inflation target in two years.

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