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Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 18, 2021

Japan takes step toward first female leader as two women run

Two women are in contention to become leader of Japan for the first time — a potential turning point for a country that ranks below Saudi Arabia in female political representation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2021

The policies and political backgrounds of each of the LDP leadership contenders

The candidates will hold policy debates, outline their platforms and seek further support among LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members up until the Sept. 29 election.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2021

Can America learn from its defeat in Afghanistan?

The value of an independent commission to examine the U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal is that it would offer some insulation from the daily pressures of Washington politics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 17, 2021

Parting words from Japan's Olympians and Paralympians

Short and sweet, the soundbites Japanese athletes gave to the press are sure to help you in expressing both happiness and disappointment.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 15, 2021

U.S. 'naive' about Kim Jong Un talks, leading South Korea candidate says

One of the top-ranked conservatives seeking to be South Korea's next president said the U.S. was 'reckless” in its diplomacy with North Korea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 15, 2021

Japan's next generation of lawmakers cheer ‘chaotic’ prime minister fight

Young LDP lawmakers are hoping that a vigorous debate before the party picks a leader on Sept. 29 will bring in fresh blood and new policies — and hold off any resurgence by the opposition.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2021

The explanation for seemingly irrational COVID-19 behavior

Before the vaccines came along, it made great sense to enforce masking norms. If infections could be shifted into the future, a vaccinated citizenry would be much better protected.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2021

Employers beware: Hiring software could weed out future stars

Many employers have turned to software to whittle down hundreds of candidates. But there's a problem: The software can snub perfectly good workers.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 14, 2021

South Korea's lack of anti-discrimination laws takes toll on LGBT youth, activists say

When an anti-discrimination petition gained 100,000 signatures in four days, a petition opposing the measures gathered the same number of signatures just as quickly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 14, 2021

The U.K.’s bizarre $1.7 billion vaccine rug-pull

The British government abruptly canceled its supply contract, having found Valneva in breach of its obligations without specifying how — something Valneva contests.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2021

LDP leadership contender Kishida unveils initiatives to counter China

Kishida, taking a page from the Biden's administration's multilateral approach to dealing with Beijing, has called for Tokyo to work even more closely with other 'like-minded' democracies.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2021

An $11 billion distraction for China's chip ambitions

China's lack of self-sufficiency in the equipment, materials and software required to build chips will further complicate capacity expansion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Sep 13, 2021

After the 'bazooka', Bank of Japan dismantles the work of its radical chief

After years of shock-and-awe stimulus, the Bank of Japan is quietly rolling back radical policies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 12, 2021

In Japan politics, social media savvy Taro Kono is a rarity. His party isn't fully on board.

Kono's unorthodox communication style is a double-edged sword and has made him a polarizing figure among some of the Liberal Democratic Party's influential old guard.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 10, 2021

King & Prince eye J-pop’s throne

The Johnny's boy band explores English lyrics on its third album, “Re:Sense,' and embraces showing the more personal sides of its members on social media.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2021

Amid setbacks, Prime Minister Suga had successes too

While Suga will be remembered most for his handling of COVID-19, his time in office also included actions that saw important policy outcomes during a period of severe challenges.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 9, 2021

El Salvador president steps in to fix bitcoin rollout snags

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele stepped in on Wednesday to manage the fraught roll-out of a payment app that underpins the nation's adoption of bitcoin as legal tender, and called on users to report any problems on his Twitter feed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2021

Japan prioritized domestic trials of Pfizer before rollout, vaccine czar says

The nation's vaccine czar revealed that Pfizer trials included over 100 Japanese residents in the U.S., but said the health ministry needed domestic tests due to 'food and diet' differences.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2021

How gaming will change humanity as we know it

Gaming is profoundly transforming two central aspects of the modern world: culture and regulation. There will be no turning back.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2021

China's slowdown is just as important as the U.S. jobs shocker

China's V-shaped recovery is showing less vigor. Authorities have gone from worrying about too strong a resurgence to scrambling to put a floor under a new slowdown.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2021

Vaccines versus COVID-19: The great immunity debate

People who don’t want to get vaccinated will grasp at any new piece of information to justify their reluctance — the latest being some pretty good data suggesting that the natural immunity left after recovering from COVID-19 is stronger over the long run than immunity generated by the Pfizer vaccine....
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Sep 8, 2021

How Michael K. Williams made Omar Little his own on ‘The Wire’

Williams and his colleagues on the show once spoke about how the role evolved for an oral history of the series.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / The LDP's game of thrones
Sep 8, 2021

With Suga's imminent departure, the battle for power has already begun

The prime minister's announcement that he would step down as leader of the LDP has set in motion a fierce race to the top.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 6, 2021

One and done — Prime Minister Suga’s sudden resignation

The Japan Times' political correspondent, Satoshi Sugiyama, discusses Suga's sudden resignation and who might replace him as prime minister.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 6, 2021

Former tennis star can relate to what Naomi Osaka is going through

Mardy Fish now acts as a mentor, sharing his experience as a prominent athlete who had to deal with mental health problems when the subject was close to taboo in pro sports.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?