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COMMENTARY / World
Jan 7, 2014

Preparing for the age of disruption

By 2020, the quantity of stored data could be 50 times greater than it was in 2010. Many pundits regard this massive explosion of data as the new oil, even a new asset class.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 31, 2013

Tokyo prepares to get schooled in the art of beats

Although the major spectacle looming on Tokyo's horizon is undoubtedly the 2020 Olympics, there is one event this year that will be eagerly anticipated by anyone who spends longer on their gym playlist than their workout: The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is set to take place here in October.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT ENGLISH
Dec 31, 2013

English to get 2020 push but teachers not on same page

A reform plan released in mid-December by the education ministry looks to bolster English study from elementary to high school from the 2020 academic year to pursue globalization.
Reader Mail
Dec 25, 2013

Something worth passing down

Japan Times staff writer Reiji Yoshida has hit the nail right on the head in the Dec. 16 article, "Deceptive rice price reforms viewed as too late for industry," and in his co-authored article of the same date, "No country for small-time rice farmers."
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2013

'Crossing' Beijing has lasting consequences

The sad irony is that, since the early 1990s, people like Liu Binyan, Su Xiaokang, Chen Yizi, Su Shaozhi and others who know the elite communist culture well, who have lived in the United States and remain willing to cross the dangerous line into complete truth-telling, have never had much of a hearing in Washington.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2013

Politically bankrupt China dare not tolerate a free press

The practice of journalism in China, a country where 30 practitioners are in prison, has never been easy. During 2013, it has become a great deal harder.
WORLD
Dec 21, 2013

NSA, GCHQ targeted foreign interests, allies, heads of aid groups

British and United States spy agencies targeted the office of an Israeli prime minister, the heads of international aid organizations and a European Union official who oversees antitrust issues involving U.S. technology firms, according to secret documents.
Reader Mail
Dec 18, 2013

Japanese sleepwalk in the lights

In his Dec. 17 article, "Abe shows totalitarian bent," Takamitsu Sawa does an excellent job of summing up my fears of the direction in which Japan is heading.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2013

Pollution rife on Okinawa's U.S.-returned base land

When the last U.S. service members moved out of the Nishi-Futenma housing area at Camp Foster, in 2006, the land was slated to return to civilian use as part of ongoing attempts by Tokyo and Washington to reduce the military burden in Okinawa — host to more than 70 percent of American bases in Japan....
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 3, 2013

Well, she was just 17: How one girl got her dream job with The Beatles

Few people can claim to have spent the whole of their youth with The Beatles, and fewer still would have come out of the experience unscathed. Freda Kelly — who was 17 when she first laid eyes on the Fab Four at the now-legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, is one of those people, perhaps the only one....
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 1, 2013

Guardian is targeted over Snowden leaks

Living in self-imposed exile in Russia, former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden may be safely out of reach of the Western powers. But dismayed by the continued airing of trans-Atlantic intelligence, British authorities are taking full aim at a messenger shedding light on his secret...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 30, 2013

Delving into the dark side of longer life

Longevity is like prosperity — it seems an unalloyed good but on closer examination turns out not to be. Longevity spawns dementia, infirmity, loneliness and a demographic imbalance favoring the very old at the expense of the young.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 29, 2013

Kawakami's players impressed MLB counterparts

The V-9 Yomiuri Giants were arguably the best team in the history of the game. Giants stars Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima had been openly coveted by MLB general managers back in the United States. So had pitcher Tsuneo Horiuchi at his peak.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 27, 2013

Kichiemon Nakamura II : For the love of 'Chushingura'

As December draws near, the streets are decorated with Christmas ornaments and in Japan, concerts of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony are held all over the nation. In addition to these Western-inspired traditions, there is a made-in-Japan December tradition that has been held since the 18th century and is...
Reader Mail
Nov 27, 2013

Beware of dangerous ethics

Two recent articles in The Japan Times reported on the government's decision to teach ethics in elementary and junior high schools, and to revise textbooks in order to "instill a sense of national pride in students."
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Nov 26, 2013

Chiba Jets to acquire power forward Burrell: source

The Chiba Jets, looking to snap a 14-game losing streak, are on the verge of signing former bj-league MVP Justin Burrell, a basketball insider told The Japan Times on Tuesday evening.
EDITORIALS
Nov 26, 2013

An Imperial break from tradition

The announcement that Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will be cremated and be interred in smaller mausoleums reflects their wish to minimize the impact of their funeral rites on people's lives.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 22, 2013

Serial 911 caller may land in guardian's care

Martha Rigsby collapsed to the ground for the first time in 1977. The spells continued, and she began calling the emergency number 911 for help.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 20, 2013

'Jack the Ripper' strikes again

"I'm a huge Beumrae fan," the woman seated next to me gushed during the intermission, pointing to a glossy photo in my program. "His voice gives me chills."
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2013

How Beijing shapes outside perception of China

Beijing uses visa denials and censorship to pressure foreign media and academics to portray China in a favorable light.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Nov 17, 2013

Disaster-prone Philippines slow to address issues

In one of the world's most naturally deadly countries, catastrophes can originate almost anywhere. Flash floods race down mountainsides. A zigzag of tectonic plates collide below. Typhoons build in warm ocean waters and then tear westward.
BASKETBALL
Nov 15, 2013

Kennedy rips Shimane management following release

The Shimane Susanoo Magic, who reached the playoffs in each of their first three seasons, have dropped nine of their first 10 games under new coach Vlasios Vlaikidis.
Reader Mail
Nov 13, 2013

Sri Lanka's political leadership

I wish to state that much of the information in The Observer article published in The Japan Times on Oct. 27, titled "Rajapaksa: Sri Lanka's affable authoritarian?," is based on hearsay and unfounded information. It is baseless propaganda provided by supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam...
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 13, 2013

Iwate's Blackledge thriving as important contributor

Blessed with a 218-cm wingspan and a motor that's always ticking, forward Lawrence "Trend" Blackledge is a game-changing presence for the Iwate Big Bulls.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2013

Wage hikes for a sustained recovery

After enjoying increased sales and better bottom lines, Japanese companies can do their part to put the economy back on a sustainable growth path by raising workers' wages.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2013

The refugees deserving of tolerance

The belief that 'charity begins at home' is used by many to justify their opposition to immigration and is reinforced by allegations that immigrants to Europe take jobs from locals.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 6, 2013

Tokyo's Ide making most of chance with perennial All-Star Aoki gone

Guard Cohey Aoki starred for the Tokyo Apache from the league's inception until the team folded in 2011. He then spent a season with the Osaka Evessa, then returned to the capital city to be the Tokyo Cinq Reves' signature star last season.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 4, 2013

High-flying Eagles reign supreme after eight-year rise to top

To say simply that Senichi Hoshino put Masahiro Tanaka in the game during the ninth inning of the Japan Series finale somehow does the moment a disservice.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 4, 2013

U.S. model not seen serving Japan's bid to keep its secrets

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government pushes for a controversial new state secrets law, critics warn that the public's right to know will be greatly stifled because the bill, recently approved by the Cabinet, targets leakers of information the state deems critical to defense, diplomacy, terrorism...
Reader Mail
Nov 2, 2013

Word of thanks

What pleases me most is when The Japan Times arrives at my house at 3:30 a.m., rain or shine. I've read it for 63 years.

Longform

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