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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Apr 3, 2017

Military justice, revenge and an albatross

Japan has produced a great many martyrs, not least in the wake of its defeat in World War II.
EDITORIALS
Feb 24, 2017

Efforts to stop passive smoking

The government's plan to tighten rules against smoking in public areas falls woefully short of what's needed to curb the health risks posed by secondhand smoke.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2017

Health ministry gears up for possible ban on smoking in public areas

The health ministry is considering a legal revision to ban smoking in public areas to help bring the nation's policy on secondhand smoke in line with global standards ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2016

Cutting down on passive smoking

The government needs to get more serious about steps to protect people from passive smoking as it prepares for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
JAPAN / History
Oct 1, 2016

Religious reflections: Pope John Paul II's enduring legacy in Japan

The iconic pontiff's visit 35 years ago may offer some insights into what we can expect from a possible papal stopover in 2017.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 7, 2016

Surviving Japan on an international student's budget

Current and former international students in the capital share some of their experiences and offer advice that might help incoming students save some yen.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 25, 2016

Infant deaths underscore accountability gaps in Japan's nurseries

When Yuki Kai went to pick up her 14-month-old son, Kento, from a nursery in Tokyo after his nap time, she found him dead.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Mar 27, 2016

Indie music finds a novel way to survive in Kyushu

We are living through the dying days of the CD format. It clings to life here and there, but its usefulness as a medium for transmitting music is pretty much over. What remains is a sort of meta-existence, where the value of a physical music format lies purely in the tactile physicality of the object...
JAPAN / Media
Mar 27, 2016

CNN's Will Ripley swaps risk for robots with 'Made in Japan'

Jet lag: the bane of every traveler. Sure, most of us only have to deal with it once in a while, but for CNN foreign correspondent Will Ripley it's a frequent foe.
WORLD
Mar 23, 2016

Asia most at risk for disasters, but Africa likely to suffer more, report says

Asia has the largest number of people exposed to natural disasters, but African countries are the most vulnerable to them, largely because of political instability, corruption, poverty and inequality, a new global assessment shows.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 22, 2016

Gomes expands horizons with Japan move

Yomiuri Giants reliever Tetsuya Yamaguchi, for some reason, thought he could get away with a first-pitch, 128-kph slider over the outside of the plate against Jonny Gomes.
EDITORIALS
Mar 11, 2016

Upgrading anti-disaster measures

It's imperative that officials at the national and local level check regularly whether anti-disaster measures are adequate and up-to-date.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2016

In 3/11 memorial speech, Emperor lauds unity five years after disasters

The following is the full text of a speech given by Emperor Akihito given at a memorial ceremony at the National Theater in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Feb 28, 2016

Icy Kanazawa, sunny Naha: A tale of two live scenes

I have been traveling around the country since September meeting people involved in different independent music scenes in such places as Hokkaido, and Iwate and Saitama prefectures. After taking a break over winter, I resumed my travels this month and headed to the contrasting environments of icy Ishikawa...
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Feb 23, 2016

Calais 'Jungle' migrants snub eviction order, 'have nowhere to go'

Refugees squatting in a shanty town outside Calais in northern France ignored an official order to evacuate part of their camp, hoping a court hearing on Tuesday will halt its demolition.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Feb 21, 2016

In Japan, don't just celebrate black history, be black history

There are a number of annual celebrations of Black History Month here in Japan. I've attended dozens of them over the years. Have even spoken at several, and in fact will be speaking at one later this month. And more often than not, I'll be asked the question, "Why?"
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jan 9, 2016

Workshops to keep the children sweet

You and I can talk all day about differences between this country and that, and we can detail any number of parenting strategies and discuss how they differ from one culture to the next, but there are more similarities than differences, and one of the biggest common denominators is this: Kids want sweets....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Nov 27, 2015

The complexities of living too close to Tokyo

While traveling in the northeastern part of Japan last month, I was struck by the way quirky, alternative and avant-garde music carves out a space for itself in parts of the country that are isolated from the major cultural centers.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 7, 2015

Red flags and exit strategies: advice for English teachers in Japan

It's important for new instructors in Japan to know when they are being exploited, and, if so, how to improve their lot or extricate themselves from the situation as painlessly as possible.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 22, 2015

The same old story on rural depopulation

A story that is constantly upbeat quickly becomes tiring. Conflict and resolution are necessary to maintain interest, and while happy endings are still more popular than depressing ones, characters should go through some sort of emotional turmoil before arriving at them.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 8, 2015

Weeklies' summer specials feature sports, crimefighting, frozen treats and horror

The National High School Summer Baseball Tournament this year observes its 100th anniversary, and Asahi Geino (Aug. 13) recalls 10 hard-fought games at Koshien Stadium that fans still remember. In a short follow-up, the magazine introduces the "new monster," as he's being called, 16-year-old Kotaro Kiyomiya,...
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jul 6, 2015

Beijing introduces tough smoking bans

China, the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer, on June 1 started imposing its toughest-to-date restrictions on smoking in Beijing, as part of efforts to reduce health problems and burnish the image of the capital as it seeks to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2015

Julianne Moore takes on a role that her peers would avoid in 'Still Alice'

Julianne Moore says she was surprised to learn that people in some parts of the world have mistaken "Still Alice," her film about Alzheimer's disease, as "science fiction" and even "horror-comedy."

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan