Search - opinion

 
 
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2018

Russian-linked bots used U.S. startups to meddle in elections

Operatives behind Russian-linked bots used tools from U.S. startups, including IFTTT Inc., to supercharge social-media misinformation campaigns and meddle in elections.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2018

Alaska's Gov. Bill Walker ends re-election bid; independent throws support to Democrat

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, a political independent, halted his re-election campaign on Friday and endorsed his Democratic challenger, ending a three-way race in which the Republican candidate had appeared to possess an insurmountable lead.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2018

The world's new disappeared

Those governments reviving the old and effective tactic of kidnapping to silence opponents may yet regret their decision.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 17, 2018

TPP takes back seat as Malaysia sets sights on early conclusion to RCEP trade deal

Malaysia is putting a premium on a free trade deal led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, its trade minister told The Japan Times in a recent interview, while also apparently relegating the Japan-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership to the back burner for the time being.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2018

U.S. needs a new way to deal with dictators

Alliances with nations that quash democracy and human rights are proving costly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 16, 2018

Shrinking hasn't stopped Japan from growing

More immigration allows much-needed growth in the workforce and a higher consumption tax shores up government finances.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 14, 2018

China nudges Japan on joining up in 'Belt and Road' initiative at 14th Annual Tokyo-Beijing Forum

In yet another sign of an apparent thaw in sometimes frosty ties between Asia's two powerhouses, senior government officials from Japan and China attend a two-day symposium in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 14, 2018

Do the elderly and disabled people in Japan want robots to look after them?

What appears to be lacking are detailed surveys and studies, asking questions of the elderly and disabled people whose quality of life Japan's new legion of robots are supposed to improve.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 13, 2018

Mountain High: Junko Tabei's adventures at the top of the world

Junko Tabei was a pioneering alpinist who dramatically changed the landscape of mountaineering around the world. Previously available only in Japanese, excerpts of her writing have been translated and compiled into 'Honouring High Places,' a beautifully illustrated retrospective.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 13, 2018

Politics and cinema intermingle at Busan International Film Festival

The 23rd edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) opened Oct. 4 as Typhoon Kong-rey approached the South Korean port city. When the storm peaked on Saturday morning, some public events were cancelled, but the screenings continued and were still packed with press, industry people and, most...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 13, 2018

Poll shows Shinjiro Koizumi is public's favorite to be next prime minister of Japan

Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Shinjiro Koizumi is the public's top pick to be the next prime minister, a recent Jiji Press opinion poll showed.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 12, 2018

The dis-United Nations

The U.N. faces daunting challenges in the age of Trumpism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2018

When China rules the world

Chinese journalists and diplomats increasingly act as enforcers of rampant displays of Chinese nationalism abroad.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2018

The end of coal could be closer than it looks

Despite a pessimistic forecast, it's possible to meet consumption-cut targets on the current path.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 10, 2018

No Brett Kavanaugh bump seen for GOP as Democrats hold edge in CNN poll ahead of midterms

The fierce battle to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh hasn't turned into an electoral advantage for Republicans so far, according to a CNN poll that found Democrats with a large lead headed into November midterm elections.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 9, 2018

Freshly minted Justice Brett Kavanaugh gets to work at U.S. Supreme Court

Just three days after he was narrowly confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court despite facing allegations of sexual assault, Brett Kavanaugh is set to take his seat on the bench on Tuesday morning, solidifying a conservative majority for years to come.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2018

Why Banksy's art stunt is economic genius

His shredding trick demonstrates the street artist's talent for exploring the ways in which people value art.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2018

A Nobel reminder of why research matters so much

Co-winner of the 2018 economics Nobel Prize, Paul Romer shows how new discoveries create a virtuous cycle of growth.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 8, 2018

China-U.S. tensions flare in testy Mike Pompeo visit to Beijing

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited "fundamental disagreement" with China's foreign minister during a testy exchange in Beijing that highlighted rising tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 8, 2018

Human tower builders in Catalonia kick off with pro-independence protest

Protesters calling for Catalan independence kicked off Spain's bi-annual human towers building competition on Sunday that is being held for the first time since Catalonia's failed 2017 independence referendum.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 7, 2018

Brazilians begin voting in tense presidential race led by right-winger Jair Bolsonaro

Brazilians began voting Sunday in a polarized presidential race that could result in the election of a far-right former army captain, whose praise of past dictatorships enrages critics but whose promise of a brutal crackdown on crime and corruption has electrified his supporters.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 6, 2018

Kavanaugh on U.S. Supreme Court: Sparks or harmony?

When Clarence Thomas took a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991, he had only barely survived a series of bitter Senate hearings on allegations of sexual harassment that divided the country.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2018

Tokyo adopts ordinance banning discrimination against LGBT community

The rule is the first ordinance at the prefectural level to contain a stipulation prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people and other sexual and gender minorities.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 5, 2018

With Kavanaugh probe firing up Republican base, Trump likely a winner whether judge confirmed or not

The ugly partisan brawl over U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation remains undecided, but President Donald Trump appears likely to come out on top regardless of the outcome.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh does not belong on Supreme Court, retired Justice John Paul Stevens says

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens said on Thursday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh does not belong on the high court because of "potential bias" he showed in his recent Senate confirmation hearing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 5, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh attempts spin control after Senate outburst as retired justice opposes his nomination

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wrote in an opinion article Thursday that he "might have been too emotional" and "said a few things I should not have said" during last week's Senate hearing on sexual assault allegations against him.
BUSINESS
Oct 4, 2018

Trump picks supporter of coal and nuclear plants for post with U.S.'s top energy regulator

U.S. President Donald Trump has picked Energy Department staffer Bernard McNamee, a proponent of his administration's plan to bail out aging coal and nuclear plants, to join the nation's top energy regulator.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 3, 2018

Abe versus Japan's 'invisible hand'

Will public opinion thwart Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's effort to amend the Constitution?

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat