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Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Jan 17, 2016

Foreign tourism emerges as bright spot amid Japan's dim economic prospects

With few positive signs of recovery for Japan's slumping economy, foreign tourism remains a sole ray of hope, and tourism authorities, local governments, industry players as well as retailers are eagerly awaiting another possibly record-breaking surge in Chinese tourists during next month's Chinese New...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 15, 2016

Iwaki FC owners aiming for the stars with new club

Dome Corporation president Shuichi Yasuda has the vision, Satoshi Okura the know-how and former Dutch international and Rangers player Pieter Huistra the experience. The goal now is to combine their respective talents as they embark on the task of building a professional soccer club from scratch.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 13, 2016

Abe's global contradictions

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talks big about Japan playing a greater role on the global stage, but the reality has been disappointing.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jan 13, 2016

Views from Taipei: Should Taiwan declare full independence in the event of a DPP win?

People in the Taiwanese capital speak their minds about whether the island should consider declaring full independence from China in the event of a victory by the Beijing-wary opposition in upcoming elections.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 13, 2016

'Paddington': Can the 'other bear' crack the Japanese market?

'I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but Paddington remains a somewhat distant character for me." So wrote teddy bear aficionado Satomi Terakawa in an email interview. Terakawa harbors a lifelong love for stuffed toy bears, and spent 15 years designing and making teddy bears for a toy boutique in Ginza....
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jan 11, 2016

New rules at home plate put onus on Japanese umpires

A brawl broke out at Jingu Stadium during a game between the Hanshin Tigers and Tokyo Yakult Swallows near the tail end of the 2013 season. It was a typical baseball fight, so beyond a round of spirited pushing, players being held back and an assortment of shouts hurled back and forth ("That's fertilizer....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Jan 10, 2016

A year in the life of Japan's Supreme Court

Grand rulings hogged the headlines in 2015 while the Petty Benches sweated the small stuff and big issues were kicked down the line.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 7, 2016

Music director Nott prepares for Tokyo Symphony Orchestra's 70th

It's not rare for a conductor from overseas to collaborate with a Japanese orchestra, but the case of Jonathan Nott stands out because of the speed at which he and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra cultivated their relationship.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2016

Pacific dreaming in Moscow

Russia's government announces yet another set of impotent plans to develop its long-neglected Pacific region.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 5, 2016

Toyota joins Ford against Apple-Google car screen dominance

Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to use a car-phone connectivity system championed by Ford Motor Co. in a bid to keep Apple Inc. and Google from dominating control of dashboards.
SOCCER
Jan 3, 2016

Neville says management isn't long-term goal

Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville is not targeting a long-term career in management and says he is "relaxed" about how long he stays at the helm of Spanish side Valencia.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 3, 2016

A dangerous year for China

China probably won't crash in 2016, but the odds of big financial troubles are higher than they've been in well over a decade.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 2, 2016

Still dreaming of an end to household drudgery

As amazing as technology's ability to solve our problems is its inability to solve our problems. (Its tendency to create new problems is a subject best left for another day.)
Japan Times
JAPAN / 2016 NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2016

Helping refugees requires more than financial help

Children wrapped in emergency blankets stand on a beach after crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey. Long lines of refugees wait to enter a camp in Macedonia. Trains packed with hundreds of refugees arrive at the Munich railway station. Such images of desperate Syrians fleeing their war-torn country were...
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 30, 2015

New year's resolutions for the global economy

Global growth doesn't promise to be much better in 2016 than it was this year, but policy changes could boost incomes and expand opportunities for people everywhere.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 23, 2015

On a Christmas visit, expat thoughts turn to 'going home'

Reconnecting with home can be a cause for reflection: Where have I been, and where am I going? Is there another life to return to?
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 22, 2015

Bryant determined to remain defiant until the end

In some respects Kobe Bryant, perhaps the true Baby Jordan, reminds me the most of Jerry West, the original Los Angeles Lakers great guard. Because they go out of their way, defiant to the end.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Dec 22, 2015

Mao’s outlook at midseason: What the experts think

Three-time world champion Mao Asada has been inconsistent through the first half of the 2015-16 season. Two victories, a third-place finish, and a sixth-place showing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE UNRELIABLE FOOD CRITIC
Dec 22, 2015

In the gutter of Osaka, but not looking at the Michelin stars

Cycling through one of the poorer quarters of Osaka, I start feeling peckish. So I park my bike in one of the rundown shopping arcades that crisscross this working-class city and duck, almost at random, into a cheap eatery. The ancient proprietress waves me to the counter and, without even asking, serves...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Dec 20, 2015

Celebrating success with catfish and cupcakes

A look at two power couples of African descent who have focused their skills, talents and wherewithal on introducing tastes of the West to Eastern palates.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 20, 2015

Young music fans found their voices in 2015

The music industry in Japan has long been seen as lagging behind the times. Once every six months there is an article that marvels at the supremacy of CDs, and new albums from acts that were big in the 1990s tend to dominate charts alongside idol-pop groups that few would label "musically progressive."...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 20, 2015

More on pensions: what to expect and when you can get it

Following up on the Lifelines special on the Japan pension system, here are some more questions from readers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 17, 2015

Two generations of 'Star Wars' heroes come together in 'The Force Awakens'

It all started a long time ago (1977 to be precise) in a galaxy far, far away — er, Hollywood. Six films and billions of dollars in merchandising later, the world awaits the arrival of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 14, 2015

Putin's newfound prudence

Russia's economic stagnation confronts President Vladimir Putin with a challenge he has never faced: leading the country at a time when there is no light visible at the end of the tunnel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 12, 2015

The changing view of Onomichi town

Last September, the town of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture became a headline-grabbing topic around the world with its Cat Street View project. In its first two weeks online, this Google-style map of the town, filmed from a cat's perspective, went viral, racking up 1.7 million views. CNN, Huffington...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Dec 12, 2015

Crafty ways to have fun without mess

For some parents (or maybe it's just me), there is one particular festive word that causes instant anxiety: "craft."
Reader Mail
Dec 12, 2015

Education for students via part-time jobs

Regarding the editorial "Labor woes of student workers" in the Dec. 4 edition, I felt so sad to read that "students are given excessive workload and duties — sometimes at pay below legal minimum wage — at their part-time jobs and are unable to attend classes or are failing exams because they can't...

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