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Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 2, 2014

With all parties opposed to tax hike, policy debates ring vague

Official campaigning for the Dec. 14 Lower House election started Tuesday, but voter enthusiasm remains low.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 30, 2014

Sino-U.S. climate deal mainly a political triumph

The U.S.-China emissions deal is a huge political triumph, but whether it alters the world's climate is an open question.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Nov 27, 2014

FIBA hands down Japan ban; JBA sorry

It was something everyone expected to happen, so there shouldn't have been any surprise whatsoever. That, however, did nothing to lessen the gravity of the situation.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 25, 2014

Abe consumption tax backfiring with more debt, not less

What started as a plan to reduce the national debt is turning into a reason to issue more bonds.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 22, 2014

Can women really 'shine' under Abe?

The prime minister has vowed to help women break the glass ceiling in the workplace but critics have questioned his motivation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 21, 2014

Japan's robotics revolution gets a reboot as nation aims to regain lead in ¥3.4 trillion industry

Neurosurgeon Tetsuya Goto had just begun testing a robot to perform brain surgery when he discovered Japan was moving to tighten regulations that would shut down his seven-year project.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 20, 2014

Onus on lawmakers to tackle debt after Abe tax delay, Kuroda says

Bank of Japan chief Haruhiko Kuroda is putting the onus on the government to strengthen its finances after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe postponed a sales tax hike and set plans for more fiscal stimulus.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2014

Shimomura wants to make English classes mandatory for fifth- and sixth-graders

Education minister Hakubun Shimomura proposes a root-and-branch overhaul of the elementary, junior high and high school curricula.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 15, 2014

Tokyo continues to pull people in, which pulls the rest of Japan down

Earlier this month, the government pledged for the zillionth time to "revive" Japan's "regions." Local governments are in danger of vanishing in coming decades due to depopulation, and former Liberal Democratic Party No. 2 Shigeru Ishiba was put in charge of the regional revitalization ministry, which,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / SYMPOSIUM ON EUROZONE
Nov 11, 2014

Europe, Japan face similar problems

Europe and Japan may want to learn from each other when it comes to dealing with mounting government debt, opportunities for the Japanese food industry, whether Japan and Britain should strengthen their ties in trade and consumption tax increases.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2014

Renowned architect condemns Olympic stadium design

A revised design for the main Tokyo Olympic stadium is nothing more than a "white elephant" that's been stripped of its original designer's artistic talent and will forever burden the capital if built, internationally renowned architect Arata Isozaki said.
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 2, 2014

Denmark considers phasing out coal by 2025 in big green shift

Denmark should ban coal use by 2025 to make the Nordic nation a leader in fighting global warming, adding to green measures ranging from wind energy to bicycle power, Denmark's climate minister said on Saturday.
EDITORIALS
Oct 29, 2014

Take a balanced look at casinos

Before the government jumps on the casino bandwagon, careful consideration needs to be given to the negative aspects of legalizing this form of gambling.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 21, 2014

The battle to boost universities

The government should consider the latest lackluster global rankings for Japanese universities and undertake a fundamental review of its university education policies.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 10, 2014

Moody's boosts Nomura credit rating for first time since 2005

Nomura Holdings Inc.'s credit rating was raised by Moody's Investors Service for the first time since November 2005 as Japan's largest brokerage showed improved profitability.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 8, 2014

Fukushima No. 1 plant workers kept in the dark over hazard pay

Almost a year after Japan pledged to double hazard pay, workers still don't know how much extra — if anything — they'll get for cleaning up the nuclear disaster.
EDITORIALS
Oct 1, 2014

Drawing more tourists to Japan

Aided by robust travel demand from East Asian countries, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 8.63 million in the January-August period, and officials estimate the annual figure will reach 12 million.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 29, 2014

Developing countries embracing nuclear energy despite Fukushima woes

Three years after Japan closed all of its nuclear plants in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown and Germany decided to shut its industry, developing countries are leading the biggest construction boom in more than two decades.
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 16, 2014

NASA's hunt for dangerous asteroids faltering despite 10-fold budget hike

NASA won't meet a congressionally ordered goal to find 90 percent of nearby and potentially dangerous asteroids larger than 460 feet (140 meters) in diameter, the agency's inspector general said on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 15, 2014

Nissan faces battery plant cuts as electric car hopes fade

Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is preparing to cut battery manufacturing in a new reversal on electric cars that has reopened deep divisions with alliance partner Renault.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 9, 2014

Abe needs more stimulus to raise sales tax, adviser Itoh says

The administration should consider a supplementary budget this year and will need to add stimulus for the economy to weather the planned increase in the consumption tax in 2015, according to Motoshige Itoh, a member of an advisory panel to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
EDITORIALS
Sep 2, 2014

Put fiscal health ahead of politics

Ballooning budget requests by ministries for fiscal 2015 total more than ¥100 trillion for the first time, raising serious doubts about the Abe administration's commitment to fiscal discipline.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 22, 2014

Put Japan's casinos where they're most needed

Japan would do better to steer gargantuan casino projects to regions that really need them — like economically depressed Okinawa or Tohoku, the northeast region that still hasn't recovered from the March 2011 earthquake.

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