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JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 6, 2015

Decommissioning aging reactors inevitable, costly

Last month, four utilities announced they would decommission five commercial nuclear reactors that were at least 40 years old, rather than apply for a restart that could extend their operating life another two decades.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2015

U.K. election most unpredictable in generations

On May 7, British voters will go to the polls in the most unpredictable general election for decades.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 4, 2015

GOP's road to power runs through Israel

The deterioration of U.S.-Israeli relations under the Obama administration could help the Republicans win the White House in 2016.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 3, 2015

Kobeya Kitchen hops into Easter

The Kobeya Kitchen chain of bakeries found mostly around major train stations is celebrating Easter with a limited-edition treat in the form of a dessert shaped like a rabbit (¥238).
EDITORIALS
Apr 1, 2015

Corporate leadership rejuvenation

Hopefully the move to buck the seniority system and appoint younger presidents will help breathe fresh air into the staid corporate culture of major Japanese firms.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2015

Fukushima crisis was a hard lesson but one vital to share, groups say

When professional boxer and model Tomomi Takano heard that children in Fukushima Prefecture were becoming unfit and overweight because the 2011 nuclear crisis limited the time they could play outside, she decided to use her skills to help.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 1, 2015

Iran nuclear talks miss deadline; U.S. threatens to walk away

Six world powers and Iran negotiated past a March 31 deadline into the wee hours of Wednesday, struggling to conclude an outline accord on Tehran's nuclear program in the face of a U.S. threat to abandon the talks.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Apr 1, 2015

Halilhodzic warns against complacency after Uzbekistan rout

New national team manager Vahid Halilhodzic hailed his players' efforts after Tuesday's 5-1 thrashing of Uzbekistan, but warned they will have to prove themselves all over again when he picks his next squad.
EDITORIALS
Mar 31, 2015

'A giant of history' leaves the stage

The late Lee Kuan Yew used to insist that he had to maintain a tight political grip on Singapore. Today, however, there are rising doubts about the durability of the system he has bequeathed to his son.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 31, 2015

Low-cost airlines elevate stress levels for pilots

Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who steered a Germanwings flight into a mountainside, had a history of depression so debilitating that he left his pilot training program for six months in the late 2000s, reports Germany's Bild newspaper.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 28, 2015

Tokyo fashion week: Womenswear celebrates an eclectic lineup; menswear draws inspiration from the street

Womenswear collections showcased in mid-March for the fall/winter 2015-16 season were decidedly eclectic in composition, including designs that were as street-savvy as they were cute.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 26, 2015

U.S.-led coalition said planning to carry out Tikrit airstrikes

The U.S.-led coalition is planning to carry out airstrikes in support of Iraqi operations against Islamic State in the city of Tikrit, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, confirming comments by Iraq's president in an interview with Reuters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 25, 2015

Jean-Marc Vallee's interlocking tales of heartbreak and lovesickness

It can be hard to find a movie with soul, but "Cafe de Flore" may have too much. This 2011 film by Quebecois filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee tells an ambitious multilayered story that explores love and the idea of soulmates across two eras and cities.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Mar 25, 2015

Indian doctors find success in tackling hidden burden of TB

When Indian street-food seller Kumar Pal first began treatment for multidrug resistant tuberculosis two years ago, he quickly spiralled into depression and gave up hope of living.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 23, 2015

NHK beats commercial TV stations to simulcast punch

NHK's announcement earlier this month that it will start trial simultaneous broadcasts of its programming on the Internet signaled a new era in TV broadcasting.
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2015

Security blanket: Should Japan beef up its anti-terrorism measures?

On Nov. 27, 2005, an unidentified terrorist group attacked the Mihama nuclear power plant on the Japan Sea in Fukui Prefecture, damaging the facility and creating fears of a radiation leak.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 21, 2015

Sexual identity isn't as simple as it once was

All societies are repressive — some brutally, others benignly, more or less. No society allows us to fully express our true selves. Some societies squash our true selves. Even those that don't will at least keep them in check to some degree. Society could hardly function otherwise.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 21, 2015

Media caught up in festive PR atmosphere of new Hokuriku bullet train

A friend who often goes to Ishikawa Prefecture for family reasons mentioned on Facebook last week that he took the overnight bus from Tokyo and arrived at Kanazawa Station at about the same time of the Hokuriku Shinkansen's inaugural run. When I asked why he hadn't taken the new train, he said it was...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2015

Netanyahu's surprise victory

The Israeli election results represent an impressive personal comeback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reflect the sense among Israeli voters that, more than ever, they feel threatened by numerous enemies.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 18, 2015

Palestinians want world pressure on Israel after Netanyahu win

Palestinian leaders on Wednesday called for international pressure on Israel and support for their unilateral moves toward statehood after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election win.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2015

Nintendo finally enters smartphone game sector, with DeNA as partner

In a major policy shift, Nintendo Co. said it has partnered with mobile video game operator DeNA Co. to enter the smartphone game market.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 16, 2015

Learn 'nantoka' any way you can

Today, we will introduce the adverb u4f55uff08u306au3093uff09u3068u304b (in any way) and some related expressions.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 14, 2015

Fukuoka awash with hina dolls and hidden temples

My daughter, having a little girl's predilection for princesses, turns out to be an excellent spotter of kids in kimono.
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Mar 14, 2015

Nation stiffens defenses to counter invasion

Doom was closing in. It was greeted with anxiety but without surprise. Its coming had been foreseen. Two centuries earlier — in the seventh year of the Eisho Era, 1052 by the Western calendar — humanity had entered the degenerate age of Mappo, the Latter Days of the Law. So taught the Buddhist sages....
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 14, 2015

Darvish joins growing list of Japanese pitchers with major injury woes

Yu, too?
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Mar 14, 2015

Turkish Airlines promotes name with pro game

Turkish Airlines and the bj-league were both seeking to strengthen their business brands when they announced a two-year tie-up last September.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 10, 2015

Tackle disaster risk through a coalition of the willing

While we cannot prevent another tsunami, we can build better safeguards that will offer greater protection for future generations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Mar 10, 2015

All Hale lunch at this Kyoto cafe

To get to Hale you'll have to wrestle your way past the armies of tourists and locals who converge on Nishiki Market — a long, narrow market that sells everything from adzuki beans to unagi (eel).

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.