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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 28, 2019

2020 Tokyo Olympics: Democracy in the spotlight

Democracies must accept they are in a contest of political ideas, especially in Asia.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 28, 2019

Amid crises, Xi Jinping seems set to uphold Communist Party rule at secretive China conclave

China's Communist Party leaders Monday kicked off their most important meeting this year, with President Xi Jinping expected to champion the Chinese model of governance while fighting protracted economic and political crises at home and abroad.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 28, 2019

What is China's Communist Party plenum?

The elite Central Committee of China's ruling Communist Party will hold a closed-door meeting from Monday to Thursday to set the major policies for the year ahead and beyond, and will probably discuss crises ranging from Hong Kong to the trade war with Washington.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Oct 28, 2019

Defying deadly crackdown, thousands of Iraqis keep protesting

Thousands of Iraqi protesters stood fast in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square on Sunday, defying a bloody crackdown that killed scores over the weekend and an overnight raid by security forces seeking to disperse them.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Oct 28, 2019

'Grass' or 'VIP'? How rural Vietnamese make treacherous journey to Europe

For Vietnamese seeking to embark on the treacherous journey to a new life in Europe, a key question can be: "Grass" or "VIP"?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 27, 2019

Rare views of Mount Fuji: Japan's last sentō artists

A dying craft, sentu014d (public bathhouse) painting now has just three artisans continuing the art form. Can interest in Japanese culture, sparked by the 2020 Olympics, help renew an appreciation for the stunning murals?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2019

Japanese government to discuss new flood prevention steps in wake of disasters

The infrastructure ministry will revise the government's basic policy on river maintenance as early as this fiscal year after discussions at the Council for Social Infrastructure, officials say.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 27, 2019

Ex-top North Korean nuclear negotiator warns U.S. not to ignore year-end deadline by 'exploiting' Kim-Trump ties

The former top North Korean nuclear negotiator Sunday delivered a scathing indictment of the United States' position in nuclear talks, blasting Washington's "delaying tactics" and warning of a failure to heed leader Kim Jong Un's deadline for a "bold decision" by the year's end.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 26, 2019

Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood won't close the chapter on books

Thousands of bibliophiles are expected to descend on Tokyo's Jinbocho neighborhood over the next week or so as the city celebrates the 60th anniversary of its largest secondhand book fair.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 26, 2019

Kyoto after dark: Sip like the locals at these five bars

Five of the best bars where you can cut loose in Kyoto.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 26, 2019

Thousands gather on Taipei streets in East Asia's largest Pride march

More than 100,000 people thronged the streets of Taiwan's capital Taipei on Saturday for East Asia's largest Pride march, months after the self-ruled island began formally allowing same-sex marriage, the first place in Asia to do so.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 26, 2019

K-pop star G-Dragon, leader of Big Bang, ends military service as fans mob base

Fans of the K-pop boy band Big Bang gathered on Saturday to see leader G-Dragon return to civilian life after his discharge from military service.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 26, 2019

SoftBank eyeing burgers and digital pharmacy for second Vision Fund

SoftBank Group Corp. is teeing up investments for the successor to its gargantuan Vision Fund. It's in talks to back a pharmaceutical delivery startup, a company focused on robotic burger-making and a maker of lab-grown meat, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 26, 2019

Australia increases visas for those willing to live outside major cities

The Australian government said on Saturday it is increasing the number of visas for skilled workers willing to migrate to the country's regions in a bid to ease pressure on major cities, where populations are growing twice as fast as elsewhere.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 25, 2019

Subprime auto giant's loans souring at fastest clip since 2008

A growing percentage of Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.'s subprime auto loans are turning out to be clunkers soon after the cars are driven off the lot.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 25, 2019

South Koreans shun Japan's products but not its 27% REIT investment returns

While some in South Korea have been boycotting Japan, they seem to draw a line at financial products that generate high returns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2019

Uber CEO Khosrowshahi vows to deliver a profit, with help from India

Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi is vowing to make his company profitable while pursuing growth from emerging arenas such as India, addressing investors' concerns about the ride-sharing company's mounting losses and global regulatory challenges.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Oct 25, 2019

Ep. 20 'The Third Flower'

This week's episode of "Terrace House" starts off on a sad note as Kaori gets ready to move out to pursue her career in London, leaving Haruka and Ruka as the last original members still living in the house. To mark Kaori's departure, Ruka does what he does best — invents a new dish and prays that...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 25, 2019

Australians grow angry as mighty Darling River runs dry

Reduced to a string of stagnant mustard-colored pools, fouled in places with pesticide runoff and stinking with the rotting carcasses of cattle and fish, the Darling River is running dry.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 25, 2019

EU awards jailed Uighur activist the Sakharov rights prize, angering China

The European Parliament awarded its annual Sakharov Prize for the defense of human rights on Thursday to jailed ethnic Uighur economics professor Ilham Tohti, angering Beijing, which called him a criminal and a terrorist.
Japan Times
Czech Republic report 2019
Oct 25, 2019

Contributing valuable research for Japan’s nuclear industry

With more than 60 years experience in material research and development Research Centre Řež (CVŘ) in the Czech Republic is one of the world’s top organizations aiming to provide scientific research and development services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2019

Gmail hooked us on free storage — and now Google is making us pay

Google lured billions of consumers to its digital services by offering copious free cloud storage. That is beginning to change.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 24, 2019

Wife of former South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk arrested in corruption scandal

South Korean authorities arrested the wife of a former justice minister on Thursday who was at the center of a graft scandal and was a close political confidant of President Moon Jae-in after a court upheld prosecutors' request for a warrant.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 24, 2019

Reducing herds of wild horses and burros likely to cost U.S. $5 billion over 15 years

Reducing the tens of thousands of wild horses and burros on public lands to a level that is better for both the animals and their habitat will cost U.S. taxpayers $5 billion and take 15 years, a Trump administration official said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2019

Diaper rush: Conquering a $9 billion incontinence market no one wants to talk about

The time may not be far off when more adults need diapers than babies as the population grows older, potentially a huge opportunity for manufacturers of incontinence products — if they can lift the stigma that has long constrained sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2019

Young entrepreneurs with a mission bank on 'Greta' effect

As the brains behind a hydroponics farming system in rural Kenya, 17-year-old Jefferson Kang'acha struggled to get noticed but he now expects the youth climate movement led by Greta Thunberg to bolster other young people on a mission.

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