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Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Apr 22, 2018

America's nuclear headache: old plutonium with nowhere to go

In a sprawling plant near Amarillo, Texas, rows of workers perform by hand one of the most dangerous jobs in American industry. Contract workers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pantex facility gingerly remove the plutonium cores from retired nuclear warheads.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 19, 2018

BTS is big, let's hope the hype helps other Asian acts

Earlier this month, an album sung mainly in Japanese landed on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart at No. 43. That's a rare accomplishment for any Japanese artist — and an even less frequent one for a non-Japanese outfit to pull off.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 19, 2018

Finance Ministry's top bureaucrat quits over sex harassment claims, dealing another blow to Abe government

In a fresh blow to the scandal-hit Abe administration, the Finance Ministry's top bureaucrat, Administrative Vice Minister Junichi Fukuda, was forced to step down Wednesday after a weekly magazine publicized last week a voice recording of what it claimed was him sexually harassing a female journalist....
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2018

Finance Ministry's top official Junichi Fukuda to sue Japanese weekly over report accusing him of sexually harassing journalists

The ministry says it will ask an independent lawyer to continue investigating the bureaucrat's denials and the allegations made by Shukan Shincho magazine.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Apr 16, 2018

In Shohei Ohtani, Japan finally has its world-beater

It must take a considerable amount of willpower for Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama not to respond to questions about his former player Shohei Ohtani with a simple, "I told you so." Although the sly smile he lets slip on occasion more or less does the job.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 16, 2018

New manager for the Japan World Cup soccer team is the 'best choice'

Former Japan national team manager Takeshi Okada voices his approval of newly appointed Akira Nishino.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 16, 2018

Nagoya's Shachihoko Boys look to make global splash

Men wearing gold, full-body suits and costume hats, themed as taiyaki (a waffle-like cake shaped like a fish, typically filled with red bean paste), have started to appear in central Nagoya, attracting the attention of pedestrians. The men call themselves the Shachihoko Boys — a reference to a golden...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Apr 15, 2018

Advice on HIV tests, Japanese pensions, rugby and reuniting with kids

Lifelines works through a selection of topics that have come our way recently.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Apr 15, 2018

Doubts cloud Minamisoma robotics project as Fukushima attempts to revive tsunami-hit city

A coastal area in Fukushima Prefecture's Minamisoma, which seven years ago was overtaken by tsunami debris, is set to be resurrected as a major robotics research site.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Apr 15, 2018

As HMI expands, sights set on drawing Indian visitors

When 24 million people visited Japan in 2016, it marked the first time the number surpassed 20 million, a figure that the government had hoped to meet by 2020.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 14, 2018

Japan struggles to fashion casino guidelines that satisfy the public

On April 3, the ruling coalition adopted a plan for integrated resorts featuring casino gambling that it will submit for Diet approval during the current session, although some media organizations think that won't happen. The public still isn't comfortable with the idea of casinos and the coalition's...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 14, 2018

Handbag hashtag turns tables on misogynist social media conversation

When does posting a photo on social media of something you use on a daily basis represent more than simply sharing a slice of your life with your followers?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2018

Japan calls for 'emergency measure' blocking access to websites that pirate manga and anime

A government report calls for taking an “emergency measure” to block access to websites that pirate anime and manga, including Mangamura, Anitube and Miomio.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Apr 13, 2018

Okinawa angling to become cruise liner hub, not just waypoint

Okinawa has unveiled a road map to develop the southern island prefecture into a major hub for international cruise ships in East Asia.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 12, 2018

Is the U.S. getting Sputnik Syndrome all over again?

In the 1950s, Americans were afraid of the Soviet Union overtaking their economy. Now it's China's turn.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 12, 2018

Hiroshima hibakusha turns to tanka for anti-nuclear message

For Sachiko Tanaka, her battered Japanese dictionary, the Kojirin, is not just any other lexicon.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2018

Don't be shocked at spies tracking your cellphone

The 'stingray' discovery in Washington is a reminder of how much data we're giving away
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Apr 9, 2018

Fighters hit machine Kensuke Kondo has fans wondering if batting .400 is possible

There are some who think Kensuke Kondo could've hit .400 last season.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2018

Why Pyongyang wants a deal with Washington

Can Vietnam serve as an inspiring example for Kim Jong Un, or is it Belarus?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 9, 2018

Host cities prepare for 2019 Rugby World Cup with ball-shaped lanterns and manjū cakes

Cities and prefectures hosting games in the 2019 Rugby World Cup (RWC) to be held in Japan in fall 2019 are gearing up to promote the sports spectacle as the application deadline for priority ticket sales for their residents draws near.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 9, 2018

New signs installed in Nara on how to feed deer

Signs recently rolled out in Nara feature instructions in English, Chinese and Japanese on how to feed the deer without getting bitten.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 7, 2018

Life for rent: Exploring the mysterious world of human rental services in Japan

Hideki Nakahara, 66, is a retired Japan Airlines employee with years of experience in human resources.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2018

Japan faces losses on grain, production fronts if U.S.-China trade war erupts

Firms in Japan could be affected by the escalating trade row if they source production in China, export grain from U.S. subsidiaries, or if U.S.-bound shipments from China fall.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2018

Disclosure that GSDF hid discovery of Iraq logs reignites doubts over civilian control of Japan's armed forces

The ministry acknowledged the activity logs, from an Iraq mission, had been kept hidden from top officials for more than a year ,despite an earlier claim that they didn't exist.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2018

Akita banks on namesake dog to fetch overseas tourists

After winning gold in women's ice skating at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February, 15-year old Alina Zagitova has her eyes set on another prize — a Japanese puppy named after Akita, the prefecture from which it originates.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 4, 2018

All bets off on the Korea summit outcome

The pieces of the jigsaw are falling into place on the Korean Peninsula. But the overall picture — a denuclearized North Korea, a nuclear-weapon-free zone for all of Northeast Asia and a U.S. withdrawal from East Asia — remains fuzzy.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 3, 2018

Still 'Mr. 97 Percent,' Egypt's el-Sissi defeats token opponent

Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi cruised to a second term as Egyptian president, scooping up more than 97 percent of valid votes in an election where the only other candidate was a little-known supporter.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 2, 2018

Hakuto's lunar probe explores Tottori sand dunes

The Japanese team Hakuto participated in the first private international lunar exploration competition and on March 26 carried out a test run of the unmanned probe, Sorato, in the Tottori sand dunes. This was the final model's first outdoor test.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2018

Sports agency's recommendation of downtime for student athletes draws mixed response

The Japan Sports Agency has introduced a policy of granting at least two days of rest per week for sports teams at public and private junior high schools, in hopes of reducing the risk of injury for students by shortening their practice hours.

Longform

Wealthier women in the prewar era had been the targets of various media-related health campaigns that mistakenly encouraged them to avoid everything from riding bicycles to reading novels when their monthly cycles came around.
Menstruation in Japan: Breaking the silence, slowly