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Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 9, 2017

NRA opposes outright U.S. legal ban on 'bump stocks' like those used by Las Vegas sniper

The powerful U.S. gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, said on Sunday it would oppose an outright ban on bump-stock devices that the killer in the Las Vegas massacre of 58 people used to turn rifles into automatic weapons and strafe a crowd with bursts of sustained gunfire.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 7, 2017

Is the response to scams criminally slow?

One of the more cynical dictums in Japanese goes "Shōjikimono ga baka o miru" ("Honesty doesn't pay"). In pre-modern times, neither did crime. The Osadamegaki Hyakkajo — the criminal code enforced by the Tokugawa rulers — prescribed an extensive list of severe punishments for those found guilty...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Oct 7, 2017

Hurricane Nate threatens New Orleans, Gulf Coast region after killing 25 in Central America

Hurricane Nate may strengthen on Saturday, threatening to hit the U.S. central Gulf Coast with strong winds and storm surges after it killed at least 25 people in Central America.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2017

Japan's smart speaker market heats up as Line faces off against Google and Amazon

The battle for smart-speaker supremacy in Japan has begun, with major firms announcing the launches Thursday of new products armed with high-tech voice-controlled features.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2017

In the shadow of Yuriko Koike's rise, some insiders see an isolated populist

Koike appears to have carved out a position as the most popular politician in Japan, but insiders see a starkly different image of the media-savvy leader.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 5, 2017

Carlos Ghosn's protege faces first crisis with 'shocking' Nissan Japan recall

Carlos Ghosn, one of the auto industry's most celebrated turnaround artists, saved Nissan Motor Co. by managing himself out of numerous tight spots. Now his hand-picked successor faces a big test of his own, just six-months into his tenure as Nissan's chief executive officer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 3, 2017

Koike denials of a Lower House run likely to take wind out of Kibo no To's election sails

Speculation that Koike may run for a Lower House seat fast loses steam as the governor dismisses the prospect she would make a bid to return to the Diet.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 3, 2017

White House again rules out talks as North Korea threatens Japan with 'nuclear clouds'

The White House on Monday poured more cold water on potential talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington was in direct contact with leader Kim Jong Un's regime.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2017

Power, water, food, phone services elude on eve of Trump visit to hurricane-thrashed Puerto Rico

President Donald Trump is set to make his first visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory, and is likely to face more criticism of his handling of the disaster as the vast majority of the island's inhabitants lack power and phone service and are scrambling...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Sep 30, 2017

Gangsters prefer to do things by the book

Japan's gangsters esteem tradition and prefer to do things by the book. As a result, they appear to love manuals — they have manuals for committing certain crimes as well as guides on how to avoid punishment for carrying out those crimes. Lately, however, gangsters don't appear to be paying as much...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 28, 2017

Democratic Party effectively disbands, throwing support behind Koike’s party for Lower House poll

The effective sudden death of the largest opposition force could turn the Oct. 22 election into a two-party race between conservative forces: Abe's LDP and Koike's Kibo no To.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 27, 2017

'Poolsideman': Bringing life to the mundane

In his three films to date, Hirobumi Watanabe has created a unique cinematic world. "And the Mud Ship Sails Away" (2013), "7 Days" (2015) and now "Poolsideman" (2016) were all shot in black-and-white in Watanabe's native Tochigi Prefecture, with music by younger brother Yuji and cinematography by Woohyun...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 27, 2017

Trump says military option against North Korea not preferred, but would be 'devastating'

President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday that any U.S. military option would be "devastating" for Pyongyang, but said the use of force was not Washington's first option to deal with the country's ballistic and nuclear weapons program.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2017

Abe trots out tax hike issue again before snap election to boost LDP chances

The controversy over increasing the consumption tax won't be unfamiliar to those who follow modern Japanese politics, as earlier proposals have proven unpopular with voters throughout the postwar years and have even doomed previous administrations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2017

Adjusted Premium Friday: Government eyes moving up campaign aimed at boosting fun and spending

Critics say effort to have workers go home early on the last Friday of each month clashes with busy period for many firms.
EDITORIALS
Sep 26, 2017

Abe's hardly convincing reason for snap election

His decision to call the snap poll seems driven by the political calculation that the LDP can maximize its seat gains — or minimize its possible losses — by catching the opposition off guard.
BUSINESS / Markets / CURRENCY MARKET
Sep 25, 2017

Dollar firmer above ¥112 ahead of Abe's anticipated call for general election

The dollar was modestly firmer above ¥112 in late Tokyo trading on Monday, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set to call a general election at an evening news conference.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2017

Mizuho is reportedly readying AI platform for trading before EU's MiFID overhaul

Mizuho Financial Group Inc. will start artificial-intelligence trading to bolster its Japanese equity business, according to people with knowledge of the plan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 23, 2017

Defying Trump, Iran says it will boost missile capabilities

Iran will strengthen its missile capabilities and not seek any country's permission, President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday, rejecting demands from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2017

Our dangerous, idiotic national conversation

Cheap speech is reducing the relevance of political parties and newspapers as intermediaries between candidates and voters, which empowers demagogues.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 22, 2017

Kim directly warns Trump as North Korean foreign minister says response may include Pacific H-bomb test

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls U.S. President Donald Trump “mentally deranged” and vows to make him “pay dearly” for threatening the total destruction of his country.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Sep 19, 2017

Honda, Higuchi make early statements in race for Olympics

The battle for the two women's spots on Japan's team for the Pyeongchang Olympics began in earnest over the weekend as Marin Honda and Wakaba Higuchi participated in Challenger Series events on opposite sides of the globe.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 19, 2017

Russian court snubs suit by kin seeking to learn fate of Swedish war hero Raoul Wallenberg

A Russian court on Monday rejected a request to release classified documents about Swedish World War II hero Raoul Wallenberg, whose fate remains a mystery seven decades after his reported death, Russian news agencies reported.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 18, 2017

Tillerson signals U.S. may stay in Paris climate pact 'under the right conditions'

The United States could remain in the Paris climate accord under the right conditions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday, signaling a shift in tone for the Trump administration, which angered allies with its decision to pull out of the agreement.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 18, 2017

Hamas agrees to dissolve its Gaza administration, push for Palestinian unity government

Hamas has agreed to dissolve the administration that runs Gaza, it said on Sunday, a major step toward handing control of the enclave to a Palestinian unity government after a decade of bitter rivalry with President Mahmoud Abbas.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 16, 2017

North Korea's Kim vows to seek 'equilibrium of force' with U.S. after missile launch over Japan

Kim Jong Un also wants to force Washington to “dare not talk about” military action over its nuclear and missile programs.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2017

North Korea responds to latest U.N. sanctions with second missile over Japan

Hit by fresh U.N. sanctions, North Korea responds by shooting a second ballistic missile over Hokkaido and into the Pacific Ocean.
EDITORIALS
Sep 15, 2017

End Russian election meddling

If Russia insists on taking active measures to subvert the political systems of other countries, it must face consequences.

Longform

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