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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2022

Are Putin and Xi in decline? Populism and autocracy still have deep resources.

Liberal democracy is still imperiled, despite all the recent cheerfulness from enemies of authoritarianism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 21, 2022

The hard-won benefits of Indonesia's soft diplomacy

The rest of the world would benefit by learning a lesson or two from Indonesian President Joko Widodo's success at the recent G20 summit in Bali.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2022

We have to talk about Adolf Hitler

“Hitler Kitsch,” “Nazi Porn” and Godwin's Law have given us the frightening ignorance of people like Kanye West.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2022

U.N. says new biodiversity credits can succeed where carbon offsets failed

Studies on biodiversity offsetting programs in Canada, Australia and at a global level have found very few achieve their targets and most are unsuccessful.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 5, 2022

World’s biggest political party revs up unstoppable campaign machine for Narendra Modi

A local election has highlighted how India's BJP has morphed from a fringe group into the world's largest party with more than 180 million members.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 28, 2022

Maskless World Cup fans pose dilemma for Chinese broadcasters

State broadcaster China Central Television appears to be pulling back on footage of stadium crowds compared with other international networks.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 27, 2022

The secret ingredient of America's trendiest bars: Japan

There may be no definition better than Japan's indelible cocktail culture other than this: You know it when you see it — and taste it.
Japan Times
ESG CONSORTIUM
Nov 24, 2022

Tender wagyu, other delicacies hail from clean lands of Tottori

Among many delicacies in Japan, Tottori Wagyu beef and its history is worth learning to make one’s gastronomic life rich. Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai and Shinsuke Nakajima, Executive Managing Director and Executive Chef of New Otani Co., Ltd. talked about the charms of the wagyu as well as other produce...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 19, 2022

Marie Kondo takes on a new role as life coach

There's a big difference between the way most of us wish we lived and how we actually do. The tidying guru is back with a new book to help fix that.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2022

Unsung stories of loyalty come to light in 'Bridge to the Sun'

Bruce Henderson's new book examines the long overlooked efforts of Japanese Americans who used their knowledge of the Japanese language, psychology and culture to help win the Pacific War.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 27, 2022

‘Whisper of the Heart’: First love story is sweet but shallow

Yuichiro Hirakawa's live-action adaptation of a manga by Aoi Hiiragi predictably pulls at heartstrings, but doesn't measure up to the classic anime version released in 1995.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 25, 2022

How the ‘Black Death’ left its genetic mark on future generations

Scientists have discovered several genetic variants that protect Europeans from the bubonic plague — but also increase the risk of immune disorders.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 24, 2022

China’s leader now wields formidable power. Who will say no to him?

Xi Jinping has created a new ruling elite packed with loyalist officials primed to elevate his agenda of bolstering national security and of turning China into a technological great power.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 23, 2022

Who gets the last word on Steve Jobs? He might.

Some historians are wondering if Steve Jobs' widow is trying to frame the legacy of her late husband, a complicated and transformational figure who was shadowed by his flaws.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 18, 2022

Life expectancies diverged in pandemic's second year, study says

Because governments have counted COVID-19 statistics in different ways, researchers have sought to give a clearer picture of the pandemic's true impact.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 17, 2022

Hunger and obesity are the same problem in the U.S.

When healthy foods are expensive and processed carbs are cheap, you end up with expanding waistlines and long lines at food banks.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 14, 2022

China’s censors allow environmental criticism to flourish online

Public appeals for action made on the social network Weibo reduced pollution violations at industrial plants by more than 60%, according to the study released this month.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2022

Ideal, disengaged or toxic: Explaining the good and bad days faced by workers

The most surprising finding was the extent to which the factors that determine good versus bad days were mostly beyond workers' control.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 6, 2022

Climate change made summer hotter and drier worldwide, study finds

Europe, China and North America were parched by extreme heat that would have been u2018virtually impossible' without the effects of global warming, scientists said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2022

Facebook, beware: The metaverse is flat

Most people are visiting virtual worlds through plain old screens, not VR headsets. Mark Zuckerberg needs to plan accordingly.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 28, 2022

Pipeline leaks add to methane concern after scientists find unexpectedly high emissions

Emitters have not kept good records, and those trying to improve them in the past decade have had a shock.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 16, 2022

Xi Jinping and China’s endgame for America

Xi Jinping speeches make clear that he is committed to spreading China's model of communism around the world.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2022

Behind the Japanese government’s purchase of the Senkaku Islands

Tokyo's attempts to not aggravate Beijing further over the Senkakus raises questions over how far it will go to defend its own territory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 13, 2022

William Klein, who photographed the energy of city life, dies at 96

William Klein, one of his generation's most celebrated photographers, navigated multiple disciplines, breaking rules and expectations along the way.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 10, 2022

‘An Illustrated Guide to Samurai History and Culture’ brings the warriors to life in color

Journalist and author Gavin Blair offers a nuanced view of samurai history and their influence on modern pop culture in his latest book.
WORLD
Sep 2, 2022

For China’s Xi and other strongmen, Gorbachev showed exactly what not to do

This lesson has been taken most to heart in China, where Xi Jinping is expected to be anointed to a third term as the country's top leader during a Communist Party congress this fall.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 31, 2022

Wooden homes could cut carbon emissions while preserving cropland, study shows

More than half of people worldwide currently live in cities and this proportion is set to rise markedly by 2050.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Aug 29, 2022

How faith and spirituality shape modern Japan

The religious movement behind the grudge held by the man charged with Abe's assassination has cast a fresh light on how religion is perceived and practiced in the nation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Aug 27, 2022

China’s bad debt funds are no white knights in property crisis

Aggressive lending to embattled developers has beset the $730 billion funds with heavy credit losses, forcing Beijing to weigh a preliminary plan to restructure the sector.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Aug 21, 2022

The 'mother' of the modern otaku charted her own bug-obsessed path

One of Japan's original eccentrics, the 'lady who loved insects' ignored the trends of her day and was content to be herself — a valuable lesson to the generations that followed.

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.