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Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 2, 2016

Stalking the elusive subtleties of Japan's political humor

Certain Japanese publications are rife with political word play, and deciphering these puns and riddles can be a fun challenge for language learners.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 30, 2016

Idols put Band-Aids on fragile male egos

Two cities in Tottori Prefecture have set up a facility called the Tottori Deai Support Center, which is a kind of matchmaking service for young residents. In December it published a pamphlet to help people looking for mates better understand what the opposite sex wanted.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Apr 23, 2016

Ebb tide for press freedoms in Shinzo Abe's Japan

A perfect storm is descending on freedom of the press in Japan: The country just sank to No. 72 in the global press freedom ranking issued Wednesday by Reporters Without Borders, down from No. 11 in 2010. And David Kaye, the U.N. special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom...
EDITORIALS
Apr 21, 2016

Time for Amari to talk

Former economy minister Akira Amari should follow through on his pledge to account for the millions of yen that he and his aides received from a construction company.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2016

Hokkaido, Kyoto by-elections a test for both DP and LDP

Two by-elections later this month in Hokkaido and Kyoto will pose the first political tests for the newly formed Democratic Party as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2016

Yamao apologizes over ¥4.29 million fuel claim in 2012

The new Democratic Party's inaugural policy chief has been forced to apologize after it emerged that her office had claimed up to ¥4.29 million in fuel expenses in a single year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Apr 2, 2016

The drug problem that keeps getting older

Former pro baseball player Kazuhiro Kiyohara was released from police custody on ¥5 million bail last month following his arrest and subsequent indictment for alleged possession and use of stimulant drugs.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Mar 30, 2016

Narcotics flooding into Japan

Japan is becoming a paradise for drug dealers.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Mar 27, 2016

Bearded train driver, out-of-pocket teacher and CV faker: How would they fare in court?

A look at three shiny new news items from the gossip columns that take on a different sheen when examined under the piercing light of labor law.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 26, 2016

Pundit didn't need an actual Harvard degree to get top marks in gaming the system

On Feb. 29 a group of veteran journalists held a press conference to protest communications minister Sanae Takaichi's comment that the government could shut down broadcasters if their news programming was deemed to be politically biased. Former Mainichi Shimbun reporter Shuntaro Torigoe said that Takaichi's...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 24, 2016

Author and disabilities champion Hirotada Ototake admits to adulterous affairs

In a blow that could further humiliate the scandal-tainted ruling party, disabled celebrity author and educator Hirotada Ototake, rumored to be tapped for an election run with the Liberal Democratic Party, apologized Thursday for committing adultery following a report by a tabloid magazine.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 19, 2016

'Drop dead, Japan!' moms try to stay on message

Shiori Yamao is a University of Tokyo graduate, former public prosecutor, current Lower House lawmaker and mother. As a force for the opposition, she has been causing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considerable grief over the past few months.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 20, 2016

Peeling back the layers of money politics

Last week the Asahi Shimbun reported on the relationship between Japan's larger corporations and the Liberal Democratic Party. Since regaining power in 2012, the LDP announced it would cut corporate taxes at rates that are twice those proposed by the previous Democratic Party of Japan government, and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 17, 2016

Breaking into and out of Japanese show biz

Eiji Uchida's scabrous new comedy about the struggles of a down-and-out indie film director, "Lowlife Love" ("Gesu no Ai"), confirms what I have known for years: Japanese show business can be brutal to the weak or clueless. They end up used and discarded, like so many human Kleenexes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 12, 2016

Paternity leave trailblazer Miyazaki quits over affair

LDP lawmaker and paternity leave pioneer Kensuke Miyazaki quits his seat after admitting to an extramarital affair.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 8, 2016

Disgraced Kiyohara's situation similar to that of former pitcher Enatsu

Last week, a bat used by Kazuhiro Kiyohara during his high school days was removed from an exhibition celebrating the long and rich history of high school baseball at Koshien Stadium.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 30, 2016

Is society on the cusp of massive change?

Philosopher Tatsuru Uchida, interviewed earlier this month by the Asahi Shimbun, merely confirms what we all know, or sense, when he says: "This is an age of transition. We're going through the confusion characteristic of bedrock change."
EDITORIALS
Jan 29, 2016

Amari still has much to answer for

Even though he has stepped down as economic and fiscal policy minister, Akira Amari still owes an explanation of his acts to a public weary of the repeated money scandals involving key members of the Abe administration.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 27, 2016

Abe weathers minister graft claim as Amari readies defense

Support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has so far withstood graft allegations against the chief engineer of his Abenomics policies. His ability to ride out the storm before summer elections may hinge on how convincing an explanation Economy Minister Akira Amari offers this week.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 27, 2016

Abe stands by Amari but expects embattled minister to explain cash for favors allegation

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stands by embattled economy minister Akira Amari, but says Amari has a duty to account for allegations of graft.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 26, 2016

DPJ chief blasts Abe over Amari's money scandal

With allegations of corruption against economic minister Akira Amari showing no signs of abating, opposition leader Katsuya Okada accuses Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of sharing 'grave responsibility' over the scandal.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 20, 2016

Japan's economic minister hit with bribery allegations, vows response

Akira Amari swears to answer accusations of a money scandal leveled against him by a weekly tabloid after conducting an investigation.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?