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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 29, 2017

'Author: The JT Leroy Story': Was there truth behind the fiction?

Call it a massive literary hoax or twisted identity theft. Or just call it art. Either way, "Author: The JT LeRoy Story" will fascinate and at the same time cause much frustrated head-scratching.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Feb 23, 2017

In case you missed them: a year of responses to Community stories, part 1

The first in a series of selections of unpublished letters about Community stories from the year just passed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 7, 2017

Trump ramps up efforts to reassure Japan with phone call from new top U.S. diplomat

In the lead-up to U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's summit this week, Washington is upping its efforts to reassure Tokyo of its security commitment to Japan.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 4, 2017

Trump card: Japan casts a wary eye on future with new U.S. president

"Japan has a snake in her bosom. That snake is namely flatterers. What led Japan to defeat is neither army nor government, but the snake in Japan's bosom, the flatterers."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 14, 2017

Media sidesteps calling Japan Tobacco out on advertising conflicts

When I want a coffee I seek out Starbucks, not because I think it has the best product, but because it's the only coffee shop I know of that's 100 percent nonsmoking. Almost all others in Japan have separate smoking and nonsmoking sections, which are useless in terms of keeping smoke away from people...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 30, 2016

British envoy, Japan Times turn tide in NHK history drama

Japanese love watching historical dramas, and one of the most popular times portrayed is the final years of the Edo Period (1603-1868), when the nation went through dramatic change politically, diplomatically and socially with the fall of the shogunate.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2016

Thailand in 2016: The end of the Bhumibol era

Concerns over the future are running high in Thailand amid the change in monarchs.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Dec 4, 2016

Japan's Board of Audit: unlikely guardians of the Constitution?

On Nov. 7, an annual ritual of government occurred: The Board of Audit delivered its report on the results of its audit of government accounts for the previous fiscal year (April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016) to the Cabinet. The 1,123-page paper brick handed over to His Abe-ness identified billions of...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2016

Enhancing the youth readership experience

To gather voices from young readers, The Japan Times asked a group of students at International School of Asia, Karuizawa, what they thought of The Japan Times. The following opinions were expressed during a feedback session with the students at their school.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 12, 2016

Poverty coverage reinforces prejudice

In the middle of August, NHK ran a feature on its evening news show about a high school girl as part of its coverage of child poverty. The girl's name and face were revealed in the report, which described how her educational future was at risk because of her financial situation. In one scene, she was...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2016

Girl group's Nazi-like costume draws online backlash

The idol group Keyakizaka46, a branch of Japan's top-selling girl band AKB48, has sparked outrage on social media over their Halloween costume, which resembled the uniform worn by Nazi SS officers before and during World War II.
COMMENTARY / World / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Oct 21, 2016

Anthem refuseniks, and ancient legends

Japan knows all about people taking a public stand by refusing to rise for the national anthem.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 10, 2016

Pricing system offers scant protection as Amazon Japan hacks away at bookstores' benefits

Japan's saihan seido system may not be enough to save the country's remaining bookstores, whose advantages Amazon.jp has systematically worked to nullify over the years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 23, 2016

A dark age dawns for politics in Japan

"Historic," that much-overused word, seems almost acceptable as a description of the Upper House elections earlier this month that gave Japan — for the first time in its postwar history — a government strong enough to get serious about rewriting the Constitution.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 11, 2016

U.S. Navy signals intelligence officer charged with spying, possibly for China, Taiwan

A U.S. Navy officer with access to sensitive U.S. intelligence faces espionage charges over accusations he passed state secrets, possibly to China and Taiwan, a U.S. official said on Sunday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 19, 2016

Japan's tabloids book front-row seats at the Trump circus

Donald Trump. And now that we've got your attention ...
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 18, 2016

Suspicions Abe will again delay tax hike bolstered by pro-government daily

Speculation that the delayed second stage of the consumption tax hike will be postponed yet again was reinforced Friday after a pro-government daily reported that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering the option.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jan 29, 2016

American legal principles and the Magna Carta

Henry Mittwer was a man of Japanese and American descent who stood up to the U.S. internment during World War II but in the end bore no rancor for that nation.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 28, 2016

Embattled economy minister Amari resigns over graft claims

Embattled economic minister Akira Amari on Thursday resigned over a graft scandal involving the misappropriation of funds within his office.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 23, 2016

Hiroko Kuniya's ouster deals another blow to quality journalism in Japan

Hiroko Kuniya, the widely respected anchor for NHK's stellar "Close-up Gendai" news analysis program, has been ousted from her position after 23 years with the show. She now joins a growing list of prominent news presenters and commentators who have discovered the apparent perils of not kowtowing to...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2016

Amari vows to answer claims over ¥12 million in undeclared funds

Scandal-hit economic minister Akira Amari vows to answer allegations that he and two secretaries received large undeclared donations and hospitality.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 14, 2015

Let's discuss this year's buzzwords in Japan

This year's most memorable buzzwords in Japan were recently announced, with the words 'bakugai' and 'toripuru surii' jointly taking home the top honors.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 3, 2015

Beijing found to be covertly operating global public radio network

In August, foreign ministers from 10 nations blasted China for building artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. As media around the world covered the diplomatic clash, a radio station that serves the most powerful city in America had a distinctive take on the news.
WORLD
Jul 28, 2015

NATO backs Turkey's fight against Islamic State

NATO offered political support for Turkey's campaign against militants in Syria and Iraq at an emergency meeting Tuesday, and President Tayyip Erdogan signaled the alliance may have a "duty" to become more involved.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 22, 2015

Three reasons why Merkel acts so stubborn

There are three possible explanations why German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems so relentlessly uncompromising in the standoff between Greece and its euro creditors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 16, 2015

Press freedoms threatened

A former British ambassador to Japan hopes that Japanese as well as British cartoonists continue to expose the pomposity, hypocrisy and inadequacies of their politicians, warning that press freedom can never be taken for granted.
EDITORIALS
Dec 24, 2014

Standing up to threats

A Sapporo university's decision to retain an instructor in the face of rightist threats is a victory for freedom of expression and other fundamental democratic rights.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 17, 2014

Obuchi is grilled over political funds abuse

Trade minister Yuko Obuchi is grilled by the opposition over an allegation that her political and support groups abused campaign funds by treating constituents to theater outings.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 22, 2014

Polarizing Abe learns the long game

Shinzo Abe is one of Japan's most polarizing prime ministers in decades. He may also have a good shot at becoming that rarity in Japanese politics — a long-serving leader.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go