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Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 26, 2014

EU puts annual cost to society of air pollution at $235 billion

Air pollution, chiefly from coal-fired power plants, cost society up to €189 billion ($235 billion) in 2012 — equal to the gross domestic product of Finland — the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in a report published on Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 24, 2014

Baffled by snap election, voters may stay home and erode the mandate Abe seeks

Voters, puzzled as to why Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is calling an election now and unimpressed by opposition alternatives, may shun the Dec. 14 election in record numbers.
EDITORIALS
Nov 24, 2014

Lowering the recidivism rate

The National Police Agency's 2014 white paper shows that the recidivism rate has been on a steady rise since 1997.
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Nov 23, 2014

Kepco weighs new lease of life for geriatric reactors

In a decision that will set a precedent for Japan's rapidly aging nuclear reactors, Kansai Electric Power Co. must soon choose whether to restart reactors 1 and 2 at its Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture and operate them beyond the 40-year threshold, the first time a Japanese utility has faced such...
WORLD
Nov 19, 2014

Nevada has highest proportion of illegal immigrants in U.S.

Nevada has the highest proportion of illegal immigrants of any U.S. state, at 7.6 percent of its population, and the number of illegal immigrants nationwide is leveling off at about 11.2 million, according to a study released on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 18, 2014

Iran sending funds via China bank to elite Quds force, report says

There is no trace of Shenzhen Lanhao Days Electronic Technology Co. Ltd. at its listed address in the beige and pink-tiled "Fragrant Villa" apartment complex in this southern Chinese city. The building's managers say they've never heard of it.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2014

For China, pollution and climate change are not the same problem

Pollution is literally killing the inhabitants of China's most polluted cities.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2014

Awaiting Abe's political gambit

If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is going to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election, he will have to clearly lay out his agenda for voters and await their verdict.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 6, 2014

In possible breakthrough, Abe and Xi likely to hold brief talks at APEC

Tokyo and Beijing are reportedly preparing for a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, but a real thaw remains unlikely.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 4, 2014

Japan wakes up to reality of dementia, seeks unique solutions

Asayo Sakai banged on the front door, demanding to be let out. She was at her daughter's apartment, where Asayo has lived for the past six years. She has no memory of how she got there or what she's doing there.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Nov 3, 2014

Malala, Satyarthi win Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded Oct. 10 to 17-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban, and to India's Kailash Satyarthi for their efforts in championing children's rights.
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2014

Spirit of giving to hometowns

The Abe administration plans to expand the system in which taxpayers contribute money to local governments of their choice — ideally their own hometowns — in return for tax reductions in the places where they currently live.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 14, 2014

Wall St. drops in late selloff; energy, airlines fall

U.S. stocks dropped more than 1 percent on Monday, with the S&P 500 closing below a key technical support level, as declines in energy and airline shares led a late-day selloff.
EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014

Nursing care worker shortage

Japan's population is graying rapidly even as a large number of nursing care workers quit their jobs every year, leaving nursing care facilities in dire need of staffing.
EDITORIALS
Sep 28, 2014

Lower House electoral reform

A panel of experts has begun discussions on addressing Lower House electoral reforms, particularly the vote-value disparity between rural and urban districts, after talks among the ruling and opposition parties failed.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 12, 2014

Ebola highlights slow progress in war on tropical diseases

Some of the world's most gruesome diseases are finally getting a bit of attention.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Sep 8, 2014

Weather systems stalling more often

Summer heat waves and downpours have become more frequent in the northern hemisphere this century, apparently because in a warming world extreme weather can get trapped in the one place, a study showed Aug. 11.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 5, 2014

Uniqlo's tennis bet pays off as endorsers square off at U.S. Open

Fast Retailing Co. is ready for war. The clothing maker's battle begins Saturday, when world No. 1 Novak Djokovic takes on 10th-seed Kei Nishikori in the U.S. Open semifinal.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Aug 29, 2014

Evessa greats commemorate team's 10th anniversary

As the Osaka Evessa make preparations for their 10th season, they've started commemorating the franchise's rich history. They were, after all, the first champion in league history, winning the 2005-06 title.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 21, 2014

Pachinko parlors bet on tidiness to reverse decline

The once-booming pachinko industry, grappling with a graying customer base and the threat of new competition from casinos, is adopting a softer touch and smoke-free zones to lure a new generation of players, particularly women.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 21, 2014

In case of slain journalist Foley, negotiations, silence — then a chilling warning

After months of silence from the captors of American journalist James Foley, his family received a chilling message on the night of Aug. 13: Foley would be executed in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on the militant group Islamic State.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 19, 2014

Chinese military's ability to wage war eroded by graft, its generals warn

As tensions spike between China and other countries in Asia's disputed waters, serving and retired Chinese military officers as well as state media are questioning whether China's armed forces are too corrupt to fight and win a war.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake