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Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2017

Okinawa moves to block U.S. base construction at Henoko

Three months after the Okinawa Defense Bureau started seawall construction off the coast of Nago in Okinawa's Henoko district, work to build a replacement facility for a U.S. military base in Ginowan is moving forward — and along with it, renewed legal and political resistance to the controversial...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 12, 2017

Trump reportedly may replace Yellen at Fed with economic council head Gary Cohn, ex-Goldman Sachs president

U.S. President Donald Trump is increasingly unlikely to nominate Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen for a second term next year, and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn is the leading candidate to succeed her, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing four people close to the process.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2017

Education ministry panel approves private-sector English testing for university entrance

In a move sure to shake up the nation's English examination system for college enrollment, an education ministry panel has approved a plan featuring a complete shift to proficiency testing by private firms.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Jul 11, 2017

Nash reflects on memorable time as Toyama coach

Bob Nash's passion for basketball is as visible as a Hawaiian rainbow on a clear day.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 11, 2017

Rock act Boris marks 25 years with an album inspired by fans

Halfway through my conversation with Atsuo, drummer and spokesman for drone metal trio Boris, I bring out an original CD copy of the group's 1996 release, "Absolutego."
WORLD
Jul 11, 2017

U.S. deploys advanced long-range anti-aircraft missiles in Baltics for first time for drills

The United States deployed a battery of Patriot long-range anti-aircraft missiles in Lithuania to be used in NATO wargames from Tuesday — the first time the advanced defense system has been brought to the Baltics where Russia has air superiority.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 10, 2017

Smart speakers powered by voice agents seen ushering in era of AI

Major tech firms have been keen to sell speakers equipped with voice-based artificial intelligence agents recently.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jul 9, 2017

Saitama woman turns maligned waste disposal firm into recycling powerhouse

As a child, Noriko Ishizaka was ashamed of her father's company — a waste disposal firm with towering smoke stacks overlooking a small town in Saitama Prefecture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jul 8, 2017

Leading cancer researcher Yusuke Nakamura pursues answers

Yusuke Nakamura could easily have had a long, successful career as a surgeon in Japan, but he isn't the kind of person who is satisfied with unanswered questions.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jul 8, 2017

Enterprising Aomori apple farmer pivots to boutique hard cider

On a steamy June afternoon, the apple trees in the Tsugaru region of Aomori Prefecture are laden with fruit. Now, the young apples are hard green spheres the size of golf balls, but come autumn they will be plump, sweet and ready for harvest.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2017

GPIF posts return of ¥7.9 trillion for fiscal 2016, marking best performance in two years

The world's biggest pension fund posted its best annual gain in two years, as Japanese and overseas stocks rose while government bonds slid.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 7, 2017

Cultural construction boom aims to offset Hong Kong's business-like image

The theater stage is bathed in a luscious lavender hue, a color that in Chinese tradition signifies nobility and mystery — and portends things to come. A young couple, pure of heart, fall in love only to see their romance thwarted by the machinations of a corrupt bureaucrat. They declare their devotion...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 7, 2017

GE and Canon risk fines as EU clamps down on merger violations

General Electric Co., Merck KGaA, Sigma-Aldrich Corp. and Canon Inc. are the latest companies to risk hefty penalties as the European Commission clamps down on violations of its merger approval procedures.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2017

Branson ready to resume powered flights of rocket plane, eyes 2018 trip to space

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is poised to resume powered test flights more than 30 months after the fatal breakup of its experimental rocket plane, with the billionaire entrepreneur aiming to make the first trip into space himself by the middle of next year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 6, 2017

Experts say key criteria aligning in Japan's long battle to escape deflation

Japan's economy is running the hottest relative to capacity since the global financial crisis. More than four years after the Bank of Japan launched its radical monetary easing, key conditions are aligning in its long battle to truly escape from deflation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jul 6, 2017

'Gloomy Japan' highlights a loss of hope

"In recent times, reflections on the future of Japanese society have not generally been couched in optimistic terms," says Yuji Genda, a professor of Labor Economics at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Social Science.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 6, 2017

Libya's eastern commander declares victory in battle against Islamists for Benghazi

Libya's eastern commander, Khalifa Hifter, said on Wednesday his forces had taken full control of Libya's second city Benghazi from rival armed groups after a three-year campaign.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 5, 2017

U.S. senators visit Afghanistan, demand coherent strategy against Taliban from Trump

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visiting Afghanistan on Tuesday called for a new strategy from the Trump administration to turn the tide against an increasingly strong Taliban insurgency and end the longest war in U.S. history.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2017

Once a bankrupt fishmonger, Hirotake Yano is now a ¥100 shop billionaire

Selling everyday items to bargain hunters has made the founder of Japan's biggest discount store a billionaire.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 3, 2017

New service connects Japanese travelers to compatriots living abroad

A website created by a Nagoya-based venture firm offering help from Japanese living overseas is gaining popularity with travelers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 2, 2017

'No foreign tenants' — and not much you can do about it

Landlords in Japan are within their rights to refuse to rent to foreign residents, but some services are stepping in to bridge the gap.
EDITORIALS
Jul 2, 2017

Woman's retrial points anew to judicial problems

Once again a conviction comes into doubt because of a lack of hard evidence and questionable confessions and testimony.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 2, 2017

Survey: What's been your experience of trying to rent an apartment in Japan?

We asked foreign residents to tell us about the hurdles they faced when trying to rent an apartment in Japan. The following is a selection of their responses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jul 1, 2017

Are crime syndicates in Japan sitting on a gold mine?

The Japanese underworld loves gold — it has been the analog bitcoin of crime syndicates in recent years. The origins of gold are difficult to trace, and the material is easy to convert into cash and store. Crime syndicates are increasingly smuggling it, stealing it or robbing it from other smugglers...

Longform

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