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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 21, 2016

Trump gives Clinton her much-needed cause

The political context around Hillary Clinton has changed. Donald Trump has transformed her from a transactional candidate to a conviction candidate.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 13, 2016

In Britain, anti-Semitic sentiment endures

Anti-Semitism is staining Britain's Labour Party.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 10, 2016

Kowtowing L'Oreal shows lure of Chinese market

Sacrificing values is the price multinationals pay to access China's growing market of middle-class consumers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 7, 2016

Britain, too, is infected with political silliness

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is a reactionary masquerading as a revolutionary.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 6, 2016

Don't fear democracy, Taiwan tells China on Tiananmen anniversary

On the anniversary of China's bloody crackdown on student-led protests in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Taiwan's new president told China on Saturday that democracy is nothing to fear.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2016

The British people will choose their destiny

The 'Brexit' referendum presents an explicit opportunity to reject a rising and unaccountable administrative state.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2016

EU deal on removing online hate speech also draws fears of more government restrictions

An agreement on Tuesday by four major U.S. internet companies to block illegal hate speech from their European services shows the pressure the companies face to monitor and control content.
EDITORIALS
May 31, 2016

Obama's other important Asia stop

A strong economy will prove every bit as important as defense equipment as Vietnam contemplates its security needs.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
May 28, 2016

Experts decry bringing pro boxers to Rio

Whether or not the International Boxing Association (AIBA) allows professional boxers to compete at the Olympics for the first time at the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Games, the idea has sparked widespread criticism.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 23, 2016

G-7 finance meeting reveals sharper gap on currency tactics

Two days of talks last week between finance chiefs from the world's biggest advanced economies at a hot springs resort in Sendai were marked by some of the sharpest dissonance in years between the U.S. and Japan over exchange-rate policies.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2016

'Beyond The Reach': Desert thriller runs dry on substance

I couldn't stop thinking about sunscreen during the first two minutes of "Beyond the Reach." After 15 minutes I was trying to conjure up images of polar ice caps and northern lights. This is what happens when fragile people like me are overexposed to UV rays, even when they are cinematic. The sight...
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2016

The U.S. Federal Reserve's risky new mandate

The U.S. Federal Reserve has all but explicitly recognized a new role: promoting global financial stability inches closer to achieving its targets for the domestic economy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
May 8, 2016

Japan's pop culture movers turn out for Niconico party

You'd think nothing would be a surprise during a kabuki show starring a famous actor and a holographic pop star, but you'd be mistaken.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 27, 2016

China says Australia sub deal strengthens U.S., warns Canberra to keep out of regional disputes

Chinese state-run media said Wednesday that Australia's choice of France to build its next-generation fleet of submarines avoided a "worst-case scenario" by not choosing Japan but issued a warning to U.S. ally Canberra not to upset the shifting security balance in the region.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 16, 2016

Donald Richie: The legacy of an entrenched view

The late Donald Richie lived at apartment number 804 in a block directly facing Shinobazu Pond in Tokyo's Ueno Park. The writer would lead visitors through his home's dimly lit entrance area — crammed with bookshelves — and his minuscule living room to the balcony, beneath which a vast lotus pond...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 13, 2016

Japan's Taiwanese residents thrive in a state of 'hidden inbetweenness'

Ethnic minority exists under the radar yet civic groups have top-level political pull in both Japan and Taiwan.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 31, 2016

North Korea in 'top-speed dash' for May congress, Kim's nuclear policy

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is poised to declare his signature ruling policy during a rare party congress in May and, despite tough new U.N. sanctions, it is likely to be the twin pursuit of nuclear prowess and economic development.
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...
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2016

Flaws found in scientific case for moderate drinking

It is an irresistible headline: People who drink alcohol in moderation actually live longer than those who abstain entirely. Counterintuitive studies that show the purported benefits of a drink or two a day prompt flurries of bright news reports. You can hear the glasses clinking.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 23, 2016

'Banksy Does New York' and throws shade on the art world in the process

Who is Banksy? The U.K.'s best-known-yet-unknown street artist/conceptual prankster was in the news again this month after researchers at Queen Mary University of London analyzed maps of Banksy's wall works in London and Bristol to pinpoint a possible suspect. Excited headlines shouted as though Batman's...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 15, 2016

Trump's Japan-bashing shows why he's unfit to lead America

The presidential candidate's fiery rhetoric risks relations with allies and Washington's two biggest bankers.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 6, 2016

A future of happiness, tolerance and youth

The UAE has learned that failure to respond effectively to the aspirations of young people, who represent more than half of the population in Arab countries, is like swimming against the tide.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Feb 29, 2016

Chris Rock pulls no punches as host of one of the most socially conscious Academy Awards shows

Comedian Chris Rock launched his return stint as Oscar host on Sunday by immediately and unabashedly confronting the racially charged elephant in the room — the furor over the all-white field of performers nominated for Hollywood's highest honors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 23, 2016

Donald Trump relishes wrecking Republicans

It's time to change the topic to Donald Trump's tax records.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 23, 2016

Tokyo sightseeing boats offer unique views, but missing foreign tourist tide

A trip to Tokyo does not necessarily mean elbowing your way through crowds. You can get fine views of the capital from a boat on the bay.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 12, 2016

China pushes back on THAAD

China is critical of moves to deploy a missile defense system in South Korea in the wake of North Korea's rocket launch, but fails to offer much in the way of constructive suggestions on how the South can ensure its own security otherwise.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?