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Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2016

Japan's rural temples see the light in luxury tourism

Deep in a forest in Fukui Prefecture, a 13th century Buddhist temple where Steve Jobs once dreamed of becoming a Zen monk has teamed up with a Tokyo skyscraper builder to seek the commercial enlightenment of foreign tourist dollars.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 4, 2016

From Airbnb to LGBT, 'hit products' capture the zeitgeist of 2015

A look at the products, services and other economic activities that stood out during the previous 12 months, according to the Nikkei Marketing Journal.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / OLD NIC'S NOTEBOOK
Jan 2, 2016

Teens find spicy 'udders' keep boars at bay

A couple of weeks ago, I came home in the evening and found a wild boar on the porch. It had been bled and gutted, but otherwise it was still whole and hairy. I was very busy as I had to head off to Tokyo the next morning, but that present from some kindly local hunter in the Nagano Prefecture hills...
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Jan 2, 2016

Premier League lacking top players

There is no pleasing some people. When Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United were dominating the Premier League, English football was called predictable.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 31, 2015

Enjoying a blend of luxury and culture; no loafing at create-a-sandwich buffet; eating local produce from Kanagawa

Enjoying a blend of luxury and culture
MORE SPORTS
Dec 31, 2015

Supporters share 'ekiden' drama with athletes

As Daichi Kamino crossed the finish line at the end of the first day of last year's Tokyo-Hakone collegiate ekiden (relay marathon) championship, he ran straight into the arms of his ecstatic teammates.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Dec 31, 2015

The issues that grabbed you or got your goat in the Year of the Sheep

Readers praise and pan Community articles from the past 12 months.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 30, 2015

Posh New York City hotels pledge to go green, hope to inspire others around world

Some of New York's most iconic hotels, comprising more than 11,000 guest rooms, promised to cut their carbon footprints on Tuesday and join a city effort to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 30, 2015

Missouri flood death toll hits 13 as storms ravage U.S. midsection; quakes knock out power

Missouri residents struggled through a fourth straight day of storms on Tuesday, fighting rising floodwaters that inundated homes, forced evacuations and closed highways and even part of the Mississippi River.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 28, 2015

Christmas storms and twisters kill at least 43 in U.S.; more in store

Storms hit the U.S. South, Southwest and Midwest over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, flattened buildings and snarled transportation for millions during a busy travel time.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 28, 2015

Trump chides Rubio-endorsing Republican panel chief's Benghazi probe debacle

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump assailed a leading committee chairman in Congress on Sunday for backing Marco Rubio, Trump's rival for the party's nomination.
EDITORIALS
Dec 27, 2015

2015, Syria and the butterfly effect

The Syrian civil war had an outsized place on the international stage in 2015, and no doubt this will continue well into next year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Dec 26, 2015

Catching the last of the season’s leaves at Shiba Daimon

When I exit the Oedo Subway Line's Daimon Station, I find myself inside an ebullient throng of Chinese tourists headed in the direction of the prominent Jodo-shu (Pure Land Sect) Buddhist Zojoji Temple. The temple's oldest structure, the elegant 1622 red-lacquered Sangedatsumon gate, is a National Important...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 24, 2015

Relaxing with a cup of afternoon tea; ring in 2016 with music, Champagne; experience tradition with temple tour

Relaxing with a cup of afternoon tea
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 21, 2015

For Nikkei, Christmas is a time for family — and rūtsu sagashi

It's not unusual for people of Japanese descent living overseas to lose track of their roots, but if you know where to look, these stories can often be pieced back together.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 19, 2015

Bask in the warmth of Iheya Island

I thought I recognized the owner of the Iheya Kanko Hotel, her face fleetingly recalled as it passed over the screen at a Shinjuku showing of the 2012 film "Karakara."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Dec 19, 2015

Recommended reading for the holidays and beyond

'Black Dragon River' stands out among the nonfiction books that caught the eye of columnist Jeff Kingston over the past year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2015

First stop India, next stop Singapore-Malaysia for Japan's bullet train sales campaign

Fresh from beating China in a $15 billion rail contract in India, Japan now aims to sell its bullet trains to a high-speed line being planned between Singapore and the Malaysian capital. The project would open a new market for companies from Hitachi Ltd. to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 16, 2015

North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labor for life: Xinhua

North Korea's highest court has sentenced a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labor for life for subversion, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 14, 2015

Textbook publishers must be above reproach

Recent scandals highlight the fine line between legitimate business practices and shady dealings in the textbook industry.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 14, 2015

China's Sinopec building filling station in disputed South China Sea

Major Chinese oil firm Sinopec is building a gasoline filling station for cars on an island in the South China Sea, as China continues to expand its civilian infrastructure in the disputed waterway, entrenching its reach in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 14, 2015

Pakistan blast claimed by banned Sunni group kills at least 24

A blast killed 24 people and injured 70 in the northwestern Pakistani city of Parachinar on Sunday, officials said, and a banned Sunni Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 12, 2015

The changing view of Onomichi town

Last September, the town of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture became a headline-grabbing topic around the world with its Cat Street View project. In its first two weeks online, this Google-style map of the town, filmed from a cat's perspective, went viral, racking up 1.7 million views. CNN, Huffington...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 12, 2015

No tolerance at the inns for China's shoppers

Last August, Nikkei Business magazine reported the travails of a businessman from a regional city on a sales trip to Tokyo. His company's accommodation allowance covered a maximum of ¥8,000 per night, but he couldn't find a centrally located hotel room for under ¥20,000.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 12, 2015

Investors see big returns as Airbnb takes off in Japan

While many see Airbnb as a possible fix for two seious problems in Japan — the shortage of hotel rooms and a steady increase in vacant buildings — others see an investment opportunity.

Longform

An ongoing shortage of rice has resulted in rising prices for Japan's main food staple.
Why Japan is running out of rice — and farmers to grow it