Search - 2014

 
 
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2015

Xi defends China's web controls in call for 'Internet sovereignty of all countries'

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged world leaders to respect each country's sovereignty over its own Internet as he sought broader support for strict controls like China's on Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Dec 16, 2015

As jobs-for-life fade, mobility key as workers face a survival reality check

Shuhei Takebe graduated from a prestigious university in Japan. It qualified him to become a day laborer.
EDITORIALS
Dec 15, 2015

The consumption tax mess

It's questionable whether the government's plan to introduce a lower tax rate on food products is the best way to help lower-income households.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 15, 2015

Obama expected to move on Taiwan guided missile frigate sales before year-end

The Obama administration is expected as soon as this week to authorize the sale of two guided missile frigates to Taiwan, U.S. congressional sources said Monday, in spite of China's opposition to the deal.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 15, 2015

Thai activists urge release of man, allegedly detained by force at hospital, over Facebook post

Thai activists on Monday demanded the release of a man arrested for sharing an infographic on Facebook detailing alleged graft in an army-built park, saying plainclothes security officers had taken him by force.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2015

Japan's ¥135 trillion pension fund boosts infrastructure weighting

Japan's ¥135 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund is building up its alternative investment department after raising bets on infrastructure projects more than 10-fold to secure higher returns than low-yielding bonds.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 15, 2015

BOJ gains confidence in Japan's economy; cheap oil a threat

Bank of Japan officials are gaining confidence in the resilience of the nation's economy, while keeping a close eye on the impact of low oil prices on inflation expectations, according to people familiar with the central bank's discussions.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Dec 15, 2015

Police block access as trial of 'ultimate canary in coal mine' China rights lawyer lasts just three hours

The trial of one of China's most high profile human rights lawyers on charges of inciting ethnic hatred and provoking trouble lasted just three hours on Monday, with police blocking diplomats, foreign reporters and protesters from the court.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2015

Two new Olympic stadium designs unveiled by Japan Sport Council

The Japan Sport Council on Monday unveiled two new stadium designs for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics that blend in better with the greenery-rich Yoyogi area and currently don't break the ¥155 billion budget.
WORLD
Dec 14, 2015

Australian teenager pleads guilty to 'terrorism' charge

A Melbourne teen arrested after police found explosives at his home pleaded guilty on Monday to a terrorism-related charge, highlighting concerns about youth radicalization following last week's arrest of a 15-year-old Sydney boy in police raids.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 14, 2015

Japan's U.S. entanglement

Japan's overreliance on America at times causes its diplomacy to act in a way seemingly at odds with its own interests.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2015

Abe's tax compromise raises odds of twin summer polls

Abe may now be able to persuade his ally Komeito to agree to a snap Lower House election on the same day as an upper chamber poll.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 14, 2015

Latest 'tankan' shows sentiment intact at big firms

Confidence in the economy among large manufacturers unexpectedly held up in the past few months, suggesting record corporate profits are compensating for uncertainty about the effects of an expected U.S. rate increase and the slowdown in China.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 14, 2015

Police tussle with diplomats, reporters as top China rights lawyer goes on trial

Police shoved diplomats and protesters close to a Beijing courthouse Monday as one of the country's most high-profile human rights lawyers stood trial on charges of inciting ethnic hatred and "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
WORLD
Dec 14, 2015

Arab Israeli army veteran now member of Islamic State

An Israeli army veteran from the country's Arab minority has joined Islamic State insurgents in Syria, an Israeli security official said on Sunday, confirming a local media report.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 12, 2015

Fukushima’s Nash making big impact

His name isn't LeBron James, but his play, like the NBA legend's, captivates a pro basketball league's audience. And many of his performances in October, November and early December have been among the best of the 2015-16 bj-league season.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 12, 2015

Can upgraded home stadiums give boost to BayStars, Eagles?

Going from worst to first — last place to a pennant — is difficult for any professional baseball team. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows managed to do it this past season in the Central League, and the two clubs that finished at the bottom of the league standings in 2015 are hoping to rise to the top during...
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 12, 2015

Top IT executives pour $1 billion into artificial intelligence startup

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk and other prominent tech executives are pouring $1 billion into a nonprofit aimed at creating artificial intelligence that augments humans' capabilities, rather than making them obsolete.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 11, 2015

Secrets law, one year later

The controversial state secret law that took effect last year has already had a chilling effect on the media: no one is even talking about it anymore.
EDITORIALS
Dec 11, 2015

Much-needed minimum wage hike

The Abe administration is on the right track in trying to raise the minimum wage — not only would it be of benefit to the working poor, but consumer spending would also grow.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 11, 2015

Satellite monitoring of greenhouse gases is new space race

Scientists from the United States, Japan and China are racing to perfect satellite technology that could one day measure greenhouse gas emissions from space, potentially transforming the winner into the world's first climate cop.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 11, 2015

Magazine claims Australian entrepreneur is man behind bitcoin

Craig Steven Wright, an Australian, is the latest in a line of men alleged to be the mysterious creator of bitcoin, a digital currency that has attracted the interest of banks, speculators, criminals and regulators.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2015

Ise braces for tourism boom following G-7

On an early weekday afternoon at the shops lined up in front of JR Ise station, business was fairly brisk.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat