Search - 2015

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 16, 2016

Crime and thriller writer Kanae Minato named winner of Yamamoto Shugoro Prize

The 29th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize will be given to Kanae Minato for her book "Utopia," the award's screening committee said Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2016

Asia's misguided war on drugs

The harsh, punitive approach to illegal drug use in Asia stands in stark contrast with the health approach in many Western countries.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2016

Abe lurches to economic left to broaden appeal before crucial summer election

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is shifting his economic policies to the left in a bid to broaden his appeal ahead of a key election this summer.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2016

Golden Kings bring curtain down on bj-league with fourth title

Four championships in nine seasons.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 15, 2016

Ryukyu's Ravenel named playoff MVP

Ryukyu Golden Kings big man Evan Ravenel made a big impact in Sunday's bj-league championship game against the Toyama Grouses.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 15, 2016

Rather than apologize, Obama should vow to halve the U.S. nuclear stockpile

What remains is that egregious, gaudy number: America's 7,000 nuclear weapons, a number that countries without nuclear arms see as a slap in the face.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
May 15, 2016

Mie's revenue hopes dampened by G-7 security barrage, Obama detour

Hopes in Mie Prefecture for tourism growth after the Group of Seven Ise-Shima summit from May 26 to 27 remain high. But with tourists worried about heavy security and U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima stealing the spotlight, residents aren't so sure what the situation will be during the...
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2016

G-7 environment meeting in Toyama kicks off with call to action

Environment ministers and representatives from Group of Seven nations began a two-day meeting Sunday, with host and chair Japan calling for "concrete action" to implement the landmark climate deal reached in Paris last year.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 14, 2016

G-7 venue preparation shouldn't deter Mie tourists

With world leaders gathering at the G-7 Ise-Shima summit on May 26 and 27, the international spotlight will briefly focus on picturesque Mie Prefecture and its considerable charms. For residents of the prefecture, however, this moment in the spotlight apparently won't be brief enough; a recent Kyodo...
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2016

Germany's middle class is endangered, too

The middle class is shrinking in both the U.S. and Germany, but the reasons for the contraction tell a lot about the different priorities of the two societies.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 14, 2016

Beijing's 'coercive tactics' lay foundation for long-term maritime goals, Pentagon report says

China has used "coercive tactics" to boost its presence and control over disputed areas of the South China Sea and is shifting gears to beef up its military assets in the contested waters, a report released Friday by the Pentagon said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 14, 2016

Strong yen to cut cash for Japanese carmakers' research and development

Japan's three leading automakers expect a stronger yen will cost them around $14 billion in lost operating profit this year alone — just as they need to invest more in everything from cleaner fuel to driverless cars.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 13, 2016

Sakamoto lifts Giants to dramatic 12th-inning triumph over rival Swallows

Two mistakes were about to cost the Yomiuri Giants a win, until one key hit sent the Kyojin, and one of the biggest crowds of the season, home happy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 13, 2016

World was a stage for acclaimed theater director Yukio Ninagawa

Acclaimed stage director Yukio Ninagawa was a titan of global theater but his hand felt astonishingly fragile when I shook it in delight in 2012 after the world premiere of "Trojan Women," which brought together a remarkable ensemble of Japanese, Arab-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli actors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 13, 2016

Why is Tokyo starting to taste like Portland?

Walking into PDX Taproom, a bar in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, is like wandering into a condensed, alternate version of Portland, Oregon. Everything from the folk-pop hits playing in the background to the craft beers on tap hail from the Pacific Northwest metropolis.
EDITORIALS
May 13, 2016

Strongman wins in the Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte's election as president of the Philippines is going to make things very interesting for China, the United States, Japan and all the other nations in the region for years to come.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 13, 2016

Mosquito-repellent soap aims to wash away malaria threat

Two former students from Burkina Faso have designed a mosquito-repellent soap, which they hope could be a simple and affordable solution in the fight to end malaria, but more funds are needed to test the idea, according to the startup behind it.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2016

Rwanda aiding Burundi rebels, North Korea arming Congo forces, report to UNSC says

A confidential report to the United Nations Security Council accuses Rwanda of providing training, financing and logistical support through early 2016 for Burundian rebels seeking to oust Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2016

Judge rules in favor of Republicans in Obamacare challenge but White House confident of appeal

A U.S. judge on Thursday handed a victory to congressional Republicans who challenged President Barack Obama's signature health care law, ruling that his administration overstepped its constitutional powers relating to government spending.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 13, 2016

Next stop Tulsa as Solar Impulse 2 leaves Arizona before dawn

An experimental airplane powered solely by energy from the sun stored in batteries took off from Arizona early on Thursday on the 11th leg of a historic bid by its pilots and developers to fly around the globe without a drop of fuel.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
May 13, 2016

Italy coast guard rescues nearly 900 Syrians, Iraqis who sailed from Egypt

Italy's coast guard rescued nearly 900 mostly Syrian refugees from two boats off western Sicily on Thursday, a coast guard spokesman said, amid signs that refugees from the Middle East are increasingly shunning the Greek route into Europe.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 12, 2016

Final Four to bring curtain down on league

This weekend marks the end of an era.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 12, 2016

Soba noodle association develops fun test for allergies

One of the major attractions for foreign tourists in Japan is delicious washoku (traditional cuisine). But visitors may not know that one dish includes an ingredient that can cause life-threatening allergic reactions — soba.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 12, 2016

McDonald's Japan quarterly loss narrows after menu changes

McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan)'s first-quarter loss narrowed as the fast-food chain won back some customers after being hit by a series of food safety scandals.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 12, 2016

Arizona grandfather jailed for leaving 5-year-old in desert with gun after car broke down

An Arizona man was sentenced to six months in jail for felony child abuse for leaving his 5-year-old granddaughter in the desert with a loaded and cocked handgun with the instruction to "shoot any bad guys," prosecutors said on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 12, 2016

Britons, Mexican become first foreigners atop Everest since disasters

Two Britons and a Mexican have become the first foreigners to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali side since disasters in 2014 and 2015 killed dozens and forced mountaineers off the world's tallest peak.

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