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Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 11, 2013

'Good seed' versus 'evil weed': Hemp activists eye legalization

In the cannabis plant family, hemp is the good seed. Marijuana, the evil weed. Michael Bowman, a gregarious Colorado farmer who grows corn and wheat, has been working his contacts in Congress in an attempt to persuade lawmakers that hemp has been framed, unfairly lumped with the stuff people smoke to...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 10, 2013

Gold rush: Japan Inc. flocks to Myanmar

Political reforms are happening because the military/political leaders wanted to end their nation's isolation and benefit from having a more prosperous economy.
Reader Mail
Feb 10, 2013

The right reason to perform well

The Feb. 1 article "Two sides to corporal punishment practices in Japan" mentions the rising problem of abusive Japanese sports coaches. Recent incidents include the suicide of an Osaka high school basketball team captain after he had been physically punished by his coach, and the physical harassment...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 8, 2013

Article 9 panel revived in collective defense bid

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reconvened a government policy advisory panel on security issues to review the move to reinterpret the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution so Japan can exercise collective self-defense.
Japan Times
Reference / Q&A
Feb 8, 2013

Chinese smog bomb floats toward Japan

Smog in China has reached alarming levels as its rapid industrialization spews ever-more toxic particles into the air.
EDITORIALS
Feb 8, 2013

China's dangerous conduct

It is deplorable that Chinese warships recently locked their fire-control radar on an MSDF destroyer and an MSDF helicopter in the East China Sea.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 8, 2013

Android 'fragmentation' leaves smartphones vulnerable

In late October, researchers at North Carolina State University alerted Google to a security flaw that could let scam artists send phony text messages to Android phones — a practice called "smishing" that can ensnare consumers in fraud.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 7, 2013

'Abenomic' hopes and fears

"Abenomics" is now a buzzword at home and abroad. Even before taking office, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had strongly demanded that the Bank of Japan take action to end deflation and set an inflation target that would drive the yen lower.
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 7, 2013

Stress levels may be passed down to next generation

For the first time, genes chemically silenced by stress during life have been shown to remain silenced in eggs and sperm, possibly allowing the effect to be passed down to the next generation.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Feb 4, 2013

Keep Abe's hawks in check or Japan and Asia will suffer

On Jan. 1, The Japan Times' lead story was "Summer poll to keep Abe in check." It made the argument that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party alliance falls short of a majority in the Upper House, so until elections happen this summer he lacks a "full-fledged administration" to carry...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 4, 2013

Teach your teens basic life skills

Everyone graduates from high school knowing how to read, write and do basic math (you would hope). But to be a self-sufficient adult, those skills are not enough. In fact, they're nowhere close to enough.
EDITORIALS
Feb 4, 2013

Civil court reform

Reform has been the watchword for Japan's criminal courts in recent years. Now there are calls to improve the system for civil trials and court mediation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 3, 2013

Japan's competitiveness

Japan's world ranking in 'economic competitiveness' is slipping. The nation came in 10th in 2012, continuing its slide from the sixth spot in 2010.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 3, 2013

Tokyo's wilderness within

What did our cities' natural landscapes originally look like? In a sprawling metropolis such as Tokyo, with concrete encrusting almost every inch of earth, walling every riverbank and towering up to the skies, it is almost impossible to imagine.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2013

Hay fever sufferers brace for a nasty season

Pollen season is coming. Due to last year's sizzling summer, the amount of pollen this year is expected to be particularly nasty in some parts of the country, adding to the suffering of those subject to allergic reactions this time of year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Feb 1, 2013

AKB48 member's 'penance' shows flaws in idol culture

The image of a young girl in front of a camera, her head recently shaved, sobbing into the lens is one that's guaranteed to shock. But when that girl is a key member of idol group AKB48, the reaction is bound to be stronger.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 1, 2013

Wake-up call for Asia's leaders

Whether East Asia's politicians and pundits like it or not, the region's current international relations are more akin to those of Europe before World War I.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 1, 2013

Two sides to corporal punishment practices in Japan

The December suicide of an Osaka high school basketball team captain who had been physically punished by his coach cast a harsh light on corporal punishment in Japan, and this week's admission by the All Japan Judo Federation that Olympic female judoka had been physically abused and harassed by their...
Reader Mail
Jan 31, 2013

Retiring teachers deserve better

Shame on The Japan Times for implicitly joining in with the wholly unjustified criticism of teachers who have retired early to avoid cuts to their retirement allowance. The use of the word "dodge" in the Jan. 23 article titled "Teachers retire to dodge benefit cut" implies that teachers are doing something...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 31, 2013

'BLACKS: Louise Nevelson, Ad Reinhardt, Hiroshi Sugimoto'

Sculptor Louise Nevelson (1899-1988), painter Ad Reinhardt (1913-1967) and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto (1948-) are all known for the predominantly monochrome nature of their works. This exhibition explores the different approaches the artists have taken when experimenting with the use of black.
Reader Mail
Jan 31, 2013

Failure could be the answer

Since coming to Japan some years ago, the most surprising fact I learned about the education system was that it is impossible for elementary and middle school students to fail and repeat a grade.
EDITORIALS
Jan 30, 2013

Mr. Abe's strategy

A s the 150-day ordinary Diet session kicked off Monday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered his first policy speech since becoming prime minister following the Liberal Democratic Party's victory in the Dec. 16 Lower House election. He said Japan is facing crises with regard to the economy, damage from...

Longform

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