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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 16, 2014

Unlocking growth potential is top task for Abenomics 2.0

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's election win strengthened his hand to move beyond the fiscal and monetary stimulus that brought an end to deflation in his first two years. The tougher task for "Abenomics 2.0" will be to boost Japan's growth potential.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2014

Reducing the global threat posed by nuclear weapons

The best calculations show that even a limited nuclear warhead exchange between India and Pakistan would wreak havoc on food distribution networks, killing up to 1 billion people worldwide.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2014

NASA's Mars capsule will never land on Mars

Rather than admit the many shortcomings of the Orion space capsule, NASA has boldly promoted its development as the first step in America's journey to Mars. But it will not be going to Mars.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2014

Amid reform talk, hopes grow for short-term home rental market

Japan seems to have the right mix for developing a vibrant short-term home rental market: a rapidly growing tourism industry, a cheap currency and — unlike many countries — 8 million vacant homes.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 15, 2014

California city spotlights tough path to police reform

In 2000, police in the city of Oakland, California became a symbol of the worst of American law enforcement after a band of rogue officers known as "The Riders" were accused of beating suspects, planting evidence and falsifying reports.
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2014

Nuclear arms risks — a reminder

As the 70th anniversary of the nuclear attacks on two Japanese cities approaches, it is high time that Japan worked out its own idea for eliminating nuclear weapons and presented it to the international community.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Dec 14, 2014

Nagoya: What do you think of Abe's decision to call a snap election?

Voters and non-voters alike give their views on today's Lower House election, which was called by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe only two years after the last one.
EDITORIALS
Dec 13, 2014

Outer space belongs to science

Unfortunately a recently disclosed draft of Japan's new basic plan for space projects gives top priority to use of outer space for national security purposes.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 13, 2014

Storm brings floods, mudslides, tornado to California; tens of thousands lose power

A Pacific storm pounded Southern California with heavy rain and high winds on Friday, triggering flash floods, a small tornado and mudslides that prompted the evacuation of hundreds of homes, damaged dozens of others and disrupted passenger rail service along the coast.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 12, 2014

A rude awakening for America

The American pivot to Asia was the product of people in Washington who only think in terms of military power — as in trying to annex Ukraine and Georgia to NATO and the EU. There are new ways of thinking in China and even Russia.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 12, 2014

Takayama mobilizes to protect voters from bear attacks

Polling stations in one mountain city are bracing for an unusual kind of disruption on election day: bear attacks.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Dec 12, 2014

Hunting for pictures, and crocodiles, in remote Aboriginal country

We are deep in a forest crowded by Australian paperback trees, the air thick with humidity but eerily silent save for the screeching of tropical birds, when Marcus shouts: "Look, crocodiles!"
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 11, 2014

South Korean wealthy no longer above law

The uproar that forced a Korean Air Lines executive to resign after delaying a flight because she was unhappy with the way nuts were served points to growing intolerance of corporate bad behavior in a country dominated by family conglomerates.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 11, 2014

Suicides rise among young as Indian society modernizes; mental health problems go untreated

Pinki Chauhan, a straight-A Indian physics and math student, arrived at her university campus shortly after breakfast, poured gasoline over her wispy frame and lit a match.
EDITORIALS
Dec 10, 2014

Abe takes aim at labor regulations

Changes that the Abe administration wants to make to labor laws will likely increase the number of lower paid irregular workers in the nation's workforce.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Dec 10, 2014

Question of negligence hangs over nuclear firms in U.S. case over Fukushima fallout

Why hasn't the Japanese government, like the USS Ronald Reagan sailors, filed its own lawsuits against these nuclear companies to determine their legal liability for the Fukushima disaster?
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 10, 2014

'Afghan Bruce Lee' high-kicking his way to Internet fame

From the ruins of a bombed-out palace above Kabul, a young Afghan man bearing a striking resemblance to kung fu legend Bruce Lee is high-kicking his way to Internet fame, aiming to show another side to his war-weary nation.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 9, 2014

Jordan could have begun career with different team

This is the second installment from Hall of Fame writer Sam Smith's new book "There Is No Next: NBA Legends on the Legacy of Michael Jordan."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 8, 2014

Foreign student's account of treatment in rape case points to gaps in Japan's safety myth

Never did I expect that I would get raped in Japan. The story I am about to tell belies the image of the 'world's safest country' that often gets trotted out when people enthuse about Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Dec 7, 2014

Group offers free English to kids in care in Japan and aid to children in Philippines

JOYFUL — the Japan Outreach Youth Foundation for Underprivileged Learners — is a volunteer group that helps children here in Japan and in the founder's homeland of the Philippines.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 6, 2014

What's beneath all that latex, fabric and plastic?

In 1910, a man named Otto James was arrested for parading down a busy street in Tacoma, Washington, wearing fancy dress. The charge of "public masquerading" — so quaint to modern ears — was itself nothing new, but the choice of costume was notable: James had gone for a stroll dressed as the main...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 5, 2014

Yen reaches 120 to dollar for first time since July 2007

The yen-dollar exchange rate hits 120 for the first time since July 2007 as Japan's inflation scheme and a tax hike delay highlight its economic risks.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 5, 2014

Islamic State's siren call for Western Muslims

It is through increased confidence and conviction, rather than bland tolerance, that democratic societies can counter the appeal of fanatical causes like Islamic State and their charismatic leaders.
EDITORIALS
Dec 4, 2014

Weighing Abe's Asian diplomacy

Japanese voters should consider the results of the Abe adminisration's diplomatic moves with regard to South Korea and China, when they cast their votes Dec. 14.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 3, 2014

Heaven is for Real: 'But why is it crazy-talk to say you've been there?'

The main point of "Heaven is for Real" is contained in its title, so you know where you're going with this one before you even buy the ticket. The film is based on the best-selling nonfiction book by Todd Burpo, a Nebraska pastor whose 4-year-old son, Colton, had a near-death experience during emergency...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Dec 3, 2014

Time to burst your bubble and face reality

Facing the reality of their perpetual second-class caste status would force non-Japanese residents to admit that they traded their entire life for something that they ultimately found no stake in.

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