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Japan Times
JAPAN / WEDGE
Jan 12, 2014

Pakistanis find niche in used car business

Led by Pakistanis living in Japan, exports of Japanese used cars are growing, thanks to their durability and high technology. In particular, Pakistanis at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, have been very active in the used-car business, using social networking services...
Japan Times
SUMO / SUMO SCRIBBLINGS
Jan 12, 2014

Hatsu 2014: Now or never for Kisenosato

When he first shot through the ranks in the mid 2000s, more than a few fans and commentators had Kisenosato penciled in as a future yokozuna.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 11, 2014

U.S. base at center of Nago poll

In a contest with major implications for the government and military ties with the U.S., campaigning is about to start in the city chosen to host the Futenma replacement base.
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Jan 11, 2014

Seasons come and go — but when?

Another new year has arrived and a Hokkaido blizzard is tearing past my window, drifting snow onto every surface as if it means to drown out the world in whiteness. Thankfully it also brings a muffling silence into which thoughts pop and crackle.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jan 10, 2014

Any Hosokawa presence in Tokyo race bad for Abe

The emergence of Morihiro Hosokawa as a potential candidate could be a game-changer for the Tokyo gubernatorial race and deal a severe blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2014

Hidden consequences of Snowden's revelations

The most insidious consequence of the Edward Snowden affair and the NSA controversy may be the destruction of trust in closer collaboration between the private sector and government in protecting vital electronic systems.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 10, 2014

Focusing on the business of Korean reconciliation

Despite its flaws, including an Orwellian feel, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a joint venture of the North and South Korean government, helps to build an environment of collaboration. Pyongyang's recent announcement that it will open another 14 special economic zones is a positive development.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 10, 2014

Murata ready to face challenge overseas for first time as pro

As has been speculated, Ryota Murata is officially in the big show in Macau on Feb. 22 as he entered his second year as a professional boxer.
Events / KANSAI: WHO & WHAT
Jan 10, 2014

Major bonsai exhibition this weekend in Kyoto

A large bonsai exhibition is taking place this weekend in the city of Kyoto.
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2014

Celebs to get shoved aside in Tokyo election

The Tokyo Metropolitan Electoral Management Committee said Friday it won't be using celebrities in its get-out-the-vote campaign for the Feb. 9 gubernatorial election, citing insufficient lead time due to the abrupt resignation of Naoki Inose last month.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 10, 2014

Mitsubishi said to weigh bid for Sendai Airport

Mitsubishi Corp., the nation's biggest trading house, may bid for the rights to operate Sendai Airport, according to two sources.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 9, 2014

LDP drops past campaign pledge to 'never wage a war'

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party removes a pledge that Japan will 'never wage a war' from the final draft of its campaign platform for this year.
EDITORIALS
Jan 9, 2014

Tepco's flawed turnaround plan

Tepco should further streamline its operations and explore new avenues of business growth, such as the retail sale of electricity in parts of Japan, rather than return to its old model that depended on nuclear power for profitability.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2014

Europe's prospects looked better in the 1930s

Unless policies change, economic stagnation in the eurozone is likely to persist, posing in some ways a bigger challenge to recovery than the Great Depression did in the 1930s.
BUSINESS
Jan 9, 2014

Security firm offers ¥1 million grant to nurture young computer buffs

A Tokyo-based IT security firm has established a unique program that offers up to ¥1 million in financial assistance to computer whizzes under the age of 20.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jan 8, 2014

Restore the shuttered-up New Year's of yore

First of all, I would like to wish a happy new year to all the readers of Labor Pains. While labor news has generally been a gloomy topic of late, it is my hope that this year will bring brighter things for me to write about.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 8, 2014

Luminaries' statement slams Henoko base deal

Twenty-nine scholars, peace activists, writers, artists and a Nobel laureate issue a statement condemning the decision to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko and comparing opposition to the move with America's civil rights movement.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 8, 2014

Sake boom revives rice types as Abe eyes exports

Farmers on Japan's west coast will sow Nihonbare rice this year for the first time in a decade as growers around the country return to older varieties to meet demand for record sake exports.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 8, 2014

Lixil mulls another overseas takeover

Lixil Group Corp., which agreed to buy bathroom-fixture makers American Standard Brands and Grohe Group last year, is studying another overseas acquisition to boost revenue from emerging markets.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 8, 2014

Shimane struggling after departure of coach, top star

The Shimane Susanoo Magic have dropped out of playoff contention this season, but big man Jeral Davis remains a bright spot for the fourth-year franchise.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 7, 2014

Winter is the tastiest time to visit Tsukiji fish market

January is a delicious time for local seafood, as fish naturally fatten up to survive in icy waters. A visit to Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward will give you a first-hand view of winter seasonal seafood, as well as a chance to savor it in the area's restaurants. Here's a guide on what to look...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 7, 2014

Time to relegate 'moral laws' to history's dustbin

Nothing lasts forever — especially in the U.S. with its 50 percent divorce rate — and it's clear that same-sex marriage will eventually be the law of the land.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 7, 2014

China's anti-Kim campaign

The next target of China's autocrats, already waging an undeclared war over territory against multiple neighboring countries, is likely to be fellow communist state North Korea, now an estranged ally.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 7, 2014

Songwriter James Vincent McMorrow stuns on 'Post Tropical'

When James Vincent McMorrow performs, he squashes himself up behind a keyboard, feet apart and knees together, looking a little like a collapsed laundry rack. The 30-year-old's right hand shakes from the beginning of a song to its end. You give up drink, as the Dubliner did two years ago, and "all of...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 7, 2014

Altruistic cooperation key to solving global issues

As mankind now tryies to solve new, global challenges, we must also find new ways to cooperate, and the basis for this cooperation must be altruism, writes a French Buddhist monk with a doctorate in molecular geneteics.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.