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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 30, 2013

In Fukushima, abandoned pets are multiplying

'Sterilization is the most practical and humane way to curb the growing population of feral animals, and research backs this up,' says Hiro Yamasaki of the Animal Rescue System in Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture. 'Unfortunately, our clinic is the only one providing this kind of service. The local vets and bureaucrats have not responded adequately to the situation. Something had to be done.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 29, 2013

So much for nau: What will we say next?

The end of the year is always a good time to reflect on what is, was and will be. With regard to language, one of the most stimulating things I have recently read in this respect was from an article in the journal Nihongogaku (日本語学) about a study in which Japanese university students were asked...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Dec 29, 2013

Education in 2013: an 'A' for ambition, but Japan will have to do better

Will 2014 be the year we start to see a genuinely forward-thinking, globalized outlook for education in Japan? The rapidly changing global economy, regional tensions and shrinking population suggest huge challenges await the country's youth on their emergence into the job market in the coming years.
EDITORIALS
Dec 29, 2013

Drones getting closer to home

Japanese should not assume that remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicles for military purposes, otherwise known as drones, are being used only in remote parts of the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2013

Conceding it's best avoided, Aso refuses to rule out fresh extra budget

While saying it is best if such a move is not made, Finance Minister Taro Aso refused to rule out the possibility an extra budget will be needed again next year to support the economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 29, 2013

IMF may upgrade growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund may upgrade its growth forecast for Japan, although the nation must start fiscal and structural reforms in 2014, IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton was cited as saying in an interview in the Financial Times.
CULTURE / Books
Dec 28, 2013

Epicenters of death

This study of the Great Kanto Earthquake by scholar Charles Schencking, begins not as you might expect, with the cataclysmic temblor of 1923, but with the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. In this latter event, optimism was predicated on the assumption that swift and decisive action would...
EDITORIALS
Dec 28, 2013

Year of ups and downs for Japan

Japan in 2013 was besieged by problems in politics, business and society even while several key events helped to rekindle a sense of confidence in Japan.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Dec 28, 2013

The Batting Stance Guy waxes poetic on Youkilis, NPB

Kevin Youkilis' batting stance is, shall we say, a little different than most.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 28, 2013

After Abe Yasukuni jaunt, all eyes on Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping's reaction to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine will determine whether Asia's top two economies come closer to a hostile incident.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Dec 27, 2013

For a healthy, successful 2014

Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Dec 27, 2013

Mao must let the triple axel go for shot at gold in Sochi

Enough already. It is time for two-time world champion Mao Asada to give up the triple axel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 26, 2013

Start a tasty new kitchen tradition this New Year's

We're entering the most traditional time of year in Japan in food terms, starting on New Year's Eve and through the New Year's holiday period, when families gather to dine on osechi delicacies and bowls of symbolic soba noodles. That doesn't mean that there's no room for other kinds of foods, though....
BUSINESS
Dec 26, 2013

Daiwa Real Estate plans health REIT

Daiwa Real Estate Asset Management Co., a unit of the nation's second-largest brokerage, will set up a health-care real estate investment trust that will own nursing homes and hospitals in the world's fastest-aging society.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 26, 2013

Budget limits trim NASA's plans for big projects

The Cassini spacecraft is in splendid shape as it circles Saturn. Conceived in the 1980s and launched in 1997, Cassini arrived at the gas-giant planet in 2004 and has continued to deliver stunning images of the jewel of the solar system.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 25, 2013

Casino quest governor's hole card?

As Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima's Futenma base decision, speculation is growing that he's holding out for the promise of a casino resort.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 25, 2013

Ryukyu not missing a beat with Okinawan Isa at helm

The Ryukyu Golden Kings' sustained excellence is the gift that keeps on giving for the team's rabid fans.
JAPAN / YEAR IN REVIEW 2013
Dec 25, 2013

A look back at the year's top 10 Japan news stories

Japan Times editors selected the following domestic stories as the most important in 2013.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 24, 2013

Blazers look for real with Aldridge, Lillard, 'flow' offense

It's no surprise that going into the final week of December, the Portland Trailblazers had the best record in the NBA.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 24, 2013

Japanese indie bands to watch out for in 2014

While the Oricon charts tend to look more or less the same (perhaps a little worse) year in year out, the indie scene remains a haven of small delights, with new discoveries constantly cropping up to brighten your day. Here are five discoveries from 2013 that would be well worth keeping an eye out for...
EDITORIALS
Dec 23, 2013

Federal Reserve's taper begins

Although last week's long-awaited decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board to begin tapering off its bond-buying program proved to be a surprise, it was still the right move.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2013

Winners of 2013's behavioral economics oscars

The Oscars won't be awarded until March, but those who hand out the annual Behavioral Economics Oscars (Becons) are famously impatient, and it is time to announce this year's winners.

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.