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JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2014

Tokyo voters scratch heads over poll call

Voters on the streets of Tokyo were baffled Friday after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved the Lower House for a snap election that a recent poll said more than 60 percent of the nation does not support.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2014

The next trade breakthroughs

The North American Free Trade Agreement is proof that properly designed free trade agreements spur global growth.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 21, 2014

Japan's robotics revolution gets a reboot as nation aims to regain lead in ¥3.4 trillion industry

Neurosurgeon Tetsuya Goto had just begun testing a robot to perform brain surgery when he discovered Japan was moving to tighten regulations that would shut down his seven-year project.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 19, 2014

BOJ leaves assessment, monetary policy unchanged despite recession

The Bank of Japan on Wednesday left its assessment of the economy largely unchanged despite the second-quarter gross domestic product data released Monday indicating Japan has slipped into a recession.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 19, 2014

Republicans shop for shutdown alternatives in immigration fight with Obama

House Republican leaders are trying to persuade members not to risk a U.S. government shutdown in responding to President Barack Obama's plan to ease the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 18, 2014

Toyota's Mirai FCV to go on sale Dec. 15

Toyota Motor Corp. announced Tuesday it will start selling the world's first commercial fuel-cell vehicle in Japan on Dec. 15.
EDITORIALS
Nov 18, 2014

Shortage of nursing care workers

With the nation's population rapidly graying, the government must take steps to boost the number of nursing care workers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 17, 2014

Japan's economy takes a dive as Abe weighs delay of second tax hike

The economy unexpectedly sank into a recession in the last quarter, unable to shake off the impact of April's consumption tax hike and raising the odds that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will postpone a second increase next year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 17, 2014

Toyota plans 'Mirai' fuel-cell car that can go 480 km per tank

Toyota Motor Corp. said it has chosen "Mirai," which means "future" in Japanese, as the name for its fuel-cell powered sedan with a range of 480 km and an hydrogen tank that can be refilled in less than five minutes.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 15, 2014

Wada proud to represent MLB

Tsuyoshi Wada entered Game 2 of the MLB-Japan All-Star Series on Friday night at Tokyo Dome to the strains of Tom Petty's 1989 hit "Free Fallin'," which was serving as the de facto soundtrack to Rob Wooten's exit from the game after having given up a run.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 14, 2014

As Rosetta comet probe batteries run down, scientists face key decisions

European Space Agency scientists are set to decide whether to try a risky drilling procedure to enable an exploration probe to examine samples from the surface of a comet before its batteries run out.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Nov 14, 2014

Abe likely to delay tax hike; economists warn of future ramifications

Delaying a key measure to address Japan's enormous public debt would only lead to a larger fiscal problem down the road, economists warn.
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2014

DPJ will oppose tax hike to 10%, saying Abe failed to meet conditions

Reversing its earlier stance, the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, said Friday it will oppose the planned sales tax hike to 10 percent from 8 percent next October.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2014

Awaiting Abe's political gambit

If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is going to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election, he will have to clearly lay out his agenda for voters and await their verdict.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 14, 2014

View private operation of schools with caution

Education reformers take for granted that strategies borrowed from business will improve schools. But the evidence is hardly convincing.
BASKETBALL
Nov 13, 2014

Gonzaga, Pitt to play hoops in Okinawa

The Gonzaga University men’s basketball team will face the University of Pittsburgh in the 2015 Armed Forces Classic on Nov. 13 at Camp Foster in Okinawa.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2014

Firms overwhelmingly want Abe to delay sales tax hike, poll shows

Companies overwhelmingly want Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to delay or scrap the consumption tax increase planned for next October, a Reuters poll shows, highlighting concerns the hike could derail a fragile recovery.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?