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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2019

What we get wrong about UFOs

Beware of interpretations posing as facts. And when explanations are incomplete, don't fall for the fallacy of 'god of the gaps.'
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jun 27, 2019

Judo great Yasuhiro Yamashita replaces scandal-hit Tsunekazu Takeda as Japanese Olympic Committee chief

Yamashita will replace Tsunekazu Takeda who retired as JOC president amid an investigation over alleged bribery during Tokyo's bid to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 23, 2019

Report on Japan pension shortfall spurs anxiety — and a closer look at the system

The Financial Services Agency earlier this month released a report on the future financial security of senior citizens that suggested people would have to save more to make up for expected shortfalls in the public pension system, sparking public anxiety and major controversy over the government program's...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 22, 2019

Huawei files lawsuit against U.S. Commerce Department over equipment seized in Alaska

Huawei Technologies Co. filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Commerce Department on Friday challenging whether telecommunications equipment it sent from China to the United States, and then back to China, is covered by Export Administration Regulations, according to a court filing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2019

U.S. human trafficking report drops child separation warning and demotes Cuba and Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department's annual human trafficking report released on Thursday demoted Saudi Arabia and Cuba to countries that failed to meet minimum U.S. anti-trafficking standards.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2019

Pioneering singer-songwriter Sachiko Kanenobu finally gets her due

If she had to sum up the past couple of years, Sachiko Kanenobu would probably opt for a simple "OMG!"
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Jun 19, 2019

With changes in emperors come amnesties, so who will benefit?

One convenient thing about Japanese law for those of us who are professors of it is that it is quite modern. Virtually all Japanese laws and institutions antedate the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and, of those, most have a 20th-century provenance. Compared to Anglo-American law with Magna Carta, bewigged...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 16, 2019

Drug devised to replace chemotherapy may reshape cancer care

A class of drugs is emerging that can attack cancer cells in the body without damaging surrounding healthy ones. They have the potential to replace chemotherapy and its disruptive side effects, reshaping the future of cancer care.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 14, 2019

U.N. says it has confirmed 17 killings as well as house torchings in Sudan's Darfur region

The United Nations said on Thursday it had confirmed the killing of 17 people and the burning of more than 100 houses in Deleij village in the Darfur region of Sudan earlier this week.
Japan Times
Philippines report 2019
Jun 12, 2019

The Yuchengco group of companies: A trusted ‘nation-building’ partner committed to serving Japanese investors in the Philippines

The Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) Chairperson, Helen Yuchengco Dee and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Corporate Vice-Chairman Cesar E.A. Virata, discuss new opportunities.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 8, 2019

Yummy Sake Collective: A new pairing of blind tasting and AI tech

Yummy Sake Collective has a solution for people who struggle to identify what sake they like: An AI-powered app, used in conjunction with a blind tasting, to help determine flavor preferences.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 1, 2019

Is disgust with the status quo now feeding nostalgia for the past?

Bulgarian scholar Ivan Krastev, in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun published in March, compared the restless discontent of the 1960s with that of today. Fifty years ago, he said, disgust with the status quo fed hope for the future. Today it feeds nostalgia for the past.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
May 25, 2019

In search of Japan's extinct wolves: Sightings of a mysterious canine in Chichibu have been captivating animal enthusiasts

It was around 3 p.m. on a chilly day in December. The sky was overcast and the scent of rain hung in the air when Rina Kambayashi happened upon a creature she had never seen before. Opening the front door to her family's gracefully weathered 150-year-old traditional wooden house, Kambayashi stepped out...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 25, 2019

Fatal traffic mishaps put drivers in the media spotlight

"Heartbreaking accidents have continued to occur although measures have been taken," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said ruefully at a meeting of government officials on May 21.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2019

Short Shorts 2019: Short on time, but never short on creativity

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, whose 21st edition takes place from May 29 to June 16 at venues around Tokyo, is one of the largest festivals of its type in Asia. And, starting this year, four winners of its competitions will be eligible for an Academy Award in the short film category, up from just...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
May 19, 2019

Changing the way we do things

From keeping your touch screen free of potato-chip grease to using tap cards to gain access to exclusive online content, the smartphone keeps changing the way we go about life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 18, 2019

This Japanese toaster costs ¥30,000. It only makes one slice at a time

Perfectly made toast isn't just an obsession in Japan. It's a business opportunity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional Voices: Okinawa
May 16, 2019

Okinawa's Orion Breweries debuts first chūhai lineup with regional fruit twist

Orion Breweries Ltd. launched its first lineup of canned chūhai — a drink typically made of shōchū or vodka mixed with a nonalcholic beverage — on Tuesday, seeking to win over young drinkers who are increasingly drawn to the beverages and away from beer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 16, 2019

Chinese tourists to Japan switch from shopping sprees to medical services

A few years ago, Chinese tourists engaged in bakugai (explosive shopping spree) in Tokyo's Ginza district made headlines.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2019

Despite being only 10 years old, actor Kokoro Terada is taking on tough topics

A heart-warming tale about an elderly woman's struggles with dementia as seen from the perspective of her young grandson, "Grandma is Okay" ("Baba wa, Daijobu") is the latest movie by Yokohama-born filmmaker Jacky Woo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 11, 2019

JR Hokkaido confronts the harsh realities of financing rail lines in depopulated areas

Privatization of public enterprises is a core tenet of neoliberalism, and probably the most representative domestic development in this regard was the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1987. The resulting rail companies, distinguished primarily by region, have demonstrated differing...
Japan Times
WORLD
May 5, 2019

Trump proposal would make it easier to deport immigrants, including green card holders, who use benefits

The Trump administration is considering reversing long-standing policy to make it easier to deport U.S. legal permanent residents who have used public benefits, part of an effort to restrict immigration by low-income people.

Longform

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