Search - 2015

 
 
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2014

Tax hike alone won't cure fiscal ills

The consumption tax hike alone won't resolve the nation's fiscal and social security woes. It needs to be matched by efforts to rein in government spending.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 31, 2014

The Fukushima disaster: Three years on, who's fooling whom?

Japan's new Basic Energy Plan sees nuclear power as an important base load energy source. But whatever 'base load' means politically, the public is lulled — fooled — into a sense that, despite Fukushima, nuclear will remain a logistically viable long-term option.
EDITORIALS
Mar 28, 2014

Online babysitter dangers

Parents must take precautions when vetting potential babysitters, including insisting on recommendations and other verifiable evidence of suitable childcare qualifications.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014

Hidden tax hike surprises await unwary consumers

Tuesday's consumption tax hike will in principle affect all domestic purchases of goods or services, but there are still gray areas where consumers may get surprised by unexpected levies, government officials warn.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2014

Flush Toyota ends pause in buybacks

Toyota Motor Corp. said it will buy back stock for the first time in five years as its cash pile swells and profit climbs.
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2014

SMBC aiding Osaka airport rights

Government-owned New Kansai International Airport Co. is working with the brokerage unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. to sell rights to operate two of the country's largest airports, sources said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2014

Temp workers threaten housing recovery

Momoko Suzuki quit her sales job in Tokyo and took a temporary position so she could pursue her film ambitions. Suzuki's employment change may force her to abandon another goal — owning a home.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 24, 2014

Kuroda ¥100 wall reassuring Nomura after gains

The Bank of Japan's stimulus is building a wall against the yen gaining beyond ¥100 to the dollar, amid an investor flight into the currency as a haven, according to Nomura Holdings Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 24, 2014

Consumption tax hike projected to increase appeal of electronic money

Your stash of u00a51 coins is about to get much bigger.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 22, 2014

Born in Japan, made in America

Although born in Japan, Mariko Nagai, author of the just-published novel-in-verse "Dust of Eden," was raised mostly in Belgium and the United States.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 20, 2014

Join in the fiesta as Shima Spain Village celebrates 20 years

Shima Spain Village amusement park in Mie Prefecture is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with a series of events that include the introduction of new parades, anniversary decorations and menus featuring special meals in its restaurants.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 18, 2014

Boy's death highlights need for baby-sitting regulations, experts say

The death of a 2-year-old boy while under the care of a baby sitter hired over the Internet demonstrates the pressing need for measures and systems to ensure that parents can leave their children with reliable parties.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 18, 2014

Analysts split on fiscal crisis timeline

Economists are split over how long the government has to rein in the world's biggest debt burden, a Bloomberg News survey shows, adding to a debate on whether the government should keep ratcheting up the sales tax.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 17, 2014

After-school clubs falling short as more moms work

Working parents in Japan not only face long waiting lists when they want to enroll their children in day care centers, they also find themselves looking at equally long lists for "gakudo," or after-school clubs, when their children take the next step and enter elementary school.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2014

Reactors still feared despite new rules

The cost of restarting Japan's nuclear power plants: ¥1.3 trillion and counting.

Longform

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