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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fist bumps voters in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023

Kishida’s popularity in free fall ahead of key political events

The government’s popularity hit a record low in four public opinion surveys over the weekend, just as the political calendar looks set to heat up.
The late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, is depicted on a leaflet marking the first anniversary of his death in September 2012
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 16, 2023

Japan's media has to account for its failures, too

The Unification Church is set to be dissolved and Johnny & Associates is undergoing structural reforms. What role did the media play, or not play?
South Korea's Aegis-equipped destroyer Yulgok Yi I (right), the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (top), the Aegis-equipped USS Shoup destroyer (bottom center), the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hyuga destroyer (left) and the South Korean Navy's Cheonji (center) sail in formation during a joint maritime drill in international waters southeast of South Korea's Jeju Island on Oct. 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 17, 2023

Military deterrence alone will not dissuade China, experts warn

Governments must be proactive in pressing for diplomatic solutions, as a focus on military power won't make the world safer, analysts say.
Hamas fighters take part in a military parade in Gaza on July 19 to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2023

What pushed Hamas to launch its boldest attack ever?

Nothing justifies Hamas' brutality, but analyzing its motivations and goals is the first step to unpacking the present crisis.
A government expert panel meeting on foreign technical trainee and skilled workers Wednesday at the Justice Ministry
JAPAN / Society
Oct 18, 2023

Japan panel compiles new system for foreign technical interns

The report clearly states that the new system is aimed at “securing and developing human resources in fields facing labor shortages.”
For Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, tackling the impact of rising prices has become a key priority.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2023

Upcoming parliament session puts Kishida's stimulus package in spotlight

Tackling inflation has become a key priority for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as economic trends have played a part in his low approval ratings.
Samples of The Japan Times winning news coverage, recognized by the World Association of News Publishers Asian Media Awards.
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2023

Japan Times wins awards for breaking news and feature reporting

The Japan Times receives gold awards for breaking news coverage and feature writing at the World Association of News Publishers Asian Media Awards.
Demonstrators march against the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians outside Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 14.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2023

Is silence on Israel support for Hamas?

One of the current problems with the Israel-Hamas debate is that a failure to condemn some wrongs is often taken as approval.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, make a toast during a reception at the Kremlin in March.  
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2023

Xi and Putin think they’re winning — and maybe they are

China and Russia's actions are contributing to an emerging Cold War and aligning other powers against the U.S. and its allies in Europe and Asia.
Swiss People's Party (SVP) leader Marco Chiesa (left) smiles next to the president of The Center (Die Mitte) Swiss political party Gerhard Pfister prior to a TV interview in Bern on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 23, 2023

Switzerland’s right-wing party soars on immigration concerns

The SVP — as the People's Party is known by its German acronym — won 28.6% of votes, up from 25.6% four years ago.
New Zealand's blindside flanker Shannon Frizell (left) takes part in a training session in Rueil-Malmaison, France, on Tuesday ahead of the Rugby World Cup final.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 25, 2023

New Zealand and South Africa take ultimate rivalry to grandest stage

The rich history of this 102-year-old matchup has seen political turmoil, countless bruising battles, a previous World Cup final and even a 0-0 draw.
Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2023

Commercial asteroid mining has a astronomical cost issue

Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
Despite shifts in the global economy and trade, the world remains highly integrated and globalization is far from over.
COMMENTARY
Oct 25, 2023

Globalization’s demise has been greatly exaggerated

Trade flows, allocation of dollars, and supply chains are evolving, but these changes are not uniform and can be challenging to predict.
Munakata Shiko's "Oshira-sama: The Flying Silkworm Deities" (1968)
CULTURE / Art
Oct 26, 2023

Major retrospective traces hero's journey of 'Japan's van Gogh'

An exhibition of Shiko Munakata's works shows evidence of a charismatic character and a career that reflects Japan's changing relationship with the West.
Israeli soldiers gather around a tank near the border with the Gaza Strip on Oct. 15. The IDF is preparing to conduct a ground offensive into the Palestinian territory.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 26, 2023

When history rhymes: Are we back in 2003, at the dawn of the Iraq War?

Given the parallels between the Israeli position today and the U.S. invasion of Iraq a decade ago, history can offer important lessons.
The simplest option for many Japanese industries facing labor shortages might be to do what the taxi sector is doing — keep people in the workforce longer.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 26, 2023

Octogenarian taxi drivers to the labor-crunch rescue

An option for many Japanese industries facing labor shortages might be to do what the taxi sector is doing — keep people in the workforce longer.
A poster bearing a photo of Israeli hostage Noga Weiss is displayed during a gathering called Balloons of Hope in Sydney on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2023

Israelis weren't the only victims of Hamas' attack

All nations should send a clear message to Hamas and its supporters that all the hostages must be immediately released.
Climate activists demand that the World Bank stop fossil fuel financing on the first day of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Marrakech, Morocco, on Oct. 9.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2023

Telling countries not to be poor is bad climate advice

As developing nations bear the brunt of the costs of climate change; the world's richer states need to pay up.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber is escorted by South Korean F-35s during a joint military exercise over the Korean Peninsula that also involved Japan's Air-Self Defense Force.
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2023

Japan, U.S. and South Korea patrol the skies together

The three countries have historically engaged in bilateral exercises with the United States, but this trilateral exercise in the air is a notable first.
Prince Hisahito is the only male member of the imperial family eligible to ascend the throne in the generation after Emperor Naruhito and his younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, who is the father of the 17-year-old prince.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2023

LDP to create new team on imperial succession

Prince Hisahito, Crown Prince Akishino's 17-year-old son, is the only member of his generation currently eligible.
A health care worker administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a child in Rio de Janeiro in January 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2023

How we got COVID’s risk right but the response wrong

It was not the initial consensus on the fatality rate that drove the response but rather the way the risks of COVID-19 were balanced with the costs.
Shibuya's local government has mounted a campaign to dissuade revelers from visiting the neighborhood for Halloween celebrations and has banned drinking in the streets.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 30, 2023

Shibuya wants to cancel Halloween. That's a mistake.

This year, Shibuya isn't dressing up for Halloween. The neighborhood is turning revelers away, ignoring its role as a youth culture hub.
Trendy buzzwords tend to be most at risk of dying out as they often reflect ideas and trends that are fleeting.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 31, 2023

A foray into the realm of Japanese ‘dead words’

Old slang and problematic terms are prime candidates when it comes to slipping out of usage and disappearing from the Japanese lexicon.
A graphic pro-Israel advert was displayed within mobile phone video games in Britain, France, Austria, Germany and Holland.
WORLD
Oct 31, 2023

Graphic pro-Israel ads displayed in children’s mobile phone games

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the video was a government-promoted ad but said they had "no idea" how it ended up inside games.
Then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang takes the oath after he was re-elected for a second term during the sixth-plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing in March 2018.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2023

Remembering Li Keqiang, who retired with a broken heart

He is best known outside of China for the Li Keqiang Index, created by The Economist to measure the nation’s economic growth.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends an extraordinary session at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2023

Prime Minister Kishida and a month of misery

The challenges Fumio Kishida faces are eroding confidence in his leadership and are likely to influence policy decision-making.
More and more children are producing content as online influencers and generating lots of money.
COMMENTARY
Oct 31, 2023

Kidfluencers are today’s version of chimney sweeps

Protecting children from labor exploitation is difficult in the age of social media.
Reporters take cover upon hearing sirens warning of an incoming rocket attack from Gaza, in the southern Israeli city of Sderot, on Oct. 23
WORLD / Politics
Oct 31, 2023

Media reporting on Israel-Hamas war face singular challenges

Lack of access to Gaza, with both the Israeli and Egyptian access points closed, is creating difficulties journalists say they have rarely seen before.
Jesse Ehrenfeld, the board chairman of the American Medical Association, in Chicago in 2019. The F.D.A. has approved many new programs that use artificial intelligence, but doctors are skeptical that the tools really improve care or are backed by solid research.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 1, 2023

Doctors wrestle with AI in patient care, citing lax oversight

Are AI programs likely to identify something a doctor would miss?
An Israeli man attends a day of prayer in the Old City of Jerusalem on Oct. 19 where attendees called for the safe return of hostages taken by Hamas militants earlier in the month. 
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2023

Israel’s own 9/11 moment

Israel needs to prepare now for when the fighting stops. Will it look to the Palestinian Authority to administer Gaza? What role will the U.N. play?

Longform

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