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Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 14, 2019

In a first, LGBT couples sue Japan over constitutionality of not recognizing same-sex marriage

“We're not demanding anything special; we just want to have a chance to stand at the same starting line in our lives,” said one plaintiff.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 9, 2019

News outlets' coverage of abuse cases can make the situation worse

In her 2017 book, "Thinking About Child Abuse,” Haru Sugiyama describes her correspondence with Yukihiro Saito, who is serving a lengthy sentence for causing the death of his 5-year-old son, Riku, in the mid-2000s through neglect. In his letters, Saito expresses regret, but also says his memories about...
Reader Mail
Feb 1, 2019

The attributes of being Japanese

Kuni Miyake's commentary "How Japanese is Naomi Osaka?" in the Jan. 28 edition is an excellent article that clearly explains some of the attributes of being a Japanese. It also shows that the language is but one part of being Japanese. I was moved by the fact that Naomi Osaka picks up her own trash....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 26, 2019

Isle dispute with Russia tied to base issues, argues author Koji Yabe

There seems to be little chance that Russia will ever give back any part of the four islands it seized from Japan at the end of World War II, but the Japanese government, as well as some mainstream media, continues to act as if the possibility exists. Prior to last week's meeting between Prime Minister...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 21, 2019

Throw out idioms left and right using ... the Japanese words for left and right!

'Hidari' (left) and 'migi' (right) are used in several well known expressions in Japanese that indicate everything from a level of skill to a propensity for spending money.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2019

Don't hijack Brexit, British trade minister warns Parliament

Parliament can't be allowed to hijack Brexit, Trade Minister Liam Fox said in a warning to lawmakers who want to take more control over Britain's departure from the European Union.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 14, 2019

Let's discuss Yusaku Maezawa's great Twitter giveaway

In the latest headline-grabbing move by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and CEO of major online fashion mall operator Zozo Inc. has announced a plan to dole out ¥1 million to 100 individuals to mark a successful New Year's sale.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 7, 2019

Tabloid mag under fire for publishing list of Japanese colleges where girls are 'easily available' for sex at drinking parties

A tabloid magazine has ignited intense backlash on social media after it published a list of colleges whose students are "easily available" for sex after drinking, underscoring what critics described as the country's systematic objectification of women.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 7, 2019

Let's discuss recycling our food waste

A Nagoya-based effort to recycle food waste gets an award — and we get a lesson on composting.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 31, 2018

Let's discuss the way we use escalators

When a train is about to depart a station, passengers hear an announcement saying, 'Please stand clear of the closing doors.'
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 26, 2018

For Nigel Farage and a Brexit pollster, a world of gamblers and gambling

Behind the luxury hotels lining London's Park Lane, just across from a service entrance, Nigel Farage stood outside a squat office building streaked with soot. Britain's famous anti-European Union campaigner was flanked by a couple of minor sports celebrities and two young women in matching dresses who...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 24, 2018

Let's discuss the U.S. base situation in Okinawa

The government on Friday pushed ahead with full-fledged land reclamation work needed to move a key U.S. air base to Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, despite stiff local resistance and legal wrangling.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2018

Unknown overseas, Garigari-kun popsicles year-round best-sellers in Japan

It's Japan's top-selling popsicle — yet still virtually unknown overseas.
EDITORIALS
Dec 13, 2018

Universal human rights declaration, 70 years on

We should celebrate 70 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but gird for still more fights to realize its objectives.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Dec 3, 2018

Let's discuss the arrest of Carlos Ghosn

The arrest of Carlos Ghosn made headlines around the world. Check out some of the vocabulary used when discussing this kind of case.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 1, 2018

Iran's global disinformation

Website Nile Net Online promises Egyptians "true news" from its offices in the heart of Cairo's Tahrir Square, "to expand the scope of freedom of expression in the Arab world."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2018

Ghosn a symptom of broken global capitalism

There hasn't been a more exciting time to be a critic of the 'greed is good' philosophy of the corporate sector led by self-centric rock-star CEOs.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2018

Breaking down the issue of wartime labor that has rocked Japan-South Korea ties

The diplomatic crisis between Seoul and Tokyo deepened further Thursday as two South Korea courts ordered two Japanese firms to pay compensation to South Korean wartime laborers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Nov 26, 2018

The kanji used for 'normal' are pretty extraordinary

In May, an article in the business magazine President cited a survey of newly hired company workers in which a majority of those recruited this year indicated they were content to 'strive for the commonplace.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Nov 26, 2018

Let's discuss the lawsuit against Tokyo Disneyland

Oriental Land Co. Ltd., the operator of Tokyo Disneyland, asked a court Tuesday to reject a suit filed by two female workers seeking damages for overwork and harassment while they were working as costumed performers at the theme park.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 21, 2018

Police harassment of Chinese environmental reporter sparks anger and apology

A Chinese environmental journalist's account of police harassment while reporting on a chemical spill has sparked widespread condemnation online and an apology from the police.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 17, 2018

More than two years after Brexit vote, U.K.'s path forward remains up in the air

To leave, or not to leave: Two and a half years since the United Kingdom voted to exit the EU, that is still the question.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 16, 2018

The high price of a two-island deal

The most basic condition for the return of Shikotan and Habomai would be for Japan to accept that the territorial dispute has been permanently resolved.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2018

More than 345,000 foreign workers predicted to come to Japan under new visas: government

Some 345,000 blue-collar foreign workers may join the workforce through the first five years of a new working visa system set to be introduced in April — if it wins Diet approval.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Nov 12, 2018

Let's discuss the system of English testing for university

Students are gearing up for some changes when it comes to studying English for university entrance exams.
Reader Mail
Nov 9, 2018

Best wishes for Empress Michiko

The article "Empress Michiko turns 84, wishes for new era of peace" in the Oct. 21 edition made me remember her speech to the International Board on Books for Young People in 1998 and led me to ponder her way of life.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
Oct 31, 2018

South Korea's ruling on wartime compensation issues may have opened Pandora's box for Seoul-Tokyo ties

A Pandora's box in terms of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Seoul may have just been opened with South Korea's top court upholding a lower court ruling Tuesday that Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. should pay about ¥40 million in compensation to four Koreans forced to work in Japan during...

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