Tag - 2014

 
 

2014

Japan Times
SOCCER
Jan 15, 2014
Nishimura, two assistant referees picked for World Cup assignment
Referee Yuichi Nishimura and assistant referees Toru Sagara and Toshiyuki Nagi have been appointed to officiate at this summer's World Cup finals in Brazil, world soccer's governing body FIFA said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2014
Tour firms say sales of tickets for Sochi brisk
Contrary to concerns that Japanese tourists might be put off by high-priced tours to Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, tour operators say sales have been brisk.
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2014
Celebs to get shoved aside in Tokyo election
The Tokyo Metropolitan Electoral Management Committee said Friday it won't be using celebrities in its get-out-the-vote campaign for the Feb. 9 gubernatorial election, citing insufficient lead time due to the abrupt resignation of Naoki Inose last month.
EDITORIALS
Jan 8, 2014
Shaky foundation for recovery
The Japanese economy appears to be on the recovery path for now, thanks to the policy of the Abe administration, but the effects from the consumption tax rise, beginning in April, and the extra financial burden that households can expect under the fiscal 2014 draft budget do not place the recovery on a solid foundation.
EDITORIALS
Jan 8, 2014
Fee hike should boost medical care
Revenue from the average 0.1 percent increase in medical fees for the 2014 draft budget is expected to be used mainly to improve emergency medicine and pediatric and obstetrical treatment — fields where quality care has declined in some localities because of shortages of physicians.
EDITORIALS
Jan 2, 2014
Gusty head winds in 2014
2014 promises to be a year of gusty head winds for world leaders. In Japan, the pre-eminent question is whether Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will continue to rein in his most conservative instincts and focus on economic issues.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jan 1, 2014
Lucky food, charming decorations and visiting deities: welcoming the new year with history and tradition
Wearing kimono, getting together with family and friends, and not working for the first three days of a new year. Shogatsu, or New Year's, is when Japanese generally work less than the rest of the world.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jan 1, 2014
Blending old and new for New Year's
Thanks to the calendar this year, many people can have a long holiday, so many will be heading out of Tokyo on vacation. But if you're staying in the capital, there will be enough events at the beginning of the year to get you out of the house, and to help you taste the traditional and unique aspects...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2014
History overshadows present and future Japan-China relations
Can Japan and China find a way to reduce the risk of conflict, and prevent continuing hostilities that could last decades? Can they peacefully coexist in the new era when they are both great powers?
Japan Times
JAPAN / NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2014
Umami magic: Japan's dashi ingredients win global fans
From French bouillon to Chinese soup stocks, broths made from long hours of simmering are common in many cuisines. But one as abundant in umami taste as the dashi broth, made instantly from briefly soaking or heating simple ingredients like dried bonito and kelp, is uniquely Japanese.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2014
Aging Kamiyama hopes to rejuvenate with IT startups
After a long, fruitless search for a new business base, entrepreneur Tetsu Sumita found himself lured by the unique appeal of a little-known remote town in western Japan nearly two years ago.
JAPAN / NEW YEAR SPECIAL
Jan 1, 2014
Combining best of East and West diets to enhance longevity
Many people attribute longevity in Japan to the traditional Japanese diet. Yet even a balanced Japanese meal, full of health-enhancing elements such as taurine, magnesium and isoflavones, typically has two major flaws: too much salt and too little calcium, which can lead to stroke and osteoporosis.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 31, 2013
Five lessons of 2013, guaranteed to be forgotten
One important lesson from 2013 is that we should beware political pronouncements posing as economic forecasts. The U.S. economy had its biggest increase in quarterly GDP in nearly two years despite the government 'shutdown effect.'
EDITORIALS
Dec 25, 2013
Rein in government spending
The government's draft budget for fiscal 2014, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved Tuesday, reflects a lack of government will to reduce public spending and debt even as the tax burden on consumers is set to increase.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Dec 24, 2013
Debt-issuance levels point to lack of concern for debt: experts
Experts say the draft fiscal 2014 budget doesn't show that the Abe team is serious about revising the debt-driven fiscal structure as more than 40 percent of the budget will be paid for through new debt issuance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 24, 2013
Impact of bigger public works budget unclear
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's fiscal 2014 draft budget has sparked debate over whether he has significantly increased the public works budget in a major policy shift from his predecessor administrations led by the Democratic Party of Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 22, 2013
Record budget unveiled as debt burden mounts
The government and the ruling coalition agreed on a record budget for the next fiscal year, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe boosts spending on social security, defense and public works while trying to contain the growth of the world's biggest debt burden.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Dec 8, 2013
Despite shaky performance, Mao collects fourth Grand Prix Final title
Mao Asada captured a record-tying fourth Grand Prix Final victory on Saturday night despite a less-than-inspiring free skate.
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2013
Abe eyes cutting new bond issuance to ¥42 trillion in fiscal 2014
The Abe administration is considering curbing the new issuance of government bonds to around ¥42 trillion in fiscal 2014, down about ¥1 trillion from the initial state budget for the current fiscal year, due to a projected increase in tax revenues, sources said Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 7, 2013
Japan to contend with solid trio at World Cup
Japan will play Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire and Greece in a relatively even Group C at next year's World Cup finals in Brazil.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals