Tag - explainer

 
 

EXPLAINER

Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 9, 2017
Nonfatal Osprey crash in Okinawa brings safety fears to fore
The MV-22 Osprey accident last month in Okinawa rekindled concerns about the tilt-rotor aircraft, which was once known as the "widow maker" for those killed during its development.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 26, 2016
Abdication panel leans toward one-off deal after Emperor Akihito's rare video
A government panel appears ready to propose that a special temporary law be enacted to allow Emperor Akihito, 83, to abdicate, given his advanced age.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / EXPLAINER
Dec 23, 2016
Overwork deaths put spotlight on Japan's 'black companies'
The Japanese have no clear term to describe the concept of work-life balance, but they do have one to describe the notion of dying for your company: karoshi.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 19, 2016
New law to fight bias against 'burakumin' seen falling short
Overshadowed by the 11th-hour furor over casino legalization and other legislation forced through the Diet by the ruling bloc last week was the enactment of a lesser-known law that has significant implications for Japan's minority burakumin.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 5, 2016
Both pressure and perks used to coax seniors into giving up driving licenses
These days have seen frequent news reports of elderly drivers losing control of their vehicles, slamming into stores, running over pedestrians and traveling in the wrong direction on expressways.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 28, 2016
Slew of redevelopment projects give Ginza a face-lift
Tokyo's Ginza district has established itself as Japan's shopping mecca, drawing in people from all over the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 22, 2016
Overwork sanctioned by both firms and unions, with dim prospects for state intervention: expert
When the suicide of a female worker at ad giant Dentsu Inc. was recognized as karoshi, or death from overwork, many blamed a corporate culture that glorifies the "warrior" workers who sacrifice themselves for the good of the firm.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 7, 2016
From Operation Tomodachi to Hiroshima visit, exiting Obama viewed favorably in Japan
On Tuesday, the whole world will be watching as Americans choose their next president.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 31, 2016
The bright side, and dark, of Japan's university beauty contests
On Oct. 4, Keio University in Tokyo announced that a student group responsible for organizing its annual beauty pageant had been ordered to disband for conducting "dangerous acts," including forcing minors to drink.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 24, 2016
Can Spotify dent streaming-averse Japan?
Spotify's long-awaited launch last month has industry watchers wondering whether it will make a major breakthrough in altering Japan's $3 billion music industry, where 80 percent of sales still come from CDs and other physical formats.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 17, 2016
Abe-Putin summit to open door to isle row solution
When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Russian resort town of Sochi in May, they agreed on one thing: the need for a new approach to settling the dispute over four islands off Hokkaido.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 11, 2016
Toxin levels are low, but jury out on long-term risks at Toyosu market
A storm over soil pollution and corner-cutting at the site chosen to host the Toyosu wholesale food market has centered on the presence of toxins in water that could be hazardous to human health.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 3, 2016
Looming Tokyo, Fukuoka by-elections may set stage for Lower House dissolution
From Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to newly elected opposition leader Renho and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, political leaders in Japan are setting their eyes on two key by-elections slated for later this month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 26, 2016
Plan to fix day care crunch belies decades of pent-up demand
The shortage of day care facilities is a long-standing issue in Japan, where the ranks of working mothers keep swelling, both out of choice and necessity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 19, 2016
New MRJ hiccups revive manufacturing industry's jitters
The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is back in the spotlight after flights to the United States were canceled last month because of problems with the air-conditioning system.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 18, 2016
Tokyo's safety claims for Toyosu fish market cleanup getting harder to sell
On Sept. 10, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike revealed that the people in charge of the soil remediation work for the Toyosu market, the relocation site for the famed Tsukiji fish market in Chuo Ward, ignored the recommendations of outside safety experts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Sep 7, 2016
Renho nationality accusations spur debate on dual citizenship
Renho, one of the three candidates vying for the top slot in the Sept. 15 Democratic Party leadership election, has repeatedly denied speculation that she may be violating the Nationality Law by having de facto dual citizenship.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 5, 2016
English heads for elementary school in 2020 but hurdles abound
The Japanese school system's English-teaching regimen will undergo a major revamp in the near future as the government tries to nurture more worldly talent in an age of globalization.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 31, 2016
LDP weighs leader's term limits as Abe angles to stay in power
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to kick off discussions as soon as next month over whether to revise internal rules to allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to run for a third term in the next LDP presidential race to be held by September 2018.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 29, 2016
Terror financing laws limited by burden of proof
Last month it was revealed that a Bangladeshi former associate professor at Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University was wanted by police for his suspected involvement in the Dhaka terrorist attack that killed 20 people in a cafe, including seven Japanese. Mohammad Saifullah Ozaki had been teaching business administration...

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’