Tag - focus

 
 

FOCUS

Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 1, 2017
Close friendship with Abe and wife fell apart after final phone call, Moritomo's Kagoike claims
Yasunori Kagoike, the former head of an Osaka-based educational institution at the center of a murky real estate deal — who claims Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife were involved in the deal — used to idolize Abe.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 30, 2017
Indoor smoking ban bill stymied by LDP resistance ahead of Olympics
Legislation planned to address passive smoking by banning lighting up in restaurants is in limbo because of strife between the health ministry and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 26, 2017
Normalizing the North Korean threat with malls and tourism at South Korean city beside the DMZ
A half-hour's drive north of Seoul, along a highway lined with barbed wire, lie two shopping malls the size of several stadiums, a stone's throw from the world's most militarized border.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 25, 2017
Wages shape up as key to Abenomics and the future of Abe himself
To shore up his ailing administration, Shinzo Abe is vowing to focus on the economy. But instead of unleashing yet more stimulus, analysts say the prime minister needs to take a hammer to an old chestnut: moribund wage growth.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 24, 2017
South Korean travelers push number of overseas visitors to Japan up to a record
The surge of foreign visitors to Japan in the first half of this year, which hit a record 13.76 million, is attributable mainly to a rise in South Korean tourists, particularly those arriving on low-cost carriers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jul 21, 2017
Another BOJ term for Kuroda in doubt as experts now see 2% inflation target as unattainable
The Bank of Japan's latest delay in reaching its 2 percent inflation target despite more than four years of aggressive monetary easing has cast a shadow over Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda's chances at a new term.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jul 19, 2017
A year on, Sagamihara massacre trial start still faces hurdles
About a year has passed since the fatal stabbings of 19 residents with developmental disabilities at a facility in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, killed at the hands of a former care worker who spoke of euthanizing the disabled.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jul 19, 2017
Curbing Japan's illicit teen dating services 'a cat-and-mouse game,' police say
In early January at about 8 p.m., a 17-year-old who works at Naniwa de Sanpo (A Walk in Naniwa) in Osaka's Namba district stands outside a convenience store with a luxury bag slung across her shoulder.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 18, 2017
Treaty ban on threatening to use nukes puts Japan in difficult position
The inclusion of a phrase outlawing the threat of using nuclear arms in the world's first-ever treaty to ban such weapons gives the accord teeth — but also makes it harder for allies of nuclear-armed countries to support the pact.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2017
Moon's moral code leaves South Korean Cabinet bare as nominees are stalled
In his campaign to become South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in touted his credentials as a human-rights lawyer and pledged to enforce a strict moral code in picking his top officials.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 10, 2017
Hello Hong Kong: China's army turns on charm with weekend shows
From 700 sailors spelling out "Hello Hong Kong" on the deck to youthful soldiers singing about iPads and smartphones, China's People's Liberation Army used the first port call in Hong Kong by its aircraft carrier to turn on the charm.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 9, 2017
As G-20 splits on key issues, Japan faces delicate balancing act
The split among the Group of 20 economies at their weekend summit in Germany demonstrates that Japan must carefully position itself amid the changing dynamics of the diverse club.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jul 7, 2017
Japan's child poverty rate eases, but strong public support still needed
Japan's child poverty rate has improved amid a steady economic recovery, but experts say continuing support is vital to prevent social exclusion.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 6, 2017
Trump-Putin talks raise fears ex-spymaster to get upper hand
Donald Trump's encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin is raising concern among veteran American diplomats and analysts about a mismatch between a U.S. president new to global affairs and a wily former Soviet spymaster experienced in the long game of strategy and statecraft.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 4, 2017
Success of Koike's Tomin First echoes Ishin no Kai movement
A popular, media-savvy figure originally from the Kansai region wins the governorship by running as a reformer, then forming a political party to take on the Liberal Democratic Party in the local assembly election. Upon winning a plurality of votes, the party teams up with Komeito to form a majority,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 3, 2017
Despite loss, shogi prodigy Sota Fujii has revived the game’s fortunes
Sota Fujii, 14, whose quest to claim the all-time record for consecutive wins in shogi generated nationwide suspense over the past few weeks, saw his record win streak snapped Sunday at 29 matches.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jun 28, 2017
Japan's drive for yen as international currency faces stiff competition from China
The yen may face a test of confidence as Tokyo aims to boost the currency's presence abroad at a time when China has been eclipsing Japan's clout on the world stage.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 26, 2017
Takata's future costs still unclear even after bankruptcy
While Takata Corp.'s bankruptcy filing appears to have it on course to someday regain financial stability, questions remain about the turnaround as the company still faces potential additional costs from recalls and litigation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 25, 2017
Abe prods LDP to speed up work on charter as approval ratings sink
In an apparent bid to draw attention to his pet project while his popularity tumbles, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has increased pressure on his ruling Liberal Democratic Party to speed up work on revising the Constitution.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jun 25, 2017
More blood but no victory as Philippines' Duterte-led drug war marks its first year
Launched a year ago, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs has resulted in thousands of deaths, yet the street price of crystal methamphetamine in Manila has fallen and surveys show Filipinos are as anxious as ever about crime.

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'