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jp0000524
[ "national" ]
2015/07/19
The cafes play jazz deep in the heart of Kyoto
Last month, it was announced the number of visitors to Kyoto in 2014 (including day trippers) topped 55 million people, a 7.8 percent increase over 2013. The total number of foreign visitors who spent at least one night was 1.83 million, a whopping 62 percent increase over 2013. In addition, Travel + Leisure magazine n...
kyoto;tourism
jp0000526
[ "national", "science-health" ]
2015/07/19
Tokyo hospitals to add five foreign doctors for expats
The government will allow five non-Japanese doctors to practice at four hospitals in Tokyo from around December. Their patients will be limited to non-Japanese who agree to pay full costs themselves. The move, proposed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and approved by the central government on June 29, is part of a ...
tokyo;tokyo 2020;doctors;st. luke 's international hospital;special zone
jp0000527
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/07/26
Hashimoto's proposed Kansai-centric party no easy sell in region, where rivalries limit appeal
OSAKA - No stranger to making headlines and raising eyebrows in politics, the fiery Toru Hashimoto did it again on July 4. The Osaka mayor, leader of the Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) local lawmaker group and founder of the whole Ishin movement told nearly 100 members of Osaka Ishin at a closed meeting: “I’m always re...
toru hashimoto;osaka;japan innovation party;ishin
jp0000528
[ "national" ]
2015/07/07
Ebisu or Yebisu: Either way, it's the beer that beckons in Tokyo neighborhood
With the long rainy season almost over, real summer is just around the corner. And after a hot sunny day, it’s time for a cold beer. Whether at a festival, to celebrate an important event, or just to close the day, a glass of Yebisu beer might perfect for the occasion. Although times have changed, Ebisu, the Tokyo dist...
beer;yebisu;at a glance;ebisu
jp0000529
[ "reference" ]
2015/07/06
Signs seen of road widening for futuristic mobility
Japan is about to take a step into the future of personal mobility by easing government regulations so that Segways and similar vehicles can be driven on public thoroughfares. Once the rules ease, which is expected in a week or so, people might see more gyroscope-based devices become part of the daily traffic scene. Le...
transportation;winglet;segway;uni-cub
jp0000530
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/07/24
Japan seen seeking U.K. help to best German bid for Aussie sub deal
A Japanese government team is in talks with at least two top British firms to help a Japanese consortium land one of the world’s most lucrative defense contracts, sources in Tokyo said, a $50 billion project to build submarines for Australia. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp (TKMS), a rival bidder, is wooing anxious members of P...
france;australia;britain;germany;submarines;japan;mhi;bae;khi;babcock
jp0000531
[ "national" ]
2015/07/23
January-June visitors from abroad rise to record 9.14 million
A record 9.14 million foreigners are estimated to have visited Japan from January to June this year, a 46 percent increase from the same period in 2014, as the country continued to attract tourists from China, Taiwan and elsewhere, government data showed Wednesday. The surge in foreign passenger arrivals, which greatly...
china;taiwan;south korea;foreign visitors;jnto
jp0000532
[ "national" ]
2015/07/14
People spending more time surfing the Web, less time watching TV
The TV has long been the dominant media source in Japan, but people here, especially younger ones, are now apparently opting to spend more time online instead, according to a recent survey by NHK. The latest survey on people’s attitudes toward TV, which is conducted every five years by NHK Broadcasting Culture Research...
internet;survey;nhk;tvs
jp0000533
[ "business" ]
2015/07/25
America still rules the world of Japan's theme parks
On July 15, Universal Studios Japan celebrated the first anniversary of its Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, which lets visitors “experience” flying with the famous boy wizard using 4K-resolution 3-D imagery. According to the Asahi Shimbun, the theme park’s management expected the new ride to increase...
tokyo;osaka;disney;usj;theme parks
jp0000535
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/09/05
Alaska woman steals police car with husband handcuffed on back seat
JUNEAU, ALASKA - An Alaska woman accused of stealing a police car with her husband handcuffed in the back seat faces several charges including theft and hindering prosecution, troopers said Friday. The woman slipped into the patrol car on Wednesday and drove off while a state trooper was engaged with a passing motorist...
u.s .;police;alcohol;theft;marriage;alaska
jp0000536
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/09/05
Gang split may end with a whimper, not a bang
A detective who specialized in organized crime once told me a dark joke: What type of crime occurs when a member of the yakuza kills another gangster? Answer: destruction of property. The joke perhaps reflects an unwritten premise of law enforcement in Japan: as long as gangs confine their conflict to other gangs, it’s...
kobe;yamaguchi-gumi;yakuza;organized crime;nagoya;kodo-kai;yamaken-gumi;kenichi shinoda
jp0000537
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/09/05
Accord reached with French Indo-China; Tepco reveals atomic power generation plans; Tokyo civil servants get reusable chopsticks
100 YEARS AGO Wednesday, Sept. 22 1915 War creates dividends for shipping company The Toyo Kisen Kaisha has to be congratulated on the prosperity of its business brought about by the war. The company, which had long been in straitened financial circumstances, is now able to declare a dividend of 12 percent on new share...
nuclear power;tepco;toyo kisen kaisha
jp0000538
[ "national" ]
2015/09/02
Sano stands by Olympics logo, denies plagiarism, retracts design 'to protect family, staff'
Kenjiro Sano, whose logo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was scrapped Tuesday, stood by his design but said he decided to retract the logo because he felt his design did not have the support of the public and was marring the image of the Tokyo Olympics. “I swear my design did not involve copies or plagiarism,” Sano, 43, sa...
2020 tokyo olympics;tokyo olympics emblem;kenjiro sano;logo
jp0000539
[ "national" ]
2015/09/02
Japan no stranger to emblem, logo controversies
Incidents related to official emblems for public institutions and events in Japan, like Tuesday’s retraction of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo, are nothing new. In the case of Expo ’70 held in Osaka, the selection committee chose a design from 48 applications in 1966, but the decision was retracted after objections were ...
tokorozawa;eikichi yazawa;logo;expo '70
jp0000541
[ "national" ]
2015/09/20
Nearly 70% of Japan Inc. unready to safeguard nation's new ID numbers
Most of the nation’s companies are struggling to find a way to securely store My Number — the new 12-digit social security key that will be used to access everyone’s income tax and bank account information starting next year. The search for security is making life especially difficult for small and midsize firms, which...
security;my number;cyberattack;companies
jp0000542
[ "national" ]
2015/09/27
Will bureaucrats stymie Kyoto's bid to lure central government bodies out of Tokyo?
KYOTO - Every decade or so, it seems talk arises in Japan about relocating the functions of the central government outside the capital. The reasons given are economic (it’s cheaper outside Tokyo and hosting a government agency will improve the local economy), cultural (Japan is too Tokyo-centric and relocations will re...
kyoto;government;cultural affairs agency
jp0000543
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/09/27
For Hashimoto, much at stake in name of new national party
OSAKA - What’s in a name? If you’re Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and trying to form a new national party that will represent the region but could also become a powerful political player on issues of interest to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pretty much everything. On Oct. 1, Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) co-founders ...
shinzo abe;toru hashimoto;osaka;ldp;ichiro matsui;ishin no to
jp0000544
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/09/29
Dating apps fire back at billboards linking them STD spread
LOS ANGELES - An AIDS health care group is defending an ad campaign in Los Angeles that links popular dating apps with the spread of sexual transmitted diseases. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation targets Tinder, a location-based dating app, and Grindr, a similar site for gay men, in billboards and bus benches that are aim...
u.s .;internet;sexuality;diseases;offbeat
jp0000545
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/09/29
U.S.-Japan environmental agreement on U.S. bases flawed, experts say
A newly signed agreement between Tokyo and Washington allowing Japanese officials access to U.S. military bases in Japan to conduct environmental surveys has flaws, experts said, questioning its effectiveness due to vague wording in the bilateral documents. The accord, signed between Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and ...
okinawa;fumio kishida;u.s. military bases;sofa;u.s.-japan relations
jp0000546
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/09/29
Japan, U.S. sign new environment pact allowing municipal checks at U.S. military bases
WASHINGTON - Japan and the United States on Monday signed a new pact allowing local officials to enter U.S. military bases in Japan to conduct environmental surveys. Under the accord, the U.S. can also give permission for Japan to conduct soil and other relevant surveys about seven months prior to the expected return t...
fumio kishida;u.s. bases;environment;sofa;ash carter
jp0000547
[ "reference" ]
2015/09/28
Home-sharing services on the rise in Japan as owners cash in on tourist boom
For foreign tourists to Japan, staying at traditional ryokan inns is a popular way to enjoy their trips, but home-sharing services are growing as an alternative form of accommodation. Legally speaking, some home-sharing services fall in a gray zone because existing accommodation rules were drafted before such services ...
tourism;airbnb;home-sharing;accommodation;tomarina
jp0000548
[ "national", "science-health" ]
2015/09/19
How grandma drives human evolution
Speak to professionals from various disciplines and you will notice something funny: Even when they are off duty, they tend to view the world through the lens of their professional background. For example, a psychiatrist at a dinner party might pause to think a bit about the possible neuroses of the guests. A police of...
evolution;behavior;mating;grandmothers
jp0000549
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/09/19
Government's affinity to the universe, religion
Supposing we think of the universe this way: there is Heaven and there is Earth; nothing else — no other worlds, no gods. “Heaven” is roughly analogous to what we moderns call “Nature.” Heaven’s laws, however, unlike Nature’s, are moral, not physical. Two substances pervade this universe: ki and ri . Ki, roughly, is ma...
religion;politics;motoori norinaga;government;arai hakuseki;ogyu sorai
jp0000550
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/09/26
Inevitable looming consumption tax hike keeps the LDP awake at night
A funny thing happened on the way to the consumption tax hike. The government, it appears, has lost its nerve. Several years ago when the Liberal Democratic Party, with the urging of the Finance Ministry, adopted the previous ruling party’s plan to increase the tax from 5 to 10 percent in two stages, it sounded like bo...
tax;liberal democratic party;finance ministry;my number;consumption tax;komeito;tax rebates;retailing
jp0000551
[ "reference" ]
2015/09/26
The ups and downs of water taps
D ear Alice, Do you take plumbing questions? I ask because there is something very quirky about the faucets in the house I rent here in Japan. They are the type that mix the hot and cold water, and are controlled by a single lever. In the kitchen, you lift the handle to start the flow of water, which I consider the nor...
water taps;faucets
jp0000552
[ "reference" ]
2015/09/21
Increase in natural disasters causes fire insurance premium hike in October
In response to a number of large-scale natural disasters in recent years, which some experts attribute to climate change, there will be a hike in fire insurance premiums from October. The move comes after the General Insurance Rating Organization of Japan (GIROJ), a nonprofit body of nonlife insurance companies, decide...
disasters;insurance
jp0000555
[ "asia-pacific", "offbeat-asia-pacific" ]
2015/09/09
Chinese 'princess' farmer guilty of fraud
BEIJING - A farmer who pretended to be a princess descended from the Qing dynasty to swindle people out of more than 2 million yuan ($315,000) has been sentenced to 13½ years in prison for fraud, a court said. Wang Fengying and her co-accused Yang Janglin said she was called “Princess Changping” and persuaded people to...
china;courts;theft;offbeat
jp0000556
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/09/08
Chance photograph launches Tajik gardener into local fame
DUSHANBE - A city gardens worker in the capital of Tajikistan has become a local celebrity through a chance picture taken by a visiting Romanian photographer. Internet and local TV reports about 19-year-old Munira Mirzoyeva’s inclusion in the Atlas of Beauty — an online compendium of the diversity of feminine beauty ar...
media;women;offbeat;tajikistan
jp0000557
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/09/01
3,000 Philly Naked Bike Riders photo-bomb wedding shoot
PHILADELPHIA - Here comes the bride all dressed in white. And, don’t look now, but here come thousands of bicyclists not dressed in anything. Nude and body-painted participants from this year’s Philly Naked Bike Ride cruised through the wedding day photo shoot of lovebirds Ross Cohen and Blair Delson. The couple, who g...
u.s .;marriage;offbeat;stunts
jp0000558
[ "national" ]
2015/09/01
Disappointment, anger over Olympic logo 'embarrassment'
Many people reacted with disappointment and anger after the logo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was scrapped amid accusations of plagiarism. “It is an embarrassment of Japan to have caused such a stir. The emblem should be remade from scratch,” said Norihiro Murakami, 47, of Sapporo, which hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics....
tokyo 2020;2020 olympics;2020 tokyo olympics;tokyo olympics emblem;kenjiro sano
jp0000559
[ "national" ]
2015/09/01
Tateishi outwardly nondescript but grilled fare, comraderie offer inner glow
About 30 people young and old make a line in front of a small izakaya pub that offers grilled innards at 2 p.m. on a weekday in the Tateishi district of Katsushika Ward, Tokyo — an odd sight perhaps for first-timers, but a daily one for regulars. At a glance, Uchida may seem like an old izakaya in a shabby shopping arc...
izakaya;tateishi;katsushika;uchida;sushi masa
jp0000560
[ "national" ]
2015/09/01
Contested Tokyo 2020 Olympic logo scrapped amid plagiarism claim
In another humiliating reversal over preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the organizing committee on Tuesday scrapped the official logo after critics howled plagiarism. The committee said it would immediately launch a competition to design a new logo but underscored that it did not decide to pull the first emblem...
tokyo 2020;emblem;kenjiro sano;logo;olivier debie
jp0000561
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/09/06
Dog lost in Yellowstone National Park found 42 days later
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING - Yellowstone National Park is known for its wildlife, including bears and wolves. But for six weeks, one animal that roamed the park didn’t belong there. An Australian shepherd named Jade was found in the Canyon area Friday, 42 days after she went missing. “She’s skin and bones, but ...
animals;pets
jp0000563
[ "national" ]
2015/09/24
Hashimoto gets typically Trump on protests
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto is many things to many people, but nobody doubts his skill in the art of provocation. “There are 100 million voters in Japan,” he said recently. “What percent of them are protesting in front of the Diet? The number is insignificant. I’m not denying their right to protest. But it’s wrong for t...
toru hashimoto;security;protests;sealds
jp0000564
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/09/15
Security bills won't allow for Hormuz minesweeping, Abe says
The administration does not view minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz as one of the possible actions that the Self-Defense Forces would carry out if the national security bills are enacted, according to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “Considering the current international circumstances, we are not expecting that...
shinzo abe;self defense forces;miitary;minesweeping;strait of hormuz;security bills
jp0000565
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/09/12
Japan's treasury hopes flat-rate beer tax will drive drinkers to maltier fare and pad coffers
It’s not clear if the writer of an article that appeared on the English-language website of the Asahi Shimbun recently got his own joke, but by saying that the Finance Ministry is “creating a buzz” by proposing to lower the alcohol tax on beer, he got to the heart of the matter. The government hopes that more people wi...
taxes;retailers;supermarkets;drinking
jp0000566
[ "national" ]
2015/09/14
Stores fire up their networks to quickly send aid to flood areas
Following torrential rain that triggered massive flooding in the northeast and led to the evacuation of thousands of people, major retailers and convenience store operators rushed to deliver supplies for those affected by the disaster. When news broke Thursday that the collapse of the banks of the Kinugawa River caused...
tochigi;aeon;floods;ibaraki;lawson;heavy rain;family mart;joso
jp0000567
[ "reference" ]
2015/09/25
Detecting breast cancer is not an exact science
Former professional wrestler-turned TV personality Akira Hokuto, 48, made headlines this week when she announced on Wednesday she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove her right breast on Thursday. Hokuto revealed in her blog that the diagnosis came as a shock to her, as she had undergone mam...
cancer;akira hokuto;breats;mammography
jp0000569
[ "national" ]
2015/08/04
IOC chief Bach welcomes Sapporo as potential 2026 Winter Olympics host
KUALA LUMPUR - International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach on Monday welcomed Sapporo’s potential bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics and played down Japanese concerns that the city will be at a disadvantage given that East Asia already has the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games. Asked whether the IOC thought the Games ...
sapporo;ioc;thomas bach;2026 winter olympics
jp0000570
[ "national" ]
2015/08/04
Escape Tokyo's baking heat with a cool trek up Mount Takao
Mount Takao, located in Hachioji about an hour west of central Tokyo by train, is a popular destination for day-tripping hikers. It is surprising to know about 1,600 species of plants live on the not-so-high 599-meter mountain. They account for about 30 percent of all plant species in the country, according to the moun...
tourism;mount takao
jp0000571
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/02
Texas man shoots armadillo, gets hit in face by bullet ricochet
DALLAS - An East Texas man was wounded after he fired a gun at an armadillo in his yard and the bullet ricocheted back to hit him in his face, the county sheriff said Friday. Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe said the man, who was not identified, went outside his home in Marietta, southwest of Texarkana, at around 3 a.m. ...
guns;u.s .;accidents;animals;offbeat
jp0000573
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/27
California man bitten by rattlesnake he picked up for photo: local media
LOS ANGELES - A Southern California man who picked up a rattlesnake to pose for a photograph was badly hurt when the reptile bit him on the hand, a Los Angeles television station reported. Alex Gomez, 36, was bitten on Monday by the 4-foot (1.2-meter) rattler in a field at his family’s ranch in Lake Elsinore, a communi...
u.s .;accidents;california;animals;offbeat
jp0000574
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/29
Air guitarists strum it out for world title: Russian wins, reigning Japanese champion slips
OULU, FINLAND - In a sweaty, dark clubhouse in northern Finland, people were jerking, jumping and screaming into the early hours Friday while moving their fingers with precision through the air. To the sound of blasting rock music, they were battling it out for a spot in the final of a competition that is now in its 20...
music;finland;offbeat
jp0000575
[ "reference" ]
2015/08/10
Photochemical smog creeps back on hot, still days
As searing hot days continue this summer, heatstroke and heat exhaustion have sent record numbers of people to hospitals. Drink lots of water, stay indoors and use air-conditioning, doctors say. But if you have irritated eyes or a sore throat, or feel dizzy or nauseated after being outside on a hot, windless day, you m...
pm2.5;photochemical smog
jp0000576
[ "reference" ]
2015/08/31
No exit in sight from Futenma quagmire, where local resentment is deep
In early August, it appeared Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga might use his authority to cancel permission for the central government’s landfill work on a U.S. facility in Henoko, where personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma are supposed to be relocated. Before Onaga could make a formal announcement, Chief ...
okinawa;henoko;u.s. military base;u.s.-japan relations
jp0000577
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/30
Naked, body-painted bicyclists ride through Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - Thousands of bicyclists in various stages of undress pedaled their way around Philadelphia to promote fuel conservation and positive body image. The Philly Naked Bike Ride on Saturday featured people sporting masks, underwear, body paint, glitter or nothing at all. A lot of riders wore just their shoes. ...
transportation;climate;u.s .;emissions;conservation
jp0000578
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/30
Sales of unearthed Atari games total more than $100,000
ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO - A cache of Atari game cartridges dug up in a New Mexico landfill last year has generated more than $100,000 in sales over the last several months. The April 2014 dig ended speculation surrounding an urban legend that Atari had discarded hundreds of games, including “E.T. The Extraterrestrial,” ...
film;games;computers
jp0000579
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/08/08
Japan's elderly boomers squeezed to pay more as care facilities struggle
Japan suffers from a shortage of nursing care facilities for the elderly, despite the fact that demand is rising rapidly as the boomer generation enters its dotage. The shortage is particularly acute in Tokyo, where local governments are trying to ship poorer old people off to the countryside because there is no room f...
retirement;old age
jp0000580
[ "world" ]
2015/08/01
Bin Laden relatives reportedly killed in British plane crash
LONDON - A private jet crashed in southern England on Friday, killing four people on board, a spokesman for the Hampshire police service said, and Saudi and British media said the passengers were relatives of deceased al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. A spokeswoman for the British police said: “There were no survivors, ...
u.s .;terrorism;italy;saudi arabia;osama bin laden;england;milan
jp0000581
[ "world", "offbeat-world" ]
2015/08/01
164 skydivers in formation smash world record above Illinois
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS - Traveling at speeds of up to 240 mph (almost 400 kph), 164 skydivers flying head-down built the largest ever vertical skydiving formation Friday over central Illinois, smashing the previous record. It took the international team 13 attempts to beat the 2012 mark set by 138 skydivers. The formation, r...
u.s .;illinois;sport;skydiver
jp0000582
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/08/01
Crime report suggests the yakuza are evolving
It appears the National Police Agency is serious about cracking down on organized crime. The annual White Paper on Crime, published this year on July 24, created its first separate section on organized crime since 2008 — the same year law enforcement officials acknowledged that organized crime had moved so far into the...
yamaguchi-gumi;yakuza;fraud;national police agency;extortion;white paper on crime
jp0000583
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/08/01
Steamer races German submarine; suspected foreign spies arrested; Indoor angling curbs urged; Tokyo regrets Iraq invasion of Kuwait
100 YEARS AGO Friday, Aug. 13, 1915 Steamer races German submarine near France On the morning of July 1, the N.Y.K.S. Kitano Maru, having passed the Straits of Gibraltar, was steaming across the Bay of Biscay toward the English Channel. The vessel was making 11.5 knots, and was about to enter the channel when a German ...
iraq;espionage;fishing;iraq war
jp0000584
[ "business" ]
2015/08/06
Smart absolutions: Send off your sins with just one click
Advances in technology have enabled us to converse with anyone, anywhere, and globally distribute information — and unlimited cat pictures! — in the blink of an eye. Now, thanks to an online service from National Depart’s Kitokami , we can be rid of our sins with a click of a button. Kitokami users have two options. Sm...
smartphones;apps;shinto;kojiki;japan pulse;ooharae
jp0000585
[ "business", "tech" ]
2015/08/06
Line's AI program captures hearts with lifelike personality
An artificial intelligence program posing as a sweet and innocent schoolgirl has captured the hearts of young men nationwide, with some smitten users even declaring their love for their new “girlfriend.” In an echo of the 2013 movie “Her,” in which a man falls in love with his smartphone’s talking operating system, the...
smartphones;microsoft;apps;line;artificial intelligence;ai;rinna
jp0000586
[ "reference" ]
2015/08/24
Japan backs next-generation 8K technology ahead of 2020 Games
Besides its main focus on competitive sports, the Olympics also offer an opportunity to boost the host nation’s technology. Back in 1964 when Tokyo hosted its first Summer Games, color-TV sets were growing in popularity and eventually became a standard fixture in Japanese homes. Now as the nation gets ready to host the...
television;broadcasting;2020 tokyo olympics;8k
jp0000587
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/08/23
Chinese shoppers keep Japan's tills ringing
According to the English-language Japan news site RocketNews 24, a few weeks ago two families got into a fight at a large retail outlet in Kobe over disposable diapers. Both families had come to the store when it opened in order to buy as many diapers as they could, only to discover that the store had already sold out....
china;tourism;china-japan relations;department stores;retailers;shopping
jp0000588
[ "national" ]
2015/08/23
As Hashimoto's reign nears end, a divisive legacy remains
OSAKA - Assuming he does not once again change his mind and seek re-election, the curtain on Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s local political career falls on Nov. 22, when voters elect a new mayor and governor. The two local races are, first and foremost, a test of whether the Hashimoto-led “Ishin” movement has the capacit...
toru hashimoto;osaka;ishin
jp0000589
[ "national" ]
2015/08/23
Top-heavy, nuke-clinging Kepco faces liberated electricity market
OSAKA - News that 7-Eleven stores in the Kansai region will trade Kansai Electric Power Co.’s electricity in favor of cheaper electricity from Tokyo Electric Power Co. has locals wondering if Kepco’s six-decade monopoly over Kansai’s electricity supply might be ending. From October, about 1,000 Seven-Eleven Japan Co. L...
tepco;kepco;kansai;electricity;seven-eleven
jp0000590
[ "national", "science-health" ]
2015/08/15
Psychology is where real radiation risks lie
Misinformation breeds discrimination. As if it wasn’t enough to experience the trauma of a nuclear bomb, many hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) also faced appalling discrimination. It appears their children and grandchildren still do — as do those who were caught up in the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear disaster in 2011. Prob...
wwii;nagasaki;hiroshima;discrimination;hibakusha;atomic bombings
jp0000591
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/08/15
The fraught debate over science and divinity
Truth is a sordid business. It brings nations down to earth, cuts people down to size. Why honor it, therefore? Why esteem it above myth, which does the opposite, raising nations to the gods and turning ordinary, unremarkable people into subjects of divine rulers? Japan, the ancient chronicles tell us, is “the land of ...
religion;divinity;emporer
jp0000593
[ "national", "politics-diplomacy" ]
2015/08/13
Five ex-prime ministers rap Abe over his push for security bills
Five former prime ministers harshly criticized current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over his push for security bills that would greatly expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces overseas, according to their statements collected by a group of former journalists. The group of about 50 former reporters for newspaper publish...
shinzo abe;constitution;opposition;security bills;ex-prime ministers
jp0000594
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/01/03
The biggest terrorism threat in Japan
Remember how the government said Japan needed a state secrets law to protect it from acts of terrorism? Which is more dangerous: a government bureaucrat, a journalist or a worker in a nuclear power plant that may be crazy or a criminal? Answer: anyone but the nuclear power plant worker. The Japan Federation of Bar Asso...
nuclear energy;state secrets law
jp0000595
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/01/03
Debate over WW1 role; 21 Nazis snatched off Yokohama; new Red China policy adopted; Nagasaki mayor shot
100 YEARS AGO Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1915 Debate over role in European conflict Amid many rumors and arguments about Japanese participation in the European war, two things are certain — namely, that Great Britain does not like it, and that Japan is ready to participate the moment its ally requests it. German diplomacy is do...
china;nagasaki;germany;communism;world war i;eisaku sato;hitoshi motoshima
jp0000596
[ "asia-pacific", "offbeat-asia-pacific" ]
2015/01/04
Sexy China TV drama busted, returns to air more sedate
BEIJING - A Chinese television drama that was pulled off the air after the female characters appeared on screen showing cleavage has returned to the screen, though this time showing only the actresses’ heads, state news agency Xinhua said on Saturday. The drama, “The Empress of China” also known as the “Saga of Wu Zeti...
china;television;scandals
jp0000599
[ "world", "politics-diplomacy-world" ]
2015/01/05
Obama to travel to drum up policy support as Republicans take over Congress
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama plans to travel around the U.S. as the newly Republican-controlled Congress arrives in Washington, promoting his policies from easing immigration rules to boosting the economy through spending on infrastructure. The president will begin a three-state swing on Wednesday in Detroit, th...
barack obama;congress;immigration;health care;republicans;policies
jp0000600
[ "national" ]
2015/01/18
Stealth tech no given in Japanese sub deal
Retired Vice Admiral Masao Kobayashi commanded Japan’s submarine fleet from 2007 to 2009. In a recent interview in Tokyo with The Japan Times, when asked to explain one of the country’s most tightly guarded military secrets, he seemed reflective. Kobayashi pointed to the ceiling lights in the quiet interview room and s...
submarines;australia-japan relations
jp0000604
[ "national" ]
2015/01/17
Reflections on the Kobe quake two decades on
This year, thousands of Japanese around the country celebrated Coming-of-Age Day. In Kobe, however, the occasion was especially poignant, as those who will turn 20 this year were just days old or, most likely, born after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of Jan. 17, 1995. The first generation of adults who never exper...
kobe;kobe quake;great hanshin-awaji earthquake
jp0000607
[ "national" ]
2015/01/26
Entrepreneur's pet protection center takes shape in Iwate
Ayumi Tanaka is crazy about pets. Ever since she was a child, she has pondered the problem of the thousands of stray dogs and cats that get put down every year and has wondered how she might help to save them. Last spring, she purchased around 40 hectares of land in Takizawa, Iwate Prefecture, and set about building Pe...
iwate prefecture;pets;dogs;cats
jp0000608
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/01/31
Crime and punishment: Abe's Mideast crisis
In general, crime prevention is a good thing — it helps stop crime. By punishing people for minor transgressions, you stop them from committing larger misdemeanors and discourage crime overall. If the principle is applied blindly, however, it can produce some awkward results. Tokyo police raided the home of journalist ...
shinzo abe;haruna yukawa;kenji goto;is hostage crisis;kosuke tsuneoka
jp0000609
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/01/31
German prisoners 'fare better than Russians'; Emperor urges cooperation; Sato promotes peace; Gorbachev accepts multiparty system
100 YEARS AGO Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1915 German prisoners ‘fare better than Russians’ The German prisoners of war in Japan fare far better than the Russian ones did 10 years ago, says a high officer of the Army, and that is largely due to the decisions of the Hague Conference to pay their salaries on top of other allowanc...
russia;germany;vietnam war;mikhail gorbachev;world war i;eisaku sato
jp0000613
[ "world" ]
2015/01/24
U.S. says it's not clear after Cuba talks if new reform-promotion policy will work
HAVANA - The highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Cuba in more than three decades said Friday that two days of talks on re-establishing full diplomatic relations had left her with no sense of whether the new U.S. policy of engagement would achieve its goal of generating reforms that benefit the Cuban people. The Obam...
u.s .;barack obama;rights;cuba;reforms;normalization talks;policies
jp0000615
[ "national", "crime-legal" ]
2015/01/13
Mizuho Bank ex-employee arrested for illegally withdrawing ¥12 million in elderly depositor's cash
YOKOHAMA - A former Mizuho Bank employee was arrested Monday for allegedly drawing at least ¥12 million illegally from a customer’s deposits and spending lavishly on bars and night clubs, police said. Shinya Takagawa, 46, who was at the bank’s branch office in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, was already fired in Decem...
fraud;banks;mizuho bank
jp0000618
[ "business", "corporate-business" ]
2015/06/04
Sharp to trim base salaries as much as 2%, seek early retirement
OSAKA - Struggling electronics firm Sharp Corp. plans to cut base salaries by 1 to 2 percent from August through March next year in a cost-cutting effort to return to profitability, sources close to the matter say. The plan, which its labor union has been informed of, comes after Sharp fell into the red again in the bu...
electronics;job cuts;restructuring;shapr
jp0000619
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/06/04
Bra-maker's Cinderella Taxis aim to deliver the perfect fit
If you’re sick of waiting for your pumpkin to turn into a carriage, hail a Cinderella Taxi to get a little extra bibbidi-bobbidi-boo in your life. Coming to Tokyo in June and Osaka in July, this special taxi offers riders bra fittings and makeover services to spread the magic of lingerie-maker Wacoal and its Cinderella...
beauty;wacoal;taxis;make-up;japan pulse
jp0000620
[ "business" ]
2015/06/05
India's blocking imports of U.S. poultry, eggs is unfair, WTO rules
WASHINGTON - The World Trade Organization has upheld a ruling that India is unfairly blocking imports of U.S. poultry and eggs. The Obama administration called the decision a major victory that should greatly expand export opportunities for American farmers. The ruling announced Thursday by the Geneva-based WTO’s appel...
barack obama;tpp;wto;imports;eggs;u.s. poultry;tom vilsack
jp0000621
[ "national" ]
2015/06/02
Shibamata offers a step back into a Tora-san time warp
Tokyo’s Shibamata district has preserved much of its townscape, which is reminiscent of old downtown Tokyo. The Katsushika Ward district located in the eastern-most part of Tokyo, a 20-minute train ride from Asakusa Station on the Keisei Line, is perhaps best known as the hometown of Torajiro Kuruma, the hero of the “O...
shibamata;otoko wa tsuraiyo;kiyoshi astumi;shibamata taishakuten
jp0000622
[ "national", "science-health" ]
2015/06/20
Medaka: the fish that helps us understand gender
The diminutive medaka (Japanese rice fish) have been kept as pets since the Edo Period (1603-1868). They are hardy animals, an important quality for a pet, and they naturally occur in a variety of colors, including gold. They have distinctive, some say attractive, eyes (for a fish) — indeed, medaka in Japanese means “w...
gender;reproduction;medaka
jp0000624
[ "national" ]
2015/06/20
Abe and Hashimoto's political dance will have to avoid stepping on any toes
One month after Osaka voters said no, just barely, to his pet project of fundamentally restructuring the municipal government, Mayor Toru Hashimoto finds himself courted by an increasingly anxious Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who hopes to borrow whatever is left of Hashimoto’s influence in the Japan Innovation Party, and...
shinzo abe;toru hashimoto;komeito
jp0000625
[ "business" ]
2015/06/27
Home electronics market loses its spark
On May 25, Yamada Denki Co., the largest home electronics retailer in Japan, announced that it would be closing 46 outlets. Given that the stores had been losing money for at least a year and Yamada operates more than 1,000, the announcement wasn’t surprising, though the swiftness of its actions was. The targeted store...
yamada denki;home electronics
jp0000626
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/06/29
Value of household assets inflates to ¥1.708 quadrillion, thanks to BOJ strategy
Financial assets held by Japanese households came to a record high of ¥1.708 quadrillion at the end of March, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier, as a weak yen and rising share prices boosted their value, the Bank of Japan said Monday. The key stock index has risen to 18-year highs on robust earnings while the yen’s fa...
yen;stocks;investments;assets
jp0000627
[ "reference" ]
2015/06/29
Law gets serious about cycling safety
Bicycle use is growing along with greater public awareness of health and environmental issues, with cities around the country beginning to rent them out to visitors who are eager to tour Japan on the cheap. But this has triggered a rise in fatal accidents caused by reckless cyclists, who are often taken to court and or...
accidents;cyclists;regulations
jp0000629
[ "national" ]
2015/06/10
Higher Japanese proficiency urged for foreign nursing care interns
The Society for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language asked the government Monday to toughen a Japanese-language proficiency requirement for foreign nursing care interns. The request came after an advisory panel for the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry lowered the requirement for foreigners before undergoing on-the...
nihongo;nurses;language teachers
jp0000630
[ "business", "corporate-business" ]
2015/06/19
Sony, Panasonic cling to TVs, betting on halo effect of premium sets
Japan’s once-mighty electronics-makers have lost billions of dollars from TVs, but Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. won’t quit, saying retreating from the world’s living rooms would close the door to more promising businesses. Consumer electronics account for a shrinking portion of income after restructuring focused Sony...
sony;panasonic;tvs;4-k tvs;samsong electronics;lg electronics
jp0000631
[ "national" ]
2015/06/21
Suspicion tarnishes 50th anniversary of Japanese-South Korean ties
As Japan and South Korea mark 50 years since the normalization of postwar bilateral relations Monday, the anniversary is unlikely to yield much to celebrate. Relations between the two Asian powerhouses are at possibly the lowest point since the end of the war. According to a May poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun, 73 percent ...
colonial rule;park chung hee;south korea-japan relations
jp0000632
[ "national" ]
2015/06/21
Time running out for South Korean 'comfort women' as average age approaches 90
Year after year, their numbers dwindle. Now, with the average age of former “comfort women” in South Korea approaching 90, time is running out. The Japanese government has been pressed for years to offer compensation money and extend more sincere apologies to the women, who were forced en masse into Japanese military b...
comfort women;tomiichi murayama;south korea-japan relations
jp0000633
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/06/21
Signing of 1965 normalization treaty sparked sharp contrast in reactions
Fifty years ago, when Japan and South Korea signed a treaty to normalize diplomatic ties on June 22, 1965, their leaders toasted the signing in Tokyo as police in Seoul tear-gassed thousands of protesters and politicians who were opposing the move, according to archived reports by The Japan Times. The treaty is “an exa...
south korea;japan;treaty;archive
jp0000634
[ "reference" ]
2015/06/08
Sincere climate pledge or 'sleight of hand'?
Last week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet announced Japan would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2030, based on 2013 levels. The plan will be presented to delegates at a United Nations conference on climate change in Paris this December. The goal is strongly supported by Japanese utilities and ...
emissions;climate change;environment
jp0000635
[ "business", "corporate-business" ]
2015/06/01
Auto sales slide 7.6% in May on minicar tax
Auto sales in May fell 7.6 percent to 335,644 units from a year ago as the April tax hike on minivehicles weighed on demand, industry bodies said Monday. Minicar sales sank 19.6 percent to 125,755 units, down for the fifth consecutive month, the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association said. Minivehicles, w...
car sales;autos;minicars
jp0000636
[ "reference" ]
2015/06/01
E-textbooks to open digital can of worms
As the world goes digital, many schools are trying to introduce digital materials into the classroom to encourage studying and meet the needs of students’ increasingly diverse needs. In May, the education ministry formed a panel to discuss the use of digital textbooks and whether to replace the physical ones. It is als...
education;computers;information technology;digital textbooks
jp0000637
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/06/06
Law still a long way behind fertility boom
As the population declines, the number of domestic businesses involved in fertility is growing, giving birth to a slew of additional problems. Government statistics show the country’s population dropped by 215,000 last year, as people are waiting longer to get married and have children. The situation is causing so much...
birthrate;fertility;ivf;fertility treatment
jp0000638
[ "national", "history" ]
2015/06/06
Japan goods popular in India; Nazis roll into Paris; mine death toll passes 160; Japan passes U.S. as top donor
100 YEARS AGO Tuesday, June 15, 1915 Japanese goods find a new market in India A new market for Japanese goods is now found in India, as can be seen from the story of Mr. Shoda, an expert in the department of Agriculture and Commerce, who has just returned from a visit there. Mr. Shoda went to India last December with ...
india;accidents;mining;paris;world war ii;fukuoka;germany wwii;yamano colliery;overseas aid
jp0000639
[ "asia-pacific", "offbeat-asia-pacific" ]
2015/06/23
China's dog meat festival draws rare criticism
YULIN, CHINA - For many residents of the town of Yulin in southern China, the peak of summer is the perfect time to get together with family and friends — and consume copious amounts of dog meat. Thousands of dogs are expected to end up on the chopping block during the city’s annual dog meat festival, which has become ...
china;food;animals
jp0000640
[ "national" ]
2015/06/15
Hate speech may lack clear definition but Kansai trying to squelch it
OSAKA - More than two years after the anti-Korean group Zaitokukai made international headlines with racial slurs and threats of violence, local governments around Japan are making it far more difficult for any group attacking minorities to operate. As of last month, over 100 prefectural, city, town and village assembl...
kansai;hate speech
jp0000641
[ "national" ]
2015/06/15
Key aviation official loses computer while sleeping on train
The transport ministry says one of its senior officials lost a bag containing a work computer used and a list of emergency contact information for ministry staff, another embarrassment for the government following a recent massive leak of pension data. Police are investigating the incident as a case of possible theft, ...
land;tablets;theft;infrastructure;mlit
jp0000642
[ "national" ]
2015/06/15
Osaka's assault on ethnic invective stalls
OSAKA - With last week’s decision by the Osaka Municipal Assembly to delay a decision on what would have been Japan’s first city ordinance to combat hate speech and to issue a nonbinding statement instead, local legal efforts to crack down on racist rhetoric have slowed. Although the assembly may take up the issue agai...
toru hashimoto;osaka;hate speech
jp0000643
[ "business", "economy-business" ]
2015/06/13
Suntory gains ground in battle of the machines
At the end of May, Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd. announced it would buy Japan Tobacco Inc.’s drinks vending machine subsidiary in July. At a news conference to explain the deal, Suntory President Nobuhiro Torii said the purchase would help his company achieve its goal of becoming the biggest-selling beverage maker in Ja...
japan tobacco;suntory;soft drinks;coca-cola
jp0000644
[ "reference" ]
2015/06/22
Shima has high hopes for long-term windfall from G-7 meet
Just before departing for this year’s Group of Seven summit in Germany earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that Shima, situated at the end of a peninsula in Mie Prefecture, will be the main venue for next year’s annual gathering. The announcement elated local residents, because the short but lucrati...
ise shrine;mie;g7 summit;ise-shima summit
jp0000645
[ "world", "crime-legal-world" ]
2015/12/03
Prince Harry sees carcasses of poached rhino, calf in 'major killing field' South African park
JOHANNESBURG - Britain’s Prince Harry saw the carcasses of a slaughtered rhino and her calf during a visit Wednesday to South Africa’s Kruger National Park, which has been hard hit by poachers. Harry also stepped into a conservation debate in South Africa, saying he believes legalization of the rhino horn trade will “a...
prince harry;south africa;poaching;rhinos;ivory trade
jp0000646
[ "national" ]
2015/12/04
Probe launched over abrupt change in MSDF's next chopper pick
A special unit under the defense minister is investigating whistleblower information that the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s preferred choice for its next-generation utility helicopters, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani admitted Friday. Although the minister declined to elaborate, ministry sources said Thursday that the MS...
investigation;msdf;helicopter;japan;whistle-blower;mhi;khi
jp0000647
[ "national", "media-national" ]
2015/12/05
A quick lesson on sexual harassment in schools
When you find criticism of your country disturbing, the best way to dismiss it is to find a flaw in the critique and use it to justify dismissing the rest of the evidence as well. Sometimes it works, but only if people don’t really do their homework. Take, for example, sukūru sekuhara, which means “school sexual harass...
sexual harassment;mitaka;sex education;maud de boer-buquicchio