Just days after taking the helm as the new Palestinian prime minister, Dr. Rami Hamdallah met the chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Sasakawa Yōhei, in Palestine. On June 11, the two discussed the Palestinian situation and how Japan can provide assistance.
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Most of Japan’s relatively small Muslim population is foreign-born. This has led to misunderstandings regarding Islam. Shimoyama Shigeru, a Japanese man who converted to Islam after encountering the religion during his travels in Sudan, has devoted his life to fostering a better understanding of the religion in his home country.
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How can Japan continue to grow as its demographic crisis deepens? The answer may well be hiding in plain sight. Japan must work harder than ever to make the most of the skills and talents of all its people.
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Fujifilm has launched a new line of cosmetics developed using the company’s film-related technologies. Cosmetics and film may seem like unrelated industries, but Fujifilm found a way to tap into a surprising synergy between them.
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Members of the United Nationalities Federal Council, a coalition of 11 of the armed ethnic minority groups in Myanmar, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Abe Shinzō on April 2, 2013. This was the first meeting of its kind between UNFC members and a Japanese prime minister.
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Newly appointed Kuroda Haruhiko is the first Ministry of Finance official to take the post of governor of the Bank of Japan for 15 years. In this article we look back at the governors of the Bank of Japan since World War II.
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We continue our look at the new team in charge at the Bank of Japan with profiles of Iwata Kikuo and Nakaso Hiroshi, the two deputy governors.
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Kuroda Haruhiko became governor of the Bank of Japan on March 20, 2013. Who is the new governor and what does his appointment mean for Japanese fiscal policy?
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Among the various convenience store chains that have started to sell packages of chilled sushi, one in particular stands out for the quality of its product. What is the story behind its achievement?
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Leprosy victims still face legal barriers to travel, education, and employment. In some cases, discrimination makes it impossible for people to marry and raise a family. The Nippon Foundation and the International Bar Association recently launched an international campaign to get rid of these unfair laws. Paul Melly reports.
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After the general election of December 16, 2012, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Kōmeitō wrested power back from the Democratic Party of Japan. On December 26, Prime Minister Abe Shinzō announced the lineup of his second cabinet.
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Historian Arano Yasunori helped revolutionize our perception of early modern Japan by challenging the notion that the country was uniquely isolated during the Edo period. Here Arano provides a thought-provoking overview of the complex system of trade and diplomacy by which the Tokugawa shogunate maintained peace, prosperity, and autonomy over a period of two and a half centuries.
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A new page is about to turn in the age-old history of sericulture. Cuting-edge research using transgenic silkworms is making it possible to create new types of silk and pharmaceutical products. The National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, is one of the leading centers of this new research.
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The forty-sixth lower house general election took place on December 16, 2012. The Liberal Democratic Party achieved a sweeping victory, securing 294 seats and taking over government from the Democratic Party of Japan, which managed only 57 seats.
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The idea for a successful product often comes from the most ordinary of places. The “Dot Pouch” is a small towel in the shape of a pouch that has a simple design but offers versatility and convenience that have won over consumers. In the fourth article in the “Road to Hit Products” series, Kitamura Mori tells the story.
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The National Institute for Environmental Studies (located in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture) is building “time capsules” containing specially frozen samples of tissues and cells taken from endangered species. These samples hold vital information for scientists studying the causes of extinction and may lead to key breakthroughs in the fight against infectious disease.
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