Let There Be Light (Cover Story)
400,000 years after the big bang, the cosmos went black. Here's what happened next


Japan's Mystery of Majesty
A succession crisis has led to debate on the monarchy--and the shadowy agency behind it

Royal Roots
A brief guide to 2,666 years of imperial history

The Riddle of the Hobbit
A feud flares over an ancient skull that may or may not have belonged to a new species of human

West Meets Tranquil East (TIME Traveler)
Elegant international hotel group Aman hunkers down in Jackson Hole

L'andana Con Brio (Diversions)
High class hijinks at Tuscany's hunting lodge-turned-resort

On a New High Note (After Dark)
Historic jazz club gets a $4 million facelift


Japan: Still Shrinking
Despite an uptick in the birthrate, the country is still heading for demographic disaster

Milestones

Verbatim

Letters
The Mess in the Middle East