Transport authorities launched a full-fledged investigation Sunday into the derailment of a bullet train on the Akita Shinkansen Line in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, on Saturday afternoon.
It's a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chinese warships in the East China Sea challenged Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces patrols in a manner deemed threatening. And on Feb. 12 came North Korea's nuclear test.
Here's an open secret: Japanese men have a bad international reputation on the romance front.
SELLING WOMEN: Prostitution, Markets and the Household in Early Modern Japan, by Amy Stanley. University of California Press, 2012, 282 pp., $49.95 (hardcover) In the vast cultural landscape, Japan fascinates the mainstream with manga and anime, the martial arts, Zen and kimono. Of course, ...
Kenta Maeda shook off worries about his form with five shutout innings as Japan beat China 5-2 in first-round Pool A of the World Baseball Classic on Sunday at Fukuoka Dome. Japan improved to 2-0 following a tough win over Brazil in Saturday evening’s ...
Search the music section on social networking website Twitter and you’ll see a long list of known global megastars, including Britney Spears and Kanye West. Directly under Justin Timberlake is Japan’s only representative on the list — Ryo the Skywalker, the stage name of ...
The music industry is like high school in a way: You become cooler and life becomes more advantageous after you make some well-connected, older pals. In 2007, Tokyo instrumental math-rock and postrock quartet Lite teamed with experimental bass and sanshin band Funanori for a ...
Preparing to hit the road to showcase their fourth long-player, “still a Sigure virgin?,” Ling tosite sigure have only one thing on their minds: arousing new fans. Dubbed the Virgin Killer tour, during the 13-concert trek the posthardcore Saitama trio won’t be gently seducing ...
Fukuoka recently ranked 14th in U.K. magazine Monocle’s annual “Most Livable Cities Index.” Alt-rock duo Band A are unsurprised their city fared so well. “I love Fukuoka,” proclaims guitarist and vocalist Kouhei Hara. “It’s very easy to live a comfortable life here. People are ...
Combining letters from the names of the instruments they play — piano and cajon (a South American box drum) — to create their handle, Pia-no-jaC’s stripped-down keys and percussion setup has netted the Tokyo duo a fair amount of attention. Debuting in the fall ...
Summer’s end may be near, but music festival season is far from finished. Featuring 70 acts, the 18th edition of Fukuoka’s Sunset Live will take place Sept. 3-5. Situated along the shore of Keya Beach, the event’s picturesque surroundings boast plenty of greenery, sand ...
BXI is a collaborative effort between Tokyo’s Boris and British vocalist Ian Astbury. The former are a prolific trio whose constantly evolving hybrid of heavy, avant-garde metal and psychedelic sounds has made them much revered abroad. The latter is best known as the frontman ...
Hailing from Kyoto, Harp on Mouth Sextet create their own contemporary groove-oriented version of gagaku, a centuries-old form of Japanese court music. Among the stronger performers on the up-and-comer stage at last year’s Fuji Rock Festival, their matching attire, which includes traditional bamboo hats ...
Benefiting from their Shibuya-kei affiliation in the early 1990s, Buffalo Daughter attracted international attention and established an overseas cult following through associations with the likes of the Beastie Boys’ former Grand Royal imprint. “The Weapons of Math Destruction” retains the innovative, experimental edge that ...
Originally from Fukuoka, Tokyo-based trio Bo-Peep have impressed locals at the likes of Fuji Rock and garnered high praise overseas at renowned events such as South by Southwest in the United States and England’s The Great Escape Festival. “Vibe” is the ladies’ third album ...
