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Tyler Rothmar
For Tyler Rothmar's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 30, 2021
'Japanese Prints and the World of Go': Exploring the pop-cultural psyche of the Edo Period
Meme-like themes in ukiyo-e prints reveal the rich heritage of go in “Japanese Prints and the World of Go.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Aug 31, 2019
'Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go': Wisecracking wisdom worth rereading
In his classic treatise on go, the late Toshiro Kageyama elucidates the difference between amateurs, who merely 'play at the game,' and professionals, who 'labor at it.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 4, 2018
Beat the heat with summer sports in Niseko
With a pantheon of outdoor sports such as mountain biking, ziplining, hiking and more, the summer season in Hokkaido's Niseko is increasingly switched on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 4, 2017
Hokkaido chef Shinichi Maeda adds a modern touch to traditional techniques
An Dining chef goes out of his way to source his ingredients personally.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Oct 28, 2017
'Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice': Learning the art of zazen meditation
Good books on Zen urge you to put them down and start meditating, but the best ones make you actually want to.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Sep 30, 2017
Musician Tomoko Sauvage searches for freedom through sound
For Sauvage, what began as a pursuit of freedom through jazz became a search for a sound all her own.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 24, 2017
'Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push For Global Power': Waking up to China's dream of holding court
By now, even the most casual observer of goings on in Asia will have noted the aggressive geopolitical maneuvering of China, a country news outlets have taken to calling "resurgent."
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 26, 2017
Looking for 'omotenashi' in Cuba's southeast
Though half a world apart in geography, history, language and just about anything else you could name, Cuba and Japan are not entirely without similarities.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 20, 2017
Looking back on the final days of the Dojunkai apartments
On the fourth anniversary of Uenoshita's demolition, we revisit how its last residents left it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 13, 2017
At 104, Toko Shinoda talks about a life in art
The only living Japanese on a postage stamp, 104-year-old Toko Shinoda reflects on a lifetime devoted to art.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 11, 2017
'Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien': Excavating Edo's ancient memes with the power of 'yokai'
Beginning with 2008's "Yokai Attack!," translators Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have been on a quest to bring an aspect of Japanese culture that has lurked in the shadows to the world at large.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2017
Jan 17, 2017
Ancient seat of Japan's warrior culture
The origin of Japan's ruling class extends into the mists of ancient history, far before the country was unified after a period of civil wars and well into the first millennium A.D.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 3, 2016
An exploration of the game at the heart of 'The Master of Go'
The Chinese board game of go has fallen in and out of fashion over the past 2,500 years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 27, 2016
Hiking Japan's autumn trails provides a great escape
Picture your workday, and then your week. Imagine the discomfort of the morning train or the slow crawl of traffic. Think about your place of work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Oct 22, 2016
'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind': Miyazaki's manga is as relevant today as it was in '82
In "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," famed Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki depicts a world overrun by giant insects and a poisonous fungal forest, the fallout of an environmental cataclysm in the distant past. Humans live on in fractured kingdoms, using what remains of the technology from a bygone age.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 8, 2016
'Lone Wolf and Cub': Japan's greatest samurai manga?
First serialized in 1970, "Lone Wolf and Cub" is among the most iconic manga of all time, spawning TV shows and film adaptations. Its story has been referenced in an eclectic range of modern works from the music of Wu-Tang Clan to the comics of Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 1, 2016
'Japanese Tattoos: History, Culture, Design': The beginner's guide to getting inked in nippon
"Japanese Tattoos: History, Culture, Design" offers a broad but casual introduction to the tradition of tattooing in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 20, 2015
Know the way of the sword, know thyself: a kendo primer
With Tokyo poised to host the world championships for the first time since the inaugural competition in 1970, here's all you need to know to get the most out of the bouts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Mar 14, 2015
Monuments hint at glory of Hiraizumi's golden age
In the town of Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, in the Tohoku region, one can still visit the remains of a brief blossoming of culture and architecture that is said to have rivaled the capital of Kyoto in its time.
Japan Times
JAPAN / UN WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Mar 14, 2015
Shirakami Sanchi: A forest outside of time
Japan is undoubtedly a land of abundant natural beauty. Its long island chain spans a huge diversity of environments that famously enjoy four distinct seasons. While the Japanese people are great lovers of nature, thousands of years of life on the archipelago have made swathes of untouched splendor somewhat hard to find.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?