President Barack Obama, now facing the consequences of automatic spending cuts and the complications they raise for his broader domestic agenda, is taking the most specific steps of his administration in an attempt to ensure the election of a Democratic-controlled Congress in two years. ...
It’s a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chugoku no gunkan (中国の軍艦, Chinese warships) in the Higashi Shina Kai (東シナ海, East China Sea) challenged Japan’s Kaijo Jieitai (海上自衛隊, Maritime Self Defense Forces, MSDF) patrols in a manner deemed kyōiteki (脅威的, threatening). And on Feb. ...
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 ...
Fresh from a U.S. tour, “Zero Cost House,” the first international collaboration work between Yokohama’s Chelfitsch company and Philadelphia’s Pig Iron Theatre Company (PITC), opens at Kanagawa Arts Theatre next week with its original U.S. cast. One of the few high-profile Japanese dramatists on the international scene, Chelfitsch founder Toshiki ...
In order to escape the current harsh winter weather, some of us might be planning a getaway to somewhere nice ...
There is no better time than February and March to visit Kairakuen, the picturesque garden just south of Mito, Ibaraki ...
While it seems politics is all that comes to mind when talking about China these days, the current New Year’s holiday shows what a remarkable breadth of culture the country has. It just so happens that Yokohama is home to one of the biggest ...
Skiers and snowboarders who pass through JR Nagano Station should make the effort to take a short side trip to nearby Zenkoji Temple during the week starting Saturday. Wooden buildings that line the street approaching the popular temple will be lit up in five ...
Over the next month, Osaka restaurants will start preparing some award-winning dishes to serve up to lucky diners. The event is called Delice Restaurant Week, but the use of the word “week” is a bit of a misnomer. The event runs from Feb. 22 ...
Recent diplomatic squabbles between Japan and China have dampened enthusiasm around many bilateral events, but it seems nothing can dull the glow of the Nagasaki Lantern Festival, which will be held as always during the Chinese New Year. Commencing Feb. 10 and continuing for ...
Since first touring its native province of Quebec in 1984, the self-styled “multifaceted creative force” that is Canada’s Cirque du Soleil has become a major global phenomenon with several permanent venues. In 2002, though, seven Cirque du Soleil members turned their backs on that ...
Visitors have the chance to see dozens of ice sculptures created by artists from across Japan at the ninth “Rokkosan Kori no Saiten” (“Mount Rokko Ice Festival”) being held at Rokko Garden Terrace. In addition to the outdoor art, some sculptors will demonstrate how ...
Looking at Eilika Krishar’s thin, delicate physique, you probably wouldn’t be able to imagine what an incredible voice the German opera singer has. After winning the 2010 Premium Audition singing contest in Switzerland, Krishar was met with a stream of compliments from music critics. ...
Opening 2013 on a cultured note, the Slovak Chamber Orchestra (SCO) tours Japan from Jan. 5 through Jan. 18. Founded by violinist and then Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra concertmaster Bohdan Warchal (1930-2000) in 1960, SCO has developed into one of the most popular groups in ...
Not interested in a traditional Japanese New Year’s Eve? I’ve often spent my countdowns in the salsa-music dance clubs of the Roppongi district in Tokyo. Latin-music fans gather at clubs such as Salsa Caribe in Roppongi (www.salsacaribe.jp) and Las Risas in Ginza (www.lasrisas.com) — ...
A fun thing I like to do at New Year’s is to go on a walking tour of seven shrines and temples in Tokyo. The hike is called the shichifukujin meguri (pilgrimage to Seven Lucky Gods), and there are a number of such pilgrimage ...
It’s that time of year again. Expect the city of Osaka to be teeming with excited children and families over the weekend as the German Christmas Market in Kita Ward continues to attract merrymakers. As the title suggests, the event allows visitors to experience ...
A dizzying variety of ideas and solutions for a greener society are to converge this weekend at the Eco-Products 2012 exhibition in Tokyo. The annual show, now in its 13th year, is arguably the biggest environmental expo in Japan, drawing around 180,000 attendees every ...
