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 ...
The image of a young girl in front of a camera, her head recently shaved, sobbing into the lens is one that’s guaranteed to shock. But when that girl is a key member of idol group AKB48, the reaction is bound to be stronger. ...
In its Jan. 12 edition, the Japanese business magazine Diamond Weekly decided to ring in the new year with a 10-page feature titled, “Who’s Killing Music?” It was the topic of much discussion and reaction in the music business, and the article even made ...
Taylor Swift has been turning heads with her new, sexy wardrobe, but the 23-year-old says it’s just a reflection of getting older. Swift has people buzzing about her recent red carpet choices, which have included plunging necklines and shorter skirts. “As far as wardrobe, ...
January featured a ton of great concerts across Japan, but February might be even better — hope your wallet isn’t too thin this month. One of Tokyo’s best shows this month also happens to be one you should get on right away. Apocalyptic rockers ...
Known to most as Eadonmm, Shinya Wada is a Kansai-based producer and DJ. In addition to organizing an event called Idle Moments in Kyoto, he is now busy finishing a new album, “Aqonis,” due out this spring on Osaka label Day Tripper Records. Here’s ...
It’s believed that time spent living abroad can be a journey of self-discovery, and for Miho Hazama that has certainly been the case. Moving to New York to study for a master’s degree in jazz composition at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) was ...
My Japan Times colleague Ian Martin nailed the state of Japanese pop music when he wrote that it was “clinging on to the hoary old remains of the past.” The Oricon Chart’s top albums of 2012 list was dominated by “Best Of” compilations, with ...
Creating music meant to purposely evoke the past can be tricky. Recreate the sounds of a specific decade too closely and the music becomes too nostalgic, pining for a time the artist never even knew existed. On the other hand, approach bygone times too ...
Here’s a question: what do Russell Crowe, Robert Plant, Jack White and David Byrne all have in common? Incredible talent, fame and money is the obvious response, but the answer is that all four count themselves as part of the growing legion of Alabama ...
By the time you read this, Patti Smith will have been in Japan for nearly a week. The iconic poet, author, painter and “Godmother of Punk” hasn’t yet played a gig with her band; that will come later. First, Smith is reconnecting with a ...
Something I’ve noticed recently when browsing the jazz sections of record shops is the proliferation of sub-genres among the Japanese artists. Just hearing the names is enough to get a fan excited about the apparent explosion of creativity. For example, postrock jazz acts such ...
The members of Wasabi, a quartet who plays traditional Japanese instruments, are all used to fans and the politics of backstage meet-and-greets. However, they were surprised to see one particular fan after a recent 11 a.m. performance at a high school in Nara. After ...
