Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Music Jul 3, 2013
The best albums of 2013 (so far)
The year in music so far has been filled with comeback albums that “hype” their way to the top. After the Twitter hashtags subside, though, such artists also seem to leave the minds of the public. (Is anyone still talking about David Bowie? Justin ...
Music | Strange Boutique May 30, 2013
Linguistic choices can be an artistic or cultural statement for Japanese musicians
by Ian Martin
On May 14, singer-songwriter Satoru Ono released a vinyl single titled “All My Colours.” Anyone who knows Ono’s work would have found themselves on familiar ground with the two tracks, in their mix of 1980s U.K. indie and ’90s Japanese neo-acoustic pop, delivered with ...
Music Apr 18, 2013
Extruders have a rock epiphany
by Ian Martin
“Before the gig, we were quite intimidated: a lowly rock band performing in front of a god. After, we found we could do it, and that was the turning point for us.” Going back to at least when Paul the Apostle saw the light ...