Veteran British filmmaker Ken Loach's latest work, "Sorry We Missed You," which opened in Japan recently, is about the gig economy, the new employment environment surrounding companies like the ride-sharing service Uber that don't so much hire people as give them access to users. Loach's ...

While consumers may take ownership of certain products for granted, there's something reaffirming about acquiring a product that's been designated a hit, and my experiences over the years tell me Japanese aren't especially different from other nationalities in this regard. The origin of Japan's own ...

Cat cafes have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with animal rights groups criticizing some establishments for their allegedly shady practices and ethics.  The criticisms leveled at these cafes are by now well-known: Some people argue the animals shouldn’t have to “work” for their ...

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga visited fire-hit Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday, pledging the central government's all-out efforts toward reconstruction of the key landmark. Suga inspected the burned-down main hall and other heavily damaged buildings at the UNESCO World Heritage site while ...

The nation’s tax revenue is expected to end up lower than the record high figure estimated in the fiscal 2020 draft budget.

In the case at the Tokyo District Court, the man is seeking damages for allegedly being manhandled.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said Friday she wanted to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, sparking a furious reaction from Israel and condemnation from the United States. A Palestinian statement welcomed the move by the ICC following ...

Nearly nine out of 10 Japanese think relations with South Korea are in a bad place, according to a government survey, reflecting perceptions about the ongoing feud between the countries over wartime history and trade. In the Cabinet Office survey released Friday, 87.9 percent of ...

A Belgian court on Friday sentenced a former Rwandan official to 25 years in prison over his part in his country's 1994 massacres. Fabien Neretse, an agricultural engineer, was arrested in France in 2011. He was found guilty of genocide and war crimes on Thursday ...

The United States met a mounting 21st-century strategic challenge from Russia and China on Friday with the creation of a full-fledged U.S. Space Force within the Department of Defense. Acting on an ambition by President Donald Trump that had met resistance at first, the White ...

A scorching heat wave intensified bush fires ravaging parts of Australia on Saturday, and out-of-control blazes surrounding Sydney worsened under "catastrophic" conditions. Australia's eastern coast has been hit by the record-breaking heat wave, which has moved in from the west of the country, exacerbating hundreds ...

Russia and China used their vetoes Friday to block a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have extended for a year cross-border humanitarian aid to 4 million Syrians. Humanitarian aid currently flows into Syria through U.N.-designated checkpoints without the formal permission of the regime in ...

The move is another example of the cozy relations between ministry officials and the Japan Post group.

There are more gluten-free dining institutions in Tokyo than ever. Here's The Japan Times' pick of five of the best, spanning everything from sushi to pub classics and even fine dining.

The end of the year is a time for thorough cleaning to ready the home for the arrival of Toshigami-sama, the god of the new year. Modern lifestyles notwithstanding, the custom remains deeply ingrained in Japan. Two leading floral designers and an in-demand stylist ...

A chance encounter with a schoolboy in Australia led a trained nurse to start teaching Japanese and then blog about Japanese food.

Masato and Midori Shirakawa honed their culinary skills in Italy. Now they're back in Kyoto running the cozy, innovative Il Garage.

There's a plethora of subpar bubble tea shops out there. Fortunately, Milksha is not one of them.

Osaka-based artist Gregory Hilton on the 1980s New York downtown art scene, how his recent gallery show art utilized Roombas and what he misses about his Texas hometown.

Nagasaki's long exposure to religion, architecture and cuisine from China and the West makes it veritable cultural melting pot that's well-worth a weekend excursion.

From his hilltop studio in the suburbs of Tokyo, Taku Oshima is reviving an ancient form of body art tradition he believes was practiced by the indigenous hunter-gatherers that inhabited Japan thousands of years ago. Lines, circles, dots, spirals, and other geometric shapes and patterns ...

Marion Poschmann's "The Pine Islands" follows two haunted travelers on their journey across Japan, guided by the poems of Matsuo Basho.

Unrequited love, social obligation and human nature collide — with varying results — in "The Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu."

Though it's impossible to agree on what, exactly, an izakaya is, it's now possible to recreate all the classic dishes at home with Wataru Yokota's "The Real Japanese Izakaya Cookbook."

Jedi mind tricks don't work on China. Though "Star Wars" fans from around the world waited in line for days to catch "The Rise of Skywalker," the sci-fi series has struggled to woo filmgoers in the increasingly important Chinese market. Special previews of the long-awaited film ...

It’s a small world after all. No stranger to keeping the mix of personalities and backgrounds interesting, “Terrace House” continues to invite people from around the world into its little televised bubble. Before we meet the fresh new faces replacing Haruka and Ruka, however, ...

A truly entertaining production of “The Nutcracker” should leave you questioning whether the performance was just a dream. “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” a take on the holiday classic staged by the New National Theatre, Tokyo, in the run-up to Christmas, is no ...

The brand-new National Stadium, which will be the main venue for next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, was introduced to the general public on Saturday for the first time since construction was completed late last month. A full-capacity crowd of 60,000 filled the stands a ...

Rika Kihira captured her first senior national title at the Japan Championships on Saturday night with an enthralling performance in her free skate. The 17-year-old bounced back from her fourth-place finish at the Grand Prix Final earlier this month to top the podium with a ...

The Utsunomiya Brex are firing on all cylinders in pursuit of the B. League title. On Saturday, coach Ryuzo Anzai's squad collected its 11th consecutive victory, beating the visiting San-en NeoPhoenix 89-79 at Brex Arena Utsunomiya. Ryan Rossiter paced the Brex (18-4) with 27 points, nine ...

Amuro Tsuzuki will join pro surfing's top-flight competition, the Championship Tour, next year, World Surf League's Japan office said Saturday. The 18-year-old, World Surf League's women's world junior champion, is the second Japanese to join the elite tour, following men's competitor Kanoa Igarashi. In September, Tsuzuki ...

Andres Iniesta scored one goal and helped set up another as Vissel Kobe advanced to the Emperor's Cup final with a 3-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse on Saturday. The star-studded J. League club will christen the new National Stadium in Tokyo on New Year's Day ...

Snowboarder Reira Iwabuchi clinched the big air crystal globe for the second straight year after winning the two-day World Cup season finale in the Big Air event on Friday. Iwabuchi, who turned 18 last week, scored 170.50 over her first two runs to ...

Surfing legend Kelly Slater, seen by many as the greatest of all time, won't be competing at the Tokyo Olympics. The 47-year-old American didn't qualify for a spot on the U.S. squad for the sport's Olympic debut next July, with John John Florence returning from ...

Daiya Seto and Caeleb Dressel clocked short-course world records Friday as the International Swimming League brought its high-octane brand to Las Vegas for the season one series finale. Seto, who figures to be a star of the Tokyo Olympics next year, made a splashy ISL ...