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August 15, 2025
 

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Alyssa I. Smith
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 3, 2019
Tokyo International Film Festival to celebrate homegrown talent
The 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival kicks off on Oct. 28, and promises a celebration of local talent alongside its program of interntional films
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Sep 27, 2019
Let's talk about the best dates on 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' so far
While we not-so-patiently wait for the next episode of "Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020" to become available, we decided to pass the time by listing some of the best date locations the housemates have ventured to so far. From gardens to fireworks shows to golf, here are our top spots from the first 16...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Sep 22, 2019
'I stuck out more in Japan than in America'
Illustrator Christine Mari Inzer used her talent for drawing as a way to process identity in her homeland.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Sep 13, 2019
Ep. 15 'A Man's Worth is Determined by His Job'
Now that we have said arrivederci to Kenny and Risako, it's time to say buongiorno to two new members of "Terrace House," an Italian manga artist and a young romantic with a leather cap.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Aug 30, 2019
Ep. 13 'All or Nothing'
Welcome to Part 2 of "Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020"!! Taking Sho-chan's place in the commentators' lounge for this episode is Rui Hachimura of the NBA Washington Wizards, which left everyone visibly shook. It turns out Hachimura is a super fan of "Terrace House." He's rejected every offer for TV appearances...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / A Weekend In
Aug 9, 2019
A Weekend in Yokohama: The instant attraction of Tokyo's neighbor
Get your fill in Yokohama, home to Chinatown and Cup Noodles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Aug 9, 2019
Ep. 11 'Broccoli Pasta, Carbonara Style'
There wasn't all that much love triangle drama this week and I am so okay with that. Instead, we got an eyeful of Shohei, Kaori dealing with a mini existential crisis and the appearance of an advice-dispensing silver fox.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 31, 2019
Fuji Rock '19: Janelle Monae, Vince Staples and Khruangbin lift soggy spirits
As the Green Stage went dark for Sia's Saturday night performance at this year's Fuji Rock, the downpour that had started around noon had already stolen the night.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Jul 26, 2019
Ep. 9 'Girlfight'
If Episode 8 was like a long-lost episode of "Friends," then Episode 9 was straight out of "Gossip Girl." Did anyone else get stressed out watching Risako and Haruka go for each other's throats? I felt like I needed a stiff drink to recover and I have to wonder if we'll be getting our first departure...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 11, 2019
What's in a name? Ask Ichikawa Ebizo, a kabuki scion
When it comes to kabuki, there are few names as recognizable as Ichikawa Ebizo. A member of the illustrious Ichikawa kabuki family, Ebizo has been a mainstay of Japanese traditional theater since his stage debut in "The Tale of Genji" in 1983 at the age of 5. Since then, he has performed at home and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Jul 5, 2019
Ep. 6 'The Grass is Greener on the Other Side'
Just as the viewership began preparing for a love triangle between Haruka, Risako and Ruka, the gang started playing romantic musical chairs. When all was said and done, Haruka and Risako found themselves in competition once more, just over a different boy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 20, 2019
Embracing life and death at Reborn-Art Festival
The date March 11, 2011, carries a lot of weight in Japan. When the magnitude 9 Great East Japan Earthquake rocked the Tohoku region in the northeast of the country, it devastated the landscape and altered the lives of residents. And now, eight years since the disaster, Takeshi Kobayashi is dedicated...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Jun 7, 2019
Ep. 4 'I Want to Be a Hero'
Drama has come to "Terrace House" and we have Risako and Ruka to thank.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Jun 4, 2019
Ep. 2 'Tempura Incident'
Based on the title alone, my expectations going into episode two of "Terrace House" — titled "Tempura Incident" — were high. Viewers of the “Boys & Girls in the City” season are sure to remember the infamous “meat incident” of 2016 where the housemates ate a roommate’s special beef without...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / A Weekend In
May 11, 2019
A weekend in Kobe: Beyond the beef, beyond the quake
Kobe — the cosmopolitan capital of Hyogo Prefecture with a population of 1.5 million — has a rich history as one of Japan's most important ports for foreign trade, and international influences are evident in everything from its architecture and design to its food and fashion.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / A Weekend In
Mar 8, 2019
A weekend in Osaka: A sensory feast in the nation's kitchen
Osaka will host four games for the Rugby World Cup at its Hanazono Rugby Stadium. Check out our guide to the city to find out what to do when you're in Osaka for the weekend.
CULTURE
Dec 6, 2018
Counting down to the Year of the Boar: Festivals, foxes and fireworks welcome 2019 in Tokyo
With the end of the year drawing closer, the pressure is on to figure out how to greet the Year of the Boar. If the dwindling number of viewers staying in to watch NHK's annual music showcase "Kohaku Uta Gassen" is any indication, more and more people in the Kanto region are choosing to head out for...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 27, 2018
Katherine Waterston discusses making magic in 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'
From the get-go, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" makes it clear that the new installment of J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts" franchise will be gloomier and heavier than the first film, a playful romp set in New York during the age of jazz.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 27, 2018
Japanese film has its own 'Crazy Rich Asians' if you know where to look
"Crazy Rich Asians" made headlines this summer for being the first Hollywood film in a quarter of a century to feature a main cast entirely comprised of actors of Asian heritage. The movie hits Japanese cinemas this weekend, but audiences here are obviously used to all-Asian casts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 11, 2018
The Lagerphones look to charm Japan one coffee shop at a time
If you're in a foreign band trying to plan a tour in Japan, you sometimes need to improvise when it comes to booking venues. That may be why you're more likely to find Australian six-piece The Lagerphones at a cozy cafe than a grimy Shibuya live house.
The indelible memory of being a part of Unit 731
Hideo Shimizu, 95, says he cannot forget seeing the prisoners' bloody wills scribbled on the walls of prison cells at Unit 731 in 1945.
Will Wakatakakage bring balance to the banzuke?
Wakatakakage during a ring entering ceremony in February 2020
Taiwanese drama 'Zero Day Attack' on Chinese invasion to stream in Japan
A scene from the Taiwanese television drama "Zero Day Attack," which will stream in Japan from Friday.
Japanese star convicted of indecent assault in Hong Kong
J-pop idol Kenshin Kamimura leaves the West Kowloon Law Courts on bail in Hong Kong on Wednesday, after he was found guilty of indecent assault of a woman who worked as his interpreter at a restaurant in Mong Kok district in March this year.
Ukraine war has transformed North Korean military: Kyiv’s military intel chief
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over Kyiv during a Russian drone strike, on July 30. Moscow has dispatched military specialists to train the Korean People’s Army on how to use combat drones and air-defense systems.
The indelible memory of being a part of Unit 731
Hideo Shimizu, 95, says he cannot forget seeing the prisoners' bloody wills scribbled on the walls of prison cells at Unit 731 in 1945.
Will Ishiba's critics be able to garner enough support for a leadership race?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's political survival likely hinges on whether a leadership race will take place within the Liberal Democratic Party following its decision to have its election committee canvass the opinions of party members and prefectural chapters on the subject.
Hidden rosters and the legacy of Japan’s germ warfare
Katsutoshi Takegami, 77, in his storehouse attic where he discovered his father's Unit 1644 documents
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers
By Tomoko Otake

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