They aren't just acting tough; they really are tough. In an entertainment industry rife with crime shows, no one can supply villains quite like Takakura-gumi: Most of the talent agency's 62 members are former gangsters. Take Yoshidamaru, for example, a son of a yakuza boss with ...

Whether it's tales of hauntings, spirits or paranormal phenomena, Yuki Yoshida loves a good scare. The 37-year-old writer known as the "occult detective" is on the lookout for the supernatural. From ghost sightings and bizarre religious rituals to unidentified flying objects, he has spent over ...

When strapped for cash before his next paycheck, Ryo Takezawa would trudge over to the nearest Bookoff, the nation's largest chain of secondhand bookstores, to sell his novels and CDs. But the buyback rates were meager: The 37-year-old temporary worker was lucky if he was ...

Hidden behind the capital's glassy high-rises and bustling shopping streets are dusty remnants of red-light districts and smoky bar alleys preserving traces of an older Tokyo — pockets of history Hisaki Kurosawa explores to catch glimpses of the other, more textured face of the ...

The Japan Times presents the second installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.

Swapping his dress shoes and business suit for flip-flops and swimming trunks, Shingo Takei starts the day by walking to the beach to go stand-up paddleboarding. Instead of commuting to the office, the co-founder of a human resources startup returns home for breakfast and spends ...

Koharu Matsunaga used to be a fixture on Tokyo's busking circuit, belting out tunes on her button accordion with her gypsy brass band at popular tourist stops like Ueno Park. The main songwriter and the older half of the sister duo Charan-Po-Rantan rarely performs on ...

Admiring the decaying beauty of abandoned railroads is just one of myriad hobbies Japan's railway enthusiasts indulge in. But fueled by a broadening appreciation for the subculture and growth in train travelers, these rusty remnants of industrialization are gathering new steam as tourist attractions while ...

The thriving Hokkaido ski resort of Niseko is considered an anomaly among the many rural communities in Japan facing a slow demise from the shrinking and graying population. But that was not always the case, says Australian Ross Findlay, a pioneer of the area's outdoor ...

"When life gives us lemons, we make -196˚ C Strong Zero Double Lemon!" Perhaps beverage giant Suntory Holdings Ltd.'s commercial variation of the well known proverbial phrase best captures the appeal of its top-selling canned cocktail. Once regarded as a simple, working-class drink, chūhai has made ...