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July 16, 2025
 

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Mathias Cena
Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada attends the red carpet event for FX's "Shogun" at the Academy theater in Los Angeles in February.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 25, 2024
Demand for Japanese content booms after 'Shogun' success
With interest coming from overseas producers, Japan-based companies are trying to help creators get their stories told.
The PlayStation 5 on display during the annual Tokyo Game Show in September. PlayStation was Sony's first foray into the world of video games when it hit the shelves in Japan on Dec. 3, 1994.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 2, 2024
PlayStation at 30: How Sony's gray box conquered gaming
The PlayStation became a legend, selling more than 102 million units and positioning Sony as a heavyweight in a hugely lucrative sector.
Ken Kutaragi, the creator of Sony's PlayStation, speaks at the annual Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 2, 2024
Father of PlayStation says 'everyone told us we would fail'
With revolutionary 3D graphics and titles like "Tomb Raider" and "Metal Gear Solid," the device first hit shelves on Dec. 3, 1994.
The newly opened Nintendo Museum and upcoming Donkey Kong Country area of Universal Studios Japan are the latest examples of the gaming giant's efforts to expand beyond traditional consoles and handhelds.
LIFE / Digital
Nov 16, 2024
Why Nintendo is becoming a 'talent agency' for its beloved characters
Game and console sales account for over 90% of Nintendo's revenue, so exposure to characters could be "a trigger" to attract more people to consoles.
Shop manager Komura poses with a signed Metal Gear Solid box at Super Potato, a shop selling vintage video games and memorabilia in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, on June 18.
LIFE / Digital
Sep 22, 2024
Japan is next level for retro game collectors
Game Boy cartridges, Sega Dreamcast consoles and antiquated arcade machines await tourists in some of Tokyo's stores.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last July.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 18, 2024
Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Japan soon, where he will hold talks on energy while hunting more opportunities in gaming.
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2024
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
Spending per head soared 52% over the first three months compared with 2019.
Mayuko Kashiwazaki tries on her mask after getting into costume before a dress rehearsal for "Dojoji," a famous noh drama about the revenge of a betrayed woman.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 7, 2024
An 'all-women' noh production challenges traditional Japanese ideas
While women have been involved in noh for decades, older audiences tend to expect an all-male cast. Now, actors believe the times are changing.
Japanese fans of Taylor Swift take a selfie before entering Tokyo Dome for the pop star's Eras Tour show in Japan on Feb. 7.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 7, 2024
Taylor-mania hits Tokyo as Swift resumes tour before Super Bowl
Excited fans from countries such as Australia, Thailand and China joined the vast crowd at Tokyo Dome ahead of the megastar's Eras Tour show on Wednesday.
Executive officer, producer and director Masayoshi Yokoyama poses next to a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The Yakuza gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, but Yokoyama dismisses any such comparison.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
'We don't hit women': How Yakuza differs from Grand Theft Auto
Designer Masayoshi Yokoyama sat down to discuss video game violence ahead of the Jan. 26 release of the latest in the Yakuza series.
A man walks out of a game store displaying a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the latest in the Yakuza series of video games. Behind the worldwide success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues like sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
From Japan to the world: how to translate a game
Everything from slang to costumes needs to be considered in an era where international success is crucial to making a blockbuster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Apr 3, 2023
Super Mario: Nintendo's decades of star power
The pint-sized plumber has enjoyed 40 years of extraordinary popularity that has transformed the character into a truly global icon.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 24, 2023
Japan's rare intimacy coordinators in demand after abuse scandals
In the wake of sexual abuse scandals in Japan's entertainment industry, some directors are reaching out for guidance from intimacy coordinator Momoko Nishiyama.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2022
'Inevitable': Views on U.S. bases shift in Okinawa
With Okinawa Prefecture now a front line in the burgeoning confrontation between China and regional U.S. allies, bases are becoming increasingly important.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2022
'Guerrilla' sales and crowdsourcing: Japan's game console crunch
Video game consoles by Sony and Microsoft have been hard to buy since their November 2020 release, leaving consumers and sellers stuck in a game of cat-and-mouse.
Students in Japan struggle with Japanese language and math sections on national exam
The correct answer rate for the Japanese language section on a national test dropped to 67.0% from 67.8% the previous year among elementary school sixth-graders.
Japan team finds ancient ocean full of squids
The ancient ocean was full of squids, whose population exceeded that of fish or ammonites, a Japanese research team mainly from Hokkaido University has found through a new method using technology.
Japan researchers identify gut bacteria strain that boosts anticancer drugs
Researchers at the National Cancer Center Japan say a new type of gut bacteria named YB328 could help unlock the potential of cancer immunotherapy.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
Japanese scientists discover clue to why women burn more fat than men
Scientists say a recently-published study could help explain why women are typically less prone to weight-related conditions and may lead to new therapies that target calorie-burning mechanisms.
Music idol and anime fandom merch is big business
Businesses who cater to fandoms gathered at Tokyo Lifestyle Week for the second annual Oshikatsu — Merch Collection Expo, a trade show devoted to fandom goods.
U.S. urges clarity on Japan’s role in potential war over Taiwan, report says
A Ground Self-Defense Force member conducts a military drill with an anti-ship missiles unit, at the GSDF's base on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
Tourists in Japan have telemedicine options before calling 119
Foreign tourists at Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo. More than 1 million international visitors have a medical issue in Japan every year.

Podcast

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

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa

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