author

 
Menu
Search
 
April 27, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Russell Thomas
For Russell Thomas's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Apr 21, 2024
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
From microbreweries to tiny pubs stocking umpteen bottled choices, Tokyo is now more than ever a beer lover’s dream.
Michelin-starred tempura experiences abound in Tokyo, but some of the best of the genre can be found in the city's more down-to-earth eateries.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Mar 3, 2024
Go old school with these affordable tempura spots
Once a plentiful dish for the poor, tempura has been dragged upward through the classes to become a dish beloved by all.
New Year's celebrations in Japan and Western countries can differ wildly, but Tokyo offers plenty of ways for you to ring in 2024 in any way you prefer.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 9, 2023
A Tokyoite’s guide to a Western-style New Year’s Eve
Typically, Ōmisoka (New Year’s Eve) is a family affair — even in the global metropolis that is Tokyo.
If you've ever dined on fresh fish, either within Japan or anywhere else in the world, there's a healthy chance it was processed via ikejime, a Japanese technique for preserving freshness in line-caught fish.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 30, 2023
How the world got hooked on ikejime-caught fish
Roughly rendered in English as “locking in life,” this technique delivers a quick death to ensure freshness.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
May 14, 2023
An egg-cellent odyssey through Tokyo’s best 'omurice'
Who really invented these egg-wrapped delights of rice? If these restaurants continue serving up stellar fare, who cares?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 13, 2023
Tokyo and Toronto collide on Masahiro Takahashi's latest album, 'Humid Sun'
The Canada-based musician riffs on solar themes and ambient sounds of two different cityscapes with a marriage of sultry Balearic synths, improvisational jazz and a touch of enka.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Apr 9, 2023
Tokyo’s best ‘melon bread' is sweeter than meets the eye
A murky history and an inscrutable name can't keep this baked treat from being one of the best morsels in town.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 9, 2023
‘Tokyo Express’: Postwar detective noir basks in the details
Jesse Kirkwood's English translation of Seicho Matsumoto’s dense yet well paced novel is concise and timeless, giving contemporary readers a relatable window into the past.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Mar 20, 2023
Japan’s budding space program grounded by persistent setbacks
Desire to compete in the satellite-launching business and shore up security could be hindered by historical failures.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Feb 12, 2023
Miso soup for the soul: Tokyo's top spots for warming sips of umami
From trendy to traditional and takeout to eat-in, Tokyo has more than enough stellar miso soup to warm you up.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Dec 15, 2022
This Christmas, ditch the KFC for Tokyo’s best karaage
Just because there's no roast turkey on the Christmas dinner table doesn't mean you have to resort to fast food alternatives for your holiday meal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Nov 20, 2022
Savoring the subcontinent: Tokyo's best Indian eats
Ever since 1927, when the the first 'authentic' curry in Japan was served, top-shelf samosas, masala chana and naan have only ever been a short trip away for Tokyoites.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Jul 31, 2022
Sublime scoops from Tokyo’s top gelato shops
Five gelateria that are guaranteed to leave you thinking about seconds as soon as you finish off your scoop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 24, 2022
'Trace: Sound Design Works 1986​-​1989': Yutaka Hirose's soundscapes with a purpose
Each track featured on Yutaka Hirose's 'environmental music' album was commissioned by various public and private spaces and has been considered beyond simply being art for art's sake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2022
7FO's hypnotic 'Music for Himitsu' embraces the wonders of nature
The Osaka musician's remastered soundtrack for a 2014 art exhibition is a concerto of found sounds, guitar loops and intricate synthetic details that needles its way into your brain.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 14, 2022
'Oceanic Feeling': Go back to the beginning of infancy
Koki Nakano's latest release, informed by the primordial experience of floating in the womb, is imbued with pianist and composer's inventiveness and classical sensibility.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 29, 2022
Haru Nemuri: Rock, rebellion and a bit of Rage
The musician's new album 'Shunka Ryougen' gives voice to Japan's Gen Z.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Mar 13, 2022
Tokyo's top tonkatsu make for a hefty meal
The hearty pork cutlet is a favorite choice for lunch in Japan. Thankfully, Tokyo has no shortage of places that serve it.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Mar 8, 2022
A 'gateway to Japanese culture’ celebrates its 150th anniversary
From the Meiji Era to the modern day, the Tokyo National Museum's story sheds light on Japan's global ties over the years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 16, 2022
‘Kofu II’: Meitei’s sonic landscapes conjure the Japan of yesteryear with Edo aesthetics
Meitei has come a long way from the chilly, ambient flavors of his 2019 album “Komachi.” That offering, released on Berlin label Metron Records, left us with a headful of fragile soundscapes and nature-inspired sculptures — much of it born of a ghostly lo-fi world.
New JAL chief concerned about yen’s ‘excessive’ weakness
Mitsuko Tottori became Japan Airlines’ first female CEO on April 1, having risen through the ranks as a flight attendant and heading the flight attendant and customer experience divisions.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Yen inches closer to intervention point as BOJ meeting starts
The rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar is displayed in the trading room at foreign exchange brokerage Gaitame.com in Tokyo on Thursday.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
LDP veteran Nikai's youngest son expected to succeed him in Wakayama
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima
Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER