It's hard to describe Seiko Ito with one handy label. When I ask my friends to do it, they struggle. "He's a TV comedian on a show for kids," says one. "He's an award-winning novelist," says another, before adding — "And he's one of Japan's first rappers!" "I heard he's really into ...
YouTubers around the world have found fame on the online video platform, with a select number achieving mainstream success as ...
Summer is high season for live celebrations of Japan's pop culture exports. The two largest events in the West, Japan ...
Celebrating more than a century of creating fine porcelain, Japan's Noritake, a world-renowned maker of fine dinnerware, will invite diplomats from various countries living in Japan, foreign businesspeople and others to an exclusive fair at which customers will be given VIP treatment. The fair will ...
In 1985, women in gorilla masks gathered at New York's Museum of Modern Art to protest its lack of female artists. Known as the Guerrilla Girls, the group continues to raise awareness about inequality in the art world. Thirty years later, their spirit has ...
Demonstrating the quintessential Japanese sense of beauty and intricate craftsmanship, Seiko Watch Corp. is releasing another limited edition mechanical watch from its high-end Credor brand this summer. Added value by engraving The upcoming limited edition — only eight watches are being made — features 3-D engraved ...
Japan is a real wonderland when it comes to neat little toys, gadgets and fun candies — navigating the variety of Kit Kats alone could be its own article. If you're new to the country, it may be hard to tell which treats are ...
Four years ago, Chinese-American writer Marjorie Liu had a simple but persistent idea: create an epic fantasy comic book series about a classic Japanese kaijū (strange beast) movie monster that has a connection to a girl. She knew it should take place entirely in Asia, ...
In Japan, some truckers spend a lot of money on decorating their trucks with neon lights, brand-name fabrics and shiny exteriors, and such drivable works of art have struck a chord with Italian luxury fashion house Gucci. The "Gucci Fall Winter 2016 campaign" video, which ...
Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan's manga world, died in Tokyo on Saturday at the age of 69, leaving behind an international following for his exquisite line drawing of scenes from everyday life. Casterman, the artist's French publisher, announced his death on its website, adding ...
The colors were jarring. Beneath the vermillion torii gates of Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine and surrounded by the olive broadleaves of Tadasu Forest was a pool of furry, bright yellow ponchos, decorated with the brown facial features, rounded ears and bulbous oblong tails of the ...
The Japan Times newsroom selected these culture stories as the most important of 2016. 1. Nothing lasts forever: After conflicting reports dominated tabloids, J-pop act SMAP finally announced a breakup planned for New Year's Eve. Regardless of whether it was in-fighting or exhaustion that led ...
As we sit down for an interview, Tokyo Comic Convention Committee Chairman Mitsuaki Munegumi casually points to a glass case in the center of the room. "There's actually a real 'Star Wars' lightsaber in there," he says, and reaches over. He pulls out a hilt ...
It is a remarkable sight to see artist Toko Shinoda in her studio, wielding her calligraphy brush, one out of hundreds surrounding her, with nothing short of indefatigable self-assuredness. And even more remarkable is that Shinoda is on the verge of turning 104 years ...
Sunday's Tohoku Rokkon Festival Parade was the climax of the Tokyo Shintora Matsuri, which was held this weekend in Toranomon. Close to 300 performers, a handful of cute mascots and one giant float offered up a lively sampler of Tohoku's biggest festivals. Tokyo Gov. ...
