Defining the Heisei Era: Just how peaceful were the past 30 years?
Asked what characteristics best summed up the Heisei Era (1989-2019), 79 percent of Japanese people thought it would be best remembered as being “peaceful and without war.”
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan deals with death, disasters and a feeling of insecurity
Post-disaster Tohoku has been rife with supernatural sightings. Hauntings have been reported at homes and workplaces, in ruined towns and on beaches devastated by giant tsunami that crashed into hundreds of kilometers of Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, 2011, following a magnitude 9 earthquake ...
Defining the Heisei Era: Women in Japan speak out on inequality
Last April, a female reporter from TV Asahi accused Junichi Fukuda, the top bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry, of sexual harassment. The woman recorded the conversation, excerpts of which were later published by weekly magazine Shukan Shincho. The magazine also released an edited audio clip said ...
Defining the Heisei Era: The fragmentation of the family in Japan
Hatsune is Akihiko Kondo's dream wife. Petite and animated, she always greets him with a cheery smile when he returns home from a hard day at work and selects his favorite TV channel. She even sings him a song and charges his phone. She isn't really ...
Defining the Heisei Era: When communication in Japan went mobile
The launch of a pager known as the Pocket Bell marked the birth of texting and mobile communications in Japan.
Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture
With the number of children shrinking, popular entertainment naturally began targeting the otaku population that didn't hesitate to open their wallets for material many considered juvenile.
Defining the Heisei Era: When anime and manga went global
The Heisei Era commenced after two gods fell in rapid succession. The first, Emperor Hirohito, was no longer officially a god, having repudiated his quasi-divine status under the terms of Japan's surrender in World War II, but he remained god-like in stature. His January ...
Defining the Heisei Era: When Japanese games went global
The Japan Times presents the fifth installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
Defining the Heisei Era: When Japanese sports went global
Baseball star Hideo Nomo may have blazed a trail for Japanese players in the MLB when he signed with the Dodgers in 1995, but the achievements of domestic athletes abroad in the Heisei Era certainly didn't stop there.
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan embraces insularity
The third installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan experiences a hangover
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.
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan indulges in excess
The Japan Times presents the first installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
