search

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 24, 2021

‘North Korea in a Nutshell’: An effective introduction to an enigmatic nation

Ralph Hassig and Kongdan Oh's survey of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea covers the history of the country skillfully, albeit with some gaps in documenting sources.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 24, 2021

Yes, this tiny water cooler capsule toy is 'ridiculous.' Perfect.

Yoshiaki Yamanishi set out to create the most boring toy imaginable.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 24, 2021

Maya Uno: 'Clear small goals and remember to exhale'

'A sport for anyone' is how athlete and coach Maya Uno describes tennis. Though she has since come around to golf, too.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 24, 2021

Masks, monsters and munchies: Get your spook on this Halloween

Halloween is an annual excuse for people of any age to dress up, decorate and eat way too many treats. Here's how everyone can enjoy this frightfully fun holiday in 2021.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 23, 2021

How the supply chain broke, and why it won’t be fixed anytime soon

No one really knows when the shortages will end, but there are good reasons to suspect that this will be with us well into 2022.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 23, 2021

U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments on Texas abortion law

The Nov. 1 arguments will center on the law's novel enforcement mechanism rather than the underlying abortion right.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2021

Portion of Tokyo's Yamanote Line halts operations this weekend

East Japan Railway Co., the operator of Tokyo's busy Yamanote Line, is halting operations of the inner circle loop between Ikebukuro and Osaki stations all day Saturday and Sunday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 23, 2021

Benefits of Pfizer child shot likely outweigh risks, FDA says

Clearing a vaccine for elementary-school age children would mark a major milestone in the pandemic.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 23, 2021

Biden said the U.S. would protect Taiwan. But it’s not that clear-cut.

After the president's remarks at a CNN event, the White House quickly declared that the American policy of “strategic ambiguity” over the island's defense had not changed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2021

Japan to focus on supply chain chokepoints in security push

Akira Amari, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, has in recent years driven a policy push for Japan's economy to be less reliant on other countries.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who serves as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a party meeting in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 7, 2024

LDP lawmakers urge Ishiba to step down after budget passage next year

But neither the prime minister, nor LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama, said they would step down.
Students from Agatsuma’s butoh workshop, also part of Sumi-Yume, will be joining her and professional butoh dancer Tomoshi Shioya for this weekend’s shows.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 8, 2024

Butoh dances to the sounds of Hokusai’s hometown

Performances of the avant-garde dance form are part of a program dedicated to the revered artist and celebrating the local community in Sumida Ward.
According to his team, Donald Trump will fill key jobs in the "days and weeks ahead."
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2024

A look at the top contenders to staff Trump's government

Susie Wiles, his election campaign chief, became Donald Trump's first appointment when she was unveiled as his chief-of-staff, as widely expected.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, in July 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2024

Zelenskyy and Putin vie for edge with Trump ahead of Ukraine pivot

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a swift end to hostilities could force his country into a defeat.
Susie Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.
WORLD
Nov 8, 2024

Trump picks Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff

The low-key Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to serve in the post.
Japan spent ¥3.17 trillion on dollar-selling intervention on July 11 and ¥2.37 trillion on July 12, quarterly data from the Finance Ministry showed on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 8, 2024

Japan intervened twice last quarter to bring yen below ¥160

The Finance Ministry intervened on July 11 and 12, spending ¥3.17 trillion and ¥2.37 trillion respectively to prop up the yen.
A congratulatory billboard for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Jerusalem on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 8, 2024

Biden plans final Mideast peace push but will leaders ignore him?

Officials in the region will likely be reluctant to take big steps, preferring instead to wait for Trump's inauguration in January.
Toshiyuki Nishida performs at a rock concert held in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, in September 2011. Nishida appeared in many events and dramas filmed in Fukushima to help the prefecture recover in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 18, 2024

In his home prefecture of Fukushima, actor Toshiyuki Nishida lives on

Friends and others who knew him paid tribute to the late actor, who was well known for his folksy charm.
Lawmakers and strategists looking for someone to blame for Tuesday's wipeout have so far been more likely to target U.S. President Joe Biden.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2024

Defeat to Trump prompts Democratic soul-searching

The election night disaster has proved to be a Rorschach test, with rival factions each offering reasons for the defeat informed by their particular brand of politics.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following a two-day meeting on interest rate policy in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 8, 2024

Powell signals readiness to defy Trump in defense of Fed

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell insisted the incoming president doesn’t have the power to fire him or other senior Fed leaders.
Sanwa Koutsu's Kuroko Taxi service has drivers dressed in traditional stagehand garb communicate with passengers only through gestures and written messages.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2024

The sound of silence: Japan's no-conversation services

“Constant social interaction can feel like torture for us introverts,” one customer says. "I think it’s a pretty smart business move."
For some Americans, physical distance between them and their country in the immediate post-election period is the best thing they can do for their mental health.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 9, 2024

Americans are traveling abroad as a post-election salve

One woman who temporarily relocated to Mexico City wishes she had traveled even further to a place like Japan for even more distance from domestic politcal news.
In Japan, these sweet morsels are a traditional New Year's treat, but they share a surprising overlap with American Thanksgiving flavors, too.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Nov 10, 2024

The winter sweet that matches perfectly with autumn

If I’m in America for Thanksgiving, I’ll serve "kuri kinton" (syrup-stewed chestnuts in sweet potato paste) as a festive accompaniment to the holiday turkey.
El Lequio is a unique watering hole on Naha's main Kokusai-dori street — which works both to its benefit and detriment.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 10, 2024

Is Okinawa ready for a bar like El Lequio?

The bar describes its vibe as “Nikkei Latino” (the name comes from the moniker given to Okinawa by Age of Exploration sailors from Spain), and it’s pleasantly disarming.
Japanese household spending fell in September for the second straight month as higher prices choked consumers' appetite.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 8, 2024

Japan’s households cut spending once again as prices rise

Consumer spending in Japan has consistently failed to show clear signs of strength as shoppers have been forced to cope with prices increasing.
Masayoshi Son (front, center) poses with the members of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks after the team won the Pacific League championship at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Sept. 23.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 18, 2024

Masayoshi Son’s aim for SoftBank Hawks remains, 20 years after buyout

This year, the team became Pacific League champions for the first time in four years. But its owner has loftier goals.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight