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CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2001

K-pop, ya don't stop

BoA Last month, 500 members of the media gathered for the debut of singer BoA at the Roppongi club Velfarre.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2000

Scholar hits execs' Bangkok flings

When Yoko Kusaka moved to Bangkok with her family in 1996, she decided to pursue postgraduate studies in sociology, focusing on the corporate entertainment practices of Japanese companies in the city.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 4, 2023

Endeavor and WWE join forces to create live-combat tag team

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and WWE boss Vince McMahon are betting that traditional TV companies and video-streaming giants will continue to pay top dollar for the rights to show live events.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Mar 4, 2023

We hardly played ye: A bittersweet eulogy to E3

Once the Super Bowl of the gaming world, it’s time to remember E3 for what it once was instead of what it now unfortunately has come to be.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 14, 2023

Actors go on strike in new blow to struggling Hollywood studios

The Screen Actors Guild, which represents some 160,000 performers, announced the walkout after failing to reach a new labor agreement.
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 31, 2022

Can Japan’s pandemic-hit amusement parks return with a bang?

Does the opening of Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture reflect a turnaround in fortunes for theme park operators in Japan?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2022

AI panned my screenplay. Can it crack Hollywood?

Artificial intelligence hopes to bring science to picking movie winners in a business long run by gut instinct.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 7, 2022

Helping Hollywood avoid claims of bias is now a growing business

Studios are signing up consultants to help make sure their movies or shows don't raise any cultural red flags.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 26, 2022

Pioneering virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI goes on 'indefinite hiatus'

Over five years, the digital character delivered a new kind of content geared toward digital natives. Now she's saying farewell with one last, livestreamed concert.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 21, 2022

Sky-Hi: Taking up the fight for artistic freedom

The artist-turned-talent agency CEO says Japan's music industry needs a major modern makeover.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 16, 2021

COVID-19 is forcing video game companies to rethink remote work

Big game companies are spread out across the globe, from Canada to Japan to France, which has forced many developers to relocate each time they are laid off or their contracts expire.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 14, 2021

Kim Jong Un calls K-pop a ‘vicious cancer’ in the new culture war

K-pop's growing influence has drawn the leader's ire. But even a dictator may have trouble holding back the tide.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 9, 2021

A shaky future for Sony's Japan Studio after mass staff exodus

A slew of veteran game developers and producers announced their departure from the studio in advance of its April 1 restructuring.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Feb 1, 2021

Living in Japan doesn't have to break the bank

Japan is often touted as an expensive place to live. With a high quality of living, national health system, vibrant cultural scene, admirable levels of education and safety — it’s not hard to understand some of the reasons why people want to call it home. These desirable factors come at a cost, though....
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 11, 2020

Pac-Man: How a faceless character based on eating changed video game history

Examining the cultural and commercial legacy of Japan's iconic arcade game on its 40th anniversary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Apr 11, 2020

Japan's streaming situation improved just in time to self-isolate

Doing your part to flatten the coronavirus curve by staying home? Luckily, the streaming situation has improved over the past few years so you don't have to be bored. And with local options, maybe you can pick up some Japanese while you catch up on pop culture?
Japan Times
CULTURE
Apr 4, 2020

Kamishibai: Rediscovering the fine art of storytelling in Japan

Artists are taking a traditional art form to a new audience but a battle rages over its true essence.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2020

All bets are off: Casino capitals Macao and Las Vegas slammed by virus

The vast, glitzy gaming halls of Macao are open, but thousands of baccarat tables are empty. The world's biggest gambling hub has barred entry to most travelers and hotels are being used to isolate new arrivals in case they have been infected by coronavirus.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 2, 2020

Anime's evolution in lands down under

For the past quarter century, fans of Japanese pop culture in Australia and New Zealand have been served almost exclusively by a single distributor: Madman.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 10, 2020

Yoshitaka Hori: The man on a mission to export Japanese musicals

HoriPro Inc. CEO and Chairman, Yoshitaka Hori, wants to take Japanese musicals out to the world and compete with the likes of Broadway and the West End.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2019

Anime, manga, pro-wrestling? Tokyo firm hopes Japan's next big cultural export comes from inside the ring

If one Japanese business has its way, wrestlers will be the next hit entertainment export from the country that introduced the world to Hello Kitty and animation sci-fi films such as "Akira."
Japan Times
Uncategorized / TICAD 7 Special
Aug 27, 2019

Port area the center of national firsts, lively excursions

Modern Yokohama might be second in Japan in terms of population but, historically, it has long been a city of firsts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 27, 2019

Makoto Shinkai isn't afraid of a bit of rain in the pursuit of his art

It has been raining for weeks, but director Makoto Shinkai doesn't seem to mind a bit.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 3, 2019

Japan is cool but has no clue about selling itself

The country is still struggling to make money off of its worldwide cultural cachet
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 14, 2019

Activist investor Dan Loeb calls on Sony to spin off its semiconductor business

Activist investor Dan Loeb has disclosed a $1.5 billion stake in Sony Corp. and pushed the company to make dramatic changes, including spinning off its semiconductor business and listing it in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 28, 2019

Gang of Four's fluctuating degrees of animosity, 40 years on

British post-punk pioneers Gang of Four didn't come to Japan until 2005, nearly 30 years after the band formed. If guitarist Andy Gill had his way, it would have happened a lot sooner. "I clearly remember a conversation in the '80s about going to Japan," Gill says, sitting among an array of equipment...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 29, 2019

Arashi's hiatus spurs heartbreak, but hopes for a 2020 Olympic farewell

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics creep ever closer and one of the biggest arguments that remains is which musical performers will feature in the event's opening ceremony. Up until now, debate over who should represent Japan on the international stage has been raging.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.