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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 27, 2018

Katherine Waterston discusses making magic in 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'

From the get-go, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" makes it clear that the new installment of J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts" franchise will be gloomier and heavier than the first film, a playful romp set in New York during the age of jazz.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 24, 2018

'The Frolic of the Beasts': A Mishima classic, roused from its long hibernation

Andrew Clare has published an impressive array of translations of novels by Japanese authors, all while putting in long hours at the corporate coalface. Now, Clare is launching his translation — the first in English — of a classic, but little-known, Yukio Mishima novel, 'The Frolic of the Beasts.'
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2018

As Osaka basks in glow of successful 2025 Expo bid, economic concerns move to the forefront

After Osaka wins the right to hold the event, questions about costs and integrated casino resorts come to the fore.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Nov 18, 2018

From Christmas markets to skating, 'tis the season to be jolly

For many in Japan, Christmas is about romantic dinners, frosted pastries and fried chicken, but in Tokyo, there are plenty of other ways to get into the Christmas spirit.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 17, 2018

Mariya Takeuchi: The pop genius behind 2018's surprise online smash hit from Japan

On the 40th anniversary of singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi's debut, The Japan Times sits down with the musician responsible for such classics as 'Sutekina Holiday,' 'September' and the track that has taken the internet by storm, 'Plastic Love.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 15, 2018

Don't worry too much over BTS

Throngs of fans packed Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday to watch K-pop group BTS perform songs from across its five-year career. The crowd cheered, bought merchandise and the two days offered the seven-member group some respite from a week of scandal.
Nov 15, 2018

QBIT Robotics enters into a business and capital tie-up with UCC Holdings

Joint proposal for providing robot café service in Japan
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 13, 2018

Deaf filmmaker Emilio Insolera flexes his superpowers with 'Sign Gene'

Emilio Insolera's "Sign Gene" gave the world its first deaf superheroes. But after writing, directing, producing and starring in the film himself, you might argue that Insolera is the one with the superpowers.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 10, 2018

Northern California fire, one of worst in state history, leaves at least nine dead

Wildfires burned out of control on Friday across California, killing at least nine people in a mountain town and forcing residents to flee the upscale beach community of Malibu in the face of a monster fire storm.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 9, 2018

Department store Takashimaya joins new venture in Bangkok as it looks beyond traditional domestic sales model

Boxed in by a shrinking domestic market and consumer preferences shifting toward online shopping, the only way for Japanese department stores — as well as the broader retail sector — to survive is to get a slice of fast growing markets overseas, especially in neighboring countries.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 7, 2018

China gaming giant Tencent to verify all players' identities by 2019

Tencent Holdings Ltd. will expand its age-verification system to encompass its entire games lineup, the firm has announced, in an unprecedented response to growing criticism that it encourages addiction among youths.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Nov 5, 2018

Boxer Floyd Mayweather joins RIZIN

Floyd Mayweather has won world titles in five different weight classes and is 50-0 in an unparalleled boxing career, but the American could be set for a stunning detour into the world of mixed martial arts after signing with Japanese promoters RIZIN Fighting Federation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 3, 2018

From vulnerability to violence, Yukiko Motoya enchants with ‘The Lonesome Bodybuilder’

Like a bouquet of exotic flowers, the stories in 'The Lonesome Bodybuilder' are varied and full of surprise, starting out with mundane situations and then turning strange in a way that feels uniquely Japanese.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Nov 3, 2018

Japan Times 1918: Tokyo celebrates the Allies' victory in World War I

Today the citizens of the capital of Japan rejoice with the Allies, of whom Japan has been so important a member, and celebrate the triumph of their common cause.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Oct 27, 2018

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 death in 1989 at age 87 signaled...
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 21, 2018

Non-Japanese YouTubers tackle the art of vlogging in the vernacular

Meet the foreign creators using the local language to build a Japanese fan base.
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Oct 21, 2018

Is Yumeshima safe as a casino site? Some question Osaka's pitch after flooding at Kansai airport

Less than two months ago, Typhoon Jebi ripped through western Japan and slammed a tanker into the only bridge leading to Kansai International Airport, forcing it to shut down.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Oct 20, 2018

Japonismes 2018 seeks to break down cultural stereotypes

A stupendous full autumn moon, bright orange and fat, flashes intermittently between the nondescript high-rise flats and offices on the drive to Charles de Gaulle Airport. It's an apt and beautiful reminder of one of the events that we, a group of Tokyo-based editors and writers, were invited to see...
Japan Times
GLOBAL MEDIA POST / Ireland report 2018
Oct 19, 2018

Irish firm HAULS the construction industry into the digital age

While the world embraces the value of data and the transition toward digitalization, some industries still have a long way to go. Construction is one example. Today, architects, engineers, contractors and site owners still rely heavily on traditional methods and conduct their work in an insular manner....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2018

Japan to survey gaming disorder as WHO considers recognizing the condition

The health ministry plans to conduct a fact-finding survey of gaming disorder as soon as the current fiscal year, ahead of the World Health Organization's possible addition of the behavior pattern to the International Classification of Diseases, sources have said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2018

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies of cancer at 65: family

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, the man who persuaded school-friend Bill Gates to drop out of Harvard to start what became the world's biggest software company, died on Monday at the age of 65, his family said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Oct 14, 2018

Ugrading home entertainment

Summer's over, it's time for more home activities — gaming, movies, music, even practicing sports in the yard. Here's a few gadgets to help you enjoy your 'me-time.'
Japan Times
LIFE
Oct 13, 2018

Eternal saints: The art of self-preservation

Examining the extreme ritual behind the monks who spent years turning themselves into mummies while they were alive

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami