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JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Nov 4, 2017

Japan's crime syndicates are shooting themselves in the foot

Japan's organized crime syndicates appear to be embroiled in something of a power struggle.
Japan Times
SOCCER / PREMIER REPORT
Nov 3, 2017

Mourinho's strategy not yielding desired results

Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea on Sunday and it is the safest of bets that Saturday's press conference will fire the first bullets ahead of a match neither side can afford to lose. Antonio Conte will inevitably be in Mourinho's sights, but to the many targets for the Vitriolic One was added Manchester...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 3, 2017

Kevin Spacey seeks treatment after sexual misconduct claims

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is seeking unspecified treatment, according to his representatives, following allegations of sexual misconduct that have forced a halt in production of his Netflix show "House of Cards" and a social media backlash.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 1, 2017

When it came to casting 'Kokoro,' director Vanja d'Alcantara says her search began and ended with Jun Kunimura

Jun Kunimura has long been one of the most active Japanese actors overseas, starting with the Ridley Scott thriller "Black Rain" in 1989 and continuing with the South Korean horror hit "The Wailing" last year. Able to shift gears effortlessly from comedy to drama or from bumbling husband to slithery...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 1, 2017

Sony's Aibo makes a comeback: There's life in the old dog yet

Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will resurrect Aibo, the robot-dog that inspired a cult following even after it was discontinued over a decade ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2017

Hospitality king Tomoyasu Kato sees small-scale boutique resorts as the next big thing

Tomoyasu Kato single-handedly transformed an ailing family business into a sprawling empire of hotels, spas, entertainment venues and a popular chain of udon noodle restaurants. Now he has set his sights on attracting affluent overseas travelers to a series of small-scale luxury resorts he plans to build...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2017

Toyota ushers in new Century, Japan's challenge to Rolls-Royce as collectors covet older models

Toyota has just introduced a new Century. This is a big deal. The Toyota Century is the most exclusive car in Japan. Introduced in 1967 and named for the 100th birthday of company founder Sakichi Toyoda, the Century defines top-tier Japanese luxury, the kind reserved for heads of state, chief executive...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2017

Game makers deploy deep-learning AI algorithms to keep players coming back for more

In today's game industry, titles like "Clash Royale" and "Pokemon Go" are free for most people to enjoy because there's a small number of players who pay for extras, like special weapons or more lives. Game developers have to strike a delicate balance in this free-to-play model between drawing the masses...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2017

Japan's main film festival has come a long way from the days of 'bubble era' excess

The Tokyo International Film Festival, which begins on Oct. 25, will celebrate its 30th edition this year. It was first held in 1985 and I started attending it, as a reporter, in 1991.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 23, 2017

'Dajare' 101: Why should Japanese have all the pun?

Chicago-born TV personality Dave Spector is the undisputed master of puns in Japan's u82b8u80fdu754c ('geinokai,' entertainment world).
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 18, 2017

Ushering in a new, kinder era for Japan's zoos

Lack of legal regulation means the worst facilities continue to taint Japan's image abroad.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Oct 18, 2017

Victims in Las Vegas shooting may secure damages from affluent gunman's estate

Victims of mass shootings in the United States often win little or no damages from perpetrators, but the Las Vegas massacre may be different because the shooter is thought to have been a wealthy man, lawyers said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Oct 17, 2017

Macau plans 'simulated attacks' in security ramp-up after Vegas shooting

Authorities in the Chinese territory of Macau have ramped up security measures following the deadly Las Vegas shooting this month and unveiled plans for a series of mock attacks and crisis training to safeguard the world's largest gambling hub.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 14, 2017

The bottom line in publicly shaming celebrities

Anyone interested in Japanese television is familiar with the term "yarase," which refers to on-air situations staged to look natural and spontaneous.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage / Backstage Pass
Oct 12, 2017

Dance forms mix in pair of shows

Like many art forms in our rapidly shrinking world, dance is constantly experimenting with variants of the cross-cultural, extending and blending boundaries into innovative re-imaginings of genre. Choreographers such as Akram Khan, an English dancer of Bangladeshi descent, have found great success by...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Oct 11, 2017

This woman's work is never dull

Hidetomo Masuno says he thinks too much. The 41-year-old comedian who goes by the name Bakarhythm says he spends most of his waking hours deep in thought — "but first," he stresses, "I observe."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 10, 2017

'Japan's Social & Economic Landscape: 19th-Century Woodblock Prints'

Oct. 14-Dec. 3
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 8, 2017

Japan has much to teach America about guns

Owning a gun in Japan is not viewed as a freedom equalizer. It's seen as a social disruption to the smooth and peaceful rhythm of daily life.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 4, 2017

Blood donors from around world line up in Las Vegas to aid massacre victims

The woman from Nova Scotia who slid into the backseat of Paul Hwangpo's car got right to the point: Take me to the nearest blood bank.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 30, 2017

'Ainori' reboot reflects attempt to attract a new generation

When Namie Amuro announced that she would be retiring in 2018, even those who weren't hard-core fans were shocked to hear that the pop star who had been an influential part of their seishun jidai (coming-of-age) would be leaving the music industry.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2017

Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians team up with Fukushima to restore disaster-hit scenic rail line

Fukushima Prefecture has teamed up with major entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. as the prefecture reopens a scenic local railway line that had been partially closed due to damage from torrential rain six years ago.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Sep 27, 2017

Veteran Sakuragi satisfied B. League heading in right direction

Before the overhyped Y2K scare at the end of the last century and the technological breakthroughs of the 21st century, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected a former UCLA Bruins forward named J.R. Henderson in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Sep 26, 2017

China's Communist Party uses rap to tap youth culture, hook millennials

In his baseball cap and baggy yellow T-shirt, the rap star Li Yijie — better known by his stage name "Pissy" — is an unlikely face of China's strait-laced ruling Communist Party.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 22, 2017

Amazon's Twitch ready to take on Japan's game-streaming market

Amazon's game-broadcasting and social-video company, Twitch, is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in the nation that invented Mario, Pokemon and the PlayStation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2017

Japan in unique position to take global lead in investment and trade: experts

Somewhat overshadowed in recent years by China's rise as a regional and global power, Japan still extends considerable influence as a world leader in various fields, including investment, policy management and trade, according to experts who gathered at a Tokyo conference earlier this week.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 21, 2017

VR attractions to take center stage at Tokyo Game Show

With the debut of high-end virtual reality gaming systems for home use, 2016 was heralded as the dawn of the VR era. But while the technology basked in the spotlight, some questioned whether there was substance behind the hype.

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