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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 6, 2020

'AI Amok': Futuristic flick rehashes old tech

In Yu Irie's sci-fi film set in 2030, Takao Osawa stars as a scientist who must save Japan from an artificial intelligence system he created.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 5, 2020

Updating 'Romeo and Juliet' in a bid to fight prejudice in Japan

Wishing Chong brings an all-male version of 'Romeo and Juliet,' set in post-war Western Japan, to the stage in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2020

Olympics and Year of the Rat give starring role to capybaras at Japanese zoos

Sinking into steamy hot springs, the giant rodents of Izu Shaboten Koen flick their ears and close their eyes against the camera clicks of fascinated onlookers, drifting into a hazy midday nap.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Feb 1, 2020

Japan Times 1970: NHK broadcasts first sex education show

The Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) was deluged with phone calls from mothers Monday morning after it presented a 45-minute television program on sex education, the first of its kind ever shown on the public broadcasting station's channel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2020

Nintendo shares drop most since April after profit misses estimates

Shares in Nintendo Co. fell the most in nine months on Friday after the firm missed estimates for quarterly profit and forecast full-year earnings that were short of expectations, raising concern about demand for its Switch game console.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Jan 31, 2020

Delayed probe of Fukushima No. 1 reactor to push back fuel debris removal

A plan to remove fuel debris from the primary containment vessel of a reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is expected to be further pushed back after it became apparent that Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Ltd. will not be able to conduct an internal probe — a key step to start...
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2020

NTT Docomo's revenue and profits fell from April to December last year

Major mobile phone carrier NTT Docomo Inc. reported Thursday that both group sales and profits fell year-on-year in the April-December 2019 period, mainly due to new discount plans introduced in June last year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 31, 2020

Japanese turn to crowdfunding to pay for public-interest lawsuits

When a Nagoya-based citizens group calling for the decommissioning of an over 40-year-old nuclear power plant kicked off a crowdfunding campaign in October to cover costs for ongoing litigation, it successfully raised about ¥3.7 million, 1.5 times the target amount, in about two months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Jan 31, 2020

Netflix and Hulu unleash Japanese travel shows with improved mileage

Streaming services in Japan offer two very different approaches to travel shows, with 'Ainori Love Wagon: African Journey' and 'Kiko's Infinite Journey'
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 30, 2020

Parents in Japan use YouTube to teach bilingual baby talk that's good for any age

Mothers raising their kids in Japan head to YouTube to create a community that goes beyond basic parenting tips.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 29, 2020

Article 9, ittaika and Japan's liaison officer corps

The Constitution's Article 9 has shaped the SDF in ways that are deeper than most observers, analysts and policymakers realize.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jan 29, 2020

Coronavirus deaths rise to 132 as foreigners leave China

The United States and Japan flew citizens out of the Chinese city at the epicenter of a new virus outbreak on Wednesday, as the death toll rose sharply to 132 and the first case appeared in the Middle East.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 27, 2020

Japan's population will grow again — if it keeps on falling

If Japan's population decline continues at the current pace, a large-scale influx of people from outside the country could take place.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2020

Walking the talk of stakeholder capitalism

Company boards must also figure out how to integrate shareholder value with corporate responsibility.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 25, 2020

Folk fun: Traditional toys for prayer and play

Japanese folk toys popular from the Edo Period through the Meiji Era (1603-1912) are meticulously crafted and imbued with meaning.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 25, 2020

China a '21st century surveillance state,' U.S. defense chief says

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday that China's Communist Party had created a surveillance state that uses artificial intelligence to repress Muslim minorities and pro-democracy demonstrators.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 24, 2020

In print and online, English media proliferate in Hokkaido ski resort of Niseko

English-language media outlets are stepping up their presence in Hokkaido's renowned ski resort of Niseko, benefiting from growing global interest from skiers and snowboarders lured by the region's fine powder snow.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Jan 24, 2020

Indian entrepreneurs create water-saving solution for farmers out of Okinawa fruit scraps

Two Indian entrepreneurs in Okinawa Prefecture are developing an organic polymer made from fruit scraps that can retain water 50 times its weight, in a potential breakthrough for farming in water-scarce regions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 24, 2020

Shaken by Kobe quake, Peruvian works to help Hyogo's Spanish speakers in times of disaster

Roxana Oshiro, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, came to Japan in 1991 and was living in a dormitory in Kobe with her husband and child when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the region in 1995.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 24, 2020

Remembering Satoshi Kon, one of anime's best-loved creators

The Annie Awards bestows a posthumous honor on anime director Satoshi Kon, who died in 2010 at the age of 46.
Japan Times
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Jan 23, 2020

Italy's Trentino region aims to grow relations

A deal soon to be inked with one of Italy's leading research foundations and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, a master class lecture on Trentodoc wines and a tourism campaign all form part of efforts by Italy's autonomous province of Trentino to both promote the mountainous area and establish bilateral...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jan 22, 2020

Australian way of life going up in smoke in new normal of bush fires

The fabric of Australian life — the sun-licked, outdoor way of healthy living that has drawn people to the continent for decades — is under assault.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 22, 2020

'Polish Posters for Films': Expression born from suppression

At times outlandish, other times artistically stunning, Polish film posters proved that postwar communism couldn't crush creativity.
CULTURE / Art
Jan 22, 2020

'Asano Takeji: Daily Life With Prints'

Jan. 18-March 1
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 22, 2020

'Kisoushi'

Jan. 24-Feb. 29
CULTURE / Art
Jan 22, 2020

'Four Seasons' Colors'

Jan. 24-March 22
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2020

Japan mulling legislation to ban smuggling of wagyu genetic materials

The agriculture ministry will propose a new law aimed at preventing the smuggling to other countries of genetic materials, such as fertilized eggs and semen, related to wagyu cattle.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2020

Species' extinction could be a new beginning

Beijing is well-positioned to help other developing nations avoid the mistakes it's made in protecting biodiversity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jan 17, 2020

India relief team chief brings home lessons from 3/11 Tohoku tsunami

The former head of an Indian government rescue team dispatched for relief operations in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011 is sharing the lessons learned from the disaster-stricken town in his home country.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji