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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 15, 2017

'Strange' hotel, run by robots, opens near Tokyo; more to come

Major travel agency H.I.S. Co. on Wednesday celebrated the opening of its second robot-staffed Henn na Hotel. The new location is near the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 15, 2017

'Sing': Pigs can't fly but they sure can sing

'Sing" is brought to us by Illumination Entertainment — the animation studio that brought the "Despicable Me" series and last year's sleeper hit "The Secret Life of Pets." In many ways it's "La-La Land" with animals. In a color-filled, LA-like town inhabited by non-Homo sapiens in human clothing, a...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 11, 2017

Unlocking Tokyo's history one step at a time with guided walking tours

Tokyo has never had a reputation for being walkable.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 4, 2017

China launches new ship for South China Sea cruises

A new Chinese cruise ship has embarked on its maiden voyage to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Friday, the latest effort by Beijing to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 3, 2017

Disney to feature first gay scene in 'Beauty and the Beast'

Disney will feature its first gay scene when a character is seen struggling with his sexuality in the live-action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast', according to the film's director.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 3, 2017

Bitcoin 'creator' races to patent technology with gambling tycoon

The man who last year made global headlines by claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of bitcoin, is working with a fugitive online gambling entrepreneur to file scores of patents relating to the digital currency and its underlying technology, blockchain.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 1, 2017

'Snow Woman': chillingly modern

The Japanese folklore story of the "Snow Woman" has been told in many places, in many ways, and in many versions, but best-known is that of Lafcadio Hearn, the Greek-Irish writer who published it in his 1904 collection, "Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things."
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 28, 2017

Malaysia to charge women in Kim Jong Nam killing

Two women — an Indonesian and a Vietnamese — will be charged on Wednesday with murder over the killing in Malaysia of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, Malaysia's attorney general said.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Feb 23, 2017

In case you missed them: a year of responses to Community stories, part 1

The first in a series of selections of unpublished letters about Community stories from the year just passed.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 22, 2017

'La La Land': Sometimes we need a trip to la-la land

La-la land: the mental state of someone who is not aware of what is really happening, and a nickname for the American entertainment industry centered on Los Angeles. These two meanings bleed into each other in director Damien Chazelle's multi-Oscar-nominated musical, "La La Land," which is about a state...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 22, 2017

CITA 'usher' points to need for a Japan theater shakeup

You won't be alone if you've never heard of the Tokyo-based International Centre for Theatre Arts, because few have seen any plays it has staged and anyway its focus is firmly on building a reputation outside Japan.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Feb 19, 2017

For African-American ‘idol’ Amina du Jean, difference is a double-edged sword

Amina du Jean been in Japan for only 2u00bd years, but in that time has become a bona fide idol, joined a J-idol group and even branched off into a bit of gravure (bikini) modeling.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 14, 2017

'Parody and Intertextuality: Visual Culture in Japan Around the 1970s'

Feb. 18-April 16
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 13, 2017

'Boy-band governor' surges in S. Korean presidential poll as Ban Ki-moon drops out of race

A provincial governor nicknamed after a leading boy-band is surging in South Korean presidential polls following former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon's announcement that he would not run in an election that could come within months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 10, 2017

Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton bring their unique talents to the characters of 'Doctor Strange'

Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth — all of them look like naturals when it comes to playing superheroes. Benedict Cumberbatch? Not as much. Though audiences love him as the new Sherlock Holmes, that iconic role has never been described as a superhero.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 7, 2017

Lady Gaga soars over Super Bowl stage with bow to inclusion

Standing atop the roof of Houston's NRG Stadium with drones illuminating an American flag in the night sky behind her, Lady Gaga kicked off her Super Bowl halftime set on Sunday by singing "God Bless America" as a subtle message of inclusion and unity in a deeply divided United States.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2017

Even without casinos, pachinko-related gambling accounts for 4% of Japan's GDP

Even before Shinzo Abe's government opened the door to casinos in Japan, the nation's gamblers wagered ¥23.3 trillion on pachinko and related slot machines in 2015.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 3, 2017

Matt Goulding's 'Rice, Noodle, Fish' makes Japanese-language debut

It's well past midnight on a frigid winter's evening and the back streets are emptying fast in Namba, Osaka's effervescent, neon-lit entertainment district. But behind the unprepossessing door of Teppanyaro, the party is only just getting going.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Jan 31, 2017

Medvedeva looks invincible a year from Pyeongchang

Collecting her second straight European title with a world-record score last Friday, Evgenia Medvedeva emphatically reinforced that she is a prohibitive favorite for the gold medal in Pyeongchang next year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 28, 2017

Japanese graffiti artist 281_Anti Nuke takes aim at Trump

Japanese graffiti artist 281_Anti Nuke says his politically charged placards plastered around central Tokyo are meant to serve as a warning to the dangers of new U.S. President Donald Trump.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 26, 2017

Study to look at whether laughter is in fact the best medicine

An Osaka-based medical facility is looking to investigate whether laughter is indeed the best medicine, and whether it can be effective in treating cancer.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 20, 2017

Sumito Yamashita claims 156th Akutagawa Prize

The 156th Akutagawa Prize was awarded to 50-year-old author Sumito Yamashita for his book "Shinsekai (New World)," which explores his teenage experiences, the selection committee of the prestigious literary award announced Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 19, 2017

Sion Sono swan dives into Shinjuku's chaos

Celebrated abroad for films that mash up everything from extreme sex and gore to Christian imagery and classical music, Sion Sono has emerged as one of the most distinctive directors in Japanese cinema this century.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 19, 2017

First All-Star Game makes strong impression

The unification of the NBL, NBDL and bj-league to create the B. League represented a big step forward for men's pro basketball in Japan.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 16, 2017

How Trump could push China and Japan together

Both China and Japan should work together to map out how to survive the Trump era.

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