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Japan Times
Norway report 2020
Jan 31, 2020

Japan and Norway — strengthening cooperation and trade

Japan and Norway celebrate their 115th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year and the two countries are now closer than ever politically, economically and culturally. “Norway is an old friend of ours that shares the fundamental values of peace, democracy, freedom and so much more,” said Masahiro...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 26, 2020

Path paved by languages, inspirational interactions

Belgium's new ambassador to Japan, Roxane de Bilderling, brings special linguistic insight to her post.
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
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 18, 2020

A toast to mingei: The significance of unknown craftsmen

What is so special about mingei (folk crafts)? For Muneyoshi Yanagi it was significant that ordinary, unknown and largely uneducated craftsmen used natural materials to make objects that were sublimely beautiful.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 18, 2020

Social media turns its back on Japan's beloved strong alcoholic beverages

Everyone has a friend who likes to darken the mood when others are simply trying to have a good time. Dr. Toshihiko Matsumoto took on this mantle over the new year, killing the buzz for a number of people on social media just hours before the new decade started.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 17, 2020

Giants make Alyssa Nakken first female major league coach

APAlyssa Nakken became the first female coach on a major league staff in baseball history Thursday when she was named an assistant under new Giants manager Gabe Kapler.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2020

'Designed by clowns': Boeing releases internal messages about 737 Max and regulators

Boeing Co. on Thursday released hundreds of internal messages containing harshly critical comments about the development of the 737 Max, including one that said the plane was "designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys."
Reader Mail
Jan 10, 2020

Rethink strategy on reactor restarts

The editorial in the Dec. 21 edition, "The stalled restart of idled reactors," points to the lack of progress in restarting Japan's idle nuclear reactors in 2019. Since public acceptance of nuclear power and political will, at both the national and prefectural levels, move at a glacial pace, even as...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 3, 2020

'Fortune' updates Faust's devilish deal

Playwright Simon Stephens turns to ideas of terror for his British-Japanese transformative theatrical trip.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Jan 3, 2020

Japanese Classics series: Vintage Classics gives timeless Japanese literature a look for the new decade

The new Japanese Classics series from Vintage Classics presents five seminal Japanese novels, from Junichiro Tanizaki to Yoko Ozawa, with stunning cover art by Japanese illustrator Yuko Shimizu.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 31, 2019

Suspect in New York stabbing attack at rabbi's home charged with federal hate crimes

Federal prosecutors Monday filed hate crime charges against a man accused of going on a stabbing rampage during a Hanukkah celebration at a rabbi's home north of New York City, saying the suspect kept journals containing references to Adolf Hitler and "Nazi culture."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2019

How Instagram has changed the way we shop

It has also transformed the way we brag about what we bought.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 28, 2019

Tetsu Nakamura's death in Afghanistan exposes a gap of perception in Japan

Following the assassination of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura in Afghanistan earlier this month, the government of Afghanistan held a memorial ceremony for him as his body was delivered to the airplane that would take it out of the country. President Ashraf Ghani was one of the pallbearers. When Nakamura's coffin...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 26, 2019

New Stephen Curry documentary takes look at Japan's grassroots hoops

Do yourself a favor. Set aside 30 minutes to watch a short documentary. Actually, that's enough time to watch it twice. Do it twice. You'll come away with an even greater appreciation for the crisp cinematography, lively action and compelling insights more by absorbing the information twice.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 25, 2019

New Boeing CEO David Calhoun is hardened corporate crisis manager

Beleaguered Boeing Co. is putting its future in the hands of a turnaround veteran who has led several companies in crisis, cut his teeth at engine maker General Electric Co. and has spent a decade on the board of the world's largest plane-maker.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2019

For Boeing's new CEO, saving the troubled 737 Max is just the first hurdle

Boeing Co.'s incoming boss David Calhoun faces a daunting task when he takes over as chief executive officer next year: rescuing the 737 Max while mending the company's fractured relationship with U.S. regulators. But that's just the first of the hurdles awaiting him.
Japan Times
Shanghai report 2019
Dec 24, 2019

The trusted Okura address in Shanghai for business and leisure guests for 30 years since 1989

Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is one of the members of The Okura Group, whose corporate philosophy is “Best A.C.S. — Best Accommodation, Best Cuisine and Best Service.” Thoughtful services and pursuit of excellence represent the symbolic core competitiveness of Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai and the...
Reader Mail
Dec 13, 2019

Tradition and discrimination

Hiyori Kon, or Little Miss Sumo, is a new, powerful force behind a centuries-long debate about sumo and its men-only rule ("Little Miss Sumo wrestles with sexism in Japan's ancient sport" in the Nov. 5 edition).
Japan Times
Dec 10, 2019

Advanced registration for Jinseki Summer School 2020.
https://www.need-japan.com/en/pre-summer-school-entry.html

Next-Generation Educational Environment Development Co., Ltd (NEED), Jinseki-kogen-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture, will begin the pre-registration of Jinseki Summer School 2020.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2019

Osaka's urban onsen drawing attention from overseas

More and more onsen (hot-spring baths) have been popping up in urban areas of Osaka Prefecture, reflecting their popularity among foreign visitors hoping to experience Japanese culture and residents looking for places to relax.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 7, 2019

The fermentation power of kōji, Japanese food's secret ingredient

If Japanese food culture were pared down to its fundamental elements, the ingredient that might embodies them best is kome ku014dji (rice inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae).
COMMUNITY / 2010s: Decade in Review
Dec 5, 2019

Trendy neighborhoods in Tokyo came and went during the 2010s, but did capitalist conformity move in for good?

The protester, the party animal, the professional millennial — it seems like the Japanese capital had a place for every foreign stereotype imaginable in the past decade. We look back on a few favorites.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 3, 2019

Being your best self in spoken Japanese with the cast of 'Queer Eye'

When Western ideas on self-improvement are expressed in Japanese, what kinds of words pop up most often?
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Malaysia Special
Nov 29, 2019

Kewpie sees results from its halal efforts

Kewpie is well known in Japan for its mayonnaise, salad dressings and sauces. But a decade ago, the company embarked on a new and rewarding overseas challenge: the market for halal foods in Malaysia.
Nov 28, 2019

Q cafe, an art and tech fusion space opening Dec 18
to implement Multi-lingual group chat

Tokyo, Japan – Kotozna, Inc., announces the implementation of Kotozna Group Chat, a multi-lingual real-time translation service, to Q cafe, a venue slated to open on December 18th that is managed by LS Corporation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 27, 2019

Tomoe Sawa: The singer bridging the Japan-South Korea divide

Tomoe Sawa, the first person to legally sing in Japanese in South Korea after the Second World War, hopes to improve ties between the two countries with her bilingual concerts and recordings

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear