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Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Oct 14, 2018

After 16 years, Fukushima's Aizu Koshihikari still the brand of choice for popular Tokyo rice ball shop

A popular rice ball shop stands near Tokyo Station's Yaesu Central Gate, drawing long lines of customers waiting to buy products made with rice from Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture, known for remaining soft with a touch of sweetness even when it gets cold.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 13, 2018

Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media

Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Oct 13, 2018

Nahoko Uehashi's 'The Beast Player': Fantasy grounded in nature

Beautifully written, thought-provoking and utterly immersive, Nahoko Uehashi's 'The Beast Player' uses the genre of fantasy to question the political realities of human tyranny over the natural world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Oct 12, 2018

Public and private sectors push to revive Okinawa's struggling awamori industry

With young people apparently finding Okinawa's awamori liquor less appealing, the industry has been hit with a decline in shipments for 13 consecutive years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 12, 2018

High maintenance costs mean newly opened Toyosu market must grow trade to break even

While Tokyo's Toyosu new wholesale food market is furnished with cutting-edge equipment for temperature and hygiene control, resultant high maintenance costs are seen as a potential problem amid increasing off-market trading.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Oct 11, 2018

Scrumptious desserts for the Halloween season

With Halloween on the horizon, the Cerulean Tower Tokyu in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward is offering a Halloween Sweets Collection for everyone from children to adults to savor until Oct. 31.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Oct 11, 2018

Anpanman: Is the children's superhero the best thing since sliced bread?

Illustrator Takashi Yanase's beaming cartoon character celebrates the 30th anniversary of 'Soreike! Anpanman' on Nippon TV.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Oct 11, 2018

Revamped Levanga Hokkaido foundation includes key personnel from far-flung locales

As the B. League gains recognition on the global scale, the infusion of international players and coaches will continue to be vital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2018

Haru Nemuri's rapping and roaring speaks to the zeitgeist of 2018

Haruna Kimishima knew her music had found an audience overseas when her Twitter DMs began to fill up with English.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 9, 2018

Foreign and Japanese students at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies publish English newspaper

A group of non-Japanese and Japanese students at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies jointly published an English tabloid newspaper, called The NUFS Times, in September to deepen communication between the two communities.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Oct 7, 2018

Views from Hamamatsu: How do you feel about Gaijin Day and the G-word?

Residents of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, the city that hosted Gaijin Day on Sept. 1, were asked what they thought of the name of the event.
Oct 5, 2018

Yamaha Motor F425A Wins U.S. Innovation Award

— Sixth Accolade in Total After F25G in 2017 —
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Oct 4, 2018

Revel in a rich and tasty celebration

Sometimes, "a ton of chocolate" isn't hyperbole. Running now until Dec. 26, ANA InterContinental Tokyo proudly presents Chocolate Sensation, a hotel-wide event celebrating cocoa-based culinary creativity; and to make sure there's enough to go around, the hotel has procured multiple chocolate shipments...
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 4, 2018

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia's mini party is worth a little look

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, which selects a qualifying short film for the Academy Awards every year, will present its Autumn Screening from Oct. 5 to 12 at two locations in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 3, 2018

Poaching brings added problems to fishermen in disaster-hit Tohoku region

In coastal areas in the northeastern prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi, hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, local fishermen are struggling to find countermeasures against poaching.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 1, 2018

SoftBank bets $400 million on housing market startup Opendoor

Opendoor, which has already raised billions to buy homes over the internet, just landed another large investor: the SoftBank Vision Fund.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 1, 2018

Load lifted from students' shoulders as ministry recommends letting them leave textbooks at school

In early September, the education ministry issued a notice to boards of education nationwide asking schools to let students leave their textbooks and other study materials at school — the practice known as okiben in Japanese — to reduce the weight of their school bags.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 1, 2018

U.S. sends warship near man-made islets in South China Sea's Spratly chain

The United States has sailed a warship near two of China’s man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea, the latest in a series of recent moves by the U.S. military in the strategic waterway and in the diplomatic arena amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Japan Times
ESG CONSORTIUM
Sep 30, 2018

Green-centric expansion at home and abroad

Since its launch in 1964 as a leasing company, Orix Corp. has expanded its business scope to address the changing needs of society while refusing to categorize itself.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Sep 30, 2018

Retro Japan makes another comeback

From Showa Era-style stationery to Heian Period-inspired tenugui towels, contemporary remakes prove 'retro' can still be modern
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kamakura Restaurants
Sep 29, 2018

Oxymoron Komachi: Piquant curry favored by the locals

In a tourist town, it pays to know where to eat before you get there. Pro tip: The best places are usually off the main drag. Look where the locals are lining up; the queue outside Oxymoron in Kamakura is always one of the longest.
Japan Times
Sep 28, 2018

Yamaha Motor and Yamaha Corp. Host Joint Design Event

Based on the Theme of “Tracks,” the “Ideal Time and Setting” as Conceptualized by the Two Companies Together
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 27, 2018

U.S. flies B-52s over South China Sea as tensions with Beijing worsen

The U.S. military flew B-52 bombers in the vicinity of the South China Sea this week, U.S. officials told Reuters, a move that is likely to cause anger in Beijing amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 26, 2018

Japanese researchers aim to unlock secrets of the mysterious giant squid

In ancient legend they were called the kraken, fearsome sea monsters of giant proportions that would drag sailors down to their doom.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 26, 2018

Is Japan heading for a leadership vacuum?

The lack of an LDP heir apparent and the absence of a credible opposition force means that Japan may face a leadership vacuum when Abe's tenure ends.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Sep 24, 2018

Aichi couple sets up phone booth for people seeking to connect with loved ones they have lost

A red, wooden telephone booth stands on a hill in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, overlooking Mikawa Bay. Inside sits a disconnected black telephone.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 22, 2018

Trick or treat(ment): Q-Pot's Obake-chan QQ Medical Treatment Plate is sweet, tart and cute

Q-Pot Cafe in Omotesando ushers in the Halloween season with a host of spooky treats.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 20, 2018

Yusaku Maezawa: Japan's corporate enfant terrible with the world's first ticket to the moon

Call it a flashy billionaire's whimsy or a stroke of PR genius.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Sep 20, 2018

Naomi Osaka boosts interest at Toray Pan Pacific Open

Naomi Osaka's presence is being felt at the Toray Pan Pacific Open this week.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Sep 20, 2018

Delicate French treats to delight the palate

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo is holding its popular French desserts event, the Gilles Marchal Fair, until Nov. 18.

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