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BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 16, 2014

U2's Bono says 'oops' for iTunes album download

U2 lead singer Bono apologized Wednesday to iTunes users who objected to receiving an automatic download of the Irish rock group's latest album in September in conjunction with the launch of new Apple iPhones.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 14, 2014

Rajeev Misra said to be leaving Fortess for role at SoftBank

Rajeev Misra, a former debt-trading executive at Deutsche Bank AG and UBS AG who joined Fortress Investment Group LLC earlier this year, is leaving for SoftBank Corp., according to three sources briefed on the move.
OLYMPICS / ROBERT WHITING'S 1964 OLYMPICS RETROSPECTIVE
Oct 10, 2014

Olympic construction transformed Tokyo

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics had a profound impact on the capital city and the nation. In the opening installment of a five-part series that will run during the next two weeks, best-selling author Robert Whiting, who lived in Japan at the time, takes a look back at the preparations for the event.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2014

Singers enchant audience with opera, folk songs

Japanese baritone Haruhisa Handa, also the chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC), invited fellow opera singers to the New National Theatre, Tokyo, on Monday to entertain an audience of about 900.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 9, 2014

Messaging firm Line to offer pay, taxi, food delivery services

Smartphone messaging service Line Corp. said Thursday it will launch a payment service in coming months as it seeks to play a more fundamental role in customers' lives.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 8, 2014

Who cares what Faust looks like

German contemporary theater has only begun to be introduced in Japan this century, before when the term "Western theater" was generally associated with works by British or American directors that told a story and diligently portrayed the psychological state of the characters.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 4, 2014

Japanese officials silent on drama unfolding in Hong Kong

'The future of Hong Kong is extremely important to the future of Japan,' but Tokyo is officially staying tight-lipped about the pro-democracy protests there.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 3, 2014

Legendary artists rock Tokyo, raise money for charity

The Tokyo Art Foundation held a charity concert, featuring performances by its chairman Haruhisa Handa, former Toto frontman Bobby Kimball, Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas, former Journey singer Steve Augeri and former Deep Purple vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan on Sept. 26.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2014

Shibuya-Roppongi late-night bus service to halt over low ridership

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will terminate Friday's late-night bus service between Shibuya and Roppongi on Oct. 31 due to slumping passenger numbers.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 3, 2014

Trip tips: Denver for the recreational marijuana consumer

Droves of pot tourists have flocked to Denver to sample its legal marijuana since Colorado became the first state in the country to allow recreational weed sales to adults. If you're thinking of joining the visitors heading to the "Mile High" city this year, here are a few things to keep in mind:
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 3, 2014

Google threatened with lawsuit over leaked nude celebrity photos: New York Post

A lawyer who represents about a dozen female celebrities whose private photos were posted online by hackers has threatened to sue Google Inc for failing to take the photos off its websites, according to the New York Post.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 2, 2014

Casino bill likely to pass Lower House: Abe aide

A Japanese lawmaker backing a bill to legalize casinos said he expects it to win Lower House approval this month and that the gambling resorts would be in major cities and charge local residents an entry fee.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 1, 2014

Kokaku Kidotai (Ghost in the Shell: 25th Anniversary Edition)

Director: Mamoru Oshii Language: Japanese (subtitled in English)
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Oct 1, 2014

Readers' letters: Ian Thorpe, the Yushukan, racism, teaching English, tipping and sunlight

Some emails received in response to recent Community articles.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2014

Osaka bans street touts in Umeda, Dotonbori districts

A new ordinance banning street touts who lure customers into restaurants and bars, often by promising them discounts and then charging exorbitant sums of money, went into effect in designated areas of the city of Osaka on Wednesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2014

Storytelling in the future will be transforming

A new form of analysis is emerging for the future of storytelling that will let us better understand why some tales grip us. If it succeeds, it will fuel new creative forms and make less vulnerable to manipulation by governments and companies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 27, 2014

Tales from the city show cracks in the system

Why are people unhappy? Think back to just about any historical period you like, from the remote past to times within living memory; imagine people then looking at us now and saying, "How dare you be unhappy? You haven't earned the right!"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 27, 2014

New idol group The Margarines sing to pay off debts

Japan's entertainment industry has become so filled with idol groups that some call this the age of the "idol war."
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 25, 2014

China's anti-graft drive puts the squeeze on Macau's casino junkets

Macau's casino junket operators are feeling the squeeze as China's anti-corruption drive has blown a hole in the world's biggest gambling hub. Some are shifting players elsewhere, like the Philippines and Vietnam; others are quitting the business.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 24, 2014

As festival's renown goes global, director hails its local role

Since its launch in 2010, Kyoto Experiment has steadily come to rival, if not even surpass, Festival/Tokyo as the nation's leading annual showcase for cutting-edge performances.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 24, 2014

Photo sticker booth maker FuRyu considering IPO, president says

FuRyu Corp., a maker of photo sticker machines used in video game arcades, is considering an initial public offering, company president Yoshiro Tasaka said.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 20, 2014

Tabloids voice alarm over dengue surge

The first case of dengue fever was reported on Aug. 27. As of Friday, the number had increased to 141 people in 17 prefectures — not one of whom had traveled abroad. If the asymptotic or unreported cases are included, it's quite possible that figure may be two or threefold.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 19, 2014

As mobile arm struggles, Sony looks to PlayStation

The head of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation division hopes to raise its profit outlook for this year, in stark contrast to the electronics firm's mobile business, which has forecast deep losses and sent Sony's stock reeling.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 18, 2014

Indie games get a boost at Tokyo Game Show

Major gaming companies are likely to dominate the headlines at this weekend's Tokyo Game Show (TGS), along with the promise of future releases that have budgets reaching into the millions.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 17, 2014

HK Hentai Kamen (HK: Forbidden Super Hero)

Director: Yuichi Fukuda Language: Japanese (subtitled in English)
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 17, 2014

Sony hikes expected annual loss as smartphone business falters

Consumer electronics maker Sony Corp. is running out of ways to reverse its declining fortunes as the Tokyo-based company's smartphone business struggles to compete.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 17, 2014

Korea's new 'Goddess' of musicals

The central Seoul district of Daehangno is renowned for its small theaters in much the same way as Shimokitazawa is in Tokyo. But whereas the latter boasts teens of venues, Daehangno has upward of 140 — so really there's no comparison.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Sep 17, 2014

No use fighting the tide of online journalism, experts say

Major news organizations in Japan have been somewhat insulated from the seismic shift taking place in online journalism around the world. Helped by their still strong, if waning, presence in print, Japan's five national newspaper companies, each boasting millions of copies in daily circulation, have...

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