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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 4, 2017

Hokkaido chef Shinichi Maeda adds a modern touch to traditional techniques

An Dining chef goes out of his way to source his ingredients personally.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 4, 2017

Cozy Corner's Rich Cheese Fondue isn't quite what you'd expect

A good way to keep warm during the winter is by enjoying a nice fondue. The combination of bubbly melted cheese and bread can raise the spirits — and warm the stomachs — of anyone in the depths of the coldest season.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Nov 3, 2017

Changing times in Setagaya's Shoin Jinjamae

There's something alluring about the suburban stops between Sangenjaya and Shimotakaido stations, which has been serviced by the Tokyu Setagaya tramway for the past 110 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 2, 2017

Tokyo International Film Festival closes with an inconvenient message from Al Gore

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore Jr. still remembers the childhood experiences that inspired his passion for the natural environment.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Oct 31, 2017

Shoma Uno coming on strong in bid for Olympic gold

Shoma Uno began his Grand Prix campaign with a grand performance at Skate Canada last week. The world silver medalist won the competition in Regina, Saskatchewan, by nearly 40 points.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 31, 2017

Kenshi Yonezu hopes for more fireworks on new album 'Bootleg'

For Hatsune Miku's 10th birthday, Kenshi Yonezu wrote the turquoise-haired anime darling an apocalyptic song. "Suna no Wakusei" (English title: "Dune") finds Yonezu, under the alias Hachi, programming the avatar for singing-synthesizer software Vocaloid to sing about a "desert planet" where life has...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2017

From furaryman to 'Nige-haji'

To encourage more young people to start families, Japan must create an environment in which mothers can work and men do more to help out around the home.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 28, 2017

Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo: A war zone for photographer Cynthia Anderson

'For photographers fashion week means mock military manoeuvres with us lugging our heavy gear around.'
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 28, 2017

Twitter Japan confronts hate speech with mixed results

Following countless claims that Twitter has become a breeding ground for hate speech, the social networking service has started to take measures against hate speech on their platform over the past two years. After several events in September, however, it's clear that Twitter Japan is still struggling...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 28, 2017

You look like you've seen a Ghost Pumpkin Cream Puff

It's the last weekend to indulge in Halloween-themed sweets from Japan's convenience stores. Fortunately, all of the nation's main konbini players have their limited edition desserts on shelves now. And, given the country's newfound love of Oct. 31, there are plenty of black and orange delights to choose...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2017

Small Japanese credit union outperforms mega-banks by lending to geisha and local startups

Kikuno Kashima, a Tokyo geisha, couldn't get a bank loan to open a club for her patrons and select guests until a tiny credit union agreed to lend her the money. Now she's part of a lending model that's doling out cash to startup companies and yielding surprisingly high profits in the process.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 27, 2017

Hundreds of thousands turn out in black in Bangkok to say final goodbye to late king

Thailand bade a final goodbye to its beloved late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday in a ceremony steeped in ancient rituals, processions and Buddhist rites that drew hundreds of thousands of mourners.
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Oct 26, 2017

Blending the West with Japan

Isetan Shinjuku Store is showcasing bags, business card cases and scarves that blend the timeless elegance of a premium British lifestyle brand and classic traditional Japanese craftsmanship (kŌgei) at The Stage on the first floor of the main building through Tuesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 25, 2017

'Birds Without Names': Strong acting gets us through a couple's bad romance

If you're in the mood for a pleasant love story, avoid "Birds Without Names" like the plague. On the other hand, if you're cursing the idea of another Christmas alone, revel in the hope that all relationships may be as bad as the ones in this film.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2017

The Tokyo International Film Festival can be a time of true cinematic discovery (if you know where to look)

Film festivals have multiplied like bamboo shoots in Japan over the past two decades, from Okinawa in the south to Sapporo in the north. But the country's biggest is still the Tokyo International Film Festival, whose 30th edition takes place from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3 at venues centering on Roppongi Hills....
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 24, 2017

Border wall prototypes a first small step for Trump campaign promise

Nine months after President Donald Trump took office, the first tangible signs of progress on one of the central promises of his campaign have appeared along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 24, 2017

Ikea returns to Aichi after 1970s department store presence proved hard fit

Swedish furniture giant Ikea opened a new store Oct. 11 in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, but few know that 45 years ago it had an outlet in a department store in the Meieki district of Nagoya.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 23, 2017

'Dajare' 101: Why should Japanese have all the pun?

Chicago-born TV personality Dave Spector is the undisputed master of puns in Japan's u82b8u80fdu754c ('geinokai,' entertainment world).
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2017

After landslide victory, Abe may ramp up spending to spur economic policies and social security

Emboldened by the victory of his ruling coalition in Sunday's general election, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to boost government spending to speed up his Abenomics deflation-fighting economic policy mix.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 21, 2017

Ginza Matcha Cake: Tokyo Banana ventures outside its curved-fruit comfort zone

The folks behind Tokyo Banana have decided to freshen things up with the Ginza Matcha Cake.
EDITORIALS
Oct 21, 2017

Slow regional revitalization

The demographic challenges confronting the nation are indeed enormous, but the regional revitalization policy of the Abe administration has so far accomplished little.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 19, 2017

Kyoto's ambience is key to making KIFF special

Film festivals don't take place in isolation: An interesting city makes for a more interesting festival, unless you are the sort of movie nerd who sees six films a day and lives on convenience store sandwiches.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2017

Toyota targets 1,000-km driving range with fuel cell concept car

Toyota Motor Corp. is set to unveil a fuel cell concept car that aims to offer 50 percent more driving range than its current hydrogen-powered sedan in a technology push that defies a rising wave of battery-powered vehicles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2017

Busan International Film Festival spotlights female directors and plenty of Japanese content

The 22nd Busan International Film Festival, which opened Oct. 12 and ends Saturday, seemed to be in better shape this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2017

'Outrage Coda': Takeshi Kitano's kill count climbs high for trilogy's finale

In his nearly three decades as a director, "Beat" Takeshi Kitano has won many critical plaudits and prizes abroad. But in Japan he is best known as a TV personality and comedian. These two strands of his artistic personality — master director and mass entertainer — have come together in his "Outrage"...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2017

Sony unveils family-friendly robot aimed at spurring communication

Sony Mobile Communications Inc. announced Tuesday it will begin selling a new communications robot targeted at families next month, furthering its foray into the trending robot market.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 16, 2017

Japan Inc. scandals build case for corporate reform

Another big scandal is rocking corporate Japan. This time it's Kobe Steel Ltd., a major producer, which has confessed to faking data on the quality of its materials. Everything from bullet trains to cars to U.S.-made airliners could be affected. It's doubtful that the scandal will wreak lasting damage...

Longform

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How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan