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Japan's 'itameshi' (Japanized Italian cuisine) has as many detractors as proponents, but you can elevate your pasta beyond the criticism with this edamame-infused dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Dec 3, 2023

Recipe: Edamame 'mollicata' pasta

Known in Basilicata as 'mollicata,' this rustic preparation can be served with or without cheese.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2023

Despite a taxing year, 2023's top kanji still draws questions

In a year of major crises around the world, Japanese voters pick the kanji for "zei," meaning "tax," based on a plan yet to be implemented.
This savory-sweet cake can be made with either fish paste or shrimp — whichever you think will best guide you into 2024.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Dec 17, 2023

Recipe: Good luck egg and fish rolls

The trickiest part of making “datemaki” is rolling it up — the rolled form is supposed to resemble a paper scroll, representing wishes for the new year.
Shiv Kumar (left) and Nirmal Singh say they are learning a lot about living and thriving in Japan while taking part in the Technical Intern Trainee Program. Their case, however, seems to be an exception to the norm.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Dec 18, 2023

Beating the odds on Japan's controversial foreign trainee program

Nirmal Singh and Shiv Kumar beat the odds on the Technical Intern Training Program, but luck shouldn't play such a key role in a government initiative.
What's old in Tokyo libations is new again at Heiwa Doburoku Kabutocho Brewery, where sake's cloudy, rustic predecessor takes center stage.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
Dec 24, 2023

At 2023’s close, Tokyo bars enter a new golden age

This year’s cocktail trends offer a spirit-forward reflection on the past as well as glimpses of the future.
Erin Lim, CEO of baby products company Konny, in front of her company's new office in Seoul. Early starts and late finishes to workdays are routine in South Korea, a country notorious for its hard-driving corporate culture, but Erin Lim knew she wanted to do things differently at her business.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 28, 2023

South Korean mother's office-free firm sparks hope amid birthrate woes

South Korea has some of the world's lowest birth rates, and despite government incentives many women choose not to become mothers.
The Sapporo Snow Festival offers outdoor dining, markets, sports, ice sculptures and more across three event sites.
LIFE / Travel
Jan 6, 2024

Asia's winter festivals: Snow, fire and spectacle galore

The ancient city of Nara wards off the wintertime darkness with an unusual tradition: lighting a local mountain on fire.
The recipe combines daikon with pork belly for a traditional style simmered dish with a twist.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jan 21, 2024

Recipe: Simmered radish with pork

More than 100 varieties of daikon were once grown around Japan, but now only 10 dominate the market.
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2024

Japan to allow bureaucrats to work remotely in principle

The government will release guidelines on remote work as part of an effort to encourage more diverse ways of working among its employees.
Chef Natsuki Suzuki opened Naz in the fall of 2020 on the rural fringe of the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Feb 11, 2024

Naz: Bounty from landlocked Nagano's rivers and pastures

Dining at Naz is like sitting down at a bespoke dinner club for a meal catered exclusively for you. And what a meal it is.
Chorus supported A Space for the Unbound by publishing the console versions of the game, which meant working closely with platforms like Nintendo for the eShop and physical versions while also providing additional Japanese localization for the game.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 24, 2024

How a small publisher links Japan to global indie gaming hits

Chorus Worldwide was founded in 2014, but the combined games pedigree of its core team goes much further back.
This simple bento recipe is perfect for meal prepping, school lunches and any other meal where you want maximum flavor for minimum effort.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Feb 25, 2024

Recipe: 'Rainbow' bento lunch box

The idea of making a bento every day can seem daunting, but there are a few tricks that you can add to your arsenal that will make the task go smoothly.
During cherry blossom season, lunchtime thoughts turn to outdoor picnicking, and savory sakura-flavored rice bundles are the perfect choice.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Mar 23, 2024

Cherry blossoms are just as beautiful on a plate as a branch

With Tokyo’s cherry blossom season imminent, the tree takes center stage in sweet and savory dishes alike.
BASKETBALL
Mar 25, 2024

Basketball star thrives on court again after putting herself first

Evelyn Mawuli is helping to normalize career breaks for reasons other than physical health.
Pakistan finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad on March 22
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

Pakistan’s finance minister leaves behind banker's life and pay to fix economy

The country has Asia’s fastest inflation, anemic growth and one of the lowest tax-collection rates in the world.
Since launching in 1961, the iconic Salone del Mobile furniture fair has firmly established Milan’s status as a leading force in the global design world
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 18, 2024

Salone del Mobile’s Maria Porro: ‘Italy and Japan share many things’

Maria Porro became the leading global design fair's first female and youngest-ever president when she was named to the position in 2021.
The original recipe for a "toast sandwich" has the added option of cold cuts, though the dish has since been reimagined with bone marrow and other lavish ingredients.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
May 12, 2024

Recipe: Japanese bread sandwich (yes, really)

This is not a sandwich made between slices of toast, nor is it a toasted sandwich.
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 24, 2024

New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running

Announcer Asami Miura and 16th-century warlord Oda Nobunaga also featured in a survey on ideal bosses in the entertainment, sports and historical spheres.
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 26, 2024

Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past

Chef Ryohei Ikemi will open dinner with a warming soup featuring vegetables from Aomori's Lake Towada and close with a local Kyogoku apple gelato.
The Ibaraki Prefectural Government has introduced an optional four-day workweek to serve as a model for work style reform.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 30, 2024

Are local governments in Japan ready to embrace a four-day workweek?

Several municipalities are testing the waters by allowing employees to opt for longer workdays in exchange for an extra weekday off.
Japanese fashion designer Yumi Katsura (center) greets guests during the finale of the 2015 Yumi Katsura Grand Collection in Tokyo. Katsura has died at the age of 94.
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 30, 2024

Yumi Katsura, a pioneer of Japan’s bridal fashion, dies at 94

Katsura developed a unique style combining Japan’s traditional techniques with French motifs throughout a career spanning over half a century.
Only 6% of the Japanese workforce is engaged while a third of the workforce is job hunting or looking out for new opportunities, according to a Gallup report.
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2024

Despite its hardworking image, Japan might be No. 1 in quiet quitting

Only 6% of the Japanese workforce is engaged, one of the lowest readings in the world, according to a Gallup report.
There are numerous iterations of 'rāyu' (chili oil), and they all have in common a complexion fiery enough to easily ruin your favorite T-shirt.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Jul 7, 2024

I can’t believe it’s not restaurant ‘rāyu’

With just a few common kitchen items, it couldn’t be simpler to create a unique chili oil right in your own Goldilocks zone.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is struggling to stay in office amid low public approval ratings and discontent from within his party. However, it is extremely rare for a sitting LDP president running for reelection to be dethroned.
EDITORIALS
Jul 5, 2024

Kishida fights for his political life

Despite low public approval ratings and discontent in the LDP, all is not lost for Prime Minister Kishida if the summer is kind to him and he plays his cards right.
Located in Yokohama's chic Minato Mirai neighborhood, the Kahala Hotel & Resort opened in 2020 but still has the feeling of a newly launched accommodation.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 13, 2024

The paradox of a five-star Hawaiian-themed hotel in Yokohama

What manner of overseas tourist would come all the way to Japan just to stay at a Hawaiian-themed hotel?
Don't let anyone tell you that when it comes to legitimate Mexican food, Tokyo is a culinary desert.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Jul 14, 2024

Tokyo’s top tacos dispel the ‘no good Mexican food’ myth

Whether a casual bite from a counter restaurant or a more elegant affair, Tokyo’s tacos do not skimp on variety.
Kingdom Hearts-inspired action-adventure game Luminous Nights was one of many indie titles that had to fight for attention on an increasingly crowded show floor.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Aug 3, 2024

Bigger than ever, BitSummit’s indie spirit wears thin

As the indie game show grows, the question looms as to whether its current trajectory continues to be true to its original spirit.
Founded in the early 2000s, Ichiro's Malt has since become a third pole in Japan's whisky world dominated by beverage giants.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 4, 2024

In sleepy Chichibu, Japan's whisky landscape is quietly shifting

Ichiro’s signature flavor profile of rich, woodsy flavors complemented by a clear fruitiness owes in large part to the tempermental 'mizunara' Japanese oak.
Ami Yuasa performs in the b-girls breaking competition final during the Paris Summer Olympics earlier this month. She won gold in the event.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 21, 2024

The victories, viral moments and vocabulary of Paris 2024

When following the Olympics in Japanese, knowing all the buzzwords that spring up could be a competition of its own.
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain, a deeply ingrained part of modern Japanese life, faces a potential takeover by Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard.
COMMENTARY
Aug 21, 2024

A 7-Eleven buyout would stretch Japan’s appetite for M&A

The country’s convenience stores have become essential to daily life. That has many fearing the prospect of a foreign takeover.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji