Search - places

 
 
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 13, 2018

Shōtengai: Examining the evolution of Tokyo's venerable shopping districts

Jesse McFaddin strolls around Togoshi Ginza shōtengai (shopping district) on a recent chilly December afternoon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 24, 2017

Staying on top of winter in Japan with snowshoes

Among snowshoeing's chief pleasures is the ability to walk across fresh powdery snow without sinking, often surrounded by complete silence — something one has to experience to appreciate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2017

Michigan's GOP-led Senate looks to allow concealed firearms in schools, other gun-free zones

The Republican-controlled Michigan Senate was poised Tuesday to begin passing legislation to let people with extra training carry guns inside churches, schools and other places now off limits.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 18, 2017

Ushering in a new, kinder era for Japan's zoos

Lack of legal regulation means the worst facilities continue to taint Japan's image abroad.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 23, 2017

A ruff guide to Seeing Eye dogs in Japan

Ariel is a devoted labrador. Named after the title character in Disney's "The Little Mermaid," Ariel can’t get enough of her user, 37-year-old Kanako Suzuki. Ariel rolls on her back, begging to be petted, and when Suzuki joins her on the floor, the animal jumps onto her lap — all 24 kilograms of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 22, 2017

'Tokyo Geek's Guide': Mapping the epicenter of 'otaku' culture

Anyone on the lookout for "weird Japan" culture, take note.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 12, 2017

Views from Tokyo: What are your thoughts on terrorism in Japan and back home?

Foreign nationals in Shibuya give their general thoughts on terrorism, whether conspiracy legislation is necessary to fight it, and how safe they feel in their home and host countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 22, 2017

One year after changes to the 'anti-dancing' law, clubbers are hopeful

Around two dozen people shuffle about the dark interior of Alzar, a recently opened nightclub on the eighth floor of a building in Osaka's Chuo Ward that also features a capsule hotel and sauna. Most hover near the concrete wall, watching a European DJ play house music. A group orders Champagne, taking...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
May 31, 2017

Japan violating anti-smoking treaty by bowing to tobacco industry, expert says

The government's move to ban smoking in indoor public places ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has hit a snag due to staunch resistance from lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party trumpeting smokers' rights and the need to protect the tobacco industry.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Apr 3, 2017

Military justice, revenge and an albatross

Japan has produced a great many martyrs, not least in the wake of its defeat in World War II.
EDITORIALS
Feb 24, 2017

Efforts to stop passive smoking

The government's plan to tighten rules against smoking in public areas falls woefully short of what's needed to curb the health risks posed by secondhand smoke.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2017

Health ministry gears up for possible ban on smoking in public areas

The health ministry is considering a legal revision to ban smoking in public areas to help bring the nation's policy on secondhand smoke in line with global standards ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2016

Cutting down on passive smoking

The government needs to get more serious about steps to protect people from passive smoking as it prepares for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
JAPAN / History
Oct 1, 2016

Religious reflections: Pope John Paul II's enduring legacy in Japan

The iconic pontiff's visit 35 years ago may offer some insights into what we can expect from a possible papal stopover in 2017.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Sep 7, 2016

Surviving Japan on an international student's budget

Current and former international students in the capital share some of their experiences and offer advice that might help incoming students save some yen.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 25, 2016

Infant deaths underscore accountability gaps in Japan's nurseries

When Yuki Kai went to pick up her 14-month-old son, Kento, from a nursery in Tokyo after his nap time, she found him dead.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Mar 27, 2016

Indie music finds a novel way to survive in Kyushu

We are living through the dying days of the CD format. It clings to life here and there, but its usefulness as a medium for transmitting music is pretty much over. What remains is a sort of meta-existence, where the value of a physical music format lies purely in the tactile physicality of the object...
JAPAN / Media
Mar 27, 2016

CNN's Will Ripley swaps risk for robots with 'Made in Japan'

Jet lag: the bane of every traveler. Sure, most of us only have to deal with it once in a while, but for CNN foreign correspondent Will Ripley it's a frequent foe.
WORLD
Mar 23, 2016

Asia most at risk for disasters, but Africa likely to suffer more, report says

Asia has the largest number of people exposed to natural disasters, but African countries are the most vulnerable to them, largely because of political instability, corruption, poverty and inequality, a new global assessment shows.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 22, 2016

Gomes expands horizons with Japan move

Yomiuri Giants reliever Tetsuya Yamaguchi, for some reason, thought he could get away with a first-pitch, 128-kph slider over the outside of the plate against Jonny Gomes.
EDITORIALS
Mar 11, 2016

Upgrading anti-disaster measures

It's imperative that officials at the national and local level check regularly whether anti-disaster measures are adequate and up-to-date.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2016

In 3/11 memorial speech, Emperor lauds unity five years after disasters

The following is the full text of a speech given by Emperor Akihito given at a memorial ceremony at the National Theater in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Feb 28, 2016

Icy Kanazawa, sunny Naha: A tale of two live scenes

I have been traveling around the country since September meeting people involved in different independent music scenes in such places as Hokkaido, and Iwate and Saitama prefectures. After taking a break over winter, I resumed my travels this month and headed to the contrasting environments of icy Ishikawa...
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Feb 23, 2016

Calais 'Jungle' migrants snub eviction order, 'have nowhere to go'

Refugees squatting in a shanty town outside Calais in northern France ignored an official order to evacuate part of their camp, hoping a court hearing on Tuesday will halt its demolition.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.