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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2015

Sound waves: the music of Okinawa

How is it possible that a people who have experienced poverty, famine and discrimination, outlasted efforts at cultural annihilation and suffered the indignities of occupation can manage to celebrate life in song and dance with a passion and joy that belies everyday reality?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
May 9, 2015

Keeping the yakuza away from the 2020 Olympics

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo should be a cause for celebration but this may depend on who you talk to.
CULTURE / Art
May 5, 2015

'Sony Design: Making Modern'

April 29-June 14
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
May 5, 2015

Get up high to see how the past has shaped present-day Tokyo

Tokyo spreads out from the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward like a massive concrete jungle. Though the numerous skyscrapers can be impressive during the day, at night the lights come on and the metropolis really begins to sparkle.
BASKETBALL
May 4, 2015

Hannaryz cruise past Five Arrows to reach Western semis

The Kyoto Hannaryz took their first step toward securing a fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 4, 2015

Volunteer guide's polar bear outfit a hit at Nagoya zoo

An employee in Nagoya is masquerading as a polar bear on weekends.
CULTURE / Music / They're Playing Our Song
May 3, 2015

The tune that Japan wanted after the war

Michiko Namiki (1921-2001) was a fresh face in the Japanese entertainment industry when World War II came to an end. She had lost her father and brother during the fighting, her mother in the Tokyo bombings and her first love was killed on the front lines. Her story wasn't dissimilar to that of many...
JAPAN
May 3, 2015

Mori Trust heir shows how women can shine

The daughter of real estate magnate Akira Mori fits the mold for the government's female empowerment campaign and is preparing to take over.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPO MILANO 2015
May 3, 2015

Showcasing innovation, food culture

Sushi, tempura and teriyaki are probably some of the first things that come to mind when Japanese food comes up among foreigners.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / EXPO MILANO 2015
May 3, 2015

Rethinking, updating traditional crafts

Despite a decline in the handmade craft industry, especially with a lack of young people to pass the baton to in recent years, the Expo Milano 2015 that kicked off May 1 is a big chance for densan, or traditional Japanese handcrafted products, to promote their charm and elaborate workmanship to the world....
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 2, 2015

The alluring lofty peaks of Iya Valley

It's late afternoon as my family and I motor into the Iya Valley, a remote region of western Tokushima Prefecture. Billed as many things — a lost paradise, a secret hideaway, a rural escape — by the area's tourism brochures, I find that no adjectives can accurately capture the interplay of light...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Apr 25, 2015

Welcome to a “Bravely” new world; Future awaits for giant mecha; Shooting with your own Type-A fighter plane

Welcome to a "Bravely" new world, it's as good as the "Default"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2015

Awesome City joins a major club

Bassist Takumi Matsuzaka had a clear plan in mind when he launched his band, Awesome City Club, in early 2013.
EDITORIALS
Apr 24, 2015

Blurry limits on SDF missions

Security legislation prepared by the Abe administration does not dispel concerns that the SDF's overseas missions could be expanded without limits.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 24, 2015

Newly found chamber under Yellowstone has enough magma to fill Grand Canyon 11 times: scientists

Deep beneath Yellowstone National Park, one of the world's most dynamic volcanic systems, lies an enormous, previously unknown reservoir of hot, partly molten rock big enough to fill up the Grand Canyon 11 times, scientists say.
SOCCER
Apr 23, 2015

Japan picked to host 2015, '16 Club World Cup

Japan has been reappointed as host of the FIFA Club World Cup for the next two years, the sport's world governing body announced on Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 22, 2015

Violence speaks louder than words in Ukrainian film 'The Tribe'

Obscurantism; noun: The practice of being deliberately obscure or vague. If that represents a new genre in art cinema, then Ukrainian director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy may be its leading proponent. His film "The Tribe," which garnered some attention at Cannes last year, features deaf actors communicating...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2015

Yahoo weighs options for Japan stake; revenue misses estimates

Yahoo! Inc. CEO Marissa Mayer outlined plans to explore options for the company's stake in its Japanese unit, heartening investors dismayed by another report showing disappointing sales and profit.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 20, 2015

Sony unveils flagship Xperia Z4 smartphone in Japan

Sony Corp. unveiled the latest version of its flagship smartphone on Monday, with the product set to debut in Japan this summer.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 20, 2015

'Sacred' but aging Tokyo sports district faces major redevelopment

Jingu Gaien, a historic sports venue in Tokyo, will undergo a major transformation in about a decade, in a move driven by the city's plan to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 18, 2015

Images show rapid Chinese progress on new South China Sea airstrip

Recent satellite images show China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands and may be planning another, moves that have been greeted with concern in the United States and Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015

Miyavi explores his 'Others' side on new album

Playing a sadistic real-life villain in the Angelina Jolie film "Unbroken" clearly took its toll on Takamasa Ishihara, who admits he wept and threw up as he prepared for his final scene. Now back in a more familiar role as the enigmatic musician Miyavi, the man known as the "Samurai Guitarist" is flying...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE KIDS' TABLE
Apr 17, 2015

Lead your little connoisseur to a world beyond French fries

I heard about Ai to Ibukuro — a cozy little Japanese-French restaurant in Tokyo's Sangenjaya district — through a friend who likes to visit it when celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with the entire family. It can be a challenge to find restaurants that don't simply allow but actually welcome...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015

Tenkiame "So Sad About Us"

Tenkiame "So Sad About Us" (Independent)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 16, 2015

Shizuoka blooms with culture at theater event

With sunlight dappling fresh green leaves, flowers in bloom and birds singing, spring and early summer is when Europeans leave their homes to enjoy the arts at great annual events such as Germany's Theatertreffen and France's Avignon Festival.
EDITORIALS
Apr 16, 2015

Address nuclear safety concerns

By repeating their faith in the NRA's nuclear safety standard and dismissing any challenge to its validity, the government and power companies appear to be once more embracing the safety myth of nuclear power.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Apr 16, 2015

Re-opening of Fujisan Station Hotel; Four Seasons unveils Motif restaurant; beer garden at The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka

Re-opening of Fujisan Station Hotel
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2015

Toyota backs Prius in next-gen auto wars

When Scott Fisher bought his 2006 Prius, there weren't many other choices that gave him use of the carpool lanes on his drive to work in New York. That changed last year when the Long Island lawyer traded in his car for a Honda Accord Hybrid.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
Apr 14, 2015

SAS adds new features in long-haul upgrades

Scandinavian Airlines will conduct a complete renewal of its existing long-haul fleet by upgrading four A330 and four A340 aircraft this year.

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