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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 30, 2015

'Funakoshi Katsura: A Sphinx in Myself'

June 27-Aug. 30
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 27, 2015

Visualizing Japan's 'ugly' online desires with cultural critic Hiroki Azuma

In 2009, critic and philosopher Hiroki Azuma had a dream. It was a recurring dream (as befitting of someone well-versed in the psychoanalysis of Freud and Jacques Lacan), and riddled with complexities. In his own words, which open the introductory chapter of "General Will 2.0: Rousseau, Freud, Google,"...
CULTURE / Books
Jun 27, 2015

'Aperture' magazine comes to Tokyo

Think photography and its history, and it's easy to recall iconic images of New York, Paris or London — cities whose buildings and street life have long provided compelling subjects. Constantly changing, Tokyo is now securing its place in that history of urban images.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 27, 2015

Home electronics market loses its spark

On May 25, Yamada Denki Co., the largest home electronics retailer in Japan, announced that it would be closing 46 outlets. Given that the stores had been losing money for at least a year and Yamada operates more than 1,000, the announcement wasn't surprising, though the swiftness of its actions was....
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jun 26, 2015

China annihilates ancient coral ecosystems in its island-building: scientists

Concern is mounting among some scientists that China's reclamation work in the disputed Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has done severe harm to one of the most important coral reef systems in Southeast Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2015

'Ghost in the Shell' prequel fleshes out characters' origins

Internationally renowned sci-fi anime series "Ghost in the Shell" is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new prequel, "Ghost in the Shell: The Movie."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2015

Julianne Moore shines as Alzheimer's patient in 'Still Alice'

Flashback to 1995 when a new actress named Julianne Moore was beginning to get noticed for her work in the Todd Haynes film "Safe," where she played an affluent Southern California suburbanite who becomes afflicted with a mysterious environmental illness. Some 20 years and four Oscar nominations later,...
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jun 25, 2015

Mississippi Republican senator wants 'unifying' flag, no longer with Confederate emblem

Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker said on Wednesday that his state's flag, which features a Confederate battle emblem in its upper left corner, should be replaced with one that is more unifying.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 24, 2015

An ill-mannered hunt for fleeting beauty in Mike Leigh's 'Mr. Turner'

'Mr. Turner," a biopic of 19th-century English landscape painter J.M.W. Turner, came about when Mike Leigh, one of Britain's most-treasured filmmakers, teamed up with English actor Timothy Spall. The film is a grand testimonial to the alchemy that happens when two great artists get together to channel...
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 24, 2015

Confederate flag flap is one of many such disputes worldwide

Around the world, countries have long struggled with questions about flags similar to those faced by South Carolina, which is under pressure to remove a Confederate flag from its statehouse in the wake of the shootings that killed nine people at a black church.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 23, 2015

Young British directors take Tokyo by storm — but why?

This year it's quite noticeable how many non-Japanese are directing plays in Tokyo — not frequent and famed visitors such as David Leveaux, Robert Lepage and Simon McBurney, but relative unknowns here making their debuts at two leading large commercial theaters that almost always feature Japanese dramatists....
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 23, 2015

Why the pope cares about the Earth

By invoking St. Francis in his encyclical on the environment, the pope calls us to remember the fundamental interdependence of all life.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2015

The pope's powerful message

If we do not change our behavior quickly, we may well lose the environmental stability upon which our planet depends, warns the pope.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 22, 2015

Tokoname pottery makers turn to Russia, see vast market opportunity

Dealers and producers of Tokoname pottery, one of the six oldest types of potteries in Japan, are turning to Russia to market their teapots. They recently held the first teapot exhibition in Moscow, and sold 30 pieces in two days.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2015

Residents of South Carolina town once home to Charleston shooting suspect say they are not like him

At Dooley's Bait shop in Lexington, South Carolina, the talk around the worm bins and minnow tanks was dominated by one subject: Dylann Roof, a previously unremarkable local young man now accused of one of most shocking murders in state history.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2015

Noah takes inspiration from Hokkaido on 'Sivutie'

The way Ayuko Kurasaki, who creates music as Noah, describes her childhood home of Chitose in Hokkaido is so lovely that I'm surprised it isn't being used in tourism ads.
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2015

Rethink Olympic stadium design

Olympic competition should be limited to sports, not the construction of stadiums.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jun 19, 2015

Pokka Sapporo's vanilla-flavored cola may float your boat

Pepsi's Strong Zero soda — a zero-calorie cola boasting increased amounts of caffeine — was the biggest soft-drink release of the week. But it's really a tasteless beverage that will give you a bellyache. So let's focus on a pleasant alternative, available only at FamilyMart.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 19, 2015

Charleston massacre suspect Roof had past brushes with police

His uncle worried he was cooped up in his room too much. The few images of him found easily online suggest he had a fascination with white supremacy. And for his birthday this year, his father bought the young man a pistol, the uncle said.
BUSINESS
Jun 19, 2015

Jewel Watch: It's all on the wrist

Have a child who won't stop asking for a mobile phone? The Jewel Watch can help.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jun 18, 2015

Do's and don'ts that will make your night of fireworks a blast

Summer in Japan means hanabi taikai (firework festivals), and if you're unprepared you may find your night quickly fizzling out.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 16, 2015

Lions teenager Mori thriving on pro level

Tomoya Mori swings hard. Really, really hard. Sometimes, so hard he loses his balance for a moment.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 16, 2015

'Motion Science'

June 19-Sept. 27
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 15, 2015

Nagoya struggling to woo foreign cruise liners

Nagoya is facing stiff competition when it comes to wooing cruise liners.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 12, 2015

Tasting the many shades of Japan's regional sake

At the risk of sounding like a killjoy, I have to confess that drinks festivals rarely excite me. These events are often promoted as learning opportunities that can help you improve your tasting skills and discover new brands. While the lure of convenience (the chance to sample hundreds of varieties...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2015

Dick Costolo quits Twitter helm in another shake-up amid slow growth; shares briefly surge

Twitter Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dick Costolo abruptly announced he was stepping down on Thursday amid increasing scrutiny of the company's slow user growth and inability to attract advertisers at the same rate as its competitors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 11, 2015

Lunch, stay at Asakusa View Hotel; evening beer at Tokyo Prince Hotel; Fauchon at Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo

Lunch, stay at Asakusa View Hotel
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2015

Record industry warily embraces Apple Music

A decade ago, Apple Inc. helped revitalize a music industry hit hard by online piracy with its iTunes Store. Now, amid a steady slump in digital downloads, the industry is hopeful that the tech giant's new streaming service will give record companies another desperately needed boost.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 9, 2015

'Beauty of the Spirits': What lurks behind masks of mankind

"Masks: Beauty of the Spirits" comes from the Musee du Quai Branly, an institution that former President Jacque Chirac spearheaded toward the end of his long reign. Opened in 2006 to both fanfare and controversy, the Paris museum's stated mission is to celebrate the masterpieces of non-European countries...

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan