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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 27, 2022

Lyricist Takashi Matsumoto on Happy End, writing for pop and helping change the course of Japanese music history

Happy End's decision in 1970 to play American-inspired yet sing in Japanese proved to be a watershed moment for pop music here.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 17, 2022

What do most mass shooters have in common? They bought their guns legally.

From 1966 to 2019, 77% of mass shooters obtained the weapons they used in their crimes through legal purchases.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2022

Should Europe stop paying for Putin’s war?

If Europeans face economic hardship by ceasing to use Russian energy, is that really too much to ask after the invasion of Ukraine?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 6, 2022

Emma Kawawada's humane portrayal of the Kurdish diaspora

'My Small Land,' which centers on young girl and her family seeking asylum in Japan, is based on extensive interviews that the director conducted over the space of nearly two years.
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 2, 2022

At 119, she was a symbol of how to live with wit and vitality

Kane Tanaka, who died in Japan last month, survived two world wars, the 1918 influenza outbreak, paratyphoid and two rounds of cancer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 24, 2022

‘Cold Enough for Snow’: A meditation on the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships

Jessica Au's finely observed novel about understanding the inner lives of those close to us draws readers into a dreamlike vision of Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 21, 2022

They fled Afghanistan for America. Now they feed the newest arrivals.

Afghan restaurants represent generations fleeing war, and a cuisine interconnected to the world for centuries by the Silk Road.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Apr 18, 2022

Saigo Takamori: The last ‘true’ samurai, defender of the Japanese spirit

Saigo Takamori's samurai rank was low, but that might account for his love for the land and disdain for wealth and power.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 14, 2022

An arrest in the subway attack brings relief but leaves unanswered questions

Police officials and prosecutors have not yet provided a motive for the shooting, which left 10 people wounded by gunfire and at least 13 others with related injuries.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 13, 2022

Cash handouts are saving Brazil’s poorest — and Jair Bolsonaro’s campaign

Despite a turbulent four years, signs of support show that Bolsonaro isn't out of the next presidential election just yet.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 11, 2022

The mysterious man who built (and then lost) Little Tokyo

The cluster of these Japanese-style businesses on Stuyvesant Street came together organically over many years. Japan Village emerged nearly all at once.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2022

Former Japanese princess Mako Komuro finds new role at New York's Met

Sources say that Komuro is not on staff, which suggests that she is working there on a volunteer basis.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Apr 10, 2022

Alysa Liu announces retirement at 16

The American won her first U.S. title in 2019 aged 13, breaking Tara Lipinski's record to become the youngest national champion, and repeated the feat in 2020.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 4, 2022

As the pandemic drags on, more in Japan find solace in 'oshikatsu' devotion

Made more accessible through new technology, styles of fandom long monopolized by those obsessed with pop culture, anime and manga are, for many, becoming a vital part of lockdown life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 3, 2022

Chesil's coming-of-age tale gives voice to the silenced

'The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart' is a short but heartfelt novel that tells an explicitly Zainichi story.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 30, 2022

Desperation hits Shanghai’s chronically ill as infections soar despite lockdown

One shocking turn of events for those in Shanghai has been the lack of preparation for dealing with a widespread outbreak, despite more than two years to prepare for such an event.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 27, 2022

‘Don't Worry’: Take a breather from the corporate grind with Zen lessons

Shunmyo Masuno's book of compassionate teachings addresses those who find it difficult to relieve stress, specifically the people caught up in the busyness of corporate life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 24, 2022

'Blood Brothers' tells a tangled tale of nature versus nurture

Actors Hayato Kakizawa and Eiji Wentz play twins whose vastly different social circumstances result in tragedy in the all-Japanese version of Willy Russell's West End hit musical.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 16, 2022

Where is Japan's Great Resignation?

This week, senior staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss the changing face of work in Japan, and why so few people seem inclined to switch roles.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2022

Possible revision to Japan's Penal Code to emphasize rehabilitation over retribution

The Justice Ministry has explained that training and guidance, rather than mandatory work, would better prepare inmates for life after they are released from prison.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 10, 2022

‘Tamaran Hill’: A playful literary journey to get lost in

In Tadasuke Kotani's heartfelt adaptation of Senji Kuroi's short story, a young woman's exploration of Tokyo's hidden memories leads her down a path of self-discovery.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 26, 2022

Biden introduces ‘brilliant’ Ketanji Brown Jackson as U.S. Supreme Court pick

U.S. President Joe Biden introduced federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to be the first Black woman on the court Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Feb 25, 2022

Watanabe Kazan: One scholar’s equivocal rebellion

Watanabe Kazan discovered a talent for drawing early on and became a hack artist, painting on demand for pennies. It kept starvation at bay.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 24, 2022

Japan relaxes its border restrictions

Japan's strict border policies are finally relaxing — at least a little bit — and from March, new entrants will be allowed to come to the country once again.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?