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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 27, 2014

'Group Show of Contemporary Artists 2014'

In support of the activities of up-and-coming artists across the country, Tokyo Metropolitan
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 26, 2014

French idol reflects on her Japanese droid son

As a playwright, stage director, Osaka University professor, manager of the Komaba Agora Theater in Tokyo and leader of the city's Seinendan theater company he formed in 1983, Oriza Hirata — whose "contemporary colloquial theater" set the scene for much of Japan's new drama over the last 20 years —...
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Nov 25, 2014

Pop artifice was never better with Aya Matsuura

When a pop singer who has long faded from the limelight suddenly starts appearing in your Twitter timeline in the form of glowing, nostalgic re-evaluations, they're either gearing up for a comeback . . . or dead.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE PERSISTENT VEGETARIAN
Nov 25, 2014

Pass the sauce: Turkish meze makes for a meal

I know it's meant to be enticing. But the scent of roasting meat on a stick — a staple ingredient of the Turkish street-food doner kebab, found in many popular Tokyo neighborhoods — is enough to have me crossing the street just to avoid the wafting smell, or else holding my breath as I walk by the...
WORLD
Nov 24, 2014

New malware used for surveillance in 10 countries, Symantec says

An unidentified nation may have developed a "highly complex" surveillance tool that targeted companies and other victims in at least 10 countries, including Russia and Mexico, Symantec Corp. researchers said.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Nov 23, 2014

JT to excerpt new Jordan book

The Japan Times will run excerpts from Hall of Fame writer Sam Smith's new book "There Is No Next: NBA Legends on the Legacy of Michael Jordan" on the NBA great beginning in Wednesday's print edition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 22, 2014

Blood & Guts

"Blood & Guts" by Australian journalist Sam Vincent is a behind-the-scenes investigation into whaling and a tale of two countries. Australia is on one side, united in its love of whales and its condemnation of Japan, which has refused to stop killing whales in the Antarctic despite (or perhaps in spite...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 21, 2014

Translator moved to action by Malala

Malala Yousafzai, who at 17 became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, has influenced countless people all over the world as an activist for female education. One of those is Yoshiko Nishida.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 20, 2014

'Rei Naito: The Emotion of Belief'

After three years of renovation work, the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is reopening on Nov. 22 with an additional wing, which will be the venue for the museum's new lineup of contemporary art, videos and performing-arts projects.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 19, 2014

Open Windows: 'Sliding into the creep zone'

What has happened to Elijah Wood? The former child star whose career out-survived most of his contemporaries is slipping further and further into the creep zone. In the decade since his signature role as Frodo in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, his roles have gone from nerdy and vulnerable to nerdy...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Nov 19, 2014

San Francisco's huff with Hashimoto over 'comfort women' reveals double standards

San Francisco's reaction to Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's comments about 'comfort women' says much about equality between nations, about how we judge each other through cultural lenses and blinders, and how we have to keep finding ways to address grievances from our past.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 18, 2014

Warm up over a shared hot pot

What comes to mind when you think of convivial home-cooked family meals? In Japan, the answer is usually nabe, or hot-pot cooking.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 18, 2014

Arashi sure to delight fans with typical fare on 'The Digitalian'

Arashi "The Digitalian" (J Storm)
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 16, 2014

In Iraq, Iranian masters behind feared Shiite militias

Among the thousands of militia fighters who flocked to northern Iraq to battle the extremist Islamic State group over the summer was Qais al-Khazali.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 15, 2014

Tomonoura: lost in a storied landscape

The priest from Fukuzenji Temple is sitting cross-legged on a cushion in front of us like a Zen-sage. He has his back to a window of the Taichoro Guesthouse as he explains the significance of the astounding view before us. We are looking out at the nearby islands of Sensuijima and Bentenjima floating...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 14, 2014

Honminoshi traditional paper-making flows from long dedication, and UNESCO takes notice

UNESCO recently announced that Honminoshi, a traditional Japanese paper-making craft, is being considered for the organization's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 13, 2014

'Narahara Ikko: Domains'

It has been 56 years since photographer Ikko Narahara's early masterpiece "Oukoku (Kingdom)" (1958) has been shown in Tokyo.
Japan Times
Places
Nov 12, 2014

Let there be LIGHT — Christmas illuminations in Japan

When it comes to the imported tradition of Christmas-time illuminations, the ante is being raised each year in Japan. Naturally, they’re often the grandest near shopping areas. The illuminations are usually put in place around November, and kept up until the New Year, while some are left on display...
Japan Times
Places
Nov 12, 2014

Good gobbly good: Thanksgiving in Japan

For obvious reasons, Thanksgiving tradition isn't celebrated by the general populace of Japan. In spite of this, the number of Turkey Day options has been growing steadily. At the end of the day, you don't need to be American to enjoy these classic culinary traditions, whether they're served at a restaurant...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Nov 10, 2014

Time for underground CO2 storage is now, advocates say

From renewable energy, fuel cells and electric vehicles to energy-efficient home appliances, people have found ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 8, 2014

Kendama: a whole new ball game

Almost every child that has grown up in Japan has seen a kendama, a wooden traditional Japanese toy consisting of a ken (sword) and tama (ball) connected by a length of string.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Nov 8, 2014

Hanging around the threat of extinction

Night falls; stars are showing; yet I'm still perspiring. We set off in darkness into a night filled with hope. Our goal is to see one of the rarest creatures on Earth, a species once considered extinct, and for which even now fate hangs in the balance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 7, 2014

First locally produced wine from Aichi set to hit market

When Daisuke and Azusa Suzaki begin to sell this season's wine later this month they will be putting Aichi Prefecture on the winery map.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2014

Scientists devise family tree of the world's insects, the first animals to colonize land

They pollinate our flowers, vegetables and fruit. They spread deadly diseases. They flash in the summer night. They bore into the wood in our homes. And they serve as supper for birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals — including people.
EDITORIALS
Nov 4, 2014

Seniority pay on its way out?

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed a review of the seniority-based wage system prevalent among Japanese companies with a call for higher pay to recruits and a shift to paying wages according to performance.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2014

Optimize the troubled eurozone

Europe's leaders must recognize that the eurozone, as currently constituted, is larger than Europe's optimal currency area. Some member countries — certainly Greece, and probably Italy and Spain — need an independent monetary policy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 4, 2014

Mono's dual album release shows dark and light sides to the band

On the 2012 album "For My Parents," instrumental rock band Mono went big. Recorded with the 25-piece Wordless Music Orchestra, the album reflected a band that had finally completed a musical journey that it started more than 15 years ago performing grandiose, symphonic instrumental rock.

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