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LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 16, 2001

Somewhere over the rainbow lies a pot of bliss

In any creative activity, our powers of invention stimulate the mind, in much the same way fertilizer in a vineyard helps the grapes grow to make wine. By engaging these powers, particularly insight and synthesization, our mental and creative capacity is nurtured and nourished.
CULTURE / Art
Feb 3, 2001

A passionate embrace of Nihon

Shinsui Ito (1898-1972) was a central figure during Japan's artistic identity crisis in the 20th century. As wave after wave of artistic movements from overseas broke upon these shores, native artists felt compelled to either abandon their own artistic traditions or embrace them even more strongly.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 16, 2001

A living, dancing tradition

Stories may be universal, but story-telling, as a performance art, just doesn't travel well. Kabuki is universally known among the educated in the West, at least by name, while rakugo remains obscure to all but scholars and a handful of devotees. This is an unfortunate, but seemingly intractable position....
CULTURE / Art
Dec 24, 2000

Rene Lalique: the magic of design

"Siren and Frogs" carafe by Rene Lalique Some of the best window shopping this Christmas season is being enjoyed at an exhibition of jewelry and glassware by Rene Lalique (1860-1945), currently on display at Tokyo's most elegant art gallery, the Teien. Held in the Art Deco building that was once the...
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Oct 28, 2000

Coal-crusted, ash-glazed, long-fired

From aspiring lawyer to automatic washing machine salesman to master potter, life has been an interesting but rocky road for Shigaraki ceramist Shiho Kanzaki.
COMMUNITY
Oct 5, 2000

Vanity, thy name is . . . Vince?

SAN FRANCISCO -- Clairol, the staid manufacturer of women's hair dyes, tried something new this year: It went after kids.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Aug 27, 2000

Yoko Ishii

LONDON -- "I am very proud that I really did find a wonderful job. I can travel the world with my scissors and comb, and wherever I go not only can I find work, but by making people beautiful I can also give them hopes and dreams," said Yoko Ishii.
COMMUNITY
Jun 23, 2000

Hearts will blossom on a classic ground

One beautiful day in mid-autumn, while watching my silent garden-scape, I remembered a voice I had heard from the flowers in the summer sun. "We flowers want your heart to blossom," they had said in one voice.
CULTURE / Art
May 20, 2000

Hanae Mori at Art Tower Mito

Mito City in Ibaraki Prefecture hardly seems the place to stage an international fashion exhibition, but Art Tower Mito (ATM), in celebration of its 10th anniversary, has done just that.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 5, 2000

Bacchanalian bliss under the blossoms of spring

Dozens of spring perennials are in bloom right now, but none are revered so much in Japan as sakura, or cherry blossoms. The pale pink blossoms hail the true arrival of spring, and their brevity (the shower of petals lasts about a week only) has symbolized the fragility of life for centuries.
COMMUNITY
Feb 17, 2000

Helping kids follow their noses

If you ask children what they want to be when they grow up, they will typically answer with a profession they have seen, either in daily life or on television: veterinarian, pilot, ice skater, or actress. How many times, however, have you heard a child say, "I want to be a perfumer"?
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Nov 27, 1999

The potter who set the scene on fire

In a brief span of time a few decades ago, one Japanese potter set the ceramic scene on fire, and as quickly as a brilliant meteor shooting across a night sky, disappeared. Yet his name and influence still circle the wheel that spins in most potters' studios; his immense impact on contemporary ceramics...
LIFE / Style & Design / BEAUTY EAST AND WEST
Jul 1, 1999

Be prepared to relax on summer break

It's summer, that getaway time of year when we are allowed a bit of an escape from it all. It is the time we want a break, relaxation of the deepest sort, freedom from everything by which we are ordinarily burdened. Not that I foresee any holiday for myself in the near future, but it is precisely the...
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
May 8, 1999

Kawai exhibit shows grace under fire

The term mingei (folk art) was coined by Soetsu Yanagi in 1926 to refer to common crafts that had been brushed aside and overlooked by the industrial revolution.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 23, 2023

The cherry blossoms are here and business is blooming

Kathleen Benoza explains what's at stake during the hanami season, while Thu-Huong Ha and Alyssa I. Smith discuss the science, symbolism and culture of sakura in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 19, 2023

Racial dynamics are inescapable when dating in Japan. That doesn't mean your experience will be negative.

In the cross-cultural or international dating scene, politics can sometimes sneak in. Avoid the pitfalls simply by being aware of the conversation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 6, 2022

Dining from forest and field at Niigata's Satoyama Jujo

The Sanaburi dining room in Minamiuonuma serves dishes so fresh they come straight from the soil — sometimes literally.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Oct 18, 2022

Kamikaze drones in Ukraine conjure memories of Japan's own bombers

When Japan's military came calling, it was educated and sometimes bookish soldiers who were among those who volunteered for a desperate kamikaze mission.
Japan Times
The Philippines report 2022
Oct 17, 2022

Federal Land at 50: Creating luxurious spaces, building partnerships

As one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines, Federal Land Inc. has been committed to developing well-built and innovative residential homes, commercial and retail spaces, modern office buildings, world-class hotels and integrated communities for 50 years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 1, 2022

Step into the animated world of Mamoru Hosoda with 'The Man Who Leapt Through Film'

Charles Solomon's new book offers an inside look at the director's works such as “Summer Wars” and “Belle” via behind-the-scenes anecdotes, production art and exclusive interviews.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Aug 29, 2022

Autumn nights are all right for romance

While some may interpret the 'fresh start' of spring as a more romantic part of the year, a case should be made for the grace of autumn as being a true opportunity for a relationship.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Aug 9, 2022

Famed Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake dies at 84

Miyake shot to fame internationally with his designs incorporating cutting-edge silhouettes and innovative fabrics.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jul 25, 2022

Back in business? The key sector missing out on Japan's tourism reboot

Organizers of international conferences and exhibitions will need to wait a little longer before business travelers return to Japan in droves.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jul 9, 2022

How rice can revive Japan’s tourism industry

The culinary staple has potential to give the country's travel sector a shot in the arm if it can take advantage of rising demand for sustainable tourism.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 2, 2022

When did perfume stop being about sex?

Gone are the days of titillating commercials and billboards featuring shirtless models.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 29, 2022

Haru Nemuri: Rock, rebellion and a bit of Rage

The musician's new album 'Shunka Ryougen' gives voice to Japan's Gen Z.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2022

Rape: The war crime that goes mostly unpunished

What's happening in Ukraine is one of the worst large-scale campaigns of sexual violence in war since Islamic State's attacks on the Yezidi minority in Iraq in 2014.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 24, 2022

‘To Be Killed by a High School Girl’: Hideo Jojo gives a lesson in ‘ick 101’

Hideo Jojo challenges taboos with black comedy in a twisted film about a teacher plotting his own death at the hands of a student.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 6, 2022

‘Haruhara-san’s Recorder’: A story of grief told with the lightest of brushstrokes

Kyoshi Sugita's resonant drama captures the process of mourning with restrained cinematography and subtle performances.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’