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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 5, 2015

Message trumps the medium at JMAF

When Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase "The medium is the message" in the mid-1960s, the ensuing dialogue on media theory encouraged an approach that persists to the present day: to examine new types of technology through the societal and cultural changes that they engender.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 2, 2015

South Korean children navigate rocky road to K-pop stardom

Nine-year-old Kim Si-yoon has no time to throw tantrums.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 30, 2014

'The Interview' top-selling 2014 flick on Google Play

Sony Pictures' "The Interview" is the top-grossing movie of the year for Google Inc., after earning $15 million in online sales and rentals from all sources through Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2014

Sony has a bigger problem than North Korea

Sony's corporate headquarters seemed to view the hacking drama related to its film 'The Interview,' which lampoons North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as mostly an American problem. The attack exposed a disturbing lack of cyber-preparedness on Sony's part.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 22, 2014

Sony considers options for release of 'The Interview'

Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton is looking for a new way to release the satirical film 'The Interview' after U.S. theater chains refused to show it over threats of violence from hackers linked to North Korea.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 15, 2014

Sony says news outlets should stop using hacked documents

Sony Pictures Entertainment lawyers have sent a letter asking news organizations to stop writing articles based on stolen documents released by hackers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 10, 2014

In rare move, Sony CEO Hirai personally cleared scenes in film on North Korea, emails show

The company's top executive approved a scene depicting the death of Kim Jong Un in a satirical film that may have prompted a cyberattack on Sony Pictures.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 6, 2014

Code + culture: new media art from Japan

Domestic media artists have been using programming code in recent years to create some astonishing works of art. We look back at how this scene developed over the years and examine four contemporary artists who have defined the way the genre has evolved.
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2014

North Korea's fingerprints reportedly found on Sony hack

North Korea may have had a hand in the digital attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment that used destructive malware to disable systems and destroy data, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 3, 2014

North Korea, other nations among suspects in Sony hacking: U.S. national security official

U.S. investigators are considering multiple suspects, including North Korea, in their investigation into a cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that knocked out the company's computer systems for over a week, according to a U.S. national security official with knowledge of the investigation.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 30, 2014

Gambling debt cripples Macau 'junket' model

Companies that connect China's wealthy gamblers to Macau's casinos are waiting as long as a year for gamblers to repay billions of dollars of loans, crippling the business model of an industry that sustains the world's biggest casino center.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
Nov 11, 2014

Dragoair upgrade offers; Nagoya-Jakarta direct flights; Milan expo carriers

Starting this month, Dragonair will upgrade its business-class and economy-class cabins and install a new comprehensive in-flight entertainment system on its fleet of 15 A320 aircraft.
OLYMPICS / ROBERT WHITING'S 1964 OLYMPICS RETROSPECTIVE
Oct 14, 2014

Opening Ceremony ushered in new era for Japan

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics had a profound impact on the capital city and the nation. In the second installment of a five-part series that will run during the next two weeks, best-selling author Robert Whiting, who lived in Japan at the time, examines the excitement surrounding the Opening Ceremony.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Aug 23, 2014

Yoshimoto Kogyo's role in creating a real-life robot with a sense of humor

With big, round, smiling eyes and a shirt and bow tie displayed on the screen on his chest, humanoid robot Pepper is ready to entertain his guests. Music begins to play, and Pepper shows off his moves to the 1960s hit song "The Loco-Motion" as a crowd of onlookers laughs with pleasure.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 5, 2014

Researcher to show that passenger jets may be at risk of cyberattacks

Cybersecurity researcher Ruben Santamarta says he has figured out how to hack the satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment systems — a claim that, if confirmed, could prompt a review of aircraft security.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 10, 2014

Disney resumes sales of new movies on iTunes in Japan

Walt Disney Co., the world's largest entertainment company, resumed sales of new movies through Apple Inc.'s online store in Japan after halting them temporarily in a dispute over terms.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 27, 2014

Taking aim at Japan's gender problem

Media coverage of the rise and fall of Japanese scientist Haruko Obokata illustrates the problem with the third arrow of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policy — and its otherwise laudable goal of expanding the participation of women in positions of power.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 24, 2014

Small presses fill a niche in books about Japan

Isobar Press (Tokyo)Speciality: Poetry
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 13, 2014

Pachinko parlors face taxing times

Moves toward legalizing casinos in Japan have reignited a debate over the legal status of pachinko, with a potential new tax mooted for a $200 billion gaming industry that has existed for decades on the fringes of the law.
BUSINESS / TRAVEL INSIDER
Mar 4, 2014

SAS business class, keeping safety fun, high-flying patrol

SAS business class
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 26, 2014

Sands czar bets he will win Japan casino race

Billionaire Sheldon Adelson is willing to bet $10 billion that his Las Vegas Sands will become the leader in casino gambling in Japan, an offer he says his competitors can't match.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 10, 2014

Sony suffering seen as prelude to Loeb-inspired revamp

Sony Corp.'s latest earnings disappointment held a silver lining: the company's willingness to entertain some of activist investor Daniel Loeb's suggestions. And it may be just the beginning.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 24, 2014

Sony expected to lower profit outlook again

Nintendo Co. shocked investors last week by lowering its profit forecast for the year. Analysts are concerned Sony Corp. could be next.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 20, 2014

Citizen watchdogs see secrets law reviving tax money abuses

Democratic societies often have an ombudsman system of ordinary citizens who monitor how local and national tax money is spent.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 5, 2014

Bustling Shinjuku, the inn district that never sleeps

Tokyo's Shinjuku district never goes to sleep.
Japan Times
JAPAN / LIGHTING THE OLYMPIC FLAME
Sep 24, 2013

Harumi urged not to sit back and squander Olympic windfall

People who live in Tokyo's Harumi seafront district are excited about hosting the Olympic Village when the games come to town in 2020, but the trick will be parleying the construction into a long-term boon.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 21, 2013

PlayStation 4 to get jump in U.S.

Sony Corp. will start selling the PlayStation 4 in North America on Nov. 15, moving to obtain an early advantage in the largest video game market against Microsoft Corp.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2013

Sony rides weak yen to beat profit estimates

Sony Corp., considering Daniel Loeb's push for a partial sale of its entertainment assets, said Thursday it posted first-quarter earnings that beat estimates after cutting costs, introducing new smartphones and benefiting from a weaker yen.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2013

James Gandolfini and the art of 'The Sopranos'

James Gandolfini's legacy will remain a cascade of popular television programs that people who search for quality aren't embarrassed about to watch and debate.

Longform

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.