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Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jan 27, 2014

This week: Kirby's now triple the fun and brands release some monster collectibles

Dealing out some monsters
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2014

Beware, the robots are coming

If you are an accountant, real estate agent, retail shop assistant, technical writer or telemarketer. Your jobs could be in imminent danger from the rampaging bots.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 25, 2014

History and humor lap Hamamatsucho's shores

Tokyo hosts plenty of pint-size public sculptures, but none so "wee" as the brazen boy standing on the platform between lines 3 and 4 at Hamamatsucho Station in Minato Ward. Just back from a trip to Brussels, I am stunned to glimpse there a bronze replica of the Belgian capital's most cheeky landmark,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 25, 2014

Baye McNeil: 'Always endeavor to do ... what you love to do'

Do what you have to do if you truly have to do it, of course, but always endeavor to be yourself and do what you love to do. That way, you'll come to the realization sooner that the life you're living is actually the product of your actions and decisions, and you'll be much less likely to waste a precious moment of it.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2014

Francois Hollande: What became of dull Mr. Normal?

However indignant French President Francois Hollande might have been about a glossy celebrity magazine revealing the details of his affair with a French actress, the idea of sitting down and drafting his resignation was almost certainly not among them.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jan 24, 2014

From the ditches of Nara to the Otohime, a lav story

Ever wondered what's with the toilet slippers in Japan? Surely I am not the only foreigner to question whether we need to be entirely reshod before entering the restroom in a Japanese house.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 24, 2014

Kabuki reviews shed light on Edo theater culture

Seven compilations of acting reviews for kabuki shows performed in Nagoya during the Edo Period have been found in the storeroom of Misono-za, an old theater in the city that is under renovation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 23, 2014

Tokyo voters unhappy with nuclear focus

Campaigning for the Tokyo gubernatorial race starts and voters express bewilderment over how fast the focus seems to have turned to nuclear energy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 23, 2014

The oyster can be your world in Ishikawa

Fresh, plump oysters are the tempting offerings at this weekend's Secchu Jumbo Kaki Matsuri 2014 (Jumbo Oyster Festival in the Snow 2014) in Ishikawa Prefecture's city of Anamizu.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / EVERYMAN EATS
Jan 21, 2014

New book gets to the soul of Japanese home cooking

Like the Denver Broncos, the Nikkei stock index and "Gravity" director Alfonso Cuarón, Japanese food is on a hot streak. Here at home, the revival of interest in classic regional fare known as B-kyū gourmet (B-level cuisine) has spread to supermarket shelves and fast-food menus around the country....
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 20, 2014

Ambiguous fisheries law sets up in-your-face conundrum for China

The ambiguity of China's 'new' fisheries law courts conflict by setting up an in-your-face conundrum for its neighbors
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jan 19, 2014

Fukushima kids' teeth to be checked for strontium-90

The Fukushima Prefecture Dental Association will spearhead efforts to determine whether children's teeth contain the radioactive isotope strontium-90 amid worries they were exposed to fallout from the triple core meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in March 2011.
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 18, 2014

In Jomon and Heian, the times weren't a-changin'

"Man the change-maker." That is one definition of Homo sapiens. Other creatures are changed — by Nature, by evolution — over vast expanses of time measured in hundreds of thousands or millions of years. Humankind consciously generates change. We innovate, build, invent, destroy, build again. Even...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jan 18, 2014

Child stars stud orphanage drama; new fantasy series features ninja vigilante; CM of the week: U-Can

An orphanage is the setting for the new Nippon TV drama series, "Ashita, Mama ga Inai" ("Tomorrow, Mama Will Be Gone"; Wed., 10 p.m.), which stars the two hottest child actors in Japan right now, Rio Suzuki and Mana Ashida.
BASKETBALL
Jan 17, 2014

Hamamatsu beats Tokyo for fifth straight win

The Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix are hitting their stride as the second half of the season begins.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 17, 2014

Toyota to commercialize robots for physical therapy market in 2015

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to launch a line of physical therapy "robots" as early as in 2015 to tap demand expected for machines that can help the elderly get through rehabilitation.
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 16, 2014

Iwate's Yonamine never loses track of ultimate goal: winning

Tsubasa Yonamine doesn't grab front-page headlines or dominate the highlights segment on TV sports shows. He helps his basketball team achieve success.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 16, 2014

Hit Hokkaido's slopes for tasty seasonal fare

Kutchan, near Niseko, is probably the only town in Japan where convenience stores stock pinto beans and Vegemite. In fact, Hokkaido's ski paradise, internationally known for its powder snow, is steadily forging a new reputation, one bite at a time.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Jan 16, 2014

Japan's mobile apps provide an 'A' for every 'Q'

Question and answer sites have for a decade been one of the most popular user-contributed services on the Web — and Japan is no exception. On the traditional Web, the market has been occupied by a few big players, but the recent popularity of smartphones has attracted new startups to the mobile Web...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 15, 2014

Toyota's Lexus sees methodical gains in U.S. to emerging markets

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus luxury line aims to grow as much as 10 percent annually for the next 30 years as it expands in the U.S., its biggest market, as well as in emerging markets from China and Vietnam to Brazil and Peru.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 14, 2014

Will Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine beat Spotify?

Buying music is passe; nowadays it's all about renting. Billboard reports that sales of "album plus track equivalent albums" fell by 7.6 percent in 2013. (Among subcategories of both digital and physical media, only vinyl sales increased last year.) The new hot trends are monthly subscription services...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 12, 2014

No lack of ideas on a course of action for English education

Last week's Learning Curve column, "English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul," looked at the persistent mismatch between the education ministry's stated goals and the actual outcomes of English language education in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / WEDGE
Jan 12, 2014

Pakistanis find niche in used car business

Led by Pakistanis living in Japan, exports of Japanese used cars are growing, thanks to their durability and high technology. In particular, Pakistanis at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, have been very active in the used-car business, using social networking services...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 10, 2014

Chubu won't stop at just 10 million tourists

The government achieved its target of seeing 10 million tourists in 2013, thanks largely to the easing of visa requirements for Southeast Asian travelers and the weakening of the yen to fight deflation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2014

Russian road to mediocrity

Only a few economists in Russia seem to stress the importance of understanding the impact of the current mass outflow of capital and the sharp deterioration of the situation in world commodity markets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jan 9, 2014

Stay plan for Tokyo marathoners; New year lunches in Kobe; meals from the movies

Stay plan for Tokyo marathoners
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 9, 2014

Enjoy Japan's countryside, from Okayama to Hiroshima, for just ¥100

The Ibara Line starts at Soja Station and runs westbound across Okayama Prefecture to terminate at Kannabe Station in Hiroshima Prefecture. The line opened in 1999, and along its roughly 40-km route, it offers vast views of typical Japanese inaka (countryside) during the hour-long journeys.

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