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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The critics who shaped modern Japan
Jul 1, 2017

Yukichi Fukuzawa: A cultural critic truly ahead of his time

Ask just about anyone with a keen interest in Japan to name their favorites from the nation's rich literary history and they are likely to rattle off a few famous names. But ask the same person for their favorite Japanese critics, and stony silence is likely to ensue.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 28, 2017

'Theory of Obscurity: A Film About The Residents': Alternative music's anti-stars make for fascinating documentary subjects

Some 45 years after their first appearance on a San Francisco stage, The Residents remain a band that practically defines the term "cult," and their freak-show, cartoon-surrealist approach continues to attract a healthy fan base (as evidenced by some sold-out shows at Tokyo's Blue Note back in March)....
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2017

America's Russian-roulette presidency

There's no relief in sight for Donald Trump as investigators probe whether his compaign colluded with Russian efforts to tip the U.S. presidential election in his favor.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 26, 2017

World War II practice bayonets discovered, evoking memories of Japan's wartime student military training

Four wooden rifles that had been used for bayonet practice during World War II as part of military training in schools have been discovered recently in Konan, Aichi Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 24, 2017

What will we eat when all the food runs out?

Last week, the Yukan Fuji (June 20) reported that 20 outlets in the Kappa Sushi conveyor belt sushi chain in east and west Japan are promoting an all-you-can-eat special, with patrons from middle-school age to 64 years charged ¥1,706 (boys and men) or ¥1,490 (girls and women). Seniors over 65 can partake...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 23, 2017

Off to the races: The Super GT at Oita's Autopolis course

Drive an hour south of Fukuoka and take a right at the city of Hita and you'll find yourself skirting the edge of Lake Bairin.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 23, 2017

Abe's LDP faces stiff challenge in Tokyo assembly election

With favoritism allegations piling up and his Cabinet's credibility crumbling, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party faces its toughest challenge in years in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 21, 2017

Tower inferno shames Britain

The Grenfell Tower tragedy has not yet been played out and the political fallout should not be discounted.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2017

Inside Trump's Middle East mess

Antagonizing Iran and taking actions that embolden regional countries to isolate one another is a recipe for more chaos — not solutions.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2017

Pence hires his own lawyer amid Russia probes

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has hired a lawyer known for defending government officials in high-profile investigations to help him with probes into whether there were ties between the election campaign of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia, his office said on Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 13, 2017

With casinos on horizon, bill to curb gambling addiction draws skepticism

A childhood New Year's holiday spent playing cards with his family planted the seeds of a gambling compulsion that ravaged decades of one man's life. Now 67, the former salesman from western Japan fell into debt time and time again as his addiction drew him to pachinko parlors, then illegal mah-jongg...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 11, 2017

How May's sure thing became political disaster for the ages

It was 5:15 a.m. when an exhausted Theresa May entered the campaign war room at Tory headquarters to face her demoralized party workers.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 8, 2017

Moroccan fossils shake up understanding of human origins

The understanding of human origins was turned on its head on Wednesday with the announcement of the discovery of fossils unearthed on a Moroccan hillside that are about 100,000 years older than any other known remains of our species, Homo sapiens.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 7, 2017

Japan warms up for World Cup qualifier with draw against Syria

Japan limbered up for next week's World Cup qualifier against Iraq with a 1-1 draw with Syria in a friendly on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jun 4, 2017

Parking the car can drive you crazy

In the 1990s when we rented an old house in Saitama Prefecture, we needed a parking space since we had a car at the time. There was none on the property and so we talked the landlord into tearing down a decrepit prefabricated storage shed that stood next to the house. He did, and then, at our own expense,...
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2017

Tackling signs in Japan that you're not welcome

Some Japanese businesses post signs barring foreign people from entering. What can you do about it?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2017

Say goodbye to left and right and hello to digitalization

The concept of the state as a sort of ruling elite, or of 'the people' as the toiling masses, is beginning to melt away under the impact of digitization.
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Jun 3, 2017

Japan Times 1967: 'New "James Bond" film drawing huge crowds'

Despite the unfavorable publicity it received during its filming in Japan last year, Eon Films' 'You Only Live Twice,' the latest of the 'James Bond' series, is drawing the biggest crowds since 'Thunderball,' another Bond released in December 1965
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 2, 2017

Putin lauds Trump, hints patriotic Russians may have been involved in hacking foreign elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he likes guys like Donald Trump who speak their mind and dangled the possibility that patriotic Russians could have been involved in hacking during foreign elections.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
May 30, 2017

Cozy ties between the police and pachinko industry

With the legalization of casinso in Japan around the corner, the police are desparately trying to defend their own sphere of interest.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 30, 2017

Finding the drama without words

"Not everything can be explained in words. Everyone draws a different nuance from the word 'love,' for example," says 50-year-old Shuji Onodera. "Yet through dance I've discovered a special beauty beyond words."
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
May 28, 2017

When too many things 'spark joy,' it's a Wonderwall life

Masamichi Katayama, founder of interior design firm Wonderwall, describes the importance of accumulating and keeping objects and artworks in life — even if you have more than 500 of them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
May 27, 2017

Kunsei Lover Fumo: where food is better smoked

At Kunsei Lover Fumo, smoking — of the food, that is — is so desirable that it appears twice in the name of the restaurant, first in Japanese (kunsei) and then in Italian (fumo).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 23, 2017

Kaikei: the name behind the gods

Kamakura Period (1185-1333) Buddhist sculptures often come down to us under the individual names of makers (when known) though they were often fashioned in workshops by multiple hands. A significant 13th-century work would employ a dozen or so team members and assistants and draw on multiple specialists....
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 22, 2017

Tanka help Japanese express emotions

Tanka are one of the oldest forms of poetry in the world with a 1,300-year history.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
May 21, 2017

Having trouble wrapping your head around Japan? Help with mental health is at hand

Black Eye speaks with professionals trained to offer guidance to those struggling to cope with a new environment.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami