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Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 22, 2018

Rare prehistoric shell mound in Aichi, Japan, suggests possible mid-Jomon shell trade

An ancient heap of shells at Sakatsuji Shell Midden in the city of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, most likely served as a clam processing site in the latter half of the mid-Jomon Period, approximately 4,500 years ago, an investigation conducted by the city's board of education has revealed.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 20, 2018

Exploring war through woodblock prints

Sensu014d-e, literally 'war pictures,' are a particularly dramatic form of Japanese woodblock print that emerged as a style of reportage during the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, and went on to become a widespread and popular way of disseminating patriotic imagery during the First Sino and Russo-Japanese wars. The 2017 catalog 'Flash of Light, Fog of War' features 75 of these images.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 15, 2018

Nobel winner Hiroshi Amano and his team tap gallium nitride technology in bid to transmit power wirelessly from a distance

Hiroshi Amano, a professor from Nagoya University who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics, is developing together with other researchers a remote power supply system that sends energy to distant places using electromagnetic waves.
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jan 14, 2018

Fukushima dairy farmers look to large-scale 'reconstruction farms' to revive battered industry

Dairy farmers in Fukushima Prefecture plan to build what they call "reconstruction farms" by fiscal 2020 as part of efforts to boost the industry in the areas tainted by the 2011 nuclear disaster.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2018

China is ready to turn its green opportunity into a major industrial advantage

China could become a highly respected and admired leader in the fight against global climate change.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 8, 2018

Village in Nagano comes up with hunk calendar to help 12 bachelors find mates

Women hoping to find Mr. Right in 2018 should check for dates on the Otoko Goyomi (Men's Calendar) published by the village of Otari in Nagano Prefecture. The calendar showcases a dozen local bachelors who are looking for wives.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Dec 30, 2017

Bustling Haneda shines as a New Year's traveler hub

Every New Year's, the nation's airports are jammed with travelers heading to their hometowns or overseas to spend the holidays — and Tokyo's Haneda is the busiest one.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 19, 2017

Japan's theater world increasingly shed its insularities in 2017

Never mind those North Korean missiles that provide politicians with heaven-sent pretexts to posture. These days, everyone's talking about a boozy party held by Mongolian sumo wrestlers that turned violent reportedly because of a generational dispute over the arcane traditions of Japan's highly regimented...
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2017

Vietnam follows Beijing with South China Sea upgrades of its own

As China continues to transform disputed territory in the South China Sea into features capable of sustaining air and naval bases, Vietnam is also upgrading areas it occupies.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 16, 2017

Showa's not giving up without a fight

The government has decided that the 31st year of Heisei will end with the abdication of Emperor Akihito 120 days into 2019, on April 30. Then on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor and a new nengō (name of the period of reign) will be announced.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 2, 2017

Master class: Conductor Seiji Ozawa passes on his knowledge to a new generation

An old piano sits by a window in the corner of a tiny room in Seiji Ozawa's office in Tokyo's Seijo neighborhood. The 82-year-old conductor's father apparently bought it for him more than 70 years ago.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Nov 26, 2017

Getting your money's worth in the game world

The power of the Xbox One X
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 1, 2017

As attention focuses on North Korea threat, Beijing quietly expanding South China Sea militarization

China has quietly undertaken more construction and reclamation in the South China Sea, recent satellite images show, and is likely to more powerfully reassert its claims over the waterway soon, regional diplomats and military officers say.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2017

Toyota ushers in new Century, Japan's challenge to Rolls-Royce as collectors covet older models

Toyota has just introduced a new Century. This is a big deal. The Toyota Century is the most exclusive car in Japan. Introduced in 1967 and named for the 100th birthday of company founder Sakichi Toyoda, the Century defines top-tier Japanese luxury, the kind reserved for heads of state, chief executive...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 30, 2017

Apple may tweak facial recognition technology to get iPhone X to market

As of early fall, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant Apple Inc. wouldn't have enough iPhone Xs in time for the holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone — with advanced features such as facial recognition — in large enough numbers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Oct 22, 2017

Fun with zombies, kaiju and Mario in your living room

Hungry for a new PSVR experience?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 21, 2017

Magazines hold their own against TV's 'iron chefs'

Prior to Japan's switch-over to full digital TV broadcasting in 2011, a number of industry insiders were already voicing concerns about how the new technology would affect their bottom line. With expanded bandwidth and additional channels, what — aside from reruns of old programs — could the networks...
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 21, 2017

Viral dance crazes highlight a generational shift

Japan is certainly no stranger to viral dance videos and one doesn't have to think too far back to recall the popularity of the koi (falling in love) dance routine that took the internet by storm last year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2017

Russian diplomat's photo of children blowing bubbles takes top prize in Tokyo competition

A photograph by Andrey Kuzhabekov, second secretary at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo, features a group of children playing with soap bubbles at Yoyogi Park in the city. The image evokes a longing for simpler times in our past and the natural joys that have become increasingly rare in today's complicated...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 30, 2017

Pepsi Halloween Cola: Pink drink may be too sweet for some

Halloween is now an established event here in Japan. While the revelry differs greatly compared to other places (it's less about collecting candy and more about clogging Shibuya crossing), the country has got the marketing part of it down pat. Companies now roll out special items featuring ghosts and...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 8, 2017

Hiking the lesser-known parts of the Nakasendo

Peeping through the wooden slats, I start to realize that the inhabitants of the home I'm in prioritized safety and practicality over comfort.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Tools of the Japanese Kitchen
Aug 26, 2017

The mystery of the fish grill and the trials of baking

A typical modern Japanese kitchen is equipped with all sorts of appliances for actually cooking the food, as in applying heat to it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 25, 2017

Drinking to health and history in Kagoshima

Passengers flying into Kagoshima Airport in Kyushu pass over verdant mountains and lush agricultural fields just before landing. This rich terrain, fertilized by ash from a nearby active volcano, partially explains one facet of the prefecture's reputation: Kagoshima is famous for healthy cuisine.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 22, 2017

'Uemura Shoen and Quintessential Bijinga, Paintings of Beautiful Women'

Aug. 29-Oct. 22
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 15, 2017

Culture City of East Asia 2017 Kyoto: Asia Corridor Contemporary Art Exhibition

Aug. 19-Oct. 15
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Aug 11, 2017

Akasaka: Sublime and surreal spots in Tokyo's government district

A diplomat friend and I enjoy lunch at the Akasaka Capital Tokyu Hotel, in the governmental hub of Tokyo. As we part, he tips me off that there's a little-known footpath from the hotel, leading uphill to the Hie Shrine, one of Tokyo's most important Shinto sites. I decide to climb the discreet bamboo-shaded...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 10, 2017

Sega embraces rogue fan programmers with retro Sonic sequel

Sega is doing what Nintendon't.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 27, 2017

Quruli has noticed a change in the way young people listen to music

Many musicians will admit to having a special affection for Fuji Rock Festival, which unfurls at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture this weekend. Few, however, have a history as tightly intertwined with the event as Quruli, the affable guitar-rock outfit from Kyoto.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji