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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jul 31, 2011

Garden of the gods: Sekizo-ji's stone solitude is worth seeking out

Almost every garden of importance in Japan is located within or near a center of culture. The dry landscape garden at Sekizo-ji Temple is that rare exception: a highly original, influential design in a little-known rural district.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 30, 2011

Nagoya's short-term office rentals brisk

In the wake of the March 11 twin disasters, businesses in Tokyo, including foreign companies, fled the metropolis out of fear of radiation escaping the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, boosting the high-end office rental business in Nagoya.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 29, 2011

'Tokyo Ningen Kigeki (Human Comedy in Tokyo)'

Koji Fukada's 2010 black comedy, "Kantai (Hospitalité)," about a smiling stranger who wanders into the lives of a middle-class family and wreaks havoc, has a lot of invention and charm, despite the slightly silly conga-line climax. Deserved winner of the Best Picture Award in the Japanese Eyes section...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 29, 2011

Food fest organizers aim to 'cheer up' Japan

Shady groves of fragrant trees, crisp alpine breezes and charming European-style villas — heat-addled Tokyoites hardly need more reasons to visit Karuizawa in the summer; this quiet town in Nagano Prefecture has long been a popular holiday destination for those looking for an escape from the intensity...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 29, 2011

'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'

Given enough money, almost any filmmaker could deliver a big, loud, silly popcorn movie about giant alien robots beating the living crap out of each other, but it takes the special talent of director Michael Bay to make such a movie totally repellent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Jul 26, 2011

Fun and function for office and home

The hair dryer stylist Since its launch, the Plus Minus Zero brand, well-known for its series of minimalist electric fans, has been expanding its lineup, adding new items in new product categories. The Hair Dryer is an extra notch on its belt for its bathroom offerings.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 23, 2011

Zoos, aquariums weigh power cut, animal safety

While the Tokai region strives to cut electricity use this summer following the shutdown of the Hamaoka nuclear plant in May, local aquariums and zoos must continue to maintain a suitable environment for their fish and animals regardless of the circumstances.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 22, 2011

"Glittering of Imagination: The Visionary World Of Surreal And Fantasy"

The Surrealism movement, which began in Europe in the early 1920s, was an attempt by artists and writers to release and express the creative potential of humans' unconscious mind.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 22, 2011

Orchestrating a ska paradise for the summer

It's a standard response for bands to say they are surprised by their longevity and accomplishments, but Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Japan's best-known ska act, are unlikely to be overly humble.
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Jul 20, 2011

Will Japan invite Google+ into its growing circle of social networks?

Despite only being in closed beta testing at the moment, Google's new social-network service, Google+, is rapidly proving to be huge, with more than 10 million users joining since it was announced on June 28. And thanks to their international connections, Net-savvy Japanese too were soon getting invitations...
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 19, 2011

Campaigns urge foreigners to pleeease visit Japan

The travel industry is doing its best to bring tourists back to Japan but is an Arashi promo video going to be able to do the job?
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 16, 2011

Suzuki not waiting for Tokai quake to make for high ground

At a shareholders' meeting June 29 of Suzuki Motor Corp., the major manufacturer of cars and motorcycles based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, an investor asked what measures the company is taking against the Tokai earthquake, the long-predicted killer temblor that could hit the region in the near...
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Jul 15, 2011

Life is sweet ... for some men

They are men, and they like to eat sweets. They are the men who eat sweets.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 14, 2011

For the Greeks, the human body laid bare the divinity of beauty

How many of the artworks being made today will stand the test of time and still be appreciated more than 2,000 years in the future — as the sculptures in "The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece" exhibition are today? I would say almost none, because, rather than seeking beauty, modern artists are more...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / STYLE WISE
Jul 12, 2011

Going gaga for Tominaga, mori girls, eco-fashion, Final Home and the Lady herself

Going Gaga for design In the last few weeks, Lady Gaga used her celebrity influence to bring the world's attention back to Japan and its March 11 disaster recovery efforts with her promotion of the MTV Video Music Aid concert.
CULTURE / Books
Jul 10, 2011

Watch your manners!

MANNERS AND MISCHIEF: Gender, Power and Etiquette in Japan. Edited by Jan Bardsley and Laura Miller. University of California Press, 2011, 245 pp., $22.95 (paper) Don't let the cutesy Hello Kitty cover fool you. "Manners and Mischief" disdains frivolity and stands firm as an academic text for students...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 10, 2011

Japan's attention to detail is all in the delivery

While in California recently, I saw a reality program called "Undercover Boss," in which the president of a company disguises himself as a new hire and works beside his frontline employees. The boss thus comes to appreciate how important those people are to the success of his business. At the end of...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2011

S. Korean women offer quake aid

A group of South Korean female business leaders said Friday they are planning to provide assistance to women and children in the areas hit by the March 11 quake and tsunami.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 9, 2011

Nagoya assistance for disaster-hit city a bit rocky at times

More than two months have passed since Nagoya started sending its officials to support the understaffed municipal government in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, where 68 out of its 295 employees were killed in the March quake and tsunami or remain missing.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 8, 2011

Jazzy, African sounds feature at Kagawa gig

Among the numerous music festivals taking place in Japan this summer is the COS Music Festa in Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 8, 2011

Live from Tokyo, it's Saturday Night!

Ladies and gentlemen, it's Saturday Night Live Japan!
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 8, 2011

Asia's gay film scene opens Tokyo up to brave new experiences

Now in its fourth year, the Asian Queer Film Festival is an eye-opener for anyone who has thought that "queers" have a bad time in their quest for love and freedom in Asia.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 8, 2011

Daring stunts feature at circus

Come one, come all to the 109th Kinoshita Circus, complete with lions, elephants and tremendous feats of daring.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past