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Jan 17, 2023

Japanese football given chance to measure progress at Dream Bowl

When the Japanese team takes the field for the Japan-U.S. Dream Bowl at Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday, it will offer a brief look at the nation’s collective football might in international competition.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 16, 2023

EU parliament chief to unveil reforms amid graft scandal

Many MEPs and observers believe the changes to be presented by Roberta Metsola don't go far enough to be able to restore credibility in the institution.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2023

Russia and a return to Soviet-style central planning

With Russia's economy crumbling, some of the country's leading economists are advocating for a return to Soviet-style central planning.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 15, 2023

Streaming changed TV. Is TV changing streaming back?

A decade of bingeing has transformed storytelling and viewing habits. But we may be starting to hit that transformation's limits.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 13, 2023

Pico Iyer's search for peace in a world of uncertainty

The author reflects on his extensive travels over the past 48 years while examining conceptions of paradise in his new collection of essays, 'The Half Known Life.'
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 9, 2023

How researchers in disaster-prone Japan and the Pacific are rethinking city design

In the years following the 2011 megaquake and tsunami, seawalls have proliferated along northeastern Japan's Pacific coast. Some researchers are pushing for an alternative approach.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 9, 2023

Don’t pay people to leave Tokyo. Make more Tokyos.

Trying to arrest rural depopulation, Japan wants people to quit Tokyo, its greatest metropolis. How about creating new ones instead?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 9, 2023

Make sure your nouns and verbs match when talking about what to wear

Did you notice more kimono than usual being worn on Jan. 9 this year? That's because it was Coming of Age Day, an occasion for which Japanese youth sport their 'Sunday best.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jan 8, 2023

A love letter to hot springs at music festivals

Getting covered in grime, mud and sweat is an expected part of attending a multiday outdoor festival, but in Japan, hot springs provide a surprisingly liberating dimension to the weekend.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 7, 2023

Ukiyo-e art brings Chinese literary heroes to life

The new exhibition at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art showcases playful renderings of rogues and warriors from historical stories.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 4, 2023

Eating the last cannibals

The dangerous new trend among right-wing leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is to openly embrace criminality.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 4, 2023

How pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine

Several million Russian speakers live in Germany, a legacy of Soviet ties to Communist East Germany and decades of German dependency on Russian gas.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 3, 2023

China’s economy ends year in slump as COVID infections surge

Official data over the weekend showed the decline in manufacturing worsened last month, while activity in the services sector plunged the most since February 2020.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 3, 2023

Kevin McCarthy struggles for top spot in new Republican-led U.S. Congress

A group of hard-line conservatives oppose his candidacy, concerned that he is less deeply vested in the culture wars and partisan rivalries that have dominated the House in recent years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / New Year Special 2023
Jan 3, 2023

Tracing the history of Mio, a rural Wakayama community with deep ties to Canada

Efforts to preserve Mio's cultural heritage, including memories of the longstanding connections with Canada, have gained momentum in recent years.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 2, 2023

Four ancient truths to help you lead a modern life

The old Greek philosophers struggled with the same hard questions we're still asking today: What makes life worth living? What makes us thrive as human beings?
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jan 2, 2023

Recruitment issues undermining Japan’s military buildup

The SDF faces an uphill battle as it struggles with a falling birthrate and increased competition with the private sector over a shrinking pool of applicants.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 2, 2023

Death of former Pope Benedict overshadows New Year at Vatican

On Sunday the Vatican released the first images of the late Benedict, laying in state in the chapel of the monastery where he died.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 1, 2023

The ‘red wave’ washout: How skewed polls fed a false U.S. election narrative

Coupled with the political factors already favoring Republicans, biased polls earlier this year helped feed an ultimately false narrative: A Republican wave was about to hit the U.S.
CULTURE / Books / 2022 in Review
Dec 31, 2022

Japanese stories captivated overseas audiences in 2022

This year marked increased recognition for female Japanese authors, while Japan-based stories provided the inspiration for Hollywood adaptations such as 'Bullet Train' and 'Tokyo Vice.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Dec 31, 2022

Business is booming for TikTok tutors

Want to be a social media star? There are plenty of online teachers willing to teach you how — for a price.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / The Year Ahead
Dec 30, 2022

The road to fascism

Across every dimension, including the economy, the greatest threat to well-being today is political.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2022

Hirokazu Kore-eda calls for Japanese cinema to support young directors

The Palme d'Or-winning director seeks to change tough working conditions for up-and-coming filmmakers by collaborating with proteges on a new Netflix series.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 30, 2022

Brazilian soccer legend Pele dies at 82

Pele transcended soccer — like no player before or since — and became one of the first global icons of the 20th century.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 30, 2022

There’s more going on in a haiku than just the 5-7-5 syllable rule

Dive into one of Japan's most fascinating art forms during the holidays and think up a couple of haiku poems to celebrate the season.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 29, 2022

Eye-for-eye Sharia justice returns to Afghan courts

After scrapping the former Western-backed system, the Taliban now administer justice with one of the most extreme interpretations of the code again.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / 2022 in Review
Dec 29, 2022

Kizuna AI's departure marked a new era for virtual stars in 2022

Fans were shocked when the pioneering digital character stepped down in February, but virtual YouTubers are still proving to be one of Japan's strongest pop culture exports.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2022

Don’t turn your hobby into a side hustle

It's not good for our mental health to assess the potential profitability of every pastime.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 27, 2022

How Christmas has turned into an orgy of consumption

The Christmas holiday rooted in pagan rituals was transformed into a celebration of commerce by writers, artists, retailers and Madison Avenue.
Japan Times
PRESS / Events
Dec 27, 2022

“Creating a sustainable world by the power of data science” with Yuki Kishi

The Japan Times Cube Inc. (representative director: Minako Suematsu) launched Roundtable by The Japan Times, a series of talk events broadcasted in Japan.

Longform

A mushroom cloud from the atomic bombing on Hiroshima taken from a U.S. military aircraft on Aug. 6, 1945. Copying the photo without permission is prohibited.
80 years on, a Japanese American hibakusha recalls the day the bomb dropped