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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 27, 2020

Billie Eilish sweeps Grammys darkened by scandal and Kobe Bryant's Death

Billie Eilish, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, swept the top four prizes at Sunday's Grammy Awards, becoming the first artist to do so in 39 years, during a ceremony overshadowed by a Recording Academy scandal and the sudden death of basketball star Kobe Bryant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 27, 2020

The warp and weft of sustainable weaving

Jin Shirai has mastered each of the traditionally separate roles of Japan's handicraft textile industry — from growing cotton, spinning it and dyeing the yarn, to weaving and designing fabrics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 26, 2020

What lies behind Shiori Ito's lonely #MeToo struggle

In Japan, feminist voices have been raised for #MeToo, but they are often barely heard.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 26, 2020

Walking the talk of stakeholder capitalism

Company boards must also figure out how to integrate shareholder value with corporate responsibility.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 25, 2020

BayStars unveil Keita Sano as team's new captain

Keita Sano modeled the Yokohama BayStars' new visitors' uniform on a slightly windy Saturday night at Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama. While all the BayStars will be wearing the new "Yokohama Blue" threads this year, Sano's will have an extra touch the others won't.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 25, 2020

Folk fun: Traditional toys for prayer and play

Japanese folk toys popular from the Edo Period through the Meiji Era (1603-1912) are meticulously crafted and imbued with meaning.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 25, 2020

Kakeibo: Turning a dull aspect of Japanese life into social media gold

At some point in the past decade, the international notion of “weird Japan” — a view in which the country produces more quirky and wacky trends than many other nations, regardless if said example is actually widespread — took a back seat to “boring but profound Japan.” 
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 25, 2020

Clive Davies: A peek behind the scenes of saigen dramas

Tokyo-based actor and writer Clive Davies on what, exactly, a saigen reenactment drama is, the hardest thing he's ever done for a shoot and his film reviews — all 7,000-plus of them.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2020

Climate change as a global culture war

U.S. President Donald Trump's Davos speech paints an unambiguous picture of both how he sees the world and intends to use that framing to win a second term.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 23, 2020

Shimane coach Yukinori Suzuki gets two-month suspension for power harassment

Shimane Susanoo Magic head coach Yukinori Suzuki has received a two-month suspension by the league for power harassment, it was announced on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 22, 2020

Paternity leave controversy: It's time to walk the talk

Leading by example, Koizumi and his colleagues in the government may have a chance to change the mindsets of Japanese men about work and fatherhood.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 22, 2020

Kura Sushi opens flagship in Tokyo's Asakusa with tech to handle 104 languages

Conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi Inc. opened a flagship restaurant Wednesday in Asakusa, a popular tourist spot in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 22, 2020

'Romance Doll' shows there's a fine line between sex and love

Yuki Tanada's latest film, an adaptation of one of her own novels, looks at the use of dolls as substitutes for humans in relationships.
CULTURE / Art
Jan 22, 2020

'Four Seasons' Colors'

Jan. 24-March 22
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 22, 2020

Key ministers remain as Russia gets new government in what Putin calls 'major renewal'

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a new government on Tuesday which he described as a break with the past, bringing in some fresh faces but retaining many senior ministers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 21, 2020

Four NTT group companies and two others to set up Japanese esports firm

Six Japanese companies, including four under the wing of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., will establish an esports joint venture on Jan. 31, the firms said Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 20, 2020

The state of the Japan-U.S. alliance at 60

Over the longer term, the alliance must cope with a growing sense of fatigue among the U.S. public about overseas engagements.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Davos Special 2020
Jan 20, 2020

How Japan can leverage its long history of stakeholder capitalism

The concept of stakeholder capitalism has long been familiar in Japan. Businesses have been aware of the importance of engaging multiple stakeholders and acting for the good of society since the Edo Period (1603 to 1868) and the Meiji Era (1868 to 1912).
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2020

A decade after Japan Airlines' went bankrupt, criticisms over the government bailout remain

A decade after Japan Airlines' went bankrupt, questions and criticisms remain over the generous state assistance provided to the company to help it dig itself out from under a mountain of debt.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 18, 2020

Eiji Yoshikawa: The 'Compassionate Pugilist'

Boxer Yoshikawa helps others to learn to roll with the punches
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Jan 18, 2020

Vegan Store: Japan's first vegan convenience store

Vegan Store, Japan's first vegan convenience store, is on a mission to demystify vegan fare and make it more accessible in the capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Jan 18, 2020

Rieko Nakagawa: From 'Guri and Gura' to Studio Ghibli

Rieko Nakagawa, born in 1935 in Sapporo, was working as a teacher in a small nursery school near Komazawa Park when she wrote her first children's book.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 18, 2020

Kukai: Sowing the seeds of Shingon Buddhism

'Some say that though Kobo Daishi (Kukai) left this life he did not die, that he lies uncorrupted in (his tomb on Mount Koya) under these ancient trees, awaiting the coming of the future Buddha who will signal the salvation of the world' — Oliver Statler, 'Japanese Pilgrimage' (1983)
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 18, 2020

Once-in-a-decade U.S. Census to kick off in remote Alaska Native village

This year's once-a-decade official U.S. national population count will start in a small Alaska Native village perched on the tundra overlooking the Bering Sea. Daytime temperatures will be well below freezing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 17, 2020

Nagoya tech school students plan to build seaplane for flood rescues

Members of Nagoya City Technical High School's airplane club are planning to develop a seaplane that can be used to rescue people from floods — an idea they came up with after learning about the Ise Bay Typhoon, a 1959 storm that swept through the Chubu region, claiming more than 5,000 lives.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 16, 2020

Clocking up the years with Charlie Nagatani, Japan's country king

After more than 60 years of playing country music, and having staged numerous festivals in his native Kumamoto Prefecture, Charlie Nagatani shows no signs of stopping.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 14, 2020

Overcoming the 'Putin paradox'

In his two decades of rule, Russia President Vladimir Putin has succeeded in making his nation a global player that punches far above its economic weight.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear