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Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 14, 2020

Life begins at 60 (or at least it starts anew)

Japan Times writer Daniel Morales celebrates his 60th column with a lesson on turning 60, a special birthday in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 14, 2020

New York Hanukkah machete attack suspect could face potential death penalty trial if comatose victim dies

The man accused of stabbing at least five people in a machete rampage at the home of a Hasidic rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration could face a death penalty trial if one of his alleged victims, still in a coma, dies, a judge said on Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2020

Why implicit bias training doesn't work at companies

Perhaps most obviously, every nation has pervasive cultural stereotypes about other nations, usually its neighbors, which play a critical role in shaping and cementing their cultural identity.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 13, 2020

Living in Japan during a time of climate crisis

Substantial action needs to take place in order to deal with the environmental problems on our planet. Still, don't discount the little things you can do just yet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jan 13, 2020

Picture the fun at a manga museum

Built into a repurposed elementary school, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, one of the most impressive manga repositories in the world, will keep kids entertained for hours.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 12, 2020

Steadfast commitment to hard work, cultural roots

Ambassador of Norway Inga Nyhamar is delighted to be in Tokyo. Yet there are times when the Trondheim native, who grew up with swathes of forest on her university-town doorstep, itches to escape 'civilization' and reconnect with the great outdoors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 11, 2020

A toast to mingei: Shining a light on new uses for objects both venerable and hardworking

In Jeffrey Montgomery's Lake Lugano home, items that are no longer used in everyday life in Japan, or that might even be at risk of being thrown away, find new purpose and bring new charm.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2020

Raving from the past into the future with WaqWaq Kingdom

Shigeru Ishihara and Kiki Hitomi release a second album, fusing an eclectic mix of genres with a deep and personal set of lyrics
Japan Times
GLOBAL INSIGHT / Jamaica report 2020
Jan 9, 2020

The best place to do business in the Caribbean

Jamaica’s successful economy, strategic location, connectivity, natural resources, cultural status and pro-business approach make it the ideal investment destination.
Japan Times
GLOBAL INSIGHT / Jamaica report 2020
Jan 9, 2020

Jamaica cements its position as the jewel of Caribbean tourism

The vibrant and increasingly accessible island offers a full spectrum of immersive vacation experiences that extend far beyond it being the perfect location for sun, sea and sand.
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 8, 2020

Yuriko Kotani: The Japanese comedian laughing her way through dark days in the U.K.

Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani journeys back from her adopted U.K. for a series of live shows, in which she discusses the quirks of the British and their language.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 7, 2020

Ghosn attacks the very system that crowned him

The former Nissan CEO was Japan Inc.'s favorite rebel before it turned on him. What does he have left to say?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Jan 7, 2020

YouTuber reporter targets Japan's tech-savvy youth as print media withers

It's a quarter past 11 p.m. and Mainichi Shimbun political reporter Kenta Miyahara, having just wrapped up his nightly informal chat with a politician he covers closely, begins to set up his smartphone, tripod and lighting in a cluttered office devoid of any of his colleagues.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 7, 2020

After Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape, former minister says Japan should overhaul bail system

Japan should introduce a more relaxed bail system but step up its surveillance of defendants in criminal cases to prevent a repeat of the dramatic escape by fallen auto titan Carlos Ghosn, a former Cabinet minister and Tokyo governor said Tuesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 7, 2020

Rakushin: A flavorful harmony of Japanese-Flemish cuisine

It's Belgian-meets-Japanese for this collaborative four-hands meal organized by Arts Flanders Japan at Osaka's Rakushin.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2020

Kyoto mayor says city will require barrier-free rooms at all new hotels and lodging facilities

In order to improve the accommodation experience for people with disabilities and elderly guests, the city of Kyoto plans to require all rooms in newly built lodging facilities to be barrier-free in principle, Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa said Monday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 7, 2020

Harvey Weinstein charged with sex crime in Los Angeles as trial on separate charges starts in New York

Los Angeles prosecutors indicted Harvey Weinstein on Monday on sex crime charges just hours after the former film producer appeared in a New York court for the start of his rape trial, which has become a focal point for the #MeToo movement.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jan 6, 2020

When American country meets Japanese anime

The lineup of artists onstage at the Tokyo premiere of 'Sturgill Simpson Presents: Sound & Fury' was as eclectic as the film they'd all made: a 41-minute anime music video set to an entire album by the Grammy-winning Simpson.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 6, 2020

Mike Pompeo defends U.S. killing of Iranian general as Democrats ask 'Why now?'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, as Democratic lawmakers questioned whether the action was justified and the United States braced for retaliation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 4, 2020

Predicting Japan's digital trends of the next decade

Last year was all about looking back. Between the end of the Heisei Era (1989-2019) and the decade coming to a close, people appeared to go to extra lengths to reflect on the recent and not-so-recent past (this column included). Now that we’ve entered 2020, though, it’s time to leave the highlights...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 4, 2020

A toast to mingei: 'The finest assemblage of Japanese folk crafts outside Japan'

Today, Jeffrey Montgomery's mingei (folk crafts) collection is well-known among international dealers and many of his pieces are of a quality rarely seen today, even in Japan; some are unique.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 4, 2020

Books to get you in the mood for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

In this grand year of Olympic celebration, here are the books that view sport authentically, acknowledging both the very best and worst of humanity.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 4, 2020

2019's best movies (for lessons in behavioral economics)

The annual Becons single out 'Luce,' a perfect example of 'motivated reasoning.'
WORLD
Jan 4, 2020

Singular 'they' chosen as word of the decade in U.S.

American linguists on Friday chose "they" as their word of the decade, recognizing the growing use of third-person plural pronouns as a singular form to refer to people who identify their sex as neither entirely male nor entirely female.
Reader Mail
Jan 3, 2020

An optimistic view of Japan in 10 years

Year's end finds Yoko Ishikura in a reflective mood ("A long-term outlook for decisions here and now" in the Dec. 11 edition). She feels good about the past year. Japan has a newly enthroned emperor. The Rugby World Cup went well, she believes, auguring equal success for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
JAPAN / Outlook 2020
Jan 2, 2020

Japan's pressing regional affairs to unfold quietly in shadow of Olympics

This year, all attention will turn to the 2020 Olympics, with politicians, business leaders and the media talking about how to ensure its success, what it means for Japan domestically and internationally and how to avert a post-Olympic economic slump.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2020

Tolerant shrine-temple-church trio's rare red stamps draw collectors to UNESCO site

Goshuin stamps made by three different places of worship — a shrine, a temple and a church — at an obscure fishing community within a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kumamoto Prefecture is generating a buzz with tourists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 2, 2020

An invisible baseball curves through Japanese literature

There's a long history of pivotal baseball anecdotes in Japanese literature, with well-known writers such as Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami incorporating their love of the game into their work.

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