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CULTURE
Feb 5, 2019

Game for a laugh: Learning to become a manzai comedian

As I stand in the cramped wooden gangway at the side of the stage, going over my lines in a frantic whisper, I am reminded of something that American comedian Patrick Harlan had told me when we first met four months ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Feb 2, 2019

Japan Times 1919: Tokyo gripped by dread disease

Spanish influenza again holds Tokyo in its deadly grip, favored by the changeable weather.
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 1, 2019

With his eye on celestial billboards, Russian entrepreneur sparks debate about who owns the heavens

Some day soon, stargazers searching for answers in the night sky might see the logo of a soft drink company blazing past the Milky Way, or a promotional message from a fast food restaurant.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 29, 2019

Perennials aside, 2019 promises movie classics in Japan

As a program advisor for the Udine Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, I have spent the last few months scouting Japanese films for the next edition, which will be held April 26 to May 4. This doesn't mean I've seen all the upcoming releases — sales companies are often not ready to screen their...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 24, 2019

Japan Fencing Federation staging three-day FIE World Cup meet this weekend in Tokyo

With increased popularity and a rise in the competition level of fencing in Japan in recent years, the battle to secure spots for next year's Olympics in Tokyo will not be easy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 23, 2019

Latest trick for Sony's Aibo robotic pooch: Acting as watchdog

Sony Corp. on Wednesday showed off the latest tricks of its signature robotic dog, Aibo, including a new security capability of patrolling inside a house.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 22, 2019

The 'King' returns and theaters look to Russia for 2019

Whether it's regular theater that gets you going these days — or you're skipping along more to musicals — as 2019's curtains rise, variety will be the spice of live stages this coming year.
WORLD / Society
Jan 19, 2019

Feminist strippers win fight to keep club open in England

A strip club in Britain has won a battle to remain open after local authorities were told many of the dancers who work there are feminists.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 16, 2019

'Baby Shark' driving you crazy? Its creator warns penguins are next

"Baby Shark (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo)" is the YouTube sensation that's been viewed more than 2 billion times and made the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week as its top new entrant. The jingle has also become such an earworm that late-night-show host Jimmy Kimmel proposed throwing those responsible in...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2019

Netflix hikes prices for U.S. subscribers by 13-18% as it expands presence and content

Netflix Inc. is raising monthly fees for its U.S. subscribers by between 13 percent and 18 percent, the video streaming pioneer's first price increase since 2017 as it spends heavily on original content and international expansion.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 13, 2019

Publisher aims to bridge fictional fun and reality

For Frank Foley, joining HarperCollins Japan as managing director in 2017 was akin to coming full circle, as it was also the first company he worked for in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 10, 2019

Perfume goes back to dance basics ahead of Coachella debut

Perfume keeps finding new opportunities more than 15 years into its career. This spring, the electro-pop trio embarks on its latest international tour, with stops in Asia and North America, but the real development comes at the very end of that jaunt when the group plays the Coachella Valley Music and...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2018

Mobile phones spreading 'decadent and reactionary ideological culture,' North Korean media warns

North Korea's main state newspaper warned on Tuesday of the "negative impact" from mobile phones use around the world, as both legal and illicit communications devices proliferate in the isolated country.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Dec 13, 2018

Mitsuki Kimura and her film award without the film

Year-end awards season is in full swing, which means a lot of looking back on the past 12 months. Part of the fun of best-of lists and 2018-in-a-minute thinkpieces is arguing about placement and positioning: Did X really deserve to get so much love? Was Y not actually bloated and overrated?
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Nov 24, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture

With the number of children shrinking, popular entertainment naturally began targeting the otaku population that didn't hesitate to open their wallets for material many considered juvenile.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 10, 2018

China orders broadcasters and websites to avoid celebrity hype, stop using fake statistics

Chinese broadcasters and online entertainment sites should avoid celebrity hype and crack down on fake audience and click-through rates, state media quoted the National Radio and Television Administration as saying.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2018

After slew of complaints from sexually harassed women, India looks to tighten abuse laws

India is considering tightening sexual harassment laws, government officials said Thursday, after an avalanche of allegations of abuse lodged by women in recent weeks thrust the issue to the forefront of politics.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 14, 2018

Japanese tech CEO behind popular 'Monster Strike' in search of new hit

Five years ago, Koki Kimura pulled off an unthinkable turnaround to save his company. Now, he's trying to do it again.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2018

With eye on foreign tourists, Kyoto bids to expand nighttime sightseeing

At 6 p.m. on one weekday in August an enthusiastic audience had almost filled Gion Corner, a theater of some 200 seats at the center of the Gion traditional entertainment district in the city of Kyoto.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Sep 15, 2018

Chinese A-list actress Fan Bingbing last seen in June amid culture crackdown

Fan Bingbing, an A-list Chinese movie star who has appeared in the "X-Men" and "Iron Man" film franchises, has more than 62 million followers online in China and fronted campaigns for Montblanc watches and De Beers diamonds, has disappeared.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 13, 2018

Akinori Nakagawa captures Frankie Valli's voice in 'Jersey Boys'

Nothing sounds quite like the early 1960s more than the vocals of Frankie Valli. As lead singer of The Four Seasons, his falsetto remains an unmistakable part of classic tunes such as "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry," though it's also his remarkable voice, in a lower register, behind hits like "Can't...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / IDEAS IN ACTION
Aug 29, 2018

The sky is the canvas: Tokyo startup looks to launch world's first artificial meteor shower

It was literally an out-of-this-world idea that seemed unfeasible when it struck her nearly two decades ago: Made-to-order shooting stars. But Lena Okajima's audacious project to reproduce nature's fireworks for mass entertainment is getting ready for takeoff.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Aug 10, 2018

'Namie Amuro generation': Okinawa moms pursue dream of fame

Five Okinawa women in their 40s, who practiced singing and dancing as teens at the same school as pop diva Namie Amuro, have recently relaunched their music careers after a lengthy break with a goal of achieving fame.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2018

Already in decline, Japan's pachinko industry now braces for gambling-addiction regulations

Like many pachinko parlors throughout Japan, Naomi Suzuki's establishment on the outskirts of the city of Fukushima was once full of energy, with the din of bouncing steel balls and garish lights flashing to indicate winnings.

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell