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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 1, 2018

Tokyo Cowboys shoot for more diversity on Japanese screens

'We can't all be lost, drunk, rude gaijin (foreigners) on television and movies forever,' says Christopher McCombs of Tokyo Cowboys.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2018

Trump meets 'Doom' maker and other video game execs over violent content

U.S. President Donald Trump met on Thursday with the makers of popular video games "Grand Theft Auto" and "Doom" to discuss what the president believes is a link between video games and violent acts like last month's school shooting in Florida.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 6, 2018

'Sarugaku Masks: Shaping the Culture of Noh'

March 10-June 3
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2018

Will China 'weaponize' social media?

Now that Russia has shown how cybertactics and informational subterfuge can upend established democracies, China will surely be taking some pages from the Kremlin's playbook.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 31, 2018

1970s Japanese TV series 'Monkey' had a magic that has never been matched

The news that 'Monkey' has been remade by Australia's ABC in a co-production with TV New Zealand and Netflix is likely to cause those in the know to fan two fingers in front of their mouth, Monkey-style, to summon a flying cloud.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 11, 2018

After 12-year wait, Sony relaunches robot dog Aibo to much fanfare

Sony Corp. relaunched the Aibo on Thursday, with fans expressing excitement at the second unleashing of the robot dog.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 10, 2018

'We Make Antiques!': A caper flick that's the genuine artifact

One of my guilty pleasures is watching "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan," which translates loosely as "Get Lucky! The 'Anything Goes' Appraisal Team" in English. It has been airing on TV Tokyo since 1994 and has encouraged countless folks to unearth family treasures for inspection by expert appraisers. Quite...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 29, 2017

Here comes the sun: Recommended hatsuhinode spots

The first sunrise of the new year represents a chance for a new beginning and so it's hardly surprising that some once viewed the first rays of the sun on Jan. 1 with special reverence. It was believed to be the moment that Toshigami, god of the new year, descends from heaven and bestows happiness on...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 20, 2017

Sexism sucks, but blame capitalism more

Most tragic cases of human underachievement are the direct result of economic discrimination.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 19, 2017

Japan's theater world increasingly shed its insularities in 2017

Never mind those North Korean missiles that provide politicians with heaven-sent pretexts to posture. These days, everyone's talking about a boozy party held by Mongolian sumo wrestlers that turned violent reportedly because of a generational dispute over the arcane traditions of Japan's highly regimented...
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Nov 26, 2017

Diana Garnet sings the praises of anime

It has become one of the most common questions I'm asked after talks at anime conventions in the United States: How can I get a job in the Japanese pop culture industry — not here, but in Japan?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 22, 2017

CBS News, PBS, Bloomberg sack Charlie Rose and drop shows after sex harassment allegations

CBS News and other networks said on Tuesday they had fired Charlie Rose, one of the most prominent American interviewers, the day after the Washington Post reported the television host had sexually harassed eight women.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 9, 2017

Former SMAP stars find freedom online

When a wrecking ball fell on and destroyed a car, I was hooked on a 72-hour live stream starring three former members of pop group SMAP.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
Sep 27, 2017

Role-playing video game helps fight against depression for counselor-shy Japanese

It's a role-playing video game that, like many of its kind, allows users to choose and customize their own avatars, including a hairstyle and clothing. Set in a medieval fantasy world, users build up power as their characters travel across "provinces," overcoming obstacles and challenges along the way....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage / Backstage Pass
Sep 21, 2017

Theaters in Japan are increasingly looking at longer runs for their productions

As I turned the pages of a free magazine in London this summer, a picture of a beaming woman clutching a signed CD and program for the West End musical "Kinky Boots" caught my eye. She was a 27-year-old named Emily who'd seen the show 199 times in the past two years without ever being the least bit bored....
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Sep 17, 2017

Sports conference offers companies chance to help improve Japan's stadiums and arenas

We have witnessed Japanese athletes develop into global stars over the past 10, 20 years. But the country still has a long way to go in order to stand on an equal footing with the world's most advanced sports facilities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 18, 2017

Blasts from the past: Japan's gaming classics get a retro revival

Nothing sells like nostalgia.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2017

Bad news for Japan's retailers as Chinese tourists cut back on buying

They're still coming in droves — but no longer buying in spades.
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 29, 2017

Broadway, the West End and ... Yurakucho? Alternative Theatre aims to create a new type of tourist attraction in Tokyo

The neighborhood surrounding Yurakucho Station isn't exactly starved for things to do. The Ginza is an area of intense competition for Tokyoites' leisure time, hosting countless bars, eateries and shops, as well as theaters dedicated to traditional kabuki and the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 8, 2017

China closes 60 celebrity gossip social media accounts

China's cyberspace authorities have ordered internet companies to close 60 popular celebrity gossip social media accounts in the latest in a series of crackdowns on independent media.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 27, 2017

Britain's real-life 'Iron Man' has high hopes for jet suit

The British inventor of an "Iron Man"-style jet suit has lofty hopes that his project, which started out as fun experiment, could become a practical tool for industries ranging from entertainment to the military.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 25, 2017

Revival-seeking rural Japan feels left out as casino plans favor major cities

Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama are emerging as likely candidates for casino resorts under the government's new bidding framework, triggering criticism from smaller cities that say it undermines Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's goal of reviving rural areas.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 22, 2017

Uncharted waters: exploring the untapped potential of Tokyo's waterways

If the color of the taxi I have boarded is anything to go by, I could be in New York or Chicago, maybe even Kolkata. Instead, this particular yellow cab is ferrying me around Tokyo and rather than vying for lane space with trucks, buses and passenger vehicles, it's chugging along some of the little-traversed...

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.