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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Feb 7, 2021

Cumin the dog is starting to learn how wonderful life can be

He may look adorably goofy, with huge ears and a terribly skinny frame, but there has been nothing to smile about in Cumin's life until recently. At the tender age of 2 he has already had a rough time in life, but he's at ARK now and his gentle heart remains as strong as ever.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 27, 2021

‘A Family’: This sentimental ode to yakuza life ignores reality

Michihito Fujii's yakuza film waxes nostalgic about the old-school days of gangsterdom with soggy sentimentality.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 24, 2020

Fables inspired by life in lockdown resonate with Japanese readers

Barry Yourgrau's struggle to cope with life during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a burst of creative writing, which culminated in a book of short stories that became a hit in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 28, 2020

A job for life, or not? A class divide deepens in Japan.

Recent court rulings threaten to further entrench the long-standing divide between so-called regular workers and the growing ranks of nonregular workers, many of whom are women.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 21, 2020

Masters of their craft: Foreign apprentices reveal their life-changing experiences in Japan

You don't master traditional Japanese crafts, says Japanese lacquerware artist Suzanne Ross, “they master you.”
BUSINESS
Nov 4, 2020

As Japan moves to revive its countryside, pandemic drives many out of cities

In September, 30,644 people moved out of Tokyo, up 12.5% year-on-year, while the number moving in fell 11.7% to 27,006, data showed.
Japan Times
Special Supplements
Oct 2, 2020

Explore inspirations of classic Japanese aesthetic from daily life

Beauty is all around us. Whether it be vibrant, intricately designed attire or elegant tableware, the objects that surround us color the canvas of our daily lives. Since its opening in 1961, the Suntory Museum of Art has organized exhibitions that highlight the relationship between Japanese antiques...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 30, 2020

NASA set to launch robotic rover to seek signs of past Martian life

The mission will involve the collection of rock samples and the test of an autonomous helicopter.
The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art is just one of many hidden art and architectural gems across the Kagawa coast.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 15, 2025

‘Resorts for the spirit’: Touring Kagawa’s art and architecture

The seaside cities of Takamatsu and Marugame are home to a heritage of beauty, from the monolithic to the modern.
People inspect the debris of a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Friday after an earthquake.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 1, 2025

Signs of life detected in quake-hit Bangkok skyscraper as overall death toll tops 2,000

Civil war in Myanmar is complicating efforts to reach those injured by the country's biggest quake in a century.
While Unzen Onsen's "hells" can be visually striking, locals describe them and their effects as "a source of emotional healing."
LIFE / Travel
Apr 12, 2025

Heaven from hells: The sulfuric pleasure of Unzen Onsen

Located deep within Kyushu’s Shimabara Peninsula, this hot spring town offers dramatic scenery worth the effort it takes to get there.
"Hachimitsu umeboshi" (pickled plums sweetened with honey), with their sweet-sour flavor, work as an excellent alternative to classic jam toppings for thumbprint cookies.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Apr 20, 2025

Thumbprint cookies with a tangy Japanese filling

Replace jam with pickled honey plums for a sweet-sour topping in your cookies.
The site of a cave-in incident in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Jan. 30
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2025

Over 20% of Japan's water pipes are past their service life

The proportion of pipes in operation for over 40 years is expected to reach around 70% by fiscal 2042.
Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 5, 2025

A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan

How one artist is using history, culture and community spirit to revive a fading samurai legacy — and possibly reshape rural Japan’s future.
The Hokkaido East Trail links some of the northern prefecture's most striking national parks and landscapes.
LIFE / Travel
May 24, 2025

In search of untouched Japan? Meet Hokkaido’s newest hiking trail.

The 410-kilometer Hokkaido East Trail links three national parks as it winds through marshland, calderas and more.
Yoshinobu Tsutsui (left), who is expected to become the new Keidanren chairman, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on March 25, as the current chairman, Masakazu Tokura, looks on.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 23, 2025

Keidanren to install first leader from financial sector

The post of Keidanren chairman has traditionally been held by leaders from the manufacturing sector.
Charisma was overweight when she arrived at ARK, but has slimmed down to 8 kilograms.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 29, 2025

This charming Shiba enjoys life’s simple pleasures

Charisma loves soft toys, snoozing in her favorite spot and getting a nice massage.
Kyoko Miura presenting a kamishibai picture story about her escape back to Japan from former Manchuria as a young girl after the end of the war, on June 27 in the city of Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2025

A girl’s life during wartime, told one picture at a time

Kyoko Miura heads a civic group based in the city of Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, that is working on passing down stories of World War II to future generations.
Participants take part in the Pride March in Amsterdam on July 26.
WORLD / Society
Aug 4, 2025

Going Dutch: LGBTQ+ Americans find Trump-free life in Netherlands

In the face of rolled back rights, some LGBTQ+ people have voted with their feet.
A fish washes up on Glenelg Beach on July 13 in Adelaide, Australia. A toxic algal bloom has washed up dead and dying sea creatures along the South Australian coastline since mid March and was first detected on the state’s Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Aug 6, 2025

Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life and tourism

The algal bloom, first detected in March, spans an area 4,500 square kilometers and has been aggravated by rising ocean temperatures.
The area around Shibuya Station in Tokyo. After the end of World War II, population concentration in the capital accelerated while other parts of Japan continue to see population declines.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 18, 2025

80 years on: Tokyo prospers while local revitalization still insufficient

Experts stress the importance of setting up a system in which industrial resources are circulated locally in order to create a sustainable society.
A lot of Japanese workers join online group texts to communicate with their coworkers, but at what point do those chats threaten a healthy work-life balance?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 22, 2025

Expressing annoyance with work group chats in Japanese

Some employees value the convenience; others feel trapped by after-hours texts and social expectations embedded in office messaging culture.
A London-based design pair has turned handhold straps on the Den-en-toshi Line into stylish table lamps.
LIFE / Style & Design
Aug 25, 2025

Retired Tokyo trains live on as upcycled table lamps

Former railcars on the Den-en-toshi Line have been refashioned into table lamps available for purchase from Aug. 25.
Reigen, Germany's first sake brewery, makes a diverse, nontraditional range of sake that includes fruit-flavored sips and wine barrel-aged renditions.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 22, 2025

Germany's first sakemaker offers a bold brew of ideas

Yellowish and high in acidity, German sake won't please the purists, but open-minded consumers, especially wine drinkers, may find something appealing.
Shi Ming (left) fights against Bruna Brasil during the UFC Fight Night event in Shanghai on Friday.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 26, 2025

A healer and a fighter: The double life of UFC star Shi Ming

Shi shot to fame in November when she won a contract with UFC with a devastating kick that saw Chinese compatriot Feng Xiaocan carried out of the octagon on a stretcher.
Russian President Vladimir Putin walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Wednesday.
WORLD / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Sep 5, 2025

Could humans live forever, as Putin was heard telling Xi?

Maybe not, experts say, though serious research is increasingly revealing more about why we age — and how we could try to stop it.
Super Mario soft toys in various sizes at collector Kikai's residence in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Aug. 19
LIFE / Digital
Sep 12, 2025

'He's a regular man, not unlike us': Marking 40 years of Mario games

Super Mario Bros., released for Nintendo's home consoles in Japan on Sept. 13, 1985, was a landmark of early video gaming.
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 13, 2025

An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills

Well known for its views of Mount Fuji, the mountainous community also holds a growing collection of world-class art.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’