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WORLD
Nov 24, 2018

Rights groups urge European countries to scrap 'outdated, harmful' rape laws

European countries must overhaul "outdated" laws that let rapists off the hook and perpetuate a culture of victim-blaming, rights groups said Saturday.
Reader Mail
Nov 22, 2018

Take next step on reducing plastic waste

Regarding the Nov. 3 editorial "Cut back on disposable plastic," I admired the thinking of The Japan Times' editorial team that Japan should be a proactive party in the global movement to reduce plastic waste. In short, the intention of the Japanese government to cut down on plastic waste, including...
CULTURE / Music
Nov 22, 2018

Yellow Magic Orchestra go big and go home

Yellow Magic Orchestra made its 1980 debut on the legendary American dance show “Soul Train” performing a cover of “Tighten Up” by Archie Bell & the Drells, two years after the November 1978 release of the trio’s eponymous first album
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 22, 2018

The Stylistics: Philly soul comes to Japan

Fresh from a 29-date tour of the British Isles, and celebrating their 50th anniversary year, Philadelphia soul icons The Stylistics are setting up camp in Japan for a 12-date tour of three cities: Yokohama (Dec. 9), Tokyo (Dec. 10 and between Dec. 18 and 25) and Osaka (between Dec. 12 and 16).
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 22, 2018

This Thanksgiving, ample servings of amusement

Sifting this year's other detritus, let us also be thankful for the following amusements.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2018

Olympus lawyer blasts firm for failure to change corporate culture seven years after scandal

Seven years after corporate Japan was turned on its head when Olympus Corp. became the subject of a massive accounting scandal, a member of the company's legal team believes nothing has changed — and things may have actually gotten worse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 21, 2018

Japan-based U.S. carrier visits Hong Kong as air force flies B-52 bombers over South China Sea

The U.S. Navy's Japan-based aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday, the military said in a statement, a day after the air force flew two B-52 bombers near disputed islands in the South China Sea.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Nov 19, 2018

'The Year Book of the Contemporary Society' celebrates the Japanese buzzwords that will lead us into the new year

What's that word, the one for when you like a person but are too shy to say so? Or how about the one you use when you visit Tokyo Disney? Well, one book has all the answers.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 19, 2018

Chinese city urges those 'poisoned by extremism' and who follow conservative Islam to confess to crimes

A city in China's far-western Xinjiang region has ordered people who are "poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism," in contact with overseas terror groups or act in a conservative Islamic manner, to turn themselves in to authorities.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Nov 18, 2018

November 19, 2018

Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Nov 18, 2018

India's first elephant hospital cheers animal activists, draws tourists

At India's first hospital for elephants, opened last week in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 49-year-old Asha placed her left foreleg on a stool for a doctor to attend to an injury while visitors filmed it all on their mobile phones.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Deep Dive
Nov 18, 2018

Japan's IT firms enthusiastically open doors to overseas tech workers

The dozens of young Chinese engineers looked nervous, but eager, as they presented their work in English during a hack-athon in September at the high-rise Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Nov 18, 2018

When it comes to teaching English, a theater troupe answer the CALL

Teachers across Japan no doubt understand the struggle to get junior and senior high school students interested in learning English. For elementary school-aged kids, that task takes a lot of creativity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 17, 2018

Keidanren faces flak for falling behind the times despite change in leadership

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) published an article on June 17 that was critical of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), a lobbying organization made up of more than 1,300 of the country's biggest companies. The Nikkei has always been in Keidanren’s corner, so it was something of a shock to...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 17, 2018

Forget Kyoto's temples, try the coffee instead

Though kissaten (old-style) coffee shops like have long been a part of Kyoto, the third-wave coffee boom has increased the number and variety of coffee shops in the city.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 17, 2018

A comforting udon noodle recipe for the winter season

Two of the most popular everyday hot udon soups are named after animals that have a special place in Japanese folklore and the Shinto religion: the kitsune (fox) and the tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog).
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Nov 17, 2018

Ibrew Shinbashi: Craft beer fits fine in salaryman territory

The cheap, cheerful, crowded, smoke-patinated dives that populate the lower floors of Shinbashi's Ekimae Building are an enduring time capsule of old-school, after-work salaryman drinking culture. Ibrew's craft beer pub has only been open there for a year, but its no-frills, low-budget approach makes...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 17, 2018

Live-action Pokemon trailer reaffirms Pikachu's enduring popularity

Ever since the original release of the “Pokemon” games for the Nintendo Game Boy back in 1996, the series’ central character — the electric, yellow rodent Pikachu — has found a permanent place in the world’s pop-culture zeitgeist. Pikachu has since shown up everywhere, including on countless...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 16, 2018

The Michinoku Coastal Trail: Tohoku's recovery in action

The Michinoku Coastal Trail is a 2013 initiative by Japan's environment ministry to rejuvenate disaster-stricken Tohoku through ecotourism. At 700-kilometers long, it winds through protected forest, bucolic villages and along dramatic coastlines.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 15, 2018

Don't worry too much over BTS

Throngs of fans packed Tokyo Dome on Tuesday and Wednesday to watch K-pop group BTS perform songs from across its five-year career. The crowd cheered, bought merchandise and the two days offered the seven-member group some respite from a week of scandal.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 15, 2018

The queen of kawaii: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu reflects on her reign

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's trip to the Museum of Death in Hollywood proved to be a 2018 highlight for the 25-year-old J-pop star.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 14, 2018

The impact of accepting unskilled foreign labor

The new visa system will lack durability unless the needs of employers, local communities and foreigners are balanced.
BASEBALL
Nov 12, 2018

Japanese fans providing new experience for major leaguers

Seeing a different baseball culture, complete with its own traditions, has been an eye-opening experience for the players on the major league squad — many of whom are in Japan for the first time — during the Japan All-Star Series.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Nov 10, 2018

Motomi Morii: Japanese roots, Nordic aesthetic

Since 2009, Motomi Morii has lived and worked in New York. There, she indulges in her love of experimental and improvised music, and takes part in various Japanese cultural events around the city. Most importantly, New York provides her with constant inspiration and opportunity for her career in architectural design.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 10, 2018

Hidemitsu Shimizu: Realizing the full extent of vocal possibility

Narrator and voice actor Hidemitsu Shimizu on how he brings characters to life, who has the sexiest male voice and rapping about math for work.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 10, 2018

Illustrators use social media to highlight the minutiae of everyday life in Japan

Garbage collectors perform a service that is essential to the functioning of society, and yet their contributions are often overlooked. Whatever a person’s social standing, however, it doesn’t mean their observations on life aren’t worth examining.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 9, 2018

The 'data gap' between the U.S. and China

The stakes are incredibly high in the 'great game' unfolding amid the digital geopolitics of the 21st century
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 9, 2018

Japan opening doors more widely to foreign professionals

The perception of 'closed companies' is fast becoming a thing of the past.
Japan Times
PRESS / Corporate Trends
Nov 9, 2018

“An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese: Genki” series exceeded 2 million copies

Tokyo, Nov. 9, 2018 - The Japanese language teaching material “An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese: Genki,” published by The Japan Times, Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Representative: Takeharu Tsutsumi) has exceeded 2 million copies in its series sold.
Japan Times
Nov 9, 2018

High evaluation from Japanese learners and teachers all around the world
“An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese: Genki” series exceeded 2 million copies

Tokyo, Nov. 9, 2018 – The Japanese language teaching material “An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese: Genki,” published by The Japan Times, Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Representative: Takeharu Tsutsumi) has exceeded 2 million copies in its series sold.

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