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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 19, 2017

Eco-blockbuster 'Deepwater Horizon' bypasses a bigger issue

With "Deepwater Horizon," Hollywood attempts the difficult maneuver of having its cake and eating it too. It's certainly possible to make a rabble-rousing liberal issue movie, and it's even easier to make any sort of film that involves lots of CGI explosions, but it's rare that a filmmaker gets the chance...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 12, 2017

Noise outfit Endon takes a hard look at itself in the mirror

The term "noise music" has come to define a variety of artists and sounds, from guitar feedback to drones to white noise. Japan is certainly no stranger to the concept, birthing formidable pioneers of the genre such as Merzbow, Hijokaidan and Incapacitants over the years. However, singer Taichi Nagura...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 11, 2017

'Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien': Excavating Edo's ancient memes with the power of 'yokai'

Beginning with 2008's "Yokai Attack!," translators Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have been on a quest to bring an aspect of Japanese culture that has lurked in the shadows to the world at large.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2017

Sony to take writedown of ¥112 billion as movie business founders

Sony Corp. said it will take a ¥112 billion ($1 billion) writedown in its movie business after reviewing the future profitability of its operations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 28, 2017

Publishing pioneer Kikuko Ireton introduced the world to Japanese film

Kikuko Ireton, who co-founded "Movie/TV Marketing," a pioneering English-language trade journal about the domestic film industry, died in Tokyo on Thursday from complications of pneumonia.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 27, 2017

India snake charmers struggle to survive as tradition slowly dies out

Buti Nath flips the lid of a basket and a cobra slowly emerges. The deadly reptile begins to sway as Buti plays his gourd flute.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 24, 2017

'La La Land' leads Oscars race with 14 Academy Award nominations

“La La Land,” Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.’s film about star-crossed lovers trying to make it in the entertainment industry, was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, including best picture, tying for the most ever.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 20, 2017

'Your Name.' to be released with English subtitles

Makoto Shinkai's animated film "Your Name." continues to win over audiences in Asia, and now has its sights set on dominating North America, too.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2017

China shoppers ended 2016 on spending spree but headwinds seen brewing

Chinese consumers flocked to malls, restaurants and cinemas ahead of the year's biggest holiday season, highlighting the consumption power transforming the economy.
BUSINESS
Dec 29, 2016

Japan looks to Singapore for ideas as Diet debate over new casino law looms

What are the odds that the public can be convinced of the case for legalized casino gambling?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2016

'Superhuman' slugger tops year's list of buzzwords

A superhuman effort on the baseball field inspired the top buzzword of the year, it was announced Thursday, in a contest that highlights social, political and entertainment trends.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Oct 30, 2016

Mama's Tattoo event pushes women to write new narratives

Deep in Tokyo's indie music hub of Shimokitazawa, the twin venues of Three and Basement Bar often play host to some of the most diverse and offbeat expressions of Japan's underground music culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 21, 2016

Body image and the foreign female in Japan: survey shows frustration with one-size-fits-all thinking

Survey of nearly 600 women reveals that many feel society places pressure on them to meet narrow Japanese definition of beauty.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 18, 2016

The Novembers have an 11th-hour (or 11th-year) rock epiphany

Yusuke Kobayashi, singer and guitarist of rock band The Novembers, is wearing a black Pink Floyd T-shirt and sipping a tea as I sit down to chat with him in a cafe in Tokyo's Ebisu neighborhood.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 8, 2016

Colombian's memoir reveals deceptions that pulled her into Japan's sex trade in 1990s

Mother Marcela Loaiza tells tale of how she was lured to Tokyo for dance work only to wind up in the hands of the yakuza.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 8, 2016

New PlayStation 4 models change life cycle of gaming consoles

Sony Corp. has released two new versions of its PlayStation 4: the PlayStation 4 Pro and a slimmer, more efficient version of the PlayStation 4.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Sep 3, 2016

Net TV in Japan: Full stream ahead?

As consumers move away from regular terrestrial TV toward online video content, it appears that the domestic TV industry itself needs to undergo its own paradigm shift.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 30, 2016

China regulator to curb news that promotes 'Western lifestyles'

China will crack down on social and entertainment news that promotes improper values and "Western lifestyles," the country's broadcasting regulator said, the latest effort at censorship in an already strictly regulated media environment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 27, 2016

Japan zoos could be an endangered species

In terms of zoos per capita, Japan is No. 1 in the world, despite the fact that attendance has been dropping for more than two decades.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Aug 27, 2016

Games you've been waiting a long time for

An endless exploration
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 14, 2016

It's true: SMAP to split up at year's end

After a quarter-century run, the Japanese boy band SMAP has decided to call it quits on Dec. 31, its management agency said in a press release Sunday, shocking die-hard fans in Asia and around the world.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 26, 2016

Penny-pinching Japanese households spend less on having fun

Whether it is the young or the old, Japanese consumers are spending less on fun, and that is bad news for Abenomics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 16, 2016

Ultraman: Ultracool at 50

Ultraman has been defending humanity against monsters and aliens for half a century. We examine the superhero's enduring legacy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jul 6, 2016

Video games may become China's best cultural export

When Chinese internet giant Tencent acquired the Finnish video game developer Supercell last month for $8.6 billion, it became the world's dominant publisher and distributor in the $100 billion gaming market. It was a blockbuster deal: No other Chinese entertainment company in any field — television,...
Japan Times
LIFE
Jun 25, 2016

Indulging Hawaiian culture, cuisine in Japan

Boasting beautiful beaches and endless sunsets, Hawaii has long been a popular holiday destination for tourists from Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 26, 2016

Young dramatists mark the Bard's anniversary in style

Hot on the heels of Hideki Noda's radical adaptation of "Richard III" being staged by Singaporean director Ong Ken Seng at Shizuoka Performing Arts Center from April 29 to May 1, another intriguing transformation of Shakespeare's Machiavellian king will follow at Theatre Fuusikaden in Tokyo from May...

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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.