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LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 25, 2020

Folk fun: Traditional toys for prayer and play

Japanese folk toys popular from the Edo Period through the Meiji Era (1603-1912) are meticulously crafted and imbued with meaning.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KYOTO RESTAURANTS
Jan 25, 2020

Akihiro Kakimoto: The man behind Japan's most elaborate chocolate desserts

Patissier Akihito Kakimoto has competed in the world's most prestigious chocolate competitions. But his path to the world of chocolate sculpture-making was anything but straightforward.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 25, 2020

Decline of social engagement may betray democracy

Japan's three leading newspapers, disagreeing on much, agree on this: Japan's democracy is in crisis.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2020

Close the glaring SDG gap

Quickly reducing global inequities is crucial to fulfilling the U.N.'s 2030 agenda.
SUMO / Rikishi Files
Jan 25, 2020

Kyokutenho was a trailblazer

In 1991, though most people didn't realize it at the time, the Oshima stablemaster made a decision that would dramatically alter the course of sumo over the next several decades.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 25, 2020

Seamus Mallon, architect of Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement, dies at 83

Former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon, one of the architects of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, died on Friday at age 83, drawing tributes from across a political divide he helped to bridge.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Jan 23, 2020

Hoping for a Japanese society in which all of its members can shine

Black Eye columnist Baye McNeil opens the new year with an email from a reader that illustrates the importance of language in dealing with multiracial individuals.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 23, 2020

'Romance Doll': A mature take on guys and dolls

The premise for Yuki Tanada's film about a sex doll designer gets laughs, but also offers sharp insights into human issues.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 23, 2020

'Voices in the Wind': Loss and a haunting journey home

Serena Motola gives a raw performance as a young survivor of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 in Nobuhiro Suwa's latest film.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 22, 2020

The U.S.-Iran crisis and Tokyo's response

Stability in the Persian Gulf region is crucial for Japan's energy security.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jan 22, 2020

World needs to prepare for 'millions' of climate-displaced, UNHCR chief warns

The world needs to prepare for millions of people being driven from their homes by the impact of climate change, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 19, 2020

New opportunities sown from the need to evolve

Having lived in Japan since 2002, Nicolas Floquet feels integrated and comfortable in this country he considers home.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 18, 2020

Eiji Yoshikawa: The 'Compassionate Pugilist'

Boxer Yoshikawa helps others to learn to roll with the punches
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Jan 17, 2020

Ep. 29 'About Love'

The cringy antics of the 'Terrace House' members slowly killed my will to watch to the end of this episode.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 17, 2020

Who benefits from the Henoko delay?

Most people in Okinawa Prefecture in fact do not truly desire a solution to the so-called Okinawa problem.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 16, 2020

'Last Letter': Love letter delivers sweetness and slush

Takako Matsu reunites with director Shunji Iwai to play a middle-aged woman who exchanges letters with her late sister's high school flame.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2020

Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi challenges Japan's workplace norms with decision to take paternity leave

Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he will take paternity leave later this month, a rare move in a country where most men do not take the time off.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 15, 2020

'I'm happy he did it': In Beirut, Ghosn's wife slams Japanese justice system

Carlos and Carole Ghosn, the former first couple of carmaker Nissan, are united again in Beirut. They hold hands in the street and whisper together in a mix of Arabic and French. They kiss.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 14, 2020

Where to find some of Tokyo's tastiest vegan ramen

Vegans shouldn't feel left out of Tokyo's expansive ramen scene. The Japan Times has sourced five of the best options in the capital for flavorful vegan noodles that even nonvegans will say are delicious!
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Women of Taste
Jan 11, 2020

Marie-Josee Laforest: Harvesting the rewards of organic permaculture

From five holy basil seeds, an oregano plant, a few stems of orange mint, six fig tree cuttings and a handful of butterfly pea seeds, Marie-Josee Laforest's sprouts have grown to become a 200-hectare organic permaculture farm in the mountains Oita Prefecture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Jan 11, 2020

'Childhood Years': Junichiro Tanizaki's precious memories of Tokyo

Autobiographies tend to reveal only as much as the subject chooses to share. Here, Junichiro Tanizaki is surprisingly forthright in detailing his inner life, especially those pertaining to the germination of his sexuality.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 11, 2020

Sussex Inc. can work as royal spinoff

Allowing some royals to step away from 'senior' status makes sense if you think of the British monarchy as a business.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 11, 2020

Harry and Meghan would find friendlier media in Canada but no foolproof way to escape scrutiny

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan can expect less intense local media scrutiny than they have faced in Britain should they move to Canada, experts said on Friday, though international press attention will be impossible to avoid.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 10, 2020

NHK raises the dead for 'Kohaku' to mixed reviews

After NHK brought deceased enka singer Hibari Misora back to the 'Kohaku Uta Gassen' stage, reaction from viewers was mixed.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 9, 2020

10 surprises for Japan in 2020

Japan's prospects for the new year appear stellar.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Jan 9, 2020

Once a hero in Japan, Carlos Ghosn's news conference unlikely to restore his image

While international media has focused on criticisms of the Japanese criminal justice system, domestic media outlets have been more critical of Ghosn violating bail conditions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2020

Raving from the past into the future with WaqWaq Kingdom

Shigeru Ishihara and Kiki Hitomi release a second album, fusing an eclectic mix of genres with a deep and personal set of lyrics
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 9, 2020

'Complicity': Heartfelt film serves up food for the soul

Indie director Kei Chikaura's first feature — and winner of the Audience Award at Tokyo Filmex — avoids cliches in its realistic portrayal of Japan-China understanding.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb