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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 3, 2018

Dive headfirst into the world of nihonshu with a sake education course

Sake has come a long way from the days when it was internationally — and crudely — known as "rice wine." In recent years, sake has been the star of two documentaries, as well as a TV series on Amazon. Sommeliers and chefs around the world are making room for nihonshu — as it is called in Japanese...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Mar 3, 2018

Chef Yoshimi Hayakawa has been on a roll

Since 2001, Yoshimi Hayakawa, 48, from Toyota in Aichi Prefecture, has been living in Galway, a small and vibrant city on Ireland's Atlantic coast. After studying Chinese in Kunming, China, for five years, then traveling around Southeast Asia and spending three years in Hong Kong working for Yamato Transport...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 2, 2018

From Fukuoka to Miyazaki, Kyushu offers year-round surf

With 12,000 kilometers of coastline, Japan's island of Kyushu offers some fantastic opportunities for surfing, as Oscar Boyd discovers in this Point Break-inspired journey around southwest Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 2, 2018

Artist puts up Harvey Weinstein 'Casting Couch' statue ahead of Oscars

Harvey Weinstein won't be going to Sunday's Oscar ceremony, but the film producer's presence is still being felt in Hollywood.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 1, 2018

Abe administration to remove contentious proposal from draft labor reform bill

The drastic policy compromise appears to be intended to minimize damage ahead of a critical leadership election in September.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 1, 2018

Twitter rides video ads and local innovations to surge in Japan profit

Riding a wave of new users, improved advertising options and an embrace of video content by users and advertisers alike, Twitter Inc.'s revenue has leaped in Japan, helping lead the company to its first quarterly profit.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 28, 2018

In Tokyo, Tibetan leader urges pressure on China to free his homeland

Japan and the international community should pressure China to find a peaceful solution to its long-standing conflict with Tibet, the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile told The Japan Times in a recent interview in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2018

Executive meetings in Asia no longer boozy lunches as refined fare and tighter budgets hold sway

Entertaining clients has always been part of the world of finance. But it's no longer just about wining and dining. In an era of healthier lifestyles and tighter industry budgets, the boundaries of where to go and what to do have shifted. The legend of the boozy dinner sealed-with-a-deal may live on,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 27, 2018

Oasis hedge fund boss bets on Japan's professional gaming scene

Competitive gaming in Japan has found a champion: hedge fund boss Seth Fischer.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 26, 2018

Generation Z rides to the rescue

If the teenagers protesting America's insanely stupid gun laws are any indication, the future is in good hands.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 26, 2018

In Japan's Diet, is there such a thing as too much time for questions?

It may be hard to find a workplace more rife with inefficiency and inertia than the national Diet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Feb 25, 2018

Yumi Katsura's mission to popularize the everyday kimono

Yumi Katsura is synonymous with wedding dresses in Japan and, after her most recent show, may also become equally known for boosting the popularity of kimono across the globe. A historic and recent first, Katsura is the only designer ever to be allowed to show at the opulent Akasaka Palace, demonstrating...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Feb 25, 2018

High-tech Pyeongchang Olympics needed more low-tech support for foreign tourists

Attending the Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea reminded me of what Japan still needs to do as it gears up to host one of the world's most prominent sports events.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Feb 25, 2018

Kyoto executives consider making nightlife in Kyoto more tourist-friendly

As residents and tourists in Kyoto complain more about higher prices, hotel shortages and crowds at train stations, shrines and temples, Kansai's corporate leaders are searching for ways to keep visitors coming.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Feb 24, 2018

Echi Ponte Vecchio a Osaka: Florence-inspired pizzeria with a view

Chef and Italophile Daisuke Yamane has a thing for a particular bridge that spans the Arno River in Florence: the Ponte Vecchio. While the famous Italian bridge may or may not ring a bell, you'll more than likely recognize it from a photo: a centuries old whimsical multi-story bridge with houses and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 24, 2018

Kazuki Kaneshiro's Go: Strength and irony in the face of prejudice

One of the most memorable characters in modern Japanese literature is not Japanese. Sugihara, the 17-year-old narrator of "Go," by Kazuki Kaneshiro, is a third-generation Zainichi Korean in his last year of high school. Son of a North Korean ex-boxer and shrewdly adept at silencing bullies, Sugihara...
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 22, 2018

Opposition lawmakers find at least 117 errors in botched labor survey, as scandal over Abe's key work style reforms deepens

In another revelation, labor minister Katsunobu Kato confirmed original response papers used in the survey — which he previously claimed had been discarded — were found in a basement at the ministry.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Feb 22, 2018

World Gardening Fair celebrates final year

The Hotel Okura Tokyo's final World Gardening Fair will be held from May 2 to 6 at Ascot Hall in the Hotel Okura. This beloved charity event that has been held for 18 years will offer not only the unique opportunity to see various botanical displays, but also experience the food, traditions and culture...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 21, 2018

China's next ideological front

Beijing is tightening the screws on poliical dissent, and Americans are growing more uneasy about the nature of Chinese influence abroad.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Feb 21, 2018

Video of gun owner's assault on an AR-15 goes viral after Florida mass shooting

A video of a man cutting his semi-automatic weapon in half has gone viral following last week's mass shooting at a Florida high school, prompting a social media movement decrying easy access to high-powered assault weapons.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 20, 2018

New entrance exam isn't the right answer

The government is putting the cart before the horse by testing students' ability to think critically without first changing how they are taught.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Feb 18, 2018

Yuzuru Hanyu's second Olympic title reaffirms greatness

Yuzuru Hanyu's epic performance in the free skate at Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday was one for the ages.

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