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Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Nov 2, 2017

Experience the coziness of Denmark

The Imperial Hotel Tokyo is holding the "Nordic Bliss" Denmark Fair through Nov. 30. Supported by the Danish embassy, guests can experience "hygge" with Danish food and culture, while commemorating 150 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 2, 2017

Suppressed at home, some Uzbeks turn to militant Islam abroad

Pushed by a lack of jobs and strict control of behavior and dissent, millions of Uzbeks have emigrated in recent years. Hundreds of those joined Islamic State in the Middle East, while others turned to religious extremism in their host countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 1, 2017

'Kokoro': Belgian director Vanja d'Alcantara offers an insightful interpretation of the Japanese mindset

Alice is a woman who has it all: a beautiful house in a Paris suburb, a loving husband and two teenage children who can be difficult at times but would surely panic if their maman were to suddenly make herself unavailable. Still, Alice (Isabelle Carre) suspects something is missing, and her days are...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2017

U.S. states allege broad generic drug price-fixing collusion, triggering fall in pharmaceutical stocks

A large group of U.S. states accused key players in the generic drug industry of a broad price-fixing conspiracy, moving on Tuesday to widen an earlier lawsuit to add many more drug makers and medicines in an action that sent some company shares tumbling.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2017

From furaryman to 'Nige-haji'

To encourage more young people to start families, Japan must create an environment in which mothers can work and men do more to help out around the home.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2017

Sharing-economy boom slow to take off in Japan at just 0.005% of GDP

Feel like sharing? Japan might not be your place.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Oct 29, 2017

TV drama glorifies the Japanese scourge of working illegally for nothing

In the TBS drama 'Rikuo,' female factory workers work all hours — some of them unpaid — to make a new type of running shoe.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Oct 29, 2017

Business cards in Japan: So many rules, so easily and often broken

One of the first things visitors learn about Japan is the importance of business card etiquette. Yet when it comes to the content of cards, many Japanese let rip and get creative.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2017

Xi's new strength obscures China's internal risks

Xi Jinping's new strength and power helps obscure China's internal risks, including the fundamental challenge of how to avoid a political hard landing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 28, 2017

Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo: Menswear designers take it back to the streets

The menswear collections on display at Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo in mid-October appear to be pushing irony-drenched streetwear.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 28, 2017

Catalan police call on officers to maintain neutrality as Spain exerts control

Catalonia's police force told its officers to remain neutral in the struggle over the region's fight for independence from Spain, a step toward averting possible conflict as the Madrid government starts to impose control on Saturday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NATURE'S PANTRY
Oct 28, 2017

Missing our Thanksgiving feast in Japan, with all its bustle and chaos

A free-range turkey supplier in Ishikawa Prefecture offers nostalgic North Americans a taste of home.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 28, 2017

'Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan': Traditionally spooky felines

Cats. Modern Japan loves them in all shapes and sizes. But they weren't always so cuddly.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2017

How would the U.S. look built from scratch?

Our leaders fail us in innumerable ways, but perhaps their worst sin is to accept things the way they are simply because that's the way they have always been.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 27, 2017

MUFG brokerage manager claims paternity harassment led to unpaid leave

Glen Wood, an equity sales manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., filed a harassment claim against the brokerage and asked a Tokyo court to order the firm to withdraw its decision to put him on unpaid leave.
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Oct 26, 2017

'Comfort women' issue is far from black and white

Despite widespread perceptions, not all 'comfort women' were coerced into that existence, and not all were treated badly.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 26, 2017

Ancient Papua New Guinea skull called oldest-known tsunami victim

A mysterious partial skull unearthed in Papua New Guinea in 1929 — that once was thought to belong to an extinct human species — now turns out to have another unique distinction. Scientists believe it belongs to the oldest-known human tsunami victim.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 26, 2017

Osaka's ¥1 sales energize shoppers but not good for BOJ's inflation quest

Osaka is famed for it's cheap prices, with ¥1 supermarket sales, ¥10 drinks and discount train tickets sold right next to the station. That attracts thrifty consumers and tourists, but may be undercutting the central bank's efforts to generate sustained price rises.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2017

Eco-friendly and self-driving cars showcased at Tokyo Motor Show

Green-energy vehicles, self-driving technologies and internet connectivity are expected to be the rage at this year's Tokyo Motor Show slated to open to the public Saturday at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Koto Ward.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2017

Game makers deploy deep-learning AI algorithms to keep players coming back for more

In today's game industry, titles like "Clash Royale" and "Pokemon Go" are free for most people to enjoy because there's a small number of players who pay for extras, like special weapons or more lives. Game developers have to strike a delicate balance in this free-to-play model between drawing the masses...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 22, 2017

Japan-born American finds freedom in not playing the part

Young man caught between two cultures finds freedom in disregarding the expectations of others, be they Japanese or American.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 22, 2017

The traditional kimono never goes out of style

The fusion of traditional Japanese culture with contemporary life isn't a new concept, but as trends change the results can vary greatly. On the runway, we are seeing sophisticated ideas that infuse new looks with time-honored tastes in subtle yet effective ways; while on the streets, the stylings of...
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 21, 2017

Viral dance crazes highlight a generational shift

Japan is certainly no stranger to viral dance videos and one doesn't have to think too far back to recall the popularity of the koi (falling in love) dance routine that took the internet by storm last year.
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Oct 21, 2017

'A Brief History of the Samurai': offers thrilling take on Japan's ancient warrior class

On reading Jonathan Clements’ brief history of the samurai, first published in 2010, you can’t help but see parallels with the recent blockbuster television series “Game of Thrones.”
Reader Mail
Oct 20, 2017

More proactive communications

I agree with "The need for more proactive communications" by Ross Rowbury in the Oct. 16 edition.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2017

Spain looks to suspend Catalonia autonomy and impose direct rule in response to independence threat

Spain's central government said on Thursday it would suspend Catalonia's autonomy and impose direct rule after the region's leader threatened to go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid refused to hold talks.

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