Search - life

 
 
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 31, 2019

Proactive actions crucial to attain workplace diversity

Diversity is at the core of many of the labor and economic policies designed by the current government, including work-style reforms and promotion of women's participation in society. How much has actually changed in Japanese workplaces? Are they becoming more diverse in all aspects?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 28, 2019

All aboard: the art of sampling Japan's railways

In the rest of the world, trainspotting is something of a niche hobby, but in Japan it is much more mainstream. Combine a natural predilection for hobbies with a massive proliferation of railways and you naturally get train enthusiasts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 23, 2019

Job seekers in their 70s could become Japan's new normal

At the age of 75, Mikiko Kuzuno found herself recently laid off and applying for a job at a factory near Tokyo. She insisted on making the application in person.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
May 20, 2019

Chadwick Boseman to play foreign-born samurai in film

The story of a black samurai known as 'Yasuke,' who served under warlord Oda Nobunaga in 16th-century Japan, will be made into a film starring African-American actor Chadwick Boseman, it was decided by May 7 [it was officially announced May 7]. The news was reported by U.S. entertainment media such as Deadline. The release date is undecided.
JAPAN / Politics
May 20, 2019

From cardboard factory to the kantei? Yoshihide Suga gets PR makeover as rumors of PM bid soar

Unsmiling, tight-lipped and at times appearing heavy-handed, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was never exactly the type of politician the public would take a shine to — let alone swoon over.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 18, 2019

TBS drama misses an opportunity to shine a light on genuine workplace issues

The most common gripe I hear from white-collar employees at Japanese companies is about the fluid meaning of "quitting time." The feeling is that even if a worker has finished their tasks for the day, it is considered bad form to leave the office before their colleagues or supervisors do. There are,...
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 18, 2019

Elementary school kids can say the darndest things online

People usually don’t take the thoughts of a 10-year-old child too seriously. Elementary school kids can say the darndest things, and only the nastiest of bullies take any notice of them saying something stupid.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2019

Despite being only 10 years old, actor Kokoro Terada is taking on tough topics

A heart-warming tale about an elderly woman's struggles with dementia as seen from the perspective of her young grandson, "Grandma is Okay" ("Baba wa, Daijobu") is the latest movie by Yokohama-born filmmaker Jacky Woo.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 16, 2019

Climate change, pollution, epidemics, quakes: Growing threats put human survival in doubt, U.N. warns

Increasingly complex, growing and related risks, from global warming to pollution and epidemics, threaten human survival if left to escalate, the United Nations warned on Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 15, 2019

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg gets 'best fight' MTV Movie award nod

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg scored nominations on Tuesday for the 2019 MTV Movie and TV awards, where she will compete for top honors with blockbuster offerings "Game of Thrones" and "Avengers: Endgame."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / SDG8.7 Dialogue Special
May 14, 2019

Advocates fighting child labor come together in Tokyo ahead of Osaka G20 summit

Empowering workers, installing social protection programs and monitoring organizations to implement those programs are key points to reducing 152 million children engaged in child labor worldwide — more than half of whom work in hazardous conditions that put their health and development at risk.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 12, 2019

Leon is a dog looking for a second chance

For most of his life, Leon had lived in a playpen in a room. It was his world, his life, the only thing he really knew. That world vanished when he was dropped off at the shelter three years ago at the age of 6. He had no social skills and the strain weighed heavy on this little fellow.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 11, 2019

Attempting to switch off from social media during Golden Week

As the relaxed vibe of the recent 10-day Golden Week holiday slowly fades, many commuters in Tokyo appeared to struggle last week to return to the rat race.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
May 11, 2019

Tomoko Keira's 'The Spirit of Huci': A year of living with an Ainu elder — review

One part Ainu cookbook and three parts a cultural record of Ainu values and beliefs, Tomoko Keira's 'The Spirit of Huci' offers, for the first time, the voices of Ainu women in English.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2019

Share Japan's knowledge and skills on disaster preparedness

Disaster preparedness is a pressing and common need worldwide, as is the challenge of incorporating the mindset of disaster preparedness into daily life.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / ANALYSIS
May 10, 2019

Dearth of female candidates highlights obstacles women face during India's election cycle

The men contesting India's general election are vying for female voters, but the paltry number of female candidates shows the battle women face in Indian politics — as in so much else in Indian life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
May 4, 2019

Come face to face with human mortality in Yukio Mishima's 'The Temple of Dawn' — review

A strange and uneven novel, Yukio Mishima's 'The Temple of Dawn,' the third volume in the 'Sea of Fertility' tetralogy, is an elegy to the loss of pureness in the Japanese national spirit.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 2, 2019

Report urges U.K. to adopt world's toughest targets as Parliament declares climate emergency

British people need to fly less, drive electric cars, eat little meat and turn their home thermostats down to 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) in order to rein in greenhouse gases damaging the planet.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 1, 2019

Eiichi Shibusawa was a man of his time and ours

Eiichi Shibusawa's message from over 100 years ago is sustainability — indeed, a very important message for the new Reiwa Era.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / Age Wise
May 1, 2019

Stressing over finances? The community at RetireJapan is here to help

Ben Tanaka wanted to take more control over his finances and launched RetireJapan.com to share what he has learned.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 30, 2019

Japan's international emperor exits the stage

Emperor Akihito has been much more of a global leader than a national one. That sets him apart from his father — and from many of the world's current leaders.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2019

Forget robots — the breakthrough technology will be in your car

Innovation tends to come in products and services that are already in wide use.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / Age Wise
Apr 28, 2019

Retirement in Japan doesn't have to be scary

Emperor Akihito will be facing a lot of changes to his routine when he retires this week, but presumably the Imperial Household Agency will take care of all the details of his retirement planning. The rest of us, however, are on our own.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Apr 27, 2019

Aozora Blue: Hand-made udon with a soba inflection

At Aozora Blue, chef Hirofumi Matsui draws on his soba-making experiences to offer an exquisite, handmade udon noodle in an elevated setting.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 27, 2019

Tokyo babies smile for Solveig Boergen

'When a baby is born ... every moment is filled with so much joy and wonder and we often wish we could freeze time — newborn photography does just that.' Solveig Boergen
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 25, 2019

A whole new ballgame: Yokohama DeNA BayStars get an upgrade

Looking down at the sea of dark blue seats that frame one of Nippon Professional Baseball's smallest playing fields, one thing becomes clear: For the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, the ballpark, and the myriad experiences it offers those who take in a game, is their top commodity.
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Apr 25, 2019

Yuzuru Hanyu tops best efforts by Japan skaters this season

With the long season now over, Ice Time has collated a top 10 list of the best performances by Japanese skaters during the 2018-19 campaign.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2019

Female recruits in Japan want to balance full-time jobs with family, and husbands' help with kids

A majority of young female recruits in Japan desire both full-time careers and a family, with 90 percent expecting their future husbands to take paternity leave, according to recent findings by Tokyo-based recruitment information firm Disco Inc.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years