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BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2014

Odds fall on USJ casino ambition

As Osaka moves forward with plans to build an integrated resort complex in the hope that the Diet will soon legalize casinos, the future role of the Universal Studios Japan theme park remains unclear.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 29, 2014

Comic books champion debate on Fukushima disaster

Farmers in Fukushima try to convince skeptical visitors that their crops are safe from radiation. Blood trickles from the nose of a reporter who visits the area.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2014

Sony to buy Britain's CSC media group in TV network push

Sony Corp.'s movie and TV unit will snap up Britain's CSC media network, adding to a string of acquisitions designed to shift its focus from movies to higher-margin television programing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 19, 2014

Sony CEO apologizes for another steep loss

Sony Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai apologized to investors Thursday after the maker of PlayStation consoles and Xperia smartphones projected a sixth loss in seven years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jun 12, 2014

International Tokyo Toy Show allows a peek at Christmas hits

It's that time of year again. Children erupt with joy as they see their favorite anime characters come to life, and tech-savvy young adults scramble to figure out the latest cutting-edge gadgets. It's not Christmas, but the International Tokyo Toy Show runs a close second.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jun 9, 2014

AKB48 members deserve to get workers’ comp for saw attack

Are members of girl group AKB48 'workers' under the law and therefore eligible for industrial accident insurance? The evidence suggests so.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 28, 2014

Godfather of J-horror escapes from genre's grip

Hideo Nakata could be called the godfather of contemporary Japanese horror, but he would probably hate the label. Regardless, this 52-year-old director of such genre classics as "Ring," "Ring 2" and "Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara (Dark Water)" has made J-horror — a combination of present-day settings...
BUSINESS / Companies
May 22, 2014

Hirai refuses to pull plug on Sony TV business

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said Thursday the company still expects to turn around its loss-making home electronics business, which includes TV sets, this fiscal year after completing restructuring.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 18, 2014

Monster hits continue to survive the Internet age

A monster lays waste to America's cities, smashing skyscrapers and tearing up passenger trains. It's the familiar tale of Godzilla, a mutant lizard last seen rampaging through cinemas in 1998 and now back on the big screen.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 11, 2014

Casino moguls gamble on Japan

Two U.S. billionaires bet on rival cities to be the first to open casino resorts in Japan if the government legalizes gambling.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 6, 2014

'X-Men' director Bryan Singer sued in second teen sex abuse case

A British man who accuses "X-Men" director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing him as a teenager was spurred to bring a lawsuit against the filmmaker after Singer was sued by another man on similar allegations, the plaintiff's lawyer said Monday.
WORLD
May 5, 2014

Aussie billionaire Packer punches business rival in Sydney brawl

Billionaire Australian gaming mogul James Packer was seen brawling on a Bondi Beach street with fellow businessman David Gyngell, a lifelong friend, former best man and chief executive of the Nine Entertainment Group, media reported Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
May 2, 2014

Japan a key battleground for BBC's expansion in Asia

Judging from the activity on the floor at February's BBC Worldwide Showcase in Liverpool, England, television is most definitely not dead. Over 700 buyers and distributors descended on the BT Convention Centre to investigate what was new ("The Game," "The Musketeers") and what was returning from the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 23, 2014

PUK's children's puppet shows suspend disbelief for all ages

Parents around the capital seeking entertainment options for young children over the next several weeks could do a lot worse than check out Puppet Theater PUK, where old and new stories will come to life in the hands of seasoned puppeteers.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2014

H.I.S. eyes island off theme park for casino

H.I.S. Co.'s Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park along the Nagasaki coast is considering buying a deserted offshore island in an expansion to boost its appeal as a possible site for a casino resort.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBL NOTEBOOK
Apr 22, 2014

Roster depth, unselfish play highlight Toyota Motors' epic 28-game win streak

The Toyota Motors Alvark have always been a powerhouse in Japanese men's basketball, and it's nothing unusual for them to post more wins than losses.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 19, 2014

Koza: the carbonized city

My first glimpse of Koza was a burned out car on a monochrome print I picked up at a recycle shop in Naha. I would see the image again when I visited the history section of the Okinawa City Hall, where there was a prominent display on the Koza Riot of 1970.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2014

Sony PS4 sales top 7 million mark

Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 sales are proving a bright spot for Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai, who is cutting costs to spur a revival at a company hit by falling demand for its televisions and cameras.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 26, 2014

Let cherry blossoms light up the evening at Osaka castle

When it comes to spring beauty, nothing surpasses the sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom, especially when they are illuminated during the night. Add the grandiose view of Osaka Castle as the backdrop plus a delicious bento-box picnic, and you have a winning combination.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 23, 2014

When it comes to tourism, image is everything

The new Osaka Government Tourism Bureau is the latest effort by a Kansai entity to re-brand itself as Japan gears up for a bigger piece of the tourism pie.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
Mar 18, 2014

New United flight; Flying on the Internet; Korean Air anniversary

New United flight
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 1, 2014

Trite TV drama about children's home misses a chance to edify and entertain

Groups including the National Council for Children's Group Homes and Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto have accused NTV of 'violating human rights' and displaying 'prejudice against the children as well as the staff who are working in these childcare institutions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 26, 2014

Flying high, but not quite buzzing

I have vivid childhood memories of two circuses: Ringling Brothers and Shrine. The latter was a delightfully shabby affair held in an old auditorium where audiences sat on concrete bleachers that were occasionally adorned with tacky plastic chairs. There were lots of animals, and the holding areas outside...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 8, 2014

NHK drama takes a wild stab at a dying art

The hero of 'Uzumasa Limelight' has made his living for half a century as a kirare-yaku in sword-fighting movies. Kirare-yaku have a specific role: Their job is to die on screen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 6, 2014

Sony sees ¥110 billion loss, to cut 5,000 jobs

Sony Corp. reverses its forecast for the full year from a ¥30 billion net profit to a ¥110 billion loss and says its electronics division will likely spend another year in the red.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2014

Tokyu launches Shibuya info page

Private railway Tokyu Corp. has opened a new Facebook page in five different languages to cash in on foreign interest in Shibuya, the soul of Japanese entertainment and youth fashion.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 6, 2014

Making the invisible visible at the Japan Media Arts Festival

In 1965, artist Nam June Paik (1932-2006) attached a strong magnet to the top of a television. The crisp image, overpowered by the magnet, folded onto itself in beautiful geometric waves. But it wasn't meant to be beautiful; it was an attack.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 1, 2014

Pursuit of happiness

The merry residents of Japan have long sought to attain the 'pleasantest of all diversions
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 31, 2014

Indie designer Kanai carves out niche with analog board games

In an age when every toddler fiddles with electronic game consoles and smartphones, Seiji Kanai says his passion lies in creating analog board games.

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell