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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 25, 2021

‘Heisei no Oto’: A sonic trip to the golden age of CDs

Osaka record store owners Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato have unearthed some musical treasures from 1989-96 for this bright and buoyant compilation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
Feb 20, 2021

Stephen Snyder: Distilling the essence of a literary work

In recent years, Japanese literature has earned a reputation abroad for its edgy, socially-conscious fiction, which translator Stephen Snyder, 63, has had a hand in encouraging. Snyder has translated titles like “Coin Locker Babies” by Ryu Murakami, “Out” by Natsuo Kirino and last year’s finalist...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 24, 2020

Fables inspired by life in lockdown resonate with Japanese readers

Barry Yourgrau's struggle to cope with life during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a burst of creative writing, which culminated in a book of short stories that became a hit in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / CULTURE SMASH
Dec 10, 2020

Sibling duo Lastlings finds its musical muse in Japan

The half-Japanese, half-Australian siblings, who experienced relentless teasing while growing up in Australia, took refuge in music and created their own blend of electro-pop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 3, 2020

‘Alice in Borderland’: Deadly journey through the looking glass leaves little impression

Netflix's sci-fi suspense series about a young man forced to go through a series of twisted challenges takes place in a cityscape that looks all too familiar in 2020.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2020

Schools lauded for COVID-19 response and support

The number of international students enrolled in Japanese universities and vocational schools is on the rise. In May 2019, this number stood at 312,214, up from 164,000 in 2011, and the number of students who chose to work in Japan after graduating has more than doubled since 2013.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 28, 2020

Twillo: Fairy tale yatai bar hits the streets of Tokyo after midnight

Running a traveling bar might seem like an avant-garde answer to the coronavirus, but owner Shotaro Kamijo is in the business for a different reason.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2020

Suga faces fire as controversy over Abe parties returns to spotlight

The prime minister was grilled by opposition lawmakers Wednesday over whether he made inaccurate claims at the Diet last year about a potential breach of laws on gift-giving.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 14, 2020

Japan's Shimachu backs Nitori's ¥214 billion takeover bid

The switch reflects a changing investment culture in Japan, where unsolicited, hostile takeover offers were once considered taboo.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 11, 2020

Episode 72: Preserving the endangered Ainu language

The Ainu language has been declared critically endangered by UNESCO, with few people left alive today who speak it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 31, 2020

Literary magazine Monkey serves up a full meal of delights

Monkey's inaugural volume features a who's who of contemporary Japanese literature, with a food theme to tie the contributions together.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 10, 2020

‘People From My Neighbourhood’: Bite-sized stories about the mysteries of small-town Japan

Hiromi Kawakami's collection of interlinking vignettes is a satisfying mix of neighborhood drama, folk mythology and magical realism.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 8, 2020

Episode 67: 'Convenience Store Woman' and the art of translation

Ginny Tapley Takemori discusses the process of translating Japanese literature into English — a somewhat forgotten art.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / The week in NPB
Sep 28, 2020

Virus-hit Tigers endure tough, eventful week in Central League

The difference between playing a mostly representative NPB season — as opposed to 50 or 60 games — or having it all fall apart was always as tenuous as some dinner plans.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / The week in NPB
Sep 7, 2020

Tigers still at square one with Shintaro Fujinami

Shintaro Fujinami gave up 11 runs — seven earned — in 4 2/3 innings on Saturday night. That's more than he’s ever allowed in his career and, per Daily Sports, more than any Hanshin pitcher has in a single outing.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 28, 2020

[Rebroadcast] What's the secret to Shinzo Abe's longevity?

This episode was originally recorded in December 2019, in a world that had not yet gone through the trials of the coronavirus, and when Japan was looking ahead to hosting the Olympics this summer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 11, 2020

Japan kept activist investor in limbo over key Toshiba vote, sources say

The news illustrates how Japan's tighter rules on foreign ownership may also be used to keep activist shareholders in check.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 24, 2020

JP The Wavy: 'The culture of hip-hop unites us'

The prevalence of hip-hop on social media has thrust rapper JP The Wavy at the forefront of Asia's changing millennial culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 18, 2020

'Pure Invention': How Japan's pop culture became the 'lingua franca' of the internet

From toy jeeps and karaoke machines to the Game Boy and Tamagotchi, “Pure Invention” explores how Japan's cultural influence has spread across the globe.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 16, 2020

A Tokyo temple offers pandemic-hit Vietnamese workers a safe haven

Lured by higher wages but often burdened by debt to recruiters, Vietnamese are the fastest-growing group of foreign nationals in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 9, 2020

‘The Gun 2020’: Locked, loaded and nowhere to go

“The Gun 2020” revisits the story of Masaharu Take's 2018 film, “The Gun,” this time with a woman as the weapon-wielding protagonist. A feminist thriller it is not.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2020

Masks, disinfectant, social distancing: Japan faces disasters amid pandemic

Authorities have been warning local officials for months to include virus measures in disaster preparations.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person