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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2019 in Review
Dec 25, 2019

2019 brought both tragedy and triumph to Japan's anime industry

While the anime world was rocked by a fatal arson attack at the studios of Kyoto Animation, a diverse range of new films and series gave the year a creative boost.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Commentary
Dec 5, 2019

LDP statesman Yasuhiro Nakasone helped shape postwar Japan from the top down

Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who died at 101 on Nov. 29, will undoubtedly be remembered as a giant in Japan's political history.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / Nikko Special
Nov 21, 2019

30 hours of wonder: Shrines, temples and hot springs

The city of Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture is one of the brightest lights in the Japanese sightseeing firmament, which is apt, given that its name literally translates to "sunshine." With some amazing attractions from World Heritage sites dating back to the eighth century to picturesque hiking trails and...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 15, 2019

The first thing to do is fire all the cops

Warrior cops don't make us safer. They're loose cannons who need psychiatric counseling, not guns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 3, 2019

Julian Opie: A fascinating view of the mundane

Julian Opie's schematic reductions of people, animals and landscapes to planes of color may be fun and casual, but it's not just eye-candy — he gets us to see much more than he shows us.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jul 21, 2019

Untapping the power that lies between fashion and costume

"Fashion and costume can offer freedom, protection, power. Sometimes they can even change the world."
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
May 31, 2019

Rock gardens, ryokan and rafting in Tokyo's Mitake

From the historic Kajikaen to kimono dyeing studios and the Gyokudo Art Museum, numerous institutions of traditional art and culture line the banks of the Tama River as it runs through Mitake.
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 / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 20, 2019

Understanding the true ties between health and success

There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything — and you're probably doing it wrong.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 12, 2019

Japanese companies warming up — slowly — to four-day workweek

Once synonymous with long work hours, Japanese companies are beginning to embrace — or at least consider — the idea of a four-day workweek.
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Oct 27, 2018

Defining the Heisei Era: When anime and manga went global

The Heisei Era commenced after two gods fell in rapid succession. The first, Emperor Hirohito, was no longer officially a god, having repudiated his quasi-divine status under the terms of Japan's surrender in World War II, but he remained god-like in stature. His January death in 1989 at age 87 signaled...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2018

Haru Nemuri's rapping and roaring speaks to the zeitgeist of 2018

Haruna Kimishima knew her music had found an audience overseas when her Twitter DMs began to fill up with English.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 3, 2018

Canada's national water polo squad forges new bonds during trip to Japan

Half a world away from home, quality competition is a top priority for the Canada men's national water polo team.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 8, 2018

Entering sumo world not something to be taken lightly

In lifting the Emperor's Cup last month, Mitakeumi became the fourth Japanese wrestler to win a championship in the past two years.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2018

U.S. teacher, naturalized ex-student recall impact of 1968 Ogasawara reversion

When the 23-year Allied Occupation of the Ogasawara Islands ended 50 years ago, it was also a moment of closure for George Yokota, who had worked for 12 years as a teacher on Chichijima — one of the two main inhabited islands in the chain 1,000 km south of Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 3, 2018

How Japan can fix its gaping gender gap

The World Economic Forum's 2017 gender gap index ranks Japan 114th out of the 144 countries surveyed — this must change.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 19, 2018

Shizuoka stage festival aims to engage its audiences the old-fashioned way

This hasn't been a great year for social media. Internet addiction has been a hot topic, as have privacy issues, and there has even been a movement to #DeleteFacebook.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 3, 2018

When art met craft in Meiji Era Japan

The focus of "The 150th Anniversary of the Meiji Period: Making and Designing Meiji Arts and Crafts" at The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, concerns the relationship between nihonga (Japanese-style) painters of Kyoto and craft production during a time when craft and design were part of the government's...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 20, 2018

In year of drama and chaos, Pence quietly advances conservative agenda

In the run-up to President Donald Trump's decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Vice President Mike Pence, a conservative Christian who had long advocated for the move, did something he does only selectively: speak up.
PRESS / Corporate Trends
Dec 12, 2017

“The most memorable Japan news events of 2017” as chosen by English-language instructors from AEON Ltd. “Overworked Japan slowly adopting fixed rest hours” wins first prize

English conversation school AEON Ltd., (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Representative: Yoshikazu Miyake) conducted a survey of 511 of its English-language instructors on “the most memorable Japan news events of 2017.”
Dec 12, 2017

“The most memorable Japan news events of 2017” as chosen by English-language instructors from AEON Ltd.
“Overworked Japan slowly adopting fixed rest hours” wins first prize

English conversation school AEON Ltd., (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Representative: Yoshikazu Miyake) conducted a survey of 511 of its English-language instructors on “the most memorable Japan news events of 2017.”
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Oct 6, 2017

Never mind the love hotels: Negishi is home to haiku, tea and famous pines

Alighting at one of the JR Yamanote Line's quietest stops, Uguisudani Station, I chat with the stationmaster about its name, which means "Bush-Warbler Valley." Apparently, the area used to have limpid streams and a bucolic setting that attracted the feathered songsters, also known as Japanese nightingales....
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 15, 2017

Views both old and new of Aomori's Tsugaru

Cut off by the Ou Mountains to the south and far removed from any center of power, Aomori Prefecture's remote Tsugaru Peninsula was largely left to its own devices until the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 24, 2017

What will we eat when all the food runs out?

Last week, the Yukan Fuji (June 20) reported that 20 outlets in the Kappa Sushi conveyor belt sushi chain in east and west Japan are promoting an all-you-can-eat special, with patrons from middle-school age to 64 years charged ¥1,706 (boys and men) or ¥1,490 (girls and women). Seniors over 65 can partake...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 1, 2017

Matohu: Observing tradition in modern design

Design duo Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi have been making the case for the inclusion of Japanese aesthetics in contemporary fashion for more than a decade.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Mar 25, 2017

More than fare trade: backstreet by taxi

A combination of rain showers and tax prep in March signal Tokyo's segue into spring.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 18, 2017

Taiwan: Where Japanese go to feel at home on vacation

Taiwan was Japanese soil for about five decades until the end of WWII. Amazingly, this is the one country where the Japanese imperialists managed to do more good than harm when they colonized it in 1895.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building