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Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 7, 2020

Japan threads the needle as U.S.-China animosity hits new highs

When it comes to increasingly fraught ties between Washington and Beijing, Tokyo is facing a “be careful what you wish for” moment.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 31, 2020

Jin Sato: Taking a global view of state-society relations

Professor Jin Sato on the most memorable lecture he ever gave, Japan's go-to techniques for multinational cooperation and the three foods he always has in his fridge.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2020

Masayoshi Son's SoftBank strained by losses and infighting at the top

In early March, before the coronavirus pandemic triggered a global economic lockdown, SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son paid tribute to Rajeev Misra, the man who runs his $100 billion technology investment fund. Wearing a $70 (¥7,500) Uniqlo down jacket, the Japanese billionaire put his arm...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
May 23, 2020

Making an O-turn: The siren call of Japan’s rural life

Even as employees increasingly work from home, more people are making an “O-turn,” dividing their time equally between the city and the country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 22, 2020

Nagano communities plagued by pine parasite at odds over pesticide

The new mayor of Matsumoto has called off aerial pesticide spraying that had been planned for this fiscal year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2020

Torel-produced films show just why Japanese indies need support

With theu00a0closures of small theaters threatening the survival of the indie scene, many in the industry have looked to online streaming to stay afloat.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
May 13, 2020

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura: From man of the hour to future prime minister?

Over the past few weeks, the governor has gone from being a locally liked politician to a national media darling.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
May 11, 2020

Yuriko Kotani embraces Britain’s penchant for irony and dark comedy

Standup comedian's comparisons of Japan and the United Kingdom have not only have delighted English-speaking audiences across the world, they have also helped her embrace her identity.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2020

Children may be the silent victims of coronavirus

With schools closed and health systems overwhelmed, the pandemic may impose high costs on vulnerable kids.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2020

Naoki Kobayashi: A J-pop star jumps to a new stage

Having already tasted success in the world of J-pop, Naoki Kobayashi has now set his sights on an acting career overseas.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 3, 2020

Actress Aoi Mizuhara explores Asian family values in 'The Farewell,' her Hollywood debut

Japanese actress Aoi Mizuhara explores Asian family values in her debut Hollywood film, 'The Farewell,' which is set for release in Japan in April.
BUSINESS / EXPLAINER
Mar 29, 2020

A closer look at Kansai Electric and its gift-giving scandal

Earlier this month, Kansai Electric Power Co. concluded that scores of its employees had received cash and gifts worth hundreds of millions of yen from an influential politician in a Fukui Prefecture town where the utility operates a nuclear power plant. The revelations by Kepco's investigative panel...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 21, 2020

Dramatizing the reality of a nuclear meltdown

As with many feature films based on real-life incidents, "Fukushima 50," which opened nationwide March 6 and depicts the actions of the men who struggled to contain the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant following the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011, is a blend of factual exposition...
Figure Skating
Mar 17, 2020

Retired ice dancer Chris Reed dies of heart attack at age 30

Former ice dancer Chris Reed, who represented Japan for more than a decade, died on Saturday of a heart attack in Detroit, according to a published report. He was 30.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Mar 14, 2020

Finding new beginnings in the United States

Sachi Asato, a young man on the autistic spectrum, started life with the odds stacked against him. Mother Sheila and father Satoru talk about their family's move to the U.S. to aid his remarkable progress.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 14, 2020

Bill Gates leaves Microsoft board to focus on philanthropy

Bill Gates is stepping down from the board of Microsoft Corp., the company he co-founded in 1975 and built into the world's largest software maker, to devote more time to philanthropy.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 14, 2020

Hong Kong 'Umbrella Movement' leader Chan Kin-man is freed from prison

Hong Kong democracy activist Chan Kin-man walked free from prison on Saturday saying he had no regrets for his leading role in the 2014 "Umbrella Movement" civil disobedience movement and that sacrifice was needed to achieve universal suffrage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 9, 2020

A sea change for Japanese sculptors

'Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2020' in Western Australia, brings together eight Japanese sculptural works, including Harayuki Uchida's new 2.5-ton stainless-steel kinetic 'Merry Gate.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 26, 2020

Departing from tradition with Hiromitsu Agatsuma and Akiko Yano

Shamisen player Hiromitsu Agatsuma teams up with singer and musician Akiko Yano for a new album which sees both depart from their previous styles and genres.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 17, 2020

A new place for Tokyo on the international stage

The problems of international relations and foreign policy are too great to be left to governments alone.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Feb 17, 2020

University program boosts number of coach developers

Faculty behind the Nippon Sport Science University Coach Developer Academy (NCDA) program are confident that the "athlete-centered" culture it is fostering has made positive international progress since its 2014 inception.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 17, 2020

Japan recession fears grow as GDP shrinks at 6.3% rate with COVID-19 hit to come

The contraction in the annualized gross domestic product for October-December was the worst in five quarters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 14, 2020

'Shape of Red' shows what Japanese women really want

Yukiko Mishima addresses the dangers of traditional gender roles with her latest film, 'Shape of Red,' adapted from a Rio Shimamoto novel.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 6, 2020

Kirk Douglas, Hollywood's tough guy on screen and off, dead at 103

Kirk Douglas, the cleft-chinned movie star who fought gladiators, cowboys and boxers on the screen and the Hollywood establishment, died on Wednesday at the age of 103, his son Michael Douglas said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2020

Hilton chases post-Olympic gold by bringing new luxury hotel brand to Kyoto in 2021

The Hilton group said Tuesday it will open a hotel under its newest luxury brand in Kyoto in autumn 2021, counting on a further upswell in lodging demand from tourists even after the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 27, 2020

Former crime syndicate boss on Japan's death row dies in apparent suicide

A former boss of a Japanese crime syndicate on death row was found dead at the Tokyo Detention House on Sunday, Justice Ministry officials have said.
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2020

How Japan's designated infectious disease system works

The government is set to ramp up preventive measures against cases of pneumonia caused by the deadly new coronavirus, which originated in China, by classifying it as a legally designated infectious disease.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 23, 2020

Komeito, the 20-year-old security watchdog

Komeito wields influence in major security policy decisions, especially the one that has most Japan-watchers intrigued: constitutional amendment.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami