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CULTURE
Jun 15, 2017

Fine tableware maker offers VIP treatment

Celebrating more than a century of creating fine porcelain, Japan's Noritake, a world-renowned maker of fine dinnerware, will invite diplomats from various countries living in Japan, foreign businesspeople and others to an exclusive fair at which customers will be given VIP treatment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 20, 2017

Looking back on the final days of the Dojunkai apartments

On the fourth anniversary of Uenoshita's demolition, we revisit how its last residents left it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
May 11, 2017

Okinawa grapples with mounting garbage, water supply dilemma amid record tourist numbers

As Okinawa continues to mark record high numbers of tourists in recent years, the prefecture is struggling to dispose of snowballing garbage and supplying sufficient amounts of water.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 50TH ADB ANNUAL MEETING
May 4, 2017

Easily accessible from Tokyo, Hakone is home to many popular tourist attractions

Hakone flourished as a stopover on the road connecting Tokyo and Kyoto many years ago. It is said that many people have healed away the weariness of travel in this town where people today still enjoy the hot springs.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 30, 2017

Sao Paulo, the Japanese cultural hub of Latin America

Marcello Dantas, a renowned Brazilian curator celebrated not only for producing exhibitions, but also involved in filmmaking and opera production, talks about Japan House Sao Paulo and his plans as its director of programming and chief curator.
Japan Times
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Apr 27, 2017

Stylish umbrella brand

Moonbat Co., which sells umbrellas, scarves and other fashion items, recently launched an online shop to showcase their high-quality goods.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 29, 2017

'Nekoatsume House': The cat's meow of Japanese comedy

Japanese audiences never seem to tire of movies about dogs and cats. The millions of devoted pet owners here are certainly one reason, though the Brits, also known for their animal worship, do not express it as often in films.
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
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 13, 2017

Economy seen hurting as thousands of Japan's 'zombie' firms legally dodge bankruptcy

The owner of a car repair business in northwest Tokyo has been digging into his retirement fund to keep his shop going. He's in his mid-60s, he's not making money and he knows he'll eventually have to close down.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AFTEREFFECTS OF MARCH 2011
Mar 7, 2017

Tsunami-hit Rikuzentakata rebuilding on raised ground, hoping to thrive anew

This is the first of a four-part series looking at the lasting impact of the March 11, 2011, disasters.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 4, 2017

Japan's magazines get misty-eyed over Showa Era brothels

Commencing with the death of Emperor Taisho on Christmas Day, 1926, the Showa Era ran for 62 years and two weeks, ending with the death of Emperor Hirohito (posthumously referred to as Emperor Showa) at the age of 87 on Jan. 7, 1989.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 22, 2017

Kanji Furutachi: Reacting to Japan's film industry

Over the years I've heard many complaints about the bad acting in Japanese films, from the hammy emoting of over-indulged veterans to the amateurish turns of "idols" cast more for their agency connections than any perceptible talent. I've added to this chorus of negativity, but I've also noticed that...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Feb 10, 2017

Sake sommelier unlocks the fun of 'nihonshu' for visitors from abroad

Every week, sake sommelier Satoko Utsugi leads groups of overseas visitors past the Fukagawa Fudosan Temple and along a shopping street in Tokyo's downtown neighborhood of Monzen-Nakacho.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 4, 2017

Bathing in the French culture of Tokyo's Kagurazaka district

"To err is human. To loaf is Parisian," said the French writer Victor Hugo. Although seasoned in erring and loafing, I cannot attest that he nailed Paris. But loafing is tres a la mode in Kagurazaka, a shopping and dining area in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward that is famed for its touch of French culture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 28, 2017

Good fortune in the Tokyo suburbs

The Tokyu Setagaya Line, a sweet little tramline, makes stops between Sangenjaya and Shimotakaido stations. A mere 5.1 kilometers long and one of only two trams left in Tokyo (the other being the Toden Arakawa Line), the Setagaya Line boasts a sleek fleet in candy colors. I hop onto a cherry red one...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jan 14, 2017

Don't let winter stop you from going out

It's the coldest part of the year in Japan. Combine frigid weather with cramped apartments, rambunctious kids and a dose of cabin fever and you have a parent's recipe for frustration. However, in Tokyo there are countless options for indoor family fun, and with the season in mind, I've created a list...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2017

Japan's hair salons reaching out to expats, tourists and international students

It takes a little courage to go to hair salons when living overseas. Without knowing where to go and what stylist has which specialty, you can wind up gambling with your style.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Dec 29, 2016

Japan's students face uncertain future under cloud of debt

Kengo Kyogoku borrows about ¥122,000 ($1,035) per month in addition to a scholarship and a part-time job, because his mother can't afford to pay his college fees at the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Dec 22, 2016

Private rooms for intimate gatherings

The Hotel Century Southern Tower in Shibuya Ward welcomes the new year with a party plan. The offer makes it possible for guests to welcome the new year in a private room on the 21st floor, while taking in a magnificent view of Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 17, 2016

Professional Santa Jeremy Rigby: 'Think about what makes a gift special'

Visiting Saint Nick on working off Christmas snacks and washing his beard with toothpaste.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Dec 7, 2016

A taste of Russia in Tokyo

With Russian President Vladimir Putin set to visit Japan next week, expectations are growing as to whether progress will be made on a territorial row that has been a thorn in bilateral ties.
JAPAN
Nov 29, 2016

Three-star restaurants extend streak in new edition of Tokyo Michelin guide

The selection of restaurants and hotels to be listed in Michelin Guide Tokyo 2017 was announced online Tuesday, including four restaurants that have received a three-star rating for 10 years running.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Nov 26, 2016

Graves and gods of Otsuka

It's a bright fall morning when I return to Gokokuji Temple, an Important Cultural Property in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. Exiting Gokokuji Station, it only takes me a few minutes to find the two monks who promised to help me when I visited here earlier: 33-year-old Shinsei Miura and 23-year-old Kenkai Yamada....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NEIGHBORHOOD HOP SPORTS
Nov 25, 2016

A journey to the center of Tokyo's crowded craft beer scene

It may be located in the center of Tokyo but people always seem to be passing through Kanda on their way to someplace else: north to Akihabara, east to Asakusa, south to Tokyo Station or west to the Imperial Palace. This liminal neighborhood can feel like a no man's land of offices, banal apartments...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Oct 31, 2016

Led by Shabani, gorillas challenge koalas for popularity title at Nagoya zoo

Expectations are running high that Shabani, a male gorilla famed for his "good looks," may win the prize for most popular animal at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Oct 29, 2016

Living on prayer and paper in Otsuka

Hoping to catch the earliest blush of autumnal colors, I seek out the Important Cultural Property of Gokokuji, a prominent temple located in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. A satellite map shows it embraced by a forest of trees. I suspect a cemetery might lurk below the leaf canopy, but in late October who would...

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes