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EDITORIALS
Sep 15, 1999

Cautious optimism on the economy

Japan's economy in the second quarter of this year, April through June, expanded slightly at an annualized rate of 0.9 percent. This is a far cry from the 8.1 percent surge in the first quarter. But two consecutive quarters of positive growth make it reasonably clear that the protracted economic slump...
JAPAN
Sep 9, 1999

GDP grew 0.2% in April-June quarter

The economy grew 0.2 percent for the April-June quarter -- an annualized rate of 0.9 percent -- marking the second straight quarter of growth, according to gross domestic product figures released Thursday by the Economic Planning Agency.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 28, 1999

Nihonga exhibit blossoming

To be able to admire paintings by the nation's top 120 nihonga artists in the confines of a single room sounds quite remarkable. Yet when the new assembly building of Zojoji Temple in Tokyo opens its doors in the spring of 2001, the coffered ceiling of its hall will be adorned with that number of Japanese-style...
CULTURE / Art / CERAMIC SCENE
Aug 28, 1999

Fall's ceramic finds fire up auction

The summer drought of pottery exhibitions is slowly ending and the wonderful autumn season, so full of good exhibitions, is about to start. Come September, exhibitions too numerous to list will fill gallery spaces throughout Japan and pottery enthusiasts will have their hands full -- with a few good...
JAPAN
Aug 25, 1999

2000 budget requests to top 82 trillion yen

Government ministries and agencies are expected to ask for more than 82.5 trillion yen in budget requests for fiscal 2000 beginning next April, it was learned Wednesday.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 17, 1999

Kobayashi stirs up the still-life genre with brushes, oil and inspiration

In these times of multiplying media choices, it is not uncommon to find those artists whose interests run to realism tripping the shutters of cameras, while their more introspective contemporariesput brush to canvas, with often grand or abstract results. The painter, after all, works from an inner source...
CULTURE / Music / HOGAKU TODAY
Apr 17, 1999

New version of the old koto makes music for the future

While Japanese traditional instruments boast long histories (up to 1,200 years in some cases, since their importation from the Asian continent) most reached their present forms hundreds of years ago and have not changed since.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 1998

Tax cuts in sight, public now worried by huge budget

With a record 81.86 trillion yen budget for fiscal 1999, the government is determined to put an end to the prolonged economic slump. But both the general public and those in the business community still worry about the nation's fiscal health.
JAPAN
May 4, 1998

Czech glass artist brings Bohemia to Notojima

NOTOJIMA, Ishikawa Pref. -- A glass studio recently invited a craftsman from a country with a long tradition of glasswork to spend a year on this small island teaching the art of creating Czech-style glassware.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 1998

International youth gallery exhibition crosses barriers

Ceramic sumo wrestlers, stained glass landscapes, Japanese pottery in fluorescent colors and aliens drawn in the traditional monochrome "sumi-e" style: these are some of the works by international students currently on display at a Tokyo gallery.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 1998

Contractors face collapse as banks gird for Big Bang

Last in a series
JAPAN
Feb 19, 1997

DPJ issues budget-cutting plan

The Democratic Party of Japan submitted a set of proposals Feb. 19 to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its two smaller allies to cut by 3.4 trillion yen a planned 77.4 trillion yen budget package for fiscal 1997. Its proposals are an effort to prevent the already debt-stricken national coffers...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 31, 2023

Exhibition celebrates contributions to art

Also known as Haruhisa Handa, Toshu Fukami, who is an artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, held an opening ceremony for Toshu Fukami Exhibition 2023, a solo showing of his paintings at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, on March 18.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 11, 2023

Artizon Museum's Dumb Type installations will leave you cold

Recent works by Dumb Type have been recreated in and adapted for the Tokyo museum as “2022: remap.” But even for this high-concept collective, some of the works are especially hard to grasp.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jan 25, 2023

Japan on a plate: Our food critic reveals his favorite spots

Food writer Robbie Swinnerton has been covering Tokyo’s culinary scene for decades, so for this week’s episode we asked him to pick out a few standout meals from last year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 15, 2023

Tennoz Isle: Tokyo’s new contemporary art hub

The goal of making Tennoz Isle a vital art hub is closely tied to opening up the Japanese art market. With plans for artist residencies and business expansion, the bayside area's future is bright.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 25, 2022

Putin wants fealty, and he’s found it in Africa

With his invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin of Russia unleashed a new disorder on the world. And in the Central African Republic, Moscow already has its way.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 21, 2022

Culture in 2022: Good books, outdoor art and 'Tokyo Vice'

Culture editor Alyssa I. Smith talks to culture critic Thu-Huong Ha about the books they read, the festivals they went to and how Japanese stories are currently capturing Hollywood's attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Dec 12, 2022

Hiroshima stepping up preparations to host G7 summit

Works include repairs to roads and new road lighting, which comes following the securing in September of a u00a51.68 billion supplementary budget.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 2, 2022

Amgen has a contender in the weight-loss drug wars

Amgen's obesity drug offers a new twist on proven methods to help people lose unwanted pounds.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 27, 2022

Toyama puts itself on Japan’s map of sustainable tourism

From traditional architecture and local folk crafts to impressive temples and a luxury hotel, Toyama's rural Tonami Plain is rich with culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 8, 2022

Notes from Setouchi: At Naoshima, three giants of Japanese art wrestle for attention

In spaces that opened earlier this year on Naoshima, the severe architecture of Tadao Ando brings a new edge to the art of Yayoi Kusama and Hiroshi Sugimoto.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 6, 2022

Climate activists block private jets at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport

In Madrid, meanwhile, climate activists glued themselves to the frames of two world-famous paintings.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 5, 2022

'Negotiating our future': Youth set to grab power roles at COP27

Young people have long been at the forefront of green protests and activism outside the corridors of power. Now many are striding into those corridors.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Nov 4, 2022

Marvel at master swordsmith’s latest creations

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 5, the Main Building Art Gallery of the Nihombashi Takashimaya Shopping Center will host the “Kirameku” (“Sparkle”) sword exhibition of the newest creations by Kozaemon-Yukihira Miyairi, a master swordsmith and chairman of the All Japan Swordsmith Association.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 17, 2022

Work forever: Japan’s seniors brace for life without retirement

Many older Japanese can no longer afford to stop working as demographic woes pressure the nation's labor market and social security system.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 13, 2022

Jean-Luc Godard, daring director who shaped the French New Wave, dies at 91

Eventually becoming of the world's most revered directors, Godard helped kickstart a new way of filmmaking, complete with handheld camera work, jump cuts and existential dialogue.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 31, 2022

Gazprom's halt of pipeline gas flow triggers new jitters for Europe

Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, has accused Moscow of using energy as a 'weapon.'
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 23, 2022

German power prices smash record as energy panic engulfs Europe

Europe finds itself in a precarious situation with the official start of the winter heating season just over a month away.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan