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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.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2020

U.S. jobless claims soar to once-unthinkable record 6.65 million

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits soared to a record 6.65 million last week, a level unimaginable just a month ago.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 3, 2020

Global coronavirus cases surpass 1 million

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 1 million on Thursday with more than 52,000 deaths as the pandemic further exploded in the United States and the death toll climbed in Spain and Italy, according to a Reuters tally of official data.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 2, 2020

With suicide note and lawsuit, Moritomo scandal back to haunt Abe

With the publication of a suicide note by a former Finance Ministry official and subsequent lawsuit by his widow, the Moritomo Gakuen scandal has returned to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But with Abe saying the issue has been settled and Japan finding itself in the midst of the coronavirus crisis,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Apr 1, 2020

Ep. 37 'Another Terrace!!'

Most weeks, watching “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” is a fun indulgence that lets viewers bask in the low-stakes drama of six 20-somethings (and an occasional 30-something) pursuing crushes, following their dreams, going on dates and cooking meals. But Episode 37 was different because when it comes...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 1, 2020

Meet the expat comedians who keep Tokyo smiling

Probably the biggest paradox of stand-up comedy is that while there are no schools of humor — no Bachelor of Laughs degree, not even a “funny” skill on Linkedin to endorse your friend for — stand-up comedians are out there in good numbers. Even in Tokyo, where speaking English can be a struggle,...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 1, 2020

How a gulf prince charmed Indonesia's Jokowi and poured money into the country

During a visit last summer where he strolled through the tropical gardens next to Indonesia’s summer Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince offered to build a grand mosque for his host, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. If that seemed like a generous gesture, the two men struck a bigger bargain within...
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Mar 30, 2020

Ken Shimura’s entertainment legacy spans generations

Entertainer Ken Shimura didn’t belong to any single generation. Following news that the 70-year-old comedian had died on Sunday from pneumonia caused by COVID-19, TV broadcasters on Monday featured both Shimura’s contemporaries and much younger personalities visibly upset over his passing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2020

Fed brings the global financial system back from the abyss

Sitting calmly in front of a bookshelf filled with thick volumes of the "Federal Reserve Bulletin," Jerome Powell this week set out to offer a simple explanation for the complicated steps the U.S. central bank is taking to relieve dire stresses in the global financial system.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020

Face masks can foster a false sense of security

What’s happening in Japan is written all over our faces — our blank, expressionless, masked faces. Never before, it seems safe to say, have so many people gone about masked.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 28, 2020

Dealing with anxiety during a global pandemic

As coronavirus news floods our social feeds, it's important to take care of our mental well-being as well as our physical conditions.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 27, 2020

Abe denies wife attended cherry blossom party in defiance of coronavirus calls to abstain

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that his wife, Akie, did not attend a cherry blossom viewing party in Tokyo despite calls to refrain from outdoor gathering to help contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2020

COVID-19: A strategic shock shakes the world

For Japan, COVID-19 has taken a 2020 that was meant to be a stable and historic year with the Olympics and has thrown it into disarray.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 14, 2020

Social media helps Japan's embattled parents connect over schools' closure

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recommendation that all elementary, junior high and high schools in Japan close through the end of their April spring break in order to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus caught nearly everyone in the country off guard when the news broke in late February.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Mar 13, 2020

Ep. 36 'Angel'

It looks like romance is in the air for the “Terrace House” housemates, and just in time for the new year! A few of them, including Yume and Shion, already have some dinner plans, but Toshiyuki Niino isn’t wasting any time and squeezes in one last date with Yume before 2019 ends.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 12, 2020

Japanese investors bought record $41 billion of overseas bonds in week

Japanese investors went on a record shopping spree in global debt markets last week as the yen strengthened and their hunt for yield intensified.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 7, 2020

Paradise lost: Japan longs for simpler times in trying days

The Japanese weren't always workaholics. Once upon a time, work had its place and knew its place. It didn't swallow life whole. Other pursuits were given their due. People worked without being consumed by work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Mar 6, 2020

Ep. 35 'The Monster in the Hallway'

I have to hand it to Toshiyuki, aka "Shacho," he knows how to steal the spotlight.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 2, 2020

Burden of viral outbreak threatens Abe's government and his legacy

On the road to becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe has overcome countless political perils. He may have met his match with COVID-19.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 29, 2020

Kansai businesses suffer as COVID-19 alarm hurts tourism

The Japanese expression "kankodori ga naku" (literally, "the cuckoo sings") is frequently used to describe a business slump.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Feb 29, 2020

Maison: The house that Sota Atsumi built

"Why did I leave Japan? I guess it's because I had nothing to do back home," says Paris-based chef Sota Atsumi as he takes a coffee break from prepping scallops for his dinner guests. "I didn't study much, so enrolling in a university was not an option. I wanted to be a professional snowboarder but I...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 29, 2020

New coronavirus case of unknown origin emerges in California as U.S. looks to curtail infections

The United States will invoke a federal defense law to boost production of masks, gloves, gowns and other items to protect against the new coronavirus, the Trump administration said, as a new case of unknown origin was confirmed in California on Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Feb 28, 2020

Ep. 34 'Case of The Bottled Beer Incident'

Our newsfeeds lit up this week about something rather sickening. Was it COVID-19? No. We’re talking about the titular “Bottled Beer Incident.” But before we dive into that, we have to welcome some new faces.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 28, 2020

Over 500 arrested over Delhi sectarian violence

Indian police have arrested 514 people for deadly Hindu-Muslim violence that broke out in the capital, the government said, as it faced mounting international criticism for failing to protect minority Muslims.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 28, 2020

U.S. firms set for zero profit growth this year as virus spreads, says Goldman Sachs

U.S. companies will see profits stagnate in 2020 thanks to the spread of the coronavirus in China and beyond, Goldman Sachs said on Thursday, slashing its expectations for average corporate earnings this year.

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