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Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 3, 2017

Government mulls 'Kids Week' holiday to prompt overworked Japan to take paid leave

The government is considering plans to create a holiday called "Kids Week," in an ongoing effort to change the country's workaholic culture and allow more time for families.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
May 13, 2017

Designer Yuri Suzuki chases his dreams through sound

As a boy in the 1980s, Yuri Suzuki fell under the spell of video games and his father's record collection. The family home was in bustling Shibuya Ward, near the border with Shinjuku, and the influence of global cultures within its walls was strong.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 12, 2017

Deep dive into the 1980s with the music of Satellite Young

Synthesizers, drum machines and Vocoder-filtered vocals in the style of pop star Chisato Moritaka — this was 1980s Japan, and it's the sound of Satellite Young.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2017

Canberra's national identity problem

Australia is grappling with immigration policy, and could stand to take a few pointers from Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 1, 2017

What, if anything, makes Japan unique?

In February, American comedian Atsugiri Jason remarked on a Fuji TV talk show that one of the "demerits" of being a foreign TV personality in Japan is that he can't publicly say he thinks those aspects of Japanese culture which Japanese people believe are "uniquely amazing" are not, in fact, uniquely...
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Mar 10, 2017

Fukada's filmmaking a breath of fresh air

Koji Fukada's black comedy "Hospitalite" ("Kantai") won best film in the Tokyo International Film Festival's Japanese Eyes section in 2010 and since then he has become accustomed to stepping up on stages to receive prizes for his work.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 8, 2017

Literary partnership behind 'Tokyo Nights' cut tragically short, but the story goes on

English teachers Jim Hickey and Douglas Forrester were offered a two-book deal in early 2016. But within weeks, Forrester was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Feb 26, 2017

Kyoto working to get its interpreter/guides up to global speed

With over 3 million visitors from abroad visiting the ancient capital of Kyoto in fiscal 2015, getting around with an official interpreter would have meant relying on government-qualified guides.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Feb 19, 2017

For African-American ‘idol’ Amina du Jean, difference is a double-edged sword

Amina du Jean been in Japan for only 2u00bd years, but in that time has become a bona fide idol, joined a J-idol group and even branched off into a bit of gravure (bikini) modeling.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 10, 2016

Last splash: How long will the immodest Japanese tradition of mixed bathing continue?

The main reason that mixed baths have endured for so long is that communities have still supported them. When an onsen stops being a gathering place for locals, there's less to stop it slipping into disrepute.
JAPAN / WORLD FORUM ON SPORT AND CULTURE
Oct 19, 2016

An opportunity to gain new perspective

With the World Forum on Sports and Culture, Japan will soon take an important step on its exciting journey toward the year of 2020 when the Summer Olympics and Paralympics will take place in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / WORLD FORUM ON SPORT AND CULTURE
Oct 19, 2016

Bringing people together through song

It is a pleasure and honor to be named an ambassador of the World Forum on Sport and Culture.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Oct 14, 2016

Ex-Wolverines Gardner, Gallon give Michigan football fans enjoyment in Japan

It's become a trend in recent years for X League clubs to acquire American players, including many who played for prominent U.S. college programs.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 1, 2016

Global ghosts in the shell of Japanese manga

Earlier this year, a major Hollywood studio announced that it was planning to produce a live-action remake of the Japanese manga and anime "Ghost in the Shell." The backlash from cultural critics in the United States and Europe was swift. They deemed that casting Scarlett Johansson in the role of cyborg...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 27, 2016

Italian chef Massimo Bottura: 'Never forget where you came from'

Owner of the world's best restaurant on the influence of culture in cuisine
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / G7 Ise-Shima Summit Special
May 25, 2016

'Ama' divers preserve fishing tradition in Mie Prefecture

Ama, or female divers, make their living diving to the bottom of the sea in search of seaweed and shellfish such as abalone and clams. They now exist only in limited areas; Mie, Iwate and Ishikawa and other prefectures. The cities of Shima and Toba in Mie Prefecture have the largest number of ama in...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN TIMES BLOGROLL
May 24, 2016

OkanoTV

In a light-hearted yet informative way, YouTuber Chris Okano (known online as OkanoTV) gives viewers insight into many aspects of Japanese society and culture — from the usual guide videos to humorous takes on the more more left-field aspects of this country.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
May 14, 2016

Viz's 30 years pack a punch in the U.S.

This summer, Viz Media, LLC, North America's first-ever distributor of Japanese popular culture, turns 30. Founded in 1986 by the intrepid Seiji Horibuchi, who has since moved on to other projects, the company is now housed in the so-called Twitter building in downtown San Francisco and boasts the largest...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2016

Japan looks to reform rigid tour guide exams as part of wider tourism push

As Japan begins to adapt to the unprecedented influx of foreign visitors, the tightly regulated tour guide industry prepares for major reform.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2016

Why China's censors silenced a Net sensation

China's leaders, so determined to export their culture to the world, are instead cultivating a neutered entertainment industry with their censorship.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Apr 24, 2016

'Cool Japan' needs to listen to its target market

As far as awards ceremonies go, the Sugoi Japan Awards were a fairly flashy affair. Held on March 22, the prizes recognized recent titles in anime, manga and fiction that an online poll of Japanese fans wanted to do well overseas.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Apr 6, 2016

Tokyo violin maker's apprentice fulfills lifetime dream at 81

Japan Times Community article rekindled Tokyo academic's thwarted 70-year ambition to craft a thing of beauty.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Apr 3, 2016

Retailer bets on generational links to save Japanese craft industry

Entrepreneur Rika Yajima, 27, worries about the decline in the Japanese traditional craft industry.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 26, 2016

Designer Jotaro Saito seeks to free the kimono from the confines of tradition

Jotaro Saito has been showcasing his kimono brand at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo since 2006, almost a decade before the eyebrow-raising appearance of X Japan frontman Yoshiki Hayashi's Yoshikimono brand at the event last October.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 26, 2016

Tokyo eats the Amazon with Brazil's Alex Atala

It's a long way from the Amazon rain forest to downtown Tokyo, and even further when it comes to food — as diners discovered at two events organized by the Brazilian Embassy earlier this month.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear