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Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 23, 2023

The cherry blossoms are here and business is blooming

Kathleen Benoza explains what's at stake during the hanami season, while Thu-Huong Ha and Alyssa I. Smith discuss the science, symbolism and culture of sakura in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 11, 2023

Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer

One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 17, 2023

Could the Akutagawa Prize get its first American winner?

Gregory Khezrnejat, whose short story “Kaikonchi” is up for the literary award, sees writing in Japanese as a minor rebellion against English's assumed dominance in global culture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 16, 2023

Tomakomai aims to give tourism a boost through sharing creative works

Local communities are being encouraged to enjoy making use of creative works, and to share that joy with tourists.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 10, 2023

Noma, rated the world’s best restaurant, is closing its doors

Is the end of Rene Redzepi's acclaimed restaurant the canary in fine dining's coal mine?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 21, 2022

The hard-won benefits of Indonesia's soft diplomacy

The rest of the world would benefit by learning a lesson or two from Indonesian President Joko Widodo's success at the recent G20 summit in Bali.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 11, 2022

Yuki Tejima: 'Women have always had a place in the literary world, but now there’s a new generation with really strong voices'

Yuki Tejima runs the Instagram account Book Nerd Tokyo. She uses the platform to discuss books and cafes she loves — a simple formula that has proven very popular.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Dec 5, 2022

Armed with anime avatars, Japan bids to conquer the metaverse

The nation's penchant for online anonymity and well-established love of virtual idols could boost adoption, but early attempts offer cautionary tales.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

China’s video game ambitions threaten to one-up Japan

Along with the EU, the world's second-largest economy, China, wants to use gaming to promote soft power. Japan should take that as a warning.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 24, 2022

Japanese firms re-imagine offices to make them hubs of communication

Whether staffers are mostly working remotely or in person, firms have a similar concept in mind — that the office should be a place to strengthen networks within the organization.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 24, 2022

Is Japan the model for Elon Musk's Twitter?

Elizabeth Beattie explains how the social media platform's Japan team has been affected since Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 2, 2022

Hey Japan, are you happy?

Deep Dive explores whether the Japanese are content or not with the help of Alex K.T. Marin, who has written several features on the polls and surveys of happiness.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 29, 2022

Matsuo Basho's lost travelogue finds its way to Kyoto

A new joint exhibition at two museums complement the poet's travel manuscript, which went missing for half a century, with paintings by Yosa Buson and Ito Jakuchu.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 19, 2022

Japan reopens its borders. Are tourists ready to return?

Masks? Vaccinations? Yen? You're ready to come to Japan! News chief Kanako Takahara and reporter Will Fee join the podcast this week to discuss whether the country's grand reopening will help its beleaguered tourism sector.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 18, 2022

Japan has reopened. Instagrammers of the world, rejoice!

After years of watching Japan via their screens, eager tourists are ready to come over and document their own experiences. But are their vacation photos likely to all look the same?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 11, 2022

Can flashy music festivals go green?

Deep Tropics organizers said that all the carbon consumed for the two-day event (including the fuel used by all the festivalgoers) will be offset by the planting of some 23,000 trees.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
Oct 10, 2022

Why strict but inconsistent gun laws did not keep Thailand safe

The murder of two dozen small children — committed during nap time in colorful classrooms — has horrified the nation.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 25, 2022

Ray Masaki: ‘Being earnest and not overdoing things — that’s what resonates’

Ray Masaki moved from America to Japan to gain a better understanding of his heritage. Today, he continues to navigate his cultural identity both in his design work and his own life.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Sep 21, 2022

Arrest of Kadokawa chief rocks sprawling media empire

Initially a publisher of books and textbooks, over the years the company has expanded into movies, video games and apps.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Sep 9, 2022

Xinjiang abuses needed to be called out and condemned

While the latest U.N. report did not use the word “genocide,” it is hard to consider China's systematic attempts to eradicate the Uyghur culture in Xinjiang anything but.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 5, 2022

What to say to a coworker who's having a mental health issue

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and with the pandemic taking a toll on mental health globally, it's important to know how to support a coworker who might be struggling.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 22, 2022

Cargo.one finds a simpler way to get started in Japan

The head of cargo.one's expansion efforts stresses that you'll need to do your homework before coming to Japan.
Japan Times
Special Supplements
Aug 8, 2022

Women from ASEAN who are following their dreams in Japan

The ASEAN-Japan Centre in Tokyo, established by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and Japan, produced a series of documentary videos that take a closer look at women from ASEAN countries who are active in Japan. There are about 500,000 women from ASEAN in Japan, and these videos...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jul 30, 2022

Four-year forests: The Japanese way to 'rewild the world'

Created in the 1970s, the Miyawaki method can help new saplings grow an average of a meter every year — a godsend for deforested areas.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jul 25, 2022

Back in business? The key sector missing out on Japan's tourism reboot

Organizers of international conferences and exhibitions will need to wait a little longer before business travelers return to Japan in droves.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 24, 2022

Japan's fatty fish: Yet another climate change harbinger?

Savor the next time you order a fatty piece of fish at the sushi counter. Fisherman on the frontlines say you may not be able to for long.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 18, 2022

Tapping into the wisdom of Japan's small communities

While working in broadcasting, Adam Fulford was able to see a lot of Japan. Now he sees the bigger picture, learning from his travels as a way to seek a sustainable path moving forward.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 27, 2022

Facing redevelopment, Koenji rises up

Koenji residents claim the government's proposed Auxiliary Road 227 would spell the beginning of the end for their bohemian neighborhood.

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