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COMMUNITY
Aug 20, 2000

You only live once

LONDON -- Virgin Group boss Sir Richard Branson is one of the world's most well-known and visible entrepreneurs. Recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, the word "tycoon" would normally apply to a businessman with his financial and political clout.
CULTURE / Music / MUSIC NOMAD
Aug 8, 2000

Keepers of the flame take Gypsy sounds to the world

Under Soviet communism, the ethnic and folk music of Eastern Europe was often hijacked as a form of propaganda. Words were changed to express patriotic sentiments and slogans of peace. In Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu, the country's dictator for 25 years, would bus out thousands of peasants to sing such...
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2000

Disneyland site set to swell into kingdom

Another dream world of Disney is emerging just outside Tokyo, enticing both young and old into what appears to be a medieval European town.
LIFE / Travel
Jun 14, 2000

The return of an old classic: fresh fish and soccer for all

Shimizu, a port city in Shizuoka Prefecture, is back in fashion again. In the Edo Period, Shimizu was a popular post town on the Tokaido Highway. Travelers liked its fresh fish and tasty Oiwake yokan bean paste. But the inauguration of train service between Tokyo and Kyoto spelled doom for Shimizu, as...
LIFE / Travel
May 11, 2000

Firing up Fukuoka's hippest corner

FUKUOKA -- A long feature on Fukuoka in a recent issue of Toyo Keizai magazine examined three different areas that represent development in the city. Two of these, the reclaimed land of Momochi, and the city's historic Kawabata area, have seen much growth in the last 10 years, boosted by giant government-funded...
CULTURE / Music
Jan 7, 2000

Japan's cultural underground exposed in edgy new guide

The slow days of winter are upon us, making an evening on the couch with a good book or tune more enticing than the sweaty confines of a live house or club. As folks slowly stream back into town from the New Year's holidays, there isn't a lot happening in the first few weeks of January anyway, so kick...
JAPAN
Oct 29, 1999

Rites kick off megaproject in Namba

OSAKA -- About 140 people gathered Friday at the former site of Osaka Stadium in the Namba district here for a Shinto rite to mark the launch of a 105 billion yen area redevelopment project.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
Oct 20, 1999

Ghosts and goblins and kids, oh my!

Just after the ghosts and goblins of Halloween disappear, we will enter yet another spooky holiday: Nov. 3 -- Culture Day.
JAPAN
Sep 14, 1999

Regional Focus: Hokkaido

Otaru pins revival hopes on mega-mall complex> Staff writer
LIFE / Travel
Sep 1, 1999

Eyes wide shut in North Korea

It's late afternoon in Beijing. Beside a gloomy, concrete platform an antiquated train lumbers into place. In the dim light, people scurry about looking for the right car. This is, in fact, important. The first four carriages are bound for Dandong, a small Chinese border town, but the last two will continue...
CULTURE / Film
Aug 28, 1999

Rooting for a new life on the open road

After a bad day, I pamper myself by mapping out, hour by hour, scene by scene, a fantasy date with Jean Reno.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 1999

Universal theme park faces developer pullout

With the recent pullout of a group of investors from plans to develop the area around Universal Studios Japan, there are growing concerns among potential investors that Osaka's hopes for a USJ-led economic revival face a serious setback.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 1998

Newspapers not doomed by Internet, Murdoch assures

Staff writer
JAPAN
Jun 11, 1997

Author holds book-signing despite bomb threats

A South Korean author who lived in Japan held a book-signing June 11 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, after it had previously been canceled due to a bomb threat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 18, 2023

Meet the YouTubers and streamers revamping Japan’s online culinary scene

A new crop of post-pandemic channels and streams are being helmed by innovative creators hoping to offer a fresh take on the country’s culinary content.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2023

‘Firing the Lighter Gun’: A gripping addition to the post-Fukushima canon

Kohei Sanada’s sophomore feature doesn’t always hit the mark, but it’s a grimly compelling portrait of the aftermath of a nuclear accident.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art / Longform
Jun 4, 2023

'Stakeout Diary': A killer on the run, two postwar gumshoes — noir at its finest

When a photographer was given rare permission to follow two detectives through Tokyo on a murder case, who’d have known he’d gather a legion of fans decades later.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Jun 3, 2023

Japan Times 1923: This may be a true story, but again, it mayn’t

Some mysterious behavior from a jar of ashes 100 years ago makes the front page of The Japan Times. Then, 25 years ago, a conference believes newsprint will win out over the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 1, 2023

‘The Dry Spell’: Realistic drama tackles child poverty

Masaya Takahashi’s film centers on the struggle of Japanese children living below the poverty line.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2023

With ‘Monster,’ Hirokazu Kore-eda makes a welcome return to form

The Palme d’Or-winning director’s homecoming to Japanese-language cinema is powerful and poignant as it unspools an intimate story about bullying, misunderstandings and family dynamics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 28, 2023

'Love at Six Thousand Degrees': Slow burn affair unfurls identity and trauma

Maki Kashimada's novel, which centers on two strangers whose sexual connection is complemented by their intimate conversations, is a fitting introduction to her work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 25, 2023

Japan-China filmmaking duo captures the voices of the ignored

Ryuji Otsuka and Huang Ji bring their decade-spanning trilogy about the plights of women in modern China to a close with their award-winning film, 'Stonewalling.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 19, 2023

Takeshi Kitano returns to Cannes with an 'indifferent' outlook

The director's first feature-length film in six years will premiere at the festival, but Kitano says he does things his own way, regardless of success.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2023

Hirokazu Kore-eda angles for second Cannes win with 'Monster'

The director's latest drama received a six-minute standing ovation at its world premiere. The film is Kore-eda's second in competition since 'Shoplifers' won the top prize in 2015.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 18, 2023

‘Nagisa’: A beautiful fever dream of guilt and grief

Takeshi Kogahara’s drama is a ravishing and disquieting tale of hauntings and forbidden lust that rewards close attention.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 9, 2023

‘Tokyo Express’: Postwar detective noir basks in the details

Jesse Kirkwood's English translation of Seicho Matsumoto’s dense yet well paced novel is concise and timeless, giving contemporary readers a relatable window into the past.

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