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JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 25, 2020

A decentralization opportunity goes begging amid COVID-19 outbreak

In Japan, the main obstacle to achieving the kind of widespread self-isolation necessary for limiting the spread of the coronavirus is thought to be the country's work culture. The government, which has always favored policies that benefit the private sector, is averse to countermeasures that would place...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 25, 2020

Where we want to go in Japan once this is all over

COVID-19 has put a pause on travel, but that doesn't mean we can't plan. The Japan Times' Escape page regulars write about where they want to go in Japan once we see the back of COVID-19.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / A Weekend In
Apr 18, 2020

A weekend inside: Toy art, 'Tiger King' and a candle-lit bubble bath

Ideas to keep you entertained over a weekend indoors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 8, 2020

China and the Japanese sage

When Chinese entrepreneurs found themselves in an existential crisis, the philosophy of Kazuo Inamori provided much-needed answers.
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Japan Cultural Expo
Mar 13, 2020

Explore 10,000 years of Cultural practices

Attracted to Japanese paintings like those of artist Katsushika Hokusai? Curious about ancient techniques for wooden architecture or the works of famous modern architects such as Kenzo Tange and Kengo Kuma?
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 2, 2020

Anime's evolution in lands down under

For the past quarter century, fans of Japanese pop culture in Australia and New Zealand have been served almost exclusively by a single distributor: Madman.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Feb 29, 2020

Izakaya Aobadai: Classic soba, new-wave sake and cherry-tree views

It's an excellent sign when the first sight that greets you at a restaurant is a gleaming refrigerator filled with some of the best sake in Japan. When the next thing you see is a room set aside for rolling out and cutting soba noodles, it's even better. To find both of these as you enter LDH Kitchen...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Feb 23, 2020

Olympic prep underway for fully booked Conrad

Can an event define a city? By all accounts, the Glasgow Garden Festival, held in 1988, was a raging success with over 4 million visitors attending the riverside event. For Conrad Tokyo General Manager Neil McInnes who hails from Glasgow, the festival was a source of wonderment and excitement.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Feb 21, 2020

Six-time world champion Shu Takada has got the world on a (yo-yo) string

Six-time world champion yo-yo performer Shu Takada wants to take the yo-yo mainstream and show his tricks to the world
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Feb 18, 2020

Sumo meet to be held as part of 2020 Games cultural program

A Kyodo article slams us with some sumo-related vocabulary and information on how the traditional Japanese sport will figure into Olympic festivities.
Japan Times
GLOBAL MEDIA POST / U.S. Pacific Northwest report 2020
Feb 7, 2020

Global Business Passport: Navigating the global marketplace

To thrive in today’s complex global marketplace, businesses need to quickly adapt to the market, which requires learning the nuances of differences in culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Feb 6, 2020

Yogendra 'Yogi' Puranik: The first Indian voice in Tokyo politics

After seeing miscommunication and bullying firsthand, Yogendra 'Yogi' Puranik decided to stand up and do something about it. Now, as a politician, he hopes to be a bridge between two communities.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Feb 3, 2020

GeeXPlus brings anime YouTubers to Japan

One Japanese major publisher and producer is seeking to capitalize on YouTube influencers with a highly unusual approach: inviting non-Japanese anime YouTubers to live and produce content within Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 25, 2020

Hiroko Tanahashi: A journey from film studies to multimedia art

Inspired by manga featuring New York, Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Godfather' and the diversity of Western cities, Hiroko Tanahashi moved to the U.S. and Germany to pursue multimedia arts.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 4, 2020

Motoki Hirai: Spreading the power of music

As an 'artistic emissary for the Japanese government, pianist and composer Motoki Hirai travels the world to promote Japanese culture and heal hearts with music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Dec 29, 2019

Looking back at the most influential Japanese songs of the 2010s

Given how Japanese music takes time to receive widespread recognition, what gems would the kids of the 2040s unearth from the decade that just passed?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 21, 2019

'The Pine Islands': No ordinary death is enough for two misfit souls

Marion Poschmann's 'The Pine Islands' follows two haunted travelers on their journey across Japan, guided by the poems of Matsuo Basho.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 14, 2019

A cut above the rest: A new generation of barbers is trying to overcome an image problem

A group of men sporting tattoos and smoking cigarettes chats casually on benches outside Mr. Brothers Cut Club in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku neighborhood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Dec 14, 2019

Mizuhiki: Paper with a spiritual twist

Mizuhiki are an indispensable part of the country's new year celebrations, embodying people's hopes and prayers for the 12 months ahead.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2019

Tourism's effect on historic cities and sites in focus as global conference kicks off in Kyoto

Rising concerns worldwide about what an increase in tourism is doing to historic cities, cultural sites and the environment loomed over the start Thursday of a two-day gathering in Kyoto on tourism and culture organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization and UNESCO.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Dec 12, 2019

Working with the Japanese at a senior level when you're a non-Japanese woman

While stories about mandatory heels and a ban on glasses are making the rounds in the media, the reality of working at a Japanese firm when you're a woman is not as bad as you may think.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 1, 2019

Japan is a soft power superpower

Japan has never looked more attractive to the world as it entered the new imperial Reiwa era on the precipice of the Tokyo Olympics next year.
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Nov 30, 2019

'Kojiki: The Birth of Japan': Picture this, a nation's creation myth

Artist Kazumi Wilds retells Japan's creation myth, the 'Kojiki,' through vivid and accessible illustrations.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Nov 27, 2019

No money, no hope: South Korea's 'dirt spoons' turn against President Moon Jae-in

Hwang Hyeon-dong lives in a 6.6-square-meter (71-square-foot) cubicle near his university campus in Seoul, which comes with a shared bathroom and kitchen plus all the rice he can eat, that he rents for 350,000 won ($302) a month.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2019

Reborn Shibuya Parco hopes to regain iconic status amid tough times for brick-and-mortar stores

After a three-year renewal project, Shibuya Parco, an iconic shopping complex in the bustling central Tokyo district, is back in the game.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Nov 22, 2019

Study reveals music's universal patterns

From love songs to dance tunes to lullabies, music made in disparate cultures worldwide displays certain universal patterns, according to a study by researchers who suggest a commonality in the way human minds create music.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Nov 20, 2019

Building a home in Fukuoka one salsa step at a time

Latin Bar Salsa offers Fukuoka's international community a place to enjoy music and food, and proprietors Natsumi Vanessa Hernandez and Yusei Maeda are planning a new project for December.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Nov 18, 2019

It's time for Japanese universities to emerge as global brands

Overseas students are looking for a school with personality and some operational tweaks should help.

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