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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 13, 2020

BTS honored Korean War sacrifices. Some in China saw an insult.

The group's leader acknowledged the shared suffering of Americans and Koreans during a recent ceremony commemorating the war.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 10, 2020

Virtual YouTubers get caught in the middle of a diplomatic spat

It’s relatively easy for those involved in the entertainment industry in Asia to get caught up in geopolitical scuffles, with social media accelerating and magnifying any faux pas. Put on an ill-advised shirt or get the wrong tattoo and suddenly you’ve raised diplomatic tensions tenfold.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Oct 9, 2020

The pressure to be perfect turns deadly for celebrities in Japan

Yuko Takeuchi is the latest in a succession of suicides that has shown the burdens of a society where many feel that they must conceal their personal struggles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 8, 2020

Can K-pop superstars be exempt from military service?

Calls are mounting within South Korea for members of megaband BTS to be granted alternatives or delays to mandatory military service, with some lawmakers and fans arguing they are doing plenty for their country without wearing a soldier's uniform.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2020

Nintendo bulls betting Switch can provide gaming’s iPhone moment

Some Nintendo bulls believe the company can transform into one that's able to roll out incremental new platforms while retaining its user base.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2020

Japan struggles to fill bullet trains running with empty seats

East Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. are forecasting their deepest losses since the country's rail network was privatized in 1987.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 26, 2020

The changing social narrative on Japan's entrenched gender roles

Little can be done as long as a country's cultural norms are built into a social structure that delineates gender roles.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 26, 2020

Telltale signs that a business in Japan may be teetering on the edge of financial ruin

One reliable way to discern if the corporate ship is listing severely is to scrutinize the behavior of its president.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2020

Can Japan balance controlling COVID-19 with rebooting the economy?

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike once likened pursuing both as “stepping on the gas and brakes at the same time,” and experts say mixed messages may confuse the public.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 24, 2020

‘Midnight Swan’: A gloomy drama, with moments of realism and grace

Eiji Uchida's film about a transgender woman who takes in her troubled niece is dark but shines a light on the struggles faced by the LGBTQ community.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 22, 2020

Microsoft’s Bethesda acquisition paves way for Netflix of gaming

The software giant aims to use the draw of popular Bethesda titles such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout to attract subscribers to its Xbox Game Pass service.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Sep 21, 2020

When Hitoshi met Bob: A Tokyo love story

Bob Tobin couldn't speak a lick of Japanese. Hitoshi Ohashi couldn't speak any English. Still, they made things work.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 20, 2020

In South Korea, COVID-19 comes with another risk: online bullies

Governments around the world have grappled with misinformation and outright lies about the coronavirus. In South Korea, that struggle has become uniquely personal.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2020

As COVID-19 persists, Japan looks to send in the robots

A new wave of service machines has emerged amid the coronavirus pandemic to help maintain safety and social distancing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 18, 2020

Virus wrecks once-in-a-lifetime job chance for Japan’s new grads

With companies cutting back on hiring plans for 2021, soon-to-be college graduates worry they're missing their chance.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 18, 2020

Actress and producer Urara Matsubayashi takes control of narrative on societal struggles

“Kamata Prelude” is an omnibus by four directors that is based on the life experiences of Urara Matsubayashi, the film's star and producer.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Sep 15, 2020

Let's discuss (and remember) Toshimaen

A Japan Times piece looks at the fond farewells Tokyoites are saying as the amusement park Toshimaen shuts its doors.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Sep 13, 2020

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hails 'proper spectacle' after close call against Leeds

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he had loved the season-opening entertainment provided by his champion side in their 4-3 win over Leeds United on Saturday but said there was better to come.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 11, 2020

Fund managers expect Japan top blue-chip M3 to extend 6,400% surge

Shares in M3 Inc., a spinoff from Sony Corp., are poised to climb further in the long run thanks to rising demand for online health care services, investors say.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 11, 2020

‘Mulan’ 1998: A moment of joy and anxiety for Asian American viewers

By the time 'Mulan” came out, Asian American activists were still reeling from the failure of 'All-American Girl” (1994-95), the first sitcom to feature a Korean American family.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 9, 2020

Why calls to boycott 'Mulan' over concerns about China are growing

Disney’s live-action remake of "Mulan” has drawn a fresh wave of criticism for being filmed partly in Xinjiang, the region in China where Uighur Muslims have been detained in mass internment camps.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 7, 2020

There's a better TikTok deal out there and SoftBank is eyeing it

SoftBank is putting together a coalition to bid for the company's business in India, Bloomberg News reported late Thursday.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 5, 2020

Toshimaen fans bid final farewells to a 94-year-old Tokyo institution

'We loved Toshimaen because it was uniquely Japanese,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “Now it's going to be just another imported theme park.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2020

BLM Tokyo keeps Black art center stage with Harmonic Wavelength

Black Lives Matter Tokyo aims to celebrate Black culture and encourage conversations about race in Japan with an online music event.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2020

‘Aggretsuko’ brings her rage to the world of idol pop

The third season of Netflix's “Aggretsuko” shifts its focus from everyday drudgery to the music industry and offers a nuanced take on idol fandoms.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2020

Ant’s huge IPO sets up Jack Ma to escalate war with Tencent

Ant Group’s late-summer IPO filing drove home why the business — backed by 711 million active users that spent $17 trillion through its platform — is headed for potentially the world’s largest stock debut. Yet investors may do well to focus on the long-term threat to its core businesses from...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 3, 2020

Toyooka Theater Festival brings French flair to Japan’s theater scene

Dramatist Oriza Hirata's dream of holding Japan's version of the Avignon Festival is becoming a reality with a two-week arts fete starting on Sept. 9.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 2, 2020

Let's address the elephant in the sumo ring

Weight loss is common after leaving the raised ring, but a lack of support from stables leaves wrestlers vulnerable against obesity and other serious health issues.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami