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Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Feb 18, 2017

Japan's 'Undercover Boss' reinforces stereotypes at work

The government proposal to limit overtime for salaried workers is supposed to reduce the incidence of karōshi (death from overwork), which often takes the form of suicide, and yet the authorities seems squeamish about making demands on employers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 14, 2017

Two years after hacking crisis, Sony CEO Lynton exits for Snap Inc.

Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton will step down to become chairman of the board of Snap Inc., a move that puts an experienced Hollywood executive in a prominent role as the technology company prepares for an initial public offering.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Apr 18, 2015

At last, Japan gets it

The Japanese entertainment industry is finally growing up, says Shin Unozawa, and he should know. Unozawa joined Bandai Entertainment back in 1981, and serves as chair of the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), co-hosts of the Tokyo Game Show.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 1, 2015

Looking back on, preserving traditional New Year's activities

"Shogatsu," the term for the New Year's holidays in Japanese, is a time when people take the first three days of the New Year off to spend time relaxing with their families and engaging in traditional activities to remind themselves of their heritage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Dec 23, 2014

Who was music being made for in 2014?

When looking back on the year in music, the big question music fans should be asking themselves is, "Who was music being made for in 2014?" Looking at the broader picture, we can find the answers writ large across the Japanese music scene.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2014

Sony Pictures struggles to restore computers after cyberattack

Eight days after a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Hollywood studio was still struggling to restore some systems Tuesday evening as investigators combed for evidence to identify the culprit.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 17, 2014

Deutsche execs knew of unchecked wining, dining: FSA

A pattern of spending on hostess bars and overseas junkets for local pension fund officials went unchecked by senior managers at Deutsche Bank's Japanese securities arm, who failed to prevent or turned a blind eye to expenses that could be prosecuted as bribery, previously undisclosed details of a regulatory...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 15, 2013

Sony holds its breath hoping for hitch-free PlayStation 4 debut

Sony Corp. chose the late Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" as the background music in commercials for the new PlayStation 4 scheduled to go on sale in the United States on Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2013

Sony-Microsoft console war faces tablet reality at E3

Gun-toting fighters take a back seat to Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. this week as the console makers battle to show they've got the best plan for selling pricey machines in the age of cheap play on phones and tablets.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 29, 2013

Revamped Kabukiza theater aims to charm a new audience

The Kabukiza is back — with big ambitions and aspirations to make the nation's classical theatrical entertainment more attractive to a 21st-century audience.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2011

Disasters an opportunity for casino advocates

The March 11 disasters may achieve what Las Vegas magnate Sheldon Adelson has been trying to do for years: persuade the government to allow casinos.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Mar 6, 2011

Tadao Sato: 'Japan's single finest film critic'

Tadao Sato laughed an embarrassed laugh as he recalled that three years ago, in London, he had been referred to as a "legend." Though adding to his discomfort, I had to admit that in my university days I had thought of him in the same way. And I still do.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2010

Theme restaurants work some magic

A ninja takes you through a dark narrow path, serves you food and drink and performs magic in a restaurant in Tokyo's Akasaka district where the likes of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and famed film director Steven Spielberg have dined.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Aug 15, 2006

The trafficking scourge

Urairat Soimee's journey began with an invitation from a wealthy neighbor -- her mother's childhood friend -- in her small Thai village to come and work at a restaurant she claimed she owned in Japan. It ended with her in a Japanese prison, serving a sentence for murder.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2006

Warner Japan taking greater interest in local movie scene

Warner Entertainment Japan Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. media giant Time Warner Inc., plans to acquire more Japanese films and increase local production of movies in response to the growing popularity of domestic films, said William Ireton, who was named president of the company in May.
COMMENTARY
Jun 11, 2005

Slots, cops, and deception

LAS VEGAS -- The Japanese have been kicking around the idea of building American-style casinos in Japan for four years now. The Parliament Committee on Casinos with 100 Diet members has been gathering information on casinos, and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara has been a major proponent of the idea. In...
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2001

K-pop, ya don't stop

BoA Last month, 500 members of the media gathered for the debut of singer BoA at the Roppongi club Velfarre.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2000

Scholar hits execs' Bangkok flings

When Yoko Kusaka moved to Bangkok with her family in 1996, she decided to pursue postgraduate studies in sociology, focusing on the corporate entertainment practices of Japanese companies in the city.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 4, 2023

Endeavor and WWE join forces to create live-combat tag team

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and WWE boss Vince McMahon are betting that traditional TV companies and video-streaming giants will continue to pay top dollar for the rights to show live events.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Mar 4, 2023

We hardly played ye: A bittersweet eulogy to E3

Once the Super Bowl of the gaming world, it’s time to remember E3 for what it once was instead of what it now unfortunately has come to be.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 14, 2023

Actors go on strike in new blow to struggling Hollywood studios

The Screen Actors Guild, which represents some 160,000 performers, announced the walkout after failing to reach a new labor agreement.
A building under construction in Osaka. Singapore investors are snapping up Japanese real estate, particularly in Osaka where a large casino resort is set to open.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023

Singapore property investors bet on Osaka casino

International property agent FM Investment said it has seen a fivefold increase in inquiries since Japan opened its borders in October.
A participant operates the "Flappy Bird," a self-made flying machine, during an event in Hong Kong in May 2014. Vietnam first caught the attention of global gamers in 2013 after Hanoi developer Dong Nguyen created, Flappy Bird, a simple but addictive game app.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2023

A decade after Flappy Bird, Vietnam becomes gaming powerhouse

Moving beyond outsourced software and sneaker factories, Hanoi views mobile games as a crucial part of its emerging tech sector.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 23, 2023

Kishida faces leadership test over Johnny's sexual abuse scandal

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who prides himself on his “ability to listen,” faces a test of his leadership amid the Johnny's sexual abuse scandal.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 23, 2023

Nihon University scandal puts focus on 'collective responsibility'

Critics of the approach of punishing an entire team for wrongdoing by some say it can unfairly affect athletes that weren't involved.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan