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Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Aug 30, 2019

In Hokkaido, Japan's youngest governor seen as 'safe driver,' but critics want him to go off script

When 38-year-old Naomichi Suzuki was elected governor of Hokkaido in April, he simultaneously achieved another feat: becoming the youngest serving prefectural leader in the nation.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Aug 28, 2019

Thailand may become first in Southeast Asia to allow same-sex unions

In Thailand, the ruling coalition and opposition lawmakers don't agree on much. Yet within both camps there's growing support for legalizing same-sex unions.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2019

Under the big top of Japan’s Kinoshita Circus

Michael Howes claims his job is "no more dangerous than driving a car."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / TICAD 7 Special
Aug 27, 2019

A messenger in name and actions

"I want people to feel happy through music," said singer Misia, who endeavors to bridge Africa and Japan through the power of music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 24, 2019

Iwami-kagura: The changing face of a Shimane theatrical tradition

Kneeling on the floor of his atelier in the Nagahama district of Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, master craftsman Katsuro Ka-kita applies the finishing touches to one of his colorful, striking and sometimes terrifying creations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 24, 2019

Japan's insatiable appetite for watching strangers binge eat

Consuming a 5-kilogram hamburger and a plate of wedges in a single sitting is more than most people can stomach, but it’s all in a day’s work for one of Japan’s ōgui consumers.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 23, 2019

In one-man race, Macao to elect Beijing-backed former legislator Ho Iat Seng as chief executive

The Chinese territory of Macao is set to elect as leader the only candidate for which it is allowed to vote: a Beijing-backed former legislator who is expected to cement China's control over the special administrative region and distance it from escalating protests in neighboring Hong Kong.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Aug 22, 2019

Exquisite cuisine celebrates timeless art

The renowned Imperial Hotel, Tokyo brings new meaning to the term, "the art of fine dining," at French restaurant La Brasserie until Sept. 4 through a tie-up with the "Timeless Mucha: Mucha to Manga — The Magic of Line" exhibition on show at The Bunkamura Museum of Art.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 22, 2019

'Dance With Me': A homegrown Japanese musical has landed

Genres never really die, but they often mutate into something different on foreign soil. John Ford's cowboys became Akira Kurosawa's samurai, and Kurosawa's samurai became Sergio Leone's serape-clad, cigarillo-chewing "The Man With No Name." And the list goes on.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 21, 2019

It's time for Summer Sonic to think beyond the music

Summer Sonic 2019 featured the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sakanaction and Babymetal. With the music under its belt, what's next for the festival?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2019

Nightlife spots off Japan's beaten tourist track seek to lure in foreign visitors

At around 10 p.m. on a Thursday in early August, foot traffic at a dining and drinking district only one stop from Tokyo's Ikebukuro Station was unexpectedly sparse despite warm summer weather — ideal conditions for a cold beverage, or two.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Aug 20, 2019

Nana Araki looks for leap in crucial season

Now is the time for accomplished junior Nana Araki to shine.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Aug 18, 2019

Activities to keep the kids animated

Have a young budding animation director on your hands? 'The Science Behind Pixar' exhibition takes kids (and so-inclined adults) through the process from modeling and rigging to simulation and rendering.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 16, 2019

Gujo-Hachiman: Travel along the rivers of time

Perhaps it is the gurgling brooks that feed the town's roadside culverts, the colorful, vaguely Pyrenean window boxes, or the friendly, natural disposition of the locals — Gujo-Hachiman seems a place where people's spirits are pitched a notch or two higher than elsewhere.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 16, 2019

China warns it can quell Hong Kong protesters as Trump urges Xi to meet them

Hong Kong braced for more mass protests over the weekend, even as China warned it could use its power to quell demonstrations and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet personally with the protesters to defuse weeks of tensions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2019

Trade spat sees K-pop caught in the middle

The Japanese debut performance of Korean pop group Stray Kids planned for next month should be an unquestionably good thing. The fledgling male outfit has been gaining steam since emerging in 2017, with its nine members having already played shows in Southeast Asia, Australia, the United States and Europe....
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 7, 2019

Kids tournaments provide much more than just recruiting grounds

You can become a professional sumo wrestler at 15 years old.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 7, 2019

China boycotts Taiwan's movie awards

China's film regulator on Wednesday said it was suspending mainland Chinese movies and their personnel from participating in Taiwan's annual Golden Horse Awards this year, without giving a reason.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Aug 3, 2019

Jessica 'JJ' Rabone: Dancing on air in the U.S.

A passion for dance led JJ to get into a Californian groove
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 3, 2019

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery puts a twist on Kanazawa culture

Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery has focused on high-quality sake and capitalized on Kanazawa's rich history and culture to stay relevant in a competitive market.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Aug 3, 2019

Japan Times 1919: Women go on strike for first time in Japan

Over 100 female workers employed at a silk reeling factory in Maebashi struck, demanding a 50 percent increase in wages.
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Aug 3, 2019

Re-examining 2001's fatal Kabukicho blaze in the wake of the Kyoto Animation attack

Police have described the torching of Kyoto Animation, which killed 35 people, as the worst case of arson in postwar Japan. Given the shocking details of the attack that have emerged since July 18, it's certainly not hard to believe.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jul 27, 2019

Yumi Nagashima: Keeping the funny side up

Vancouver comedian subverts the demure Japanese woman stereotype.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 23, 2019

The art of play: Japan's history of fun

'Styles of Play: The History of Merrymaking in Art' at the Suntory Museum of Art delves into various amusements,with over 100 exhibits, ranging from the Muromachi Period (1392-1573) to the Edo Period (1603-1868).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 23, 2019

'The Summer of Mononoke (Specters): Ghosts and Yokai in Edo Culture'

July 30-Sept. 8
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 20, 2019

New era aside, Showa nostalgia continues to keep rolling along

The new Reiwa Era is now into its third month and histories are starting to appear about the Heisei Era that preceded it. In late June, the publishing arm of the Mainichi Shimbun released a 384-page softcover book titled "Heisei-shi Zenkiroku" ("Chronicle 1989-2019"). The same week, the Nikkei Shimbun...
EDITORIALS
Jul 20, 2019

Close passive smoke loopholes

New measures are a first big step to stamping out passive smoking, but much more can and should be done.

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