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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2019

Short Shorts 2019: Short on time, but never short on creativity

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, whose 21st edition takes place from May 29 to June 16 at venues around Tokyo, is one of the largest festivals of its type in Asia. And, starting this year, four winners of its competitions will be eligible for an Academy Award in the short film category, up from just...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 21, 2019

'Game of Thrones' scores record TV audience, leaves fans sad and mad

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the final episode of "Game of Thrones."
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
May 19, 2019

Race to Motegi for outdoor fun and games

Racecars, zip lines and the great outdoors — a visit to Twin Ring Motegi tracks in Tochigi Prefecture will keep the kids racing around in excitement.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 18, 2019

Shifting landscapes: The state of traditional Japanese gardens

My neighbor's garden is a wonder to behold. Where you might expect to find trim box hedges, bamboo fences, subtle rock arrangements, junipers, conifers and pine, there are garden gnomes, an ornamental concrete wheelbarrow, pots of begonia, hanging baskets of pansies and an iron rose trellis. At the end...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
May 17, 2019

With its recent revamp, Japan's B. League could make the Reiwa Era its own

After decades of stagnation and instability, Japan men's basketball is finally headed in the right direction.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
May 16, 2019

'Terrace House' returns to Tokyo

Netflix is ramping up its production of original Japanese content, including anime and live-action dramas, to please both domestic and overseas subscribers. But arguably its most important export is "Terrace House," the reality show that films three men and three women living together under one roof...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2019

Despite being only 10 years old, actor Kokoro Terada is taking on tough topics

A heart-warming tale about an elderly woman's struggles with dementia as seen from the perspective of her young grandson, "Grandma is Okay" ("Baba wa, Daijobu") is the latest movie by Yokohama-born filmmaker Jacky Woo.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
May 13, 2019

Episode 14: What's the deal with Terrace House?

Ahead of the new season of Terrace House — 'Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020' — Tom Hanaway and Patrick St. Michel join Oscar Boyd to discuss why the show has proved such a hit both here in Japan and internationally and what we might be able to expect from the upcoming season.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 12, 2019

Memoirs from a Japanese internet cafe

While some people pine for traditions from Japan's ancient past, it might actually be the more modern things that we'll truly miss.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 7, 2019

Younger Okinawans' view of U.S. bases isn't black and white

Widespread opposition to the base-relocation project off on the Henoko coast doesn't translate into a desire to eject the U.S. military presence in Okinawa as a whole.
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
May 5, 2019

New 'Ultraman' anime is a family affair

Now a proud father of an slightly insecure superhero son, Ultraman has evolved not only stylistically but also emotionally for the new Netflix anime.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 5, 2019

The future is bright for gamers

The fictional and real future of gaming: Jupiter & Mars' postapocalytic underwater world, Microsoft's digital-only Xbox One and Guilty Gear's ongoing popularity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 4, 2019

Social media fails to follow traditional news outlets' stricter approach to portrait rights in Japan

A man in Chiba Prefecture became irritated last month at how long it was taking for a barrier at a rail crossing to open. Losing patience, he fetched a hand saw from his van and removed the barrier arm so that he could drive through.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
May 2, 2019

Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day with solemn ceremony as Netanyahu hit surge in anti-Semitism

Israel on Wednesday began commemorating its Holocaust Remembrance Day in honor of the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis, as leaders voiced concerns about a rising wave of anti-Semitism around the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2019

With spirits high, the LGBT community and supporters marks Tokyo's 25th pride march

According to the organizers, 10,000 people were expected to take part in this year's march, with more than 180,000 participating in a related festival.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 27, 2019

Trains, planes and automobiles to celebrate Golden Week

If you're looking for some mundane distractions to get you through the holiday period, Shukan Taishu (May 6-13) has got just the thing. Its "Reiwa Commemorative Edition" introduces unusual rides. Okinawa, for example, sports an "Ostrich Land," where you can hop a ride on the back of one of its giant...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 27, 2019

Yukio Mishima’s attempt at personal branding comes to light in the rediscovered 'Star'

In 'Star,' Yukio Mishima confronts issues of celebrity, youth and aging in hypercharged and manically subjective first-person prose.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2019

METI hatches plan to build Japanese-style 'Broadway' in Tokyo

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has started discussing with private companies the idea of developing a theater district in Tokyo like Broadway in New York to attract more tourists to the capital.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Beyond Tokyo
Apr 26, 2019

MICE work if you can get it: Kansai cities vie for a bigger slice of Japan's 'meetings industry' pie

About 20 minutes by car from Wakayamashi Station, across a bridge to a reclaimed island, lies Wakayama Marina City and the Porto Europa theme park. Its faux Spanish, Italian, and French buildings and European-style street designs give visitors the impression of being on a slightly dilapidated film set....
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 25, 2019

A whole new ballgame: Yokohama DeNA BayStars get an upgrade

Looking down at the sea of dark blue seats that frame one of Nippon Professional Baseball's smallest playing fields, one thing becomes clear: For the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, the ballpark, and the myriad experiences it offers those who take in a game, is their top commodity.
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Apr 25, 2019

Festival features food, fun

The Festival de Camino a Latinoamerica, an event celebrating the 120th anniversary of the start of Japanese immigration to Bolivia, will be held in Tokyo's Odaiba district on May 3, 4 and 5.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 25, 2019

Okinawa rolls out the red carpet for its annual film festival

The Okinawa International Movie Festival has never been just about movies — or even Okinawa. Held from April 18 to 22, the 11th edition was a showcase for the talents of sponsor Yoshimoto Kogyo — an Osaka-based agency that supplies Japanese TV with many of its comedians and emcees.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 21, 2019

Ichikawa Kagura: Saving the dances of the gods

As performers of Shinto theatrical dance age, the Sanriku International Arts festival hopes to encourage youth to help preserve tradition.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 20, 2019

Downsized dwellings: Inside Tokyo's tiny living spaces

Twenty-five-year-old Sotaro Ito lives in a 9.46-square-meter apartment with a loft in the capital's retro-hip Koenji district.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 20, 2019

Understanding the true ties between health and success

There's a right way and a wrong way to do everything — and you're probably doing it wrong.

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