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Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 22, 2023

A Japanese island where the wild things are

From badgering nuisances to downright evil forces, yōkai fill some of the most colorful corners of Japanese folklore. These artists are dreaming up even more.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2023

An island under threat asks when to share and when to fight

Guam’s original inhabitants, the Chamorro, again are being tested amid another round of encroachment by the U.S. military as it tries to thwart China's expansionist ambitions.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 3, 2023

Help wanted: The (sleeper) agent of change

Some Japanese businesses may see layoffs overseas as a chance to hire 'agents of change.' If you're one of those agents, don't expect to revolutionize things too soon.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 26, 2023

Your Ramadan experience may take on new forms when living in Japan

As of 2022 there were just over 83,000 Indonesians residing in Japan according to government figures. Many have found new ways to practice their religion.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 26, 2023

Jim Rion casts a keen eye on the spirit of Yamaguchi

Author, translator and certified sake professional Jim Rion puts people at the heart of sake production in his nonfiction debut, 'Discovering Yamaguchi Sake.'
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Mar 13, 2023

Traditional ama fishing in Mie in danger as diver numbers plunge

The method is practiced primarily by women and is characterized by skin-diving and a hand-catching method that prevents overfishing.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Mar 11, 2023

March’s biggest fashion drops are mired in nostalgia

When fashion isn't just cyclical but unimaginative, it's a sign of a deeper issue.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 9, 2023

Beijing softens rhetoric on Taiwan, signaling patience ahead of island’s election

Facing internal and external challenges and the upcoming Taiwanese presidential election, Beijing has toned down its language on Taiwan in a key government report.
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
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 2, 2023

Infinity and beyond: Yayoi Kusama’s next evolution

Culture critic Thu-Huong Ha joins the podcast to explain Yayoi Kusama’s latest stage of evolution.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2023

New generation revives Okinawa's once-banned Indigenous body art

The traditionally hand-poked markings were once common on women of the Ryukyu, who lived throughout the southern islands of what is now Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 26, 2023

Kanazawa sets an example for badly needed biodiversity policy in Japan

Japan’s cities may be typically clad in concrete, but there is one reliable source of verdant life: shrines and temples.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 8, 2023

I can't believe it's not meat! Is lab-grown beef on Japanese menus?

This week, Oscar Boyd gives us a review of his cultured chicken meal and runs down the environmental implications of such an endeavor, while Tomoko Otake gets us caught up on where Japan stands in the great race to replicate beef.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 7, 2023

In Asia, remote work sees strong pushback — but new habits die hard

Efforts to get workers back to the office are stronger in the region than elsewhere, but employees are reluctant to give up new flexibility.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Longform
Feb 6, 2023

Japan’s staff cafeterias becoming more than just places to eat amid office return

Companies are re-imagining the canteen as a space where employees can work, eat healthier food and deepen in-house communication.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Feb 5, 2023

Recipe: Amazake oatmeal

You don't need to be a heavy drinker to enjoy this low alcohol-infused breakfast.
Japan Times
People / 20 QUESTIONS
Jun 23, 2023

Alexis Sato: ‘We want to make music a reason for people to travel to Japan’

Some chance meetings led Alexis Sato to some of the best summers of his life. Now he wants to provide that summer vibe to everyone.
New Zealand's Hannah Wilkinson celebrates after her teams victory over Norway at the Women's World Cup in Auckland on Thursday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Australia and New Zealand get Women's World Cup off to rousing start with wins in front of record crowds

Australia and New Zealand earned slim victories at home to kick off the Women's World Cup.
Unlike other social media platforms, including Threads, Twitter has a way of pushing you out of your comfort zone.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Can Threads dethrone Twitter in Japan?

Netizens in Japan jumped onto the Threads bandwagon soon after its launch, but the honeymoon phase is beginning to end, experts say, with many Japanese users remaining on Twitter.
Members of the Kokugakuin University ōendan cheer group perform during a competition between university cheerleading squads in Tokyo on June 3.
SPORTS
Jul 23, 2023

Japan's macho cheerleaders fight to save a tradition

Dressed in old-fashioned, school-style uniforms, cheering squads are a mass of black at college baseball games as they shout out chants and bang taiko drums.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2023

Bigmotor chief to resign in wake of repair fraud scandal

Employees were found to have intentionally damaged the vehicles of some customers in order to charge excessive repair fees and make fraudulent insurance claims.
A man sits on his own at a taco stand on Kokusai Street in Naha.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Jul 2, 2023

Peacemaking of a different sort in Okinawa

Through therapy and community outreach, counseling service TELL draws on the personal experiences of its clinicians and support workers to help various communities in Okinawa.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 26, 2023

A tale of two Fujis: Bullet climbs, crowds and Lizzo

With the borders fully open, Mount Fuji is all booked up and Fuji Rock is back in full force. Drew Damron and Patrick St. Michel join us on the podcast to discuss Japan’s two favorite Fujis.
A woman shops for cosmetics at a department store in Seoul in July 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Personal color analysis is fueling a global Gen Z tourism boom

The procedure aims to assign individuals flattering colors that can inform their choices around clothing, makeup and accessories.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media during a visit to Cofton Park, near Rednal, England, on July 24.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 30, 2023

Sunak gambles with lurch to right as U.K. moderates flee to Labour

The prime minister plans to lean into controversial cultural issues and create dividing lines with Labour and the surging party’s leader, Keir Starmer.
Former sumo wrestler Daisuke Yanagihara discusses his lawsuit against the Japan Sumo Association during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Monday.
SUMO
Aug 1, 2023

Former wrestler sues sumo association for alleged mistreatment

The former fourth-division rikishi said he was told to fight or quit as coronavirus cases rose in Tokyo ahead of the 2021 New Year Basho.
Chihiro Okada (right), a representative of Animal Rights Center, during a news conference at the Okinawa Prefectural Government building on July 10
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Aug 7, 2023

Confrontations deepen over duck-catching event in Okinawa

Animal rights groups say the event constitutes animal abuse.
A woman takes a picture of the poster for the new Hayao Miyazaki film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 2, 2023

Hayao Miyazaki’s confusing new masterpiece

Our critics Thu-Huong Ha and Matt Schley discuss what they thought of the new Hayao Miyazaki film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
Alpine's Pierre Gasly and his teammate, Esteban Ocon, during the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 3, 2023

Alpine facing more upheaval a year on from Oscar Piastri saga

On track, the team has slumped from fourth last season to a distant sixth and suffered more retirements than any team.
Masae Yamanaka joins colleagues from Panasonic Connect to take part in the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade in April.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Aug 3, 2023

How one woman's career in sales flourished across four companies

As she rose through sales in various companies, Masae Yamanaka stuck to her mother’s teachings: keep working, commit to actions.

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