Tag - 2017

 
 

2017

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 31, 2017
20 Questions: The best answers of 2017
What brought you to Japan? I came here for the magic. Osaka is home to some of the best close-up magicians in the world.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 29, 2017
The best and worst of Asia in 2017
Asia had its share of ups and downs in 2017.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Dec 28, 2017
The top sports stories of 2017
The Japan Times newsroom selected these domestic sports stories as the most important of 2017.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2017
The top business news stories of 2017
The Japan Times newsroom selected these economy and technology stories as the most important of 2017.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 26, 2017
Former DP chief Renho files paperwork to join Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan
Renho, the former president of the Democratic Party, formally applied on Tuesday to join the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, with approval from the main opposition party expected soon.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 26, 2017
The top overseas news stories of 2017
The Japan Times newsroom selected these international news stories as the most important of 2017.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2017
The top domestic news stories of 2017
The Japan Times newsroom selected the following domestic news stories as the most important of 2017.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 20, 2017
Surefire formulas failed Japanese cinema in 2017
In a quarter-century of reporting on the Japanese film industry, I've yet to find one optimist about its future.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 20, 2017
A courtroom drama, an alien takeover and the lives of sex workers all feature in the best Japanese films of 2017
This year was bad for Japanese films box office-wise, but not quality-wise. Here are my best 10:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 19, 2017
Japan's theater world increasingly shed its insularities in 2017
Never mind those North Korean missiles that provide politicians with heaven-sent pretexts to posture. These days, everyone's talking about a boozy party held by Mongolian sumo wrestlers that turned violent reportedly because of a generational dispute over the arcane traditions of Japan's highly regimented national sport.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 19, 2017
A year filled with standing ovations
While 2017 featured many great stage productions and performances, these were among the standouts:
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 14, 2017
Anime didn't see any massive hits in 2017, but there was a lot to watch
It takes only two words to sum up why 2016 was always going to be a hard act to follow: "Your Name."
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 14, 2017
A long night in Kyoto and androgynous beings made of gems make up some of the best anime of 2017
The world of anime in 2017 didn't give us any obvious breakout hits like last year's "Your Name.," but the past 12 months still had its share of winners:
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Music acts found new ways to get noticed in 2017, but nothing beats an established brand
The path to J-pop stardom used to be pretty simple: Align yourself with the right talent agency and label — they'll do all the work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Japanese rap and anime themes are among the best tracks of 2017
J-pop in 2017 felt more fragmented than ever, but the year's biggest songs tell the story of the past 12 months quite well. From YouTube rappers to television hearthrobs, here are four tunes that sum it all up.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2017
Asia in the wings of Japan's art scene
"Tis the season to be jolly ... circumspect. As regards art, despite suggestions from some art professionals that biennials and other recurring art festivals are an exhausted format, 2017 offered up an embarrassment of riches, some more embarrassing than others as it turned out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2017
It has been a year of new museums, galleries and inventive renovations
From polka-dot emporiums and oceanfront observatories to a new-generation castle museum, a raft of eclectic new cultural spaces have been showcased over the past year across Japan. Here are a few highlights that have either opened or been renovated across the country in recent months.
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2017
Bohemia along the Sumida: In search of cultural capital
On paper, the Japanese government supports the arts, which are considered important vehicles for promoting Japanese culture globally, enhancing the country's image as a tourist destination and stimulating declining regional economies. But, where does the content for Japan's increasing number of art festivals actually come from? There are no national mechanisms for supporting individual artists, with funding programs primarily aimed at institutions and community initiatives.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 12, 2017
DP chief offers up options for drastic change in party organization as onetime opposition force falters
Democratic Party President Kohei Otsuka offered up multiple options to drastically rejigger his party's organization — including the possible launch of a new party or a name change — during a meeting Tuesday, a party source said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2017
Putting democracy's troubles in context
History shows us that democracy has survived crises far greater than the present moment.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on