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April 26, 2024
 

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ASAKUSA

Kazumi, lead dancer and producer of Asakusa Kaguwa, brought the “neo-Japanesque” show back from the verge of disappearing after the coronavirus pandemic.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 14, 2024
'Neo-Japanesque' dance show finds new life in Asakusa after pandemic
Kaguwa, which reimagines the courtesans, geishas and samurai of Japan's red-light districts, was once a major draw for overseas visitors.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2023
Iconic dragon painting at Sensoji Temple peels off ceiling
The painting had been scheduled for restoration this fall to address decades of deterioration.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Photo essay
May 28, 2023
Does the pure joy seen at this year's Sanja Matsuri hint at a summer of celebration?
After scaled-down celebrations became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Tokyo's biggest festivals returns in full form.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 13, 2022
Chef Kiyoki Umeda dreams of 'Pretty Good’ doughnuts
Don't let the humble name fool you — these doughnuts are serious business.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2022
Businesses pin hopes on foreign tourists as Japan eases border measures
Economists have said the recent weakening of the yen could encourage visitors to spend more.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2021
Olympic spectator woes prove bad news for Tokyo's souvenir sellers
As well as traditional craft items, shops in the capital have struggled to sell official licensed Olympics merchandise.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jan 14, 2021
Coronavirus rains on Tokyo's samba parade
Having canceled 2020's Asakusa Samba Carnival due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers have now scrapped the 2021 iteration, more than six months before it was due to be held.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2020
Pioneering stand-up comedian Keiko Utsumi dies at 97
Keiko Utsumi, a pioneering comedian who rose to fame as one half of a female stand-up duo, died of multiple organ failure last weekend, her office said Friday. She was 97.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 22, 2020
Kura Sushi opens flagship in Tokyo's Asakusa with tech to handle 104 languages
Conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi Inc. opened a flagship restaurant Wednesday in Asakusa, a popular tourist spot in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 20, 2019
The spirit of Satchmo survives in Tokyo
Yoshio Toyama and his wife, Keiko, have spent most of their lives as unofficial musical ambassadors between Japan and the American city of New Orleans.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2019
Store featuring 'Astro Boy' creator Osamu Tezuka's manga characters opens in Tokyo
A store themed around the work of "Astro Boy" manga artist Osamu Tezuka opened earlier this month in Tokyo's Asakusa district, putting an array of available products on display, from traditional Japanese crafts to artificial intelligence robots.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Apr 5, 2019
Up high on a rickshaw, new views of old Asakusa
Although the streets of Asakusa are familiar stomping grounds for tourists and locals alike, a ride on a jinrikisha (rickshaw) can bring a refreshing new perspective to the historic area, and even reveal a secret spot or two.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Mar 31, 2018
Otafuku: Temporary home preserves 100-year tradition
April in Japan isn't cruel so much as capricious. It brings unexpected chills and sudden rain as readily as it does blossom and sunshine. There's still plenty of need for warming, restorative fare — and nothing fits that description better than oden.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2017
Huge rent hike set to end sweet deal for Sensoji Temple shopkeepers
One of Japan's oldest and most visited shopping streets in the heart of Tokyo's touristy Asakusa district is bracing for a massive rent hike.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2017
Small Japanese credit union outperforms mega-banks by lending to geisha and local startups
Kikuno Kashima, a Tokyo geisha, couldn't get a bank loan to open a club for her patrons and select guests until a tiny credit union agreed to lend her the money. Now she's part of a lending model that's doling out cash to startup companies and yielding surprisingly high profits in the process.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 18, 2017
A bite of the virtual reality sandwich
What happens when you take the Nazi zombies, coin collecting, cuddly creatures, xenomorphs, etc., out of video games and you just wander around virtual reality?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2017
Disaster drill with foreigners in mind held in major Tokyo tourist area
Some 250 people, including foreign students from a Japanese language school, took part in a natural disaster drill Wednesday that simulated a massive earthquake hitting Asakusa, a major tourist area in Tokyo's Taito Ward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Oct 6, 2016
Head-turning camera puts new spin on Tokyo tourist sites
Talk about revolutionary. Ricoh's Theta S camera shoots 360 degrees and turns out head-spinning spherical images when paired with an image-processing app. The camera, which has two lenses, can be hand-held or triggered by remote control.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 10, 2016
Asakusa: in the glow of Nippon kitsch
Every once in a while, the Japanese have to remind themselves that they're Japanese. We feel the need to reconfirm that we are part of a long and enduring traditional culture — one which includes kimono, samurai, ninja, eels on rice, and other weird items. Many like to pretend that these particular oddities have nothing to do with being a modern Japanese, they prefer to believe that their culture begins with Studio Ghibli and ends with AKB48. But, when our guard is down, few of us are immune to the call of old Nippon. It goes straight to our hearts and stirs us to action — and I'm not just talking about visiting lofty noh performances or taking part in intricate tea ceremonies. When the Japanese hear the call, where do they go? More often than not, we haul ourselves over to Asakusa, and join the hordes of foreign tourists soaking up the culture, gawking at the sights and stuffing themselves with treats. We can't help it — it's in our blood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 27, 2016
Learning to embrace the halal industry
With an increasing number of Muslims residing in and visiting Japan, local governments and businesses in the private sector are eyeing ways to target the potentially lucrative market
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Over 40% of Japan's municipalities at risk of vanishing, study finds
Of 1,729 local municipalities nationwide, 744 have been identified as being at risk of disappearing.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
LDP veteran Nikai's youngest son expected to succeed him in Wakayama
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass
Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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