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July 04, 2025
 

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CULTURE

Tourists wearing rented 'maiko' costumes stroll down a street in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2024
Kyoto and the hard part of soft power
Kyoto has the kind of soft power few cities — and countries — possess.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 4, 2022
The ‘timeless delicacies’ at the heart of the Mid-Autumn Festival
Mooncakes represent more than a delicious dessert. For some, they're a beloved link to their friends and family back home.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 15, 2022
Ukraine's past and present intertwine as a war historian seeks refuge
She was one of the 10 million displaced Ukrainians whose lives have been upended by Russia's invasion. Her newfound status felt alien, something belonging to survivors of past wars.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2021
How gaming will change humanity as we know it
Gaming is profoundly transforming two central aspects of the modern world: culture and regulation. There will be no turning back.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2021
America’s undimmed global cultural reach continues
The influence of American culture remains as strong as ever. The growth of a QAnon movement in Japan is the clearest example that some of its more paranoid ideas are spreading overseas.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Apr 27, 2019
'Uneven Moments' review: An equal light shined upon Western and Japanese thinkers
'Uneven Moments' collects essays that span Harry Harootunian's career and brings Japanese thinkers into analyses often dominated by a Eurocentric focus.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2017
Drawn to North Korea's culture, Japanese internet star looks beyond the saber-rattling
Japanese internet celebrity Chunhun starts her day by listening to a band whose songs few other 20-something women in the nation are likely to have on their playlists: North Korea's all-female ensemble Moranbong Band.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Mar 20, 2017
Let's discuss the Tokyo 2020 Cultural Olympiad
Japan's celebration of culture leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will 'deliver something inspiring for the people of Japan and the whole world,' says the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Director.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2017
Japan will deliver big during Tokyo 2020 Cultural Olympiad, London Games official says
Japan's celebration of culture leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will "deliver something inspiring for the people of Japan and the whole world," according to London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Director Ruth Mackenzie.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 23, 2016
Japan's image and culture
Japans' language, culture and democratic image are assets of vital importance. They should be carefully nurtured.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2016
International forum on sports, the arts and business kicks off in Kyoto, Tokyo
An international conference on sports, arts and business kicks off in Japan on Wednesday as part of the government's efforts to create momentum leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and beyond.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2016
'Rakugo' comedy no joke for students keen to hone English skills
Japanese tend to be known for their shyness and stoic demeanor. But as Japanese companies increasingly think more globally, workers are feeling the need to communicate and express themselves clearly in front of people of various nationalities.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Aug 21, 2016
Osaka urged to spend more on arts ahead of Olympic extravaganza
A call by an influential Kansai business group for the Osaka prefectural and municipal governments to increase their budgets for art and culture has sparked debate between the governor and business circles over how to best do that.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Sep 28, 2015
China's culture chief says sites being plundered, bulldozed
The treasures of China's thousands of years of culture face being plundered, sometimes violently, or disappearing under bulldozers as authorities either do not care or do not have the resources to look after them, China's culture chief said.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 30, 2015
Kyoto bids to host Cultural Affairs Agency
The city of Kyoto is stepping up efforts to become the new home of the Cultural Affairs Agency, which works to protect Japan's officially designated cultural treasures.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2015
In 'soft power' terms, Japan ranks eighth out of 30 countries in U.K. consultancy report
Japan ranked eighth in the world in "soft power," according to a new annual ranking released by U.K.-based consulting firm Portland.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 15, 2012
On the trail of treasures at Kyoto's Toji Temple
The man unfurled the scroll and hung it on the wall of the makeshift tent to reveal a majestic mountain soaring to the heights in bold black brush strokes. It was a scene showing nature in all its grandeur dwarfing a lone human figure halfway up the mountain.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 21, 2009
Enoshima: Stepping back into 'old Japan'
Crossing Enoshima Benten Bridge to Enoshima Island in Sagami Bay, 80 km south of Tokyo, I was stopped in my tracks by a pair of mustard-eyed dragons slithering down gray granite lanterns. A man dismounted his bicycle and asked if I needed help. No, only his story, I replied.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / GRAND OLD HOTELS
Aug 1, 2008
Romancing the West: Kamakura's charming boutique hotel
The symmetrical beauty of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, the meditative colossus of Kotokuin, and the Zen-inspired splendors of Kenchoji and Enkakuji may win Kamakura inscription on the World Heritage List. Comparatively unknown are its Western-style buildings constructed after Kamakura became accessible...
LIFE / Travel
May 22, 2001
Visiting the Little Prince at Hakone
Breathtaking mountain scenery, a walk through a French village, Provencal cooking and a meeting with the doppelganger of a world-famous author -- sounds like a nice day trip. Especially when you can do it all without leaving Kanto.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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