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July 04, 2025
 

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LANGUAGE

Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2020
School bee winners honored
The Japan Times has been sending the best speller of Japan’s English spelling contest to the United States to compete in the U.S. national finals every year since 2010.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 30, 2020
COVID-19 reminds us what everyday words such as 'viral' really mean
Will the global pandemic prompt us into changing the way we speak?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 22, 2020
Language barrier hampers flow of virus info to Hiroshima's foreign residents
Although the city's website is equipped with a language-switch option, the question remains as to how many residents know about it.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 16, 2020
Bad English in Japan: A conspiracy theory
There is no rational reason why Japan's English-language education should be so woeful. Could something sinister be going on?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 11, 2020
COVID-19 spurs debate over loanwords
During her March 25 news conference, which was held to address a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the capital, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike used visual aids and a script filled with foreign loanwords to convince residents that they should stay at home so as to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Koike’s...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 10, 2020
As pandemic hits conferences, Aichi firm launches remote interpretation services
As the business environment continues to be affected by the spread of COVID-19, an industrial painting firm based in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, has begun offering Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation services remotely using teleconference systems.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2020
In Japan and think you may have the coronavirus? Here's what to do
In Japan, navigating through the layers of bureaucracy to get tested for the new coronavirus can be difficult even for a Japanese speaker, with many passed from person to person and getting nowhere. Imagine what it would be like for a foreign resident or visitor.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 10, 2020
Japan must provide multilingual information on COVID-19
The government should create basic guidelines on how to disseminate information and give consultation services in foreign languages on COVID-19.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2020
Health ministry struggles to provide COVID-19 updates in foreign languages
The health ministry is struggling to keep non-Japanese updated on the rapidly escalating situation in a timely manner, hampered by a dearth of staff proficient in foreign languages.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 30, 2020
Parents in Japan use YouTube to teach bilingual baby talk that's good for any age
Mothers raising their kids in Japan head to YouTube to create a community that goes beyond basic parenting tips.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 24, 2020
Shaken by Kobe quake, Peruvian works to help Hyogo's Spanish speakers in times of disaster
Roxana Oshiro, a Peruvian of Japanese descent, came to Japan in 1991 and was living in a dormitory in Kobe with her husband and child when the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit the region in 1995.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Jan 23, 2020
Hoping for a Japanese society in which all of its members can shine
Black Eye columnist Baye McNeil opens the new year with an email from a reader that illustrates the importance of language in dealing with multiracial individuals.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 21, 2020
Japan going the wrong way in English-education reform
English-language education in Japanese schools should focus on reading and writing rather than conversation to build a strong foundation.
WORLD
Jan 4, 2020
Singular 'they' chosen as word of the decade in U.S.
American linguists on Friday chose "they" as their word of the decade, recognizing the growing use of third-person plural pronouns as a singular form to refer to people who identify their sex as neither entirely male nor entirely female.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 20, 2019
Scrabble casts spell over Asia with Welsh hugs and mustard seeds
Malaysian teenage Scrabble protege Tengku Ariff Shah can spell more English words than most adults in the Western world, but he doesn't always know what they mean.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2019
Japanese rugby's 'One Team' motto declared buzzword of 2019
"One Team," Japan's slogan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was picked as buzzword of the year on Monday after the Brave Blossoms thrilled fans with their historic advance to the top eight.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Dec 2, 2019
With great knowledge comes a great chilled beer
Sultan 'Sam' Vidhani operates Sam's Bar TalkEigo, a place in Fukuoka where you can participate in some language exchange with a cheeky drink.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 17, 2019
Outsourcing of English tests stirs up storm in education
When speaking last month about a plan to introduce private-sector English testing for university entrance exams, education minister Koichi Hagiuda created an outcry when he said students should compete for entry "in accordance with their (financial) standing," implying they should compete financially....
JAPAN
Nov 8, 2019
Japan's rugby, disasters and social change generate buzzwords in 2019
The 2019 Rugby World Cup, natural disasters and cashless payment inspired a large portion of the nominations for the annual buzzword of the year awards.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 20, 2019
Linguistic ignorance can be bliss
When it was revealed that Pico Iyer knew only a 'smattering' of Japanese despite living in Japan for 25 years, some were critical. However, could there be artistic benefits to not being fluent?
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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