Tag - nao

 
 

NAO

June is Pride Month, which means it’s the perfect time to get acquainted with how sexual minorities have been represented in Japanese fiction if you’re not familiar with these narratives already.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 11, 2025
Pride and prose: Novels that illuminate queer lives in Japan
From Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami to Li Kotomi and Akira Otani, dive into Japanese fiction’s LGBTQ+ narratives in honor of Pride Month.
Gold medalist Nao Kusaka celebrates after winning the men's 77-kg Greco-Roman event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024
How wrestler Nao Kusaka used sumo to win Olympic gold
A timid and kind-hearted boy, Kusaka reached the top by developing resilient legs in the sumo ring and fully dedicating himself to his craft.
Nao Kusaka celebrates with the Japanese flag after his win over Kazakhstan's Demeu Zhadrayev in their men's Greco-Roman 77 kg wrestling final match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024
Nao Kusaka wins gold for Japan in Greco-Roman wrestling
Kusaka triumphed in the 77 kg division of men's Greco-Roman wrestling, while teammate Yui Susaki took bronze in the 50 kg women's freestyle.
The dying words of a wounded man (Yang Ik-june, back) come back to haunt him when he fails to meet his maker on schedule in Nobuhiro Yamashita’s “Confession.”
CULTURE / Film
May 23, 2024
‘Confession’ takes a stab at the dark side of getting it off your chest
The film’s South Korean actor Yang Ik-june brings the intensity needed to deliver a macabre B-movie that's a bloody good time for gore fans.
Nao Hibino hits a return to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva during their women's singles match of the Billie Jean Cup tennis qualifying tie between Japan and Kazakhstan in Tokyo on Saturday.
TENNIS
Apr 13, 2024
Osaka not needed as Japan reaches BJK Cup finals for first time
The former world No. 1 was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game on Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 29, 2022
‘My Broken Mariko': Childhood friendship drama rings true
Yuki Tanada's film about a fraught yet deep relationship between two young women is moving and disturbing.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jun 20, 2022
NPB experiencing surge of no-hitters
With four no-hitters and a couple of near misses already this season, it's possible there is more misery on the horizon for NPB hitters.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
May 12, 2022
Nao Higashihama's no-hitter adds to strong performance by NPB pitchers in 2022
When the NPB hurler watched on TV as Los Angeles Angels' Reid Detmers throw his first career no-hitter Wednesday morning, little did he know he'd finish the day with one of his own.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 5, 2022
The top rivalries to watch at the Beijing Olympics
For every big-name athlete or team at the Beijing Games, there is someone standing in the way of victory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 27, 2020
‘Stigmatized Properties’: The otherworldly entities are spooky but unconvincing
Hideo Nakata's latest film is based on the real-life experiences of a comic who has made a career of living in apartments where terrible things have occurred.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’