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September 16, 2025
 

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REVIEW

A still from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 14, 2023
Big in Japan 2023: Anime, Murakami and The Legend of Zelda
Our guests tell us why anime dominated in 2023, which books stood out among a lackluster crowd and why the Zelda franchise is experiencing a renaissance.
Seihan Mori, chief priest of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes "zei" (taxes), which was chosen on Tuesday as the kanji of the year.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2023
Talk of taxes spurs choice for Japan’s kanji of the year
The choice came as tax hikes and cuts were heavily covered in the news and discussed among policymakers.
Beet carpaccio served with fresh cream and caviar, the signature dish of three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco, features at Cycle, his much-anticipated new restaurant in Otemachi.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 9, 2023
Tokyo dining finally kicked the pandemic blues in 2023
The further we got into 2023, the more it really started to feel like COVID-19 had finally dissipated like a malodorous mist.
After becoming a TikTok trend in Japan in 2022, artist imase’s song “Night Dancer” found popularity abroad in 2023, particularly in South Korea, where it became the first Japanese song to ever enter the nation’s Melon Top 100 Song Chart.
CULTURE / Music / 2023 in Review
Dec 8, 2023
J-pop's global ambitions came closer to reality in 2023
Duo Yoasobi's "Idol" was a true international breakout, while a viral trend turned imase into a pop ambassador between Japan and South Korea.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Dec 2, 2023
The entertainment story of the year is long overdue
As entertainment heavyweights Johnny & Associates and Takarazuka Revue are hit by scandals, hope for reform emerges with changing attitudes toward abuse.
Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement this year with “The Boy and the Heron,” which opened to critical acclaim and has so far earned ¥8.56 billion — a good showing but not enough to take the top spot at the box office for the year.
CULTURE / Film / 2023 in Review
Nov 30, 2023
The year that defined the post-Miyazaki era
The success of “Oshi no Ko,” “Detective Conan” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” proved that anime is the mainstream now.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2023
Asia’s winners and losers as region says sayonara to 2022
Say good by to 2022. But as a new year approaches, war, inflation and COVID-19 still endure.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Dec 31, 2022
The year through our own lenses
We asked our staff and freelance photographers to share the shots that made the year for them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 31, 2022
With borders reopened, Tokyo dining closed 2022 on a welcome high
For all the ups and downs of 2022, Tokyo's culinary scene seems poised for a big year in 2023.
CULTURE / Books / 2022 in Review
Dec 31, 2022
Japanese stories captivated overseas audiences in 2022
This year marked increased recognition for female Japanese authors, while Japan-based stories provided the inspiration for Hollywood adaptations such as 'Bullet Train' and 'Tokyo Vice.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Dec 31, 2022
Elden Ring's artful cruelty set the bar for gaming in 2022
FromSoftware's ambitious, brutal high fantasy RPG was by far the best game to come out of Japan in the last five years.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2022
Images of 2022: Japan news
From the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to the reopening of borders amid the easing of the pandemic: The stories that defined 2022 domestically.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 29, 2022
Answers in 2022 encouraged activism, recommended books and provided advice
The 20 Questions section discusses people's experiences of Japan in their own words. As we emerge from the pandemic, an underlying theme in 2022 was fighting for change.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 29, 2022
Chinese women found their voice in 2022, but is anyone listening?
Strains between China's estimated 690 million women and the Communist Party's male-dominated leadership rippled through the year's political debates.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 28, 2022
Images of 2022: World news
One event stood over all else this year: Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The conflict ushered in rapid shifts on defense, energy and business.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 28, 2022
Images of 2022: Sports
From the wintry slopes of the Beijing Games to the heat on the pitches of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Japan has had plenty to celebrate in the world of sports over the past 12 months.
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2022
Dissecting Japan's hit consumer products of 2022
The two items that topped Nikkei Marketing Journal's annual rankings were not products per se but product attributes reflecting consumers' response to inflation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2022 in Review
Dec 24, 2022
Everything old became new again on streaming platforms in 2022
This year, programming typically associated with traditional broadcasting — variety shows, dramas and anime — flourished on streaming platforms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2022 in Review
Dec 23, 2022
The big J-pop hits of 2022? They came from TikTok and anime.
Acts such as Kaze Fujii and Sekai No Owari found success via viral trends, while artists like Ado and Aimer topped the charts thanks to anime collaborations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / 2022 in Review
Dec 22, 2022
Anime continued its dominance in 2022
Anime proved to be bankable content in chaotic times, with 'One Piece' and 'Dragon Ball' scoring big at the box office, while major streaming services expanded their anime offerings.
SDF spots China’s biggest aircraft carrier for first time
The Fujian aircraft carrier is seen in Shanghai in May 2024 as it leaves for its first sea trial.
Why more hotels in Japan are offering room-only service
Nipponia Hotel Ise Kawasaki Merchant Town in Ise, Mie Prefecture
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 — and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
Final weeks of World Expo in Osaka likely to see large crowds
With one month left to go, crowds are expected to swell at the World Expo in Osaka during its final weeks.
Japan's elderly population down at around 36.2 million
The estimated number of people age 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, accounting for record 29.4% of the country's total population, according to the internal affairs ministry.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.
Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.
Shizuoka farmers fight to preserve sustainable tea method that’s steeped in tradition
As of August 2024, the number of confirmed chagusaba farmers had fallen to 302, just over half the 582 reported in 2015, according to the Shizuoka Chagusaba Farming Method Promotion Council.

Podcast

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

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’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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