Rip-off bars are taking advantage of Japan's tourism boom
With the number of foreign tourists to Japan increasing by the year, authorities are warning visitors to steer clear of so-called rip-off bars. Such establishments have been a problem for a number of years but police are no closer to being able to shut them ...
'The Last Train': High-stakes crime in glitzy Roppongi
"The Last Train" is a fast-paced police procedural with well-crafted prose, but suffers from a series of minor research errors.
Disco's not dead: Japan grooves to bubble beat for Heisei Era sayonara
Disco fans hit the dance floor and partied like it was 1989, reliving the glitz of the "bubble economy" heyday that defined the early years of the outgoing Heisei Era. Tuesday night was the last chance for nostalgic Japanese to bid sayonara to the three-decade ...
Kurocyodo: Specialty eel, but not for the squeamish
With its old-school wooden frontage and bold white noren curtain, the chances of you missing Kurocyodo are slim. No prizes for guessing what the specialty is here: The calligraphy for unagi (freshwater eel) is unmistakable.
Precious metals dealer is robbed of ¥80 million in cash on street near Tokyo's Roppongi district
A precious metals dealer was robbed of a roller bag containing some ¥80 million in cash Saturday after being assaulted by three men on a street near Tokyo's Roppongi district, police said. The 27-year-old man sustained minor injuries to a hand after he was attacked ...
Giving visitors to Japan something they can dance to
Is this a case of deja vu on the dancefloor? In 2012, police in Osaka started raiding clubs for violating the adult entertainment business law, popularly known as fūeihō. The law forbids dancing after midnight. When pressed on the matter, police officials said they were simply ...
Bill Hersey, man about Tokyo, 1930-2018: some tributes
Writer's kindness was legend, and his photos and columns told the story of a Tokyo social scene's rebirth after war and Occupation.
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan indulges in excess
The Japan Times presents the first installment of a monthly 12-part series that looks back at the leading issues of the past three decades.
Traditional events to welcome Year of the Dog
For many city dwellers, the beginning of the year is a time to rest the body and the soul — be it at home or at an onsen (hot spring) resort — but for others, it's a perfect time to go out and enjoy ...
Diners have no complaints about the service at a pop-up restaurant in central Tokyo where the 17 waiters and waitresses all suffer from dementia. The Restaurant of Order Mistakes — a play on the title of a classic Japanese children's book, "The Restaurant of Many ...
Roppongi's Hardy Barracks, a little-known U.S. base in the middle of Tokyo
Yokota Air Base and the Yokosuka naval base are well-known U.S. bases in the Tokyo area. But few people know the U.S. military also has a major facility right in the heart of the city. Since 1945, U.S. Forces Japan has been keeping an off-limits ...
