Commentary / Japan May 20, 2019
The Showa Era is growing distant
by Kuni Miyake
University students seem less concerned about war on the Korean Peninsula than their 1970s counterparts even though the chance of conflict is greater.
National May 1, 2019
From Meiji to Taisho, Showa and Heisei, how The Japan Times covered previous era changes
by Ryusei Takahashi
"Joyfully and with a mingled sense of awe and reverence did the whole Japanese nation observe the great event of the Ceremony of the Imperial Enthronement of His Majesty the Emperor," Japan Times and Mail President Yonejiro Ito wrote in a special edition book ...
Film | Heisei Icons Apr 19, 2019
Hayao Miyazaki: Universally acclaimed weaver of unforgettable anime worlds
by Matt Schley
Animators and live-action filmmakers around the world acknowledge his influence. His talents have even been described by fans as “godlike.”
National / History Apr 4, 2019
From Meiji to Reiwa: Japan's centenarians offer a window to bygone eras
by Miho Kaneko
Few Japanese born in the Meiji Era will live long enough to see the dawn of the Reiwa Era, which will begin on May 1, but those who do can offer a glimpse at past generations while providing context for the next. Era names (gengo) ...
Art Sep 11, 2018
The painterly prayers of Higashiyama
by Matthew Larking
Kaii Higashiyama's best-known works are often called "quintessentially Japanese landscapes," but they were also examples of the artist's conservative dialogue with European and American abstraction.
National / History Aug 23, 2018
Diary tells of Emperor Hirohito's anguish in final years over blame for war
The journal reveals that the aging Emperor did not wish to live much longer due to pain he felt at sad personal events and accusations of his wartime responsibility.
National / Politics May 2, 2018
Japanese government unlikely to name its next era until at least February 2019
The government is considering delaying the announcement of the name of the nation's next era — or gengo — until February or later, giving up its initial plan to quickly deal with concerns over the name change, a government source said Tuesday. The announcement of ...
Art Jan 28, 2018
Minakata: Japan's pioneer of ecology
by Sachiko Tamashige
In an old black-and-white photograph on show at the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Minakata Kumagusu — with a shaved head and dressed only in a waistcloth — stands by a huge tree, arms crossed in seeming defiance. He could easily be ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Dec 16, 2017
Showa's not giving up without a fight
by Mark Schreiber
The government has decided that the 31st year of Heisei will end with the abdication of Emperor Akihito 120 days into 2019, on April 30. Then on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor and a new nengō (name of the period of ...
Language | BILINGUAL Sep 11, 2017
The enduring mystique of the Showa Era
by Kaori Shoji
For many Japanese, life is divided into two distinctly historical time lines: before and after the Showa Era.
National Jan 11, 2017
Government mulls new titles for incoming and departing emperors, say sources
The government is considering giving Emperor Akihito the title of “joko,” an abbreviation of “daijo tenno,” meaning retired sovereign, should he abdicate.
Reference | FYI Jul 25, 2016
Imperial abdication talk poses question of Japan's next era
by Tomohiro Osaki
As the news reverberated throughout Japan earlier this month that Emperor Akihito intended to relinquish his throne while alive — in the first such move in about 200 years — the nation was struck by one of the biggest implications of his exit: the ...