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July 06, 2025
 

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THE NEW NORMAL

Yarn shortages are a sign that hobbies like knitting and crochet are gaining in popularity.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 4, 2025
‘Granny hobbies’ are the new self-care
Pastimes long associated with Japanese grandparents are booming on social media as young people look for new (old) ways to relax.
A survey showed the use of terminal care and attended deaths at home kept increasing after surging in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 11, 2024
Terminal care at home surged in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic
Cases of terminal care at home grew for clinics certified to meet standards for supporting home care, such as having doctors available to make house visits.
Students receive school lunch at Senju Aoba Junior High School in Tokyo in June 2022.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 17, 2024
Obesity increased among children in Japan during pandemic
The study analyzed the health checkup data of about 186,000 people who graduated from junior high school between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2022.
Cold medicine packages at a drug store. Japan has faced unseasonal and larger-than-usual outbreaks of infectious diseases over the past year after the COVID-19's downgrade to the same level as flu.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 7, 2024
Anti-infection measures still needed, one year after COVID-19 downgrade
Despite the drop in COVID-19 cases, childhood infectious diseases and the flu have spread in the country over the past year.
On May 2, the streets of Arashiyama, a well-known tourist destination in Kyoto, were filled with tourists, including many from abroad, ahead of the four-day weekend.
JAPAN / Society
May 6, 2024
Excitement returns to tourist spots in Japan one year on
Medical institutions have remained on alert for a possible spread of infections, including during the Golden Week holiday period.
Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Apr 15, 2024
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on
After a five-year absence, kabuki has returned to Kotohira. Can it be the draw that this tourism-hungry town desires?
Mori Building's Azabudai Hills complex in Tokyo's Minato Ward, which will house offices, shops, apartments, hotels and a school, is set to open in November
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 2, 2023
While Manhattan’s offices stay empty, Tokyo keeps building
Remote working has decimated offices in cities like New York and London. But Tokyo's workspaces have bounced back, also thanks to new builds.
A woman carries food to customers at a Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 27, 2023
Hong Kong turns to tycoons to get party scene back on track
The government is urging major property groups to help boost the nighttime economy via drink coupons, free events and later shopping hours.
A woman stands on one side of the wall texting in front of a nightclub while, on the other side of the wall, a man works in an izakaya.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 24, 2023
One night out in Tokyo
As the last trains leave the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, much of the city heads home. However, Tokyo never sleeps.
An Air Koryo plane is reflected in a glass structure of the airport in Pyongyang in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 22, 2023
North Korea sees first passenger flight in three years
An Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing early Tuesday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Jul 17, 2023
After last train in Tokyo, a second city comes to life
Partying tourists, a busy fish market and and global businesses all play a part in a world most of us sleep through.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 11, 2023
Pandemic causes developmental delays in 5-year-olds: research
In contrast, 3-year-olds showed no obvious delays, possibly indicating more time to communicate with guardians who by then worked from home.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 4, 2023
North Korea appears to lift COVID mask mandate, reports say
The isolated country has maintained border lockdowns and other anti-COVID measures long after most other nations ditched such restrictions.
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2023
Return of tourists drives shift in Japan's top-selling goods in 2023
Increased sales of cosmetics and certain health goods, combined with declines for pandemic-related products, highlight the return of tourists and Japan's shift toward a post-COVID era.
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2023
Japan's next flu season may begin two months earlier than usual
People's immunity to influenza declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relaxation of infection prevention measures, such as wearing masks, has allowed the virus to spread.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2023
Remote work revolution becomes tug-of-war between bosses and fed-up staff
While workers don’t want to give up flexibility, leaders want teams back to boost collaboration and avoid a productivity slump.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 1, 2023
COVID lockdowns really did mess with our memories
Researchers have found that some who had lived under pandemic-era lockdowns exhibited distorted time perception similar to that seen in prisoners.
JAPAN
May 12, 2023
Japan's imperial couple host first garden party in over four years
It was the first garden party to be held since the emperor ascended the throne in 2019.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 11, 2023
Lower Tokyo office vacancy rate gives relief to market after COVID-19
Historically, the city has recorded vacancy rates in the low single digits, but the market may be settling into a new normal of higher levels considering the change in work trends.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 11, 2023
‘Alone Together’ docudrama revisits loneliness and anxieties of the pandemic's early days
Yukiko Mishima’s film depicts the profound impact that living in isolation in fear of an invisible enemy had on everyday life in Japan.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
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. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
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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