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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 18, 2018

Music in 2018: Saying goodbye to Heisei with 'U.S.A.'

The final full year of the Heisei Era was one of the most discombobulating for Japanese music this decade. Nostalgia for the soon-to-end era clashed with efforts to figure out where J-pop goes moving forward. Tunes covered in cobwebs suddenly became the soundtrack for viral dances on trendy video apps....
Japan Times
CULTURE
Oct 20, 2018

Japonismes 2018 seeks to break down cultural stereotypes

A stupendous full autumn moon, bright orange and fat, flashes intermittently between the nondescript high-rise flats and offices on the drive to Charles de Gaulle Airport. It's an apt and beautiful reminder of one of the events that we, a group of Tokyo-based editors and writers, were invited to see...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 8, 2019

Asia's biggest winners and losers of 2018

Who was up and who was down in Asia in the year that just ended?
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 13, 2018

Anime in 2018 saw serious cash but no surprise hits

What do a 24-year-old child detective, a group of seriously laid-back campers and anthropomorphic blood cells have in common? 2018, that's what.
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 24, 2017

Expo, casinos and shinkansen at top of Kansai's 2018 agenda

For Kansai, many of 2017's events will remain newsworthy in 2018. Here are some of the bigger topics expected to be closely followed in the region.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 19, 2018

TV in 2018: Progressive voices and the enduring charm of ‘Terrace House’

In the English-speaking world, Japanese TV in 2018 was celebrated for how boring it could get. But it was anything but domestically, where viewers questioned norms and helped nudge forward programs with progressive politics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2017

Paris to host Japonismes 2018 cultural expo to mark 160 years of diplomatic ties

Paris will host the Japonismes 2018 cultural exposition to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Japan next year.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 18, 2018

YouTube in 2018: Controversy, contributors and (allegedly) child-friendly content

YouTube in Japan had an identity crisis in 2018. The video-sharing site only grew in importance this year, as the top creators associated with the platform achieved acceptance by the country's mainstream media gatekeepers while famous names migrated over.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 10, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 1: Korean athletes parade in peace

The first day of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics was full of drama both on the ice and behind the scenes. Team Japan had a strong showing during the skating competitions, particularly Shoma Uno who rose above the rest as America's Nathan Chen suffered several mishaps.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 11, 2018

While ballet reigned supreme, a range of dance delighted fans in 2018

For a dance-loving country like Japan, every year brings delight in the variety of performances on offer, but the depth and breadth of 2018 on stage has been particularly grand for fans across a wide range of genres and movements.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 11, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 2: And the first medal of the games goes to . . .

Germany and the Netherlands zoom to the top of the medal leaderboard, with cross-country skier Charlotte Kalla taking the first gold of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2017

The global economy's prospects for 2018

Whether this year's positive economic trends continue in 2018 will depend on a variety of factors, from fiscal and monetary policymaking to domestic politics and regional stability.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 28, 2022

Pyeongchang still waiting to reap benefits of 2018 Winter Olympics

'The reality is very different from what was promised to us. Back then, locals here expected the Olympics to affect us a lot.”
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 20, 2018

2018 was a busy year for gamers in Japan, with established franchises and open world epics reigning supreme

Many gamers began 2018 by teaming up with a garishly outfitted cat and rushing into battle against a big, angry monster. Some of those same people will usher out the year by punching Nintendo icon Mario in his famously mustachioed face.
OLYMPICS
Feb 18, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 9: Japan strikes gold on the ice

Japan acquired its first gold of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu turned in a virtually flawless performance for the free skate portion of the men's figure skating event. With the victory, Hanyu became one of just four men in Olympic history to win consecutive golds....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Dec 24, 2018

2018 in science in Japan: Climate change, space exploration and water bears

In casting an eye back over memorable science and environment stories from Japan in 2018, it is impossible to ignore the extreme weather that hit the country.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 11, 2018

2018 was the year in Japan that saw the stage sing, while contemporary drama barely made a squeak

Musicals have flourished in 2018, with many young stars also helping to sell out straight plays in which they appeared. However, the contemporary drama scene in Japan has been unusually quiet this year in terms of new works and writers.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 20, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 11: Drama on the ice

Japan is still celebrating Nao Kodaira's golden victory, not only for her athletic prowess but also her kindness. Stories are filling the web about Kodaira hugging her opponents and talking about her late friend during the Olympics.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 17, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 8: The return of the Ice Prince

Figure skating took center stage Thursday during the men's short program. Yuzuru Hanyu, who won the gold medal at the Sochi Games in 2014, gave a mesmerizing performance that sent social media into a tizzy. Japan's Shoma Uno also lit up the ice with his routine and currently sits at third place. Now...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 12, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 3: U.S. snowboarder Red Gerard earns team first gold medal

Gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu's arrival on Sunday provides a much needed morale boost for Team Japan, who advanced to the final rounds of struggled to keep up in speedskating and team figure skating but well behind the leaders. In figure skating a resurgent Olympic Athletes of Russia climbed to second place...
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Aug 31, 2016

Little margin for error as Japan aims for 2018 World Cup spot

After a year and a half of shadow boxing, national team manager Vahid Halilhodzic finally gets to taste some meaningful action when Japan begins the final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup against the United Arab Emirates on Thursday night.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 1, 2019

Top world news of 2018

The Japan Times newsroom selected the following world news stories as the most important of 2018.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2018

In 2018, art came via many anniversaries in Japan

This year saw a lot of anniversaries in Japan. It was 1868 when Crown Prince Mutsuhito became the Emperor Meiji, the official policy of national isolation ended and the country was set on a course to become a modern industrialized nation-state. This birthday seems like it could have been a great time...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 24, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 15: The sweet smell of success

It wasn't the sunniest day for fans of Japan at the Olympics. South Korea's seemingly unstoppable "Garlic Girls" beat the Japanese team as they continue their run as overnight stars. Skating fans also had their hearts broken when both Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto were bumped out of the top spots...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 23, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 14: A streak is broken

It was a suspenseful hockey match yesterday with the U.S. women's team beating Canada in overtime. The triumph was the second for the Americans in Olympic play, and first in 20 years, since the inaugural women’s tournament at the 1998 Nagano Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 22, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 13: Let's hear it for the girls

Japan's Akito Watabe misses the podium in Nordic combined, while the curling team lost to South Korea. But there was still hope to be found in Japan's athletes. Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto are in fourth and fifth place, respectively, following the figure skating short program. (The long program...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 21, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 12: More pots of gold

France's Martin Fourcade made history when he won his third gold medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics, and South Korea added another gold to its total after the short-track 3,000-meter relay. But the real highlight of the day was gold-winning dance by Canadian pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who earned...
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 16, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 7: Ready to do business

Yes, there was a giant slalom, the curling and the announcement that Shaun White and Ayumu White would be taking a shot at competing at the Summer Games. But for Japan, in general it was breather of a day ahead of the bigger events on the horizon.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 15, 2018

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 6: Silver and smiles

Japan's silver streak continued Wednesday with Ayumu Hirano in the men's half pipe and Nao Kodaira in the women's speed skating 1000m event.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 18, 2015

White has Guam on move in 2018 qualifying

For a man who grew up on a council estate in Southampton, England, Gary White has come a long, long way.

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?