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December 25, 2024
 

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Alisa Yamasaki
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Feb 12, 2021
Koji Arano: Dating in a pandemic, ‘every encounter is now more valuable’
Through his YouTube channel Moteki Producer, Osaka native Koji Arano offers up relationship advice to a love-hungry audience.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 29, 2019
Industrial JP: Bringing Japan's factories to the dancefloor
Industrial JP has embarked on a project to document the sounds of Japanese factories and turn them into music fit for the dancefloor
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 17, 2019
#StandUpJapan and other hashtags allow for new voices to be heard
On the morning of Jan. 14, 20-year-old women decked out in brightly colored kimono scrambled to catch trains to take them to ceremonies across the country to mark Coming of Age Day.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jul 26, 2018
Kendrick Lamar and the politics of Japanese PR
The news of Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar returning to Fuji Rock, one of Japan's most celebrated music festivals, was met with excitement from hip-hop fans here as soon as it was announced in February. To leverage the hype ahead of the festival, Universal Music Japan launched a politically...
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 12, 2018
Classical painting hashtag highlights Japanese mothers' daily frustrations
As we celebrate Mother’s Day on May 13, a hashtag highlighting the daily struggles of mothers in Japan is going viral on Twitter.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Feb 17, 2018
'Because I'm a Mom' children's song sends vexed mothers the wrong message
What was meant to be a much-needed pat on the back for mothers has done more harm than good. In Hulu’s original children’s program “Dai! Dai! Daisuke Onisan!!,” hosted by ex-NHK talent Daisuke Yokoyama, Daisuke Onisan performed a new song titled “Atashi Okasan Dakara” (“Because I’m a...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2018
Pushing for a more diverse dancefloor
When the acclaimed end-of-year techno party Future Terror announced its full lineup of DJs in December, there was a notable omission among the 19 names: There were no women.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Nov 8, 2017
In Japan, we too need to talk about sexual misconduct
#MeToo may have failed to fly here, but Japanese society has much to learn about combating sexual assault and harassment.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 28, 2017
Twitter Japan confronts hate speech with mixed results
Following countless claims that Twitter has become a breeding ground for hate speech, the social networking service has started to take measures against hate speech on their platform over the past two years. After several events in September, however, it's clear that Twitter Japan is still struggling...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 26, 2017
Figuring out who to watch at this year's Fuji Rock Festival
The 2017 edition of Fuji Rock Festival boasts one of the more eclectic lineups the long-running gathering has had in recent years. The headliners tell the tale: Cartoon rockers Gorillaz share the same font size as electronic pop star Bjork and dance music weirdo Aphex Twin. Dig deeper and you'll find...
Japan Times
CULTURE
May 11, 2017
Tackling the terminology behind feminism in Japan
In 1985, women in gorilla masks gathered at New York's Museum of Modern Art to protest its lack of female artists. Known as the Guerrilla Girls, the group continues to raise awareness about inequality in the art world. Thirty years later, their spirit has ignited some women in Japan to action.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Nov 11, 2016
Japan races to become the robot capital of the world
Japan may have a long way to go before it can build a fully functional Gundam or Doraemon, but it's getting closer to bringing sci-fi-style robotic helpers and protectors into our daily lives. Japan Robot Week, which took place at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center from Oct. 19 to 21, showcased the...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 21, 2016
A 'moonlit' afternoon tea in Tokyo with Noritaka Tatehana
Japan has a long history of noticing subtle seasonal changes and taking each as an opportunity for celebration. The appearance of cherry blossoms in early spring may be the most well-known example, but October's tsukimi (moon-viewing) festival is also culturally significant.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2016
When to speak and when to shut up: the art of a Japanese 'benshi'
The silent films screened in Japan from the 1920s to '40s were never completely silent. Katsudo-shashin benshi, or benshi for short, delivered live narration that provided everything an audience might need to appreciate a film — from commentary to translation. Derived from Japan's many narrative art...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 8, 2016
The UNHCR Refugee Film Festival finds increased focus on Europe for 11th edition
The status of refugees and displaced people continues to worsen since the European refugee crisis first gained widespread attention in 2015. In the news refugees may be portrayed as powerless victims, but the tremendous strength they show in taking strides toward a better future is anything but. The...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 4, 2016
The changing face (and bodies) of fitness
There has been a recent trend among Japanese comedians to go big — with their workouts. Toshiaki Kasuga, Nakayama Kinnikun and Yoshio Kojima all incorporate flexing into their routines, playing up macho stereotypes for laughs. However, Shun Kaneko isn't laughing.
CULTURE / Music
Mar 20, 2016
Domestic content rules at Waradise Garage's 'wamono' events
Japan's club scene continues to divide itself into smaller niche events like cells undergoing mitosis. Each new party differs slightly from the others and together they cater to almost every genre and micro-genre imaginable; if it has been blogged about, then there's a night for it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 11, 2015
Sapphire Slows looks to build on her past lo-fi success
'I get asked, 'How can you make it as a musician?' and I really think it's all about mental strength," says Kinuko Hiramatsu, who produces music under the name Sapphire Slows.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 11, 2015
Sparrows to step up to the studio sound board
'It's embarrassing to be flashy," says Ryota Miyake, explaining why he chose the sparrow, one of the plainest, most ubiquitous birds in Japan as his moniker.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2015
Akiko Kiyama's twisted techno turns to new kind of sound
Akiko Kiyama has made a name for herself as one of the most prominent female Japanese techno artists. Since returning to Tokyo this past December after living in Berlin for several years, she has already launched her own label, Kebko Music, with two releases in a matter of months.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?
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.
Honda-Nissan megamerger in the works
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left), Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (second from left) and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, hold a news conference on merger talks on Monday in Tokyo.
Picturesque Japan hot spring town limits day trippers
Ginzan Onsen hot springs in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
For baseball fans, 2024 brought The Summer of Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season, against the Marlins in Miami on Sept. 19.
Trump's Pentagon policy pick pushed for Japan to spend 3% of GDP on defense
Elbridge Colby (center) speaks at the Threat and the Strategy panel during the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, in September 2019.
A brief history of ‘osechi ryōri,' Japan's edible tradition for the new year
Japan's traditional New Year cuisine has a long history, though modern developments have led to slight changes in the way things work.
Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.

Podcast

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

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?
By Kathryn Wortley

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