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Chris Russell
Chris Russell joined The Japan Times in 2018 as a member of the News Desk, where he is now a Senior News Editor. He also jointly oversees the Our Planet page focused on the environment and climate change, as well as editing and commissioning stories for Longform.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 30, 2020
Japanese whisky is breaking records at global auction houses
When a bottle of Karuizawa 52-year-old Zodiac Rat sold for a record price at auction in March 2020, the sale proved Japan's whisky is serious business.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 29, 2020
Episode 48: The Great Konbini Debate
Which Japanese convenience store is best and why? That's the question Newspick's Yuzuha Oka and The Japan Times' Chris Russell, Joel Tansey and Oscar Boyd attempt to answer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 30, 2020
Tokyo DJs and owners say closing clubs to curb virus is easier said than done
Clubs and bars are facing pressure to close their doors as the new coronavirus spreads throughout Japan's major cities. As a result, those who make a living from the clubbing industry are also facing tough financial prospects.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 7, 2020
Boat racing: Endearingly rubbish and genuinely dramatic
Kyu014dtei (boat racing) is a kind of slow, aquatic NASCAR that also happens to be one of the few things that you can legally gamble on in Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 22, 2019
Bringing politics into Japanese clubs
Dance music has always had a political edge, but recent events in Tokyo show that clubs and politics are clashing on a more frequent basis
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Nov 9, 2019
Nakagin Capsule Tower: Can Tokyo's urban utopian dream secure a new lease on life?
The future of Ginza's iconic building hangs in the balance as architectural enthusiasts attempt to preserve the fading landmark.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Brexit: How it affects Japan
Oct 16, 2019
As U.K. eyes post-Brexit trade deal with Japan, its hand may not be as strong as it thinks
With the U.K. looking to secure its economic future and seize the purported benefits of Brexit, London has been ramping up its negotiating capacity and making overtures to trade partners.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Brexit: How it affects Japan
Oct 15, 2019
Buffeted by Brexit, British firms try to chart a course in the Japanese market
British companies are coming under more pressure than ever to develop a footprint in non-EU markets.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 2, 2019
Episode 24: What does Brexit mean for Japan?
The UK's Brexit deadline to leave the European Union is on Oct. 31. Assuming it goes ahead, what does it mean for Japan if the UK leaves the EU?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 9, 2019
Tokyo Community Radio: The spirit of pirate radio is reignited in Japan
Despite the plethora of stations and platforms in Tokyo, the city still lacks a unifying force that brings together and gives expression to its underground scene.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 29, 2019
Taiwan's Zhuilu Old Road hike: A thin ledge, and then a sudden drop
A day trip from Taipei, the Zhuilu Old Road in Taiwan's Taroko National Park is considered to be one of the country's best hikes, though is only for those with a strong head for heights.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 7, 2018
Partners in grime: The Butterz label thanks Japan with a birthday bash in Tokyo
With its rapid-fire rapping, lyrics that are often impenetrable to outsiders and raw, synthetic timbres, grime was never an obvious candidate for international success. But from east London's tower blocks to the stages of California's Coachella festival, the genre has grown from humble origins to become...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 18, 2018
Japan and China: Forging ties in the electronic underground
WWWβ — a subterranean space under Shibuya's WWW and WWWX venues dedicated to "club alternative" — is a frequent stop for DJs and producers at the cutting edge of electronic music. But when a large crowd packed itself into the venue on April 20 for an evening of dark, experimental and at times abrasive...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 14, 2018
Despite government push of AI and robots, Japanese fear tech to lead to inequality and job losses: survey
Japan is among the biggest users of robots in the world, with 303 per 10,000 employees in 2016 — the fourth-highest globally — according to the International Federation of Robotics. But despite such adoption — or perhaps because of it — belief in the displacement of human workers due to technology...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Aug 1, 2018
Heat wave deaths in Japan could jump 170 percent by 2080, spike far higher in other countries: study
As Japan struggles with a deadly heat wave — which killed 96 people in Tokyo's 23 wards in July, four times the figure last year — a study published Tuesday indicated that the country could see an increase in heat-related deaths of more than 170 percent by 2080 in one possible scenario.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?