author

 
 
 Shaun McKenna

Meta

Twitter

@jt_sloosh

Shaun McKenna
Shaun McKenna joined The Japan Times in 2007. He was the Music and Entertainment editor until 2019 when he became the Senior Commissioning Editor at the newspaper. He now also hosts and produces the Deep Dive podcast.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 29, 2020
Japan has finally come to its census
Japan undergoes a census every five years and 2020 happens to mark the questionnaire's 100th anniversary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 31, 2020
The Japanese words used to encourage self-restraint
As concern over the new coronavirus increases so does a Japanese learner's vocabulary. Get to know the words that are most commonly being used in news stories about the outbreak.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 27, 2020
Werq the World: Bringing the queens of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' to Tokyo is nothing less than a crowning achievement
When Tom Hall had the idea to take monthly 'Drag Race' viewing parties and turn them into performance events he found an unlikely partner in Ni-chome impresario Yuta Furukawa.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 21, 2020
The great (and not-so-great) escapes of 2020
Whether it's Carlos Ghosn escaping the country, Prince Harry and Meghan escaping the royal family or someone trying to escape a bad party, there are a lot of ways to describe getting out of a situation in Japanese.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 24, 2019
Episode 33: Have yourself a merry little podcast!
Japan Times contributor Julia Berginu00a0and editor Shaun McKenna join Oscar Boyd for a holiday special full of KFC, mulled wine and Christmas cheer.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 24, 2019
Episode 20: Fear and loathing on Mount Fuji
On this week's episode, Oscar Boyd takes Shaun McKenna to the top of Japan to see what it's like to climb the fabled Mount Fuji.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 13, 2019
Episode 7: Kim-Trump — what's next?
On this week's episode, Japan Times staff writer Jesse Johnson discusses what the next meeting of the U.S. and North Korea might mean for Japan, and features editor Shaun McKenna talks us through some of Japan's biggest summer music festivals. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Nov 23, 2017
'Home Sweet Tokyo': Fresh-off-the-boat narrative has room to grow
Among the English-speaking community in Japan there has been a long-running debate over whether to use the word "foreigner." Personally, I prefer using "non-Japanese." The word "foreigner," I feel, implies difference, exclusion and an inability to assimilate.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 30, 2017
Some Japanese to scream at the screen this Halloween
Before you binge-watch a bunch of scary films, learn a few Japanese words and phrases to practice shouting at the screen.
Dec 6, 2016
Sony Building
Dec 6, 2016
Togetsu Bridge
Nov 21, 2016
Rokko International Musical Box Museum
Sep 15, 2016
United Nations University
Sep 15, 2016
Farmer's Market @UNU
Sep 7, 2016
Will Aichi (Aichi Women's Center)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 12, 2016
California roll creator Hidekazu Tojo's continuing quest to broaden palates overseas
A namigai (geoduck pronounced gooey-duck) is not a pretty creature. Native to North America's west coast, it looks like a beige slug that has outgrown a clam shell. Hidekazu Tojo is about to convince an audience to eat it.
Jul 5, 2016
Narita Shinshoji
May 24, 2016
Meiji Jingu Gaien
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 7, 2016
Conjuring haiku on the trail from Hiroshima to Matsuyama
Riding the shinkansen from Tokyo to Hiroshima, I am glued to my iPhone when Stephen Gill tells me to look outside the window. The countryside — rolling hills and rice paddies — is shrouded in mist. Perhaps inspired by the scene, he begins reciting an English translation of a 17th-century haiku by...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 1, 2016
Is it fifth time's the charm for 'Game of Thrones' in Japan?
Last week, the sixth season of "Game of Thrones" premiered to record ratings in the United States. When factoring in all the ways people watch it — live as it airs and streamed later — the episode titled "The Red Woman" brought in 10.7 million viewers, beating the 10.3 million record set by last...

Longform

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