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July 16, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 7, 2016
Tokyo's governor is in a high-spending league of his own
The more the media digs, the more it is uncovering about Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe's profligate ways.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 6, 2016
'Chibi Maruko-chan,' S.T. Corp
Vacation is almost over, so it's back to the usual animated TV show grind. This week's episode of "Chibi Maruko-chan" — the 1051st! (Fuji TV, Sun., 6 p.m.) — finds the eternal elementary school student coming home from class on Saturday to an almost empty house, which is unusual.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 30, 2016
Idols put Band-Aids on fragile male egos
Two cities in Tottori Prefecture have set up a facility called the Tottori Deai Support Center, which is a kind of matchmaking service for young residents. In December it published a pamphlet to help people looking for mates better understand what the opposite sex wanted.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Apr 30, 2016
Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well
Tama, in western Tokyo, is currently trying to find a way to rehabilitate Parthenon Tama, the city's public cultural complex. During headier times, Parthenon hosted world-famous classical musicians and theater companies, and in addition to a large auditorium and a small auditorium, it contains a museum,...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 28, 2016
Sekai Shogeki Story; Chimpanzee Ai ga Oshiete Kureta; Aoki
Unidentified flying objects are a topic of great concern to people who have too much time on their hands. A retired sheriff from Colorado who has spent the past 25 years looking into UFOs is the subject of a report on the variety show "Sekai Shogeki Story" ("The World's Shocking Stories"; TV Tokyo, Wed.,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 23, 2016
On the money: Hitting TV where it hurts
Earlier this month, the Association of Television Viewers Who Demand Compliance With the Broadcast Law announced that it may launch a "national campaign" targeting TBS, which it accuses of biased news reporting. Should the broadcaster fail to address the accusation, the association will ask sponsors...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 23, 2016
The changing values behind school uniforms
Japan and China depend on each other economically, but not necessarily in an equal way. Sometimes slight changes in commercial prospects in China can have a profound effect on Japan, or, at least, more of an effect that people realize.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 22, 2016
NNN Document 16; Fukigen-na Kajitsu; WOWOW
Tokai Television has become an expert on the subject of adoption in Japan, and this Sunday it will air the latest installment in its series "NNN Document 16" (Nippon TV, 12:55 a.m.)
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 16, 2016
Accommodating disabilities, but only within reason
Due to his recent sex scandal, best-selling author Hirotada Ototake has decided not to run for the Upper House under the banner of the Liberal Democratic Party this year, but he hasn't officially said he won't run at all. Earlier this month, while the scandal was still hot, he went ahead with a birthday...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 15, 2016
Boku no Yabai Tsuma; Busujima Yuriko no Sekirara Nikki; DMM Mobile
Murder and infidelity are addressed with stylish flair in the new series, "Boku no Yabai Tsuma" ("My Dangerous Wife"; Fuji TV, Tues., 10 p.m.)
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 9, 2016
TV takes the lazy approach on 'hikikomori'
On March 21, TV Asahi's long-running variety show "TV Tackle" ran a special feature on hikikomori — people who have withdrawn from society. Hikikomori first came to the attention of the general public in 1999 when a Niigata man was arrested for keeping a teenage girl prisoner for nine years in his...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 9, 2016
Japan's ever-increasing 'temporary' road tolls are here to stay
The nation's expressway system remains by far the most expensive in the world, for a number of reasons.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 8, 2016
'Sotai 2'; 'The New Conspiracy'; CM of the week: Garigari-kun
Fifty-four-year-old Kenichi Endo has been a reliable character actor for years, but lately he's graduated to leading man status. On Wednesday, he stars as police detective Susumu Nihonmatsu in "Sotai 2" ("Organized Crime Countermeasure Division 2"; TV Tokyo, 9 p.m.).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 2, 2016
Job-hunting students may be in for a shock when they arrive at their new company
It's spring, and the attention of journalists in Japan turns to new university graduates who will soon become productive members of society. In recent years, the recruitment dance has merited closer scrutiny. Even as the labor situation has become a seller's market, issues persist with regard to employee...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Apr 2, 2016
Low interest rates cause spike in refinancing
It has been more than a month since the Bank of Japan introduced negative interest rates in its bid to revitalize the economy. For consumers, the rate change is a mixed blessing. Obviously, interest on deposits will not go up any time soon, but anyone thinking of buying a house or condominium can get...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 1, 2016
'The World's Human Body Mysteries'; 'The Flickering Drawing'; CM of the week: Recruit
Most people understand the limits of their bodies and live their lives accordingly, but some don't recognize those limits and they are the subjects of the two-hour special "Sekai Chojintai Mystery" ("The World's Human Body Mysteries"; TBS, Tues., 8:57 p.m.).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 26, 2016
Pundit didn't need an actual Harvard degree to get top marks in gaming the system
On Feb. 29 a group of veteran journalists held a press conference to protest communications minister Sanae Takaichi's comment that the government could shut down broadcasters if their news programming was deemed to be politically biased. Former Mainichi Shimbun reporter Shuntaro Torigoe said that Takaichi's...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 26, 2016
In Japan, all other fruits bow to the top banana
Everything you wanted to know about Japan's lingering love affair with bananas but were afraid to ask.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 24, 2016
'Stranger'; 'The World's Most Astonishing News'; CM of the week: Rohto
The TV Asahi drama special "Stranger" (Sun., 9 p.m.) is based loosely on "The Poe Family," the award-winning 1970s girl's comic by Moto Hagio, which is about vampires.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 19, 2016
'Drop dead, Japan!' moms try to stay on message
Shiori Yamao is a University of Tokyo graduate, former public prosecutor, current Lower House lawmaker and mother. As a force for the opposition, she has been causing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe considerable grief over the past few months.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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