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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 28, 2011
Star's exit shows it's not what you know — but who
If you asked anyone in the world with access to any sort of media what last week's big news story was, they would probably say Libya. If you asked the same question of similarly connected people in Japan, they would probably say the retirement of comedian Shinsuke Shimada. The fall of Tripoli didn't...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 26, 2011
Annals of cheap: Fukushima peaches
For a limited time only, peaches are really cheap.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 23, 2011
All in the family: Keeping inheritances is a tricky business
Many people hide inheritances to avoid paying taxes, which is relatively easy to do.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 21, 2011
Korean television dramas are not the real problem
On July 23, actor Sosuke Takaoka tweeted that he was sick of all the Korean dramas on Fuji TV, a network he "used to be indebted to," and demanded more "traditional" Japanese programming. "If anything related to South Korea is on," he continued, "I just turn it off." The backlash was swift, and the actor...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 18, 2011
There's gold in them there wardrobes!
More people are mining closets and wardrobes for the precious metals they might contain.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 16, 2011
Which appliance is the energy hog? It's not your air conditioner
The media aren't really telling you the best way to save energy at home ...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 14, 2011
Media coverage often 'the last push' to suicide
In May, 24-year-old TV personality Miyu Uehara was pronounced dead shortly after a friend found her hanging from a door in her Tokyo apartment. Uehara's death was called an "apparent suicide" by the media, and while the terminology was cautious the reporting itself took for granted the belief that Uehara...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 10, 2011
Disaster housing proves cash cow for general contractors
Local construction companies in Tohoku have been squeezed out of the short-term housing boom.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Aug 7, 2011
Fabricated public opinion is the norm
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's energy agency recently contracted with an outside advertising company to monitor "inaccurate" online information regarding nuclear energy. In response, the media cried "censorship," but as pointed out in last week's issue of Aera, the agency has employed...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 4, 2011
Cool to be kind: Air conditioners for the needy
Tokyo has started to provide funds for low-income households to buy air conditioners.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Aug 2, 2011
Once settled in, chances are you'll have to pay to stay
In 1946, Japan was in ruins. The housing shortage was severe and inflation was high, so the government issued a directive to freeze rental fees. To make up for the perceived loss of income, property owners came up with supplemental fees — renewal fees, called koshinryō, and "gift money" or...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 31, 2011
Nadeshiko Japan show that a relaxed approach gets the best results
The national women's soccer team that just won the FIFA World Cup in Germany is called Nadeshiko Japan. "Nadeshiko" is the name of a flower, but it also represents a certain ideal of Japanese femininity that's demure, quiet and accommodating to men; or, at least, it used to be. Japan's victory over the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 27, 2011
After the death of analog, whither Tokyo Tower?
How will Tokyo Tower remain solvent in the shadow of Tokyo Sky Tree?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 25, 2011
Hidden pachinko industry workers make some noise
A labor strike draws attention to the shadowier side of the pachinko business.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 24, 2011
Today is D-Day for analog television
Sony recently announced it would discontinue production of the MiniDisc Walkman in September. It was just over a year ago that the company dropped the cassette Walkman, so within the space of 18 months two media will have bitten the dust. Though audiophiles may lament the end of another era, to most...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 20, 2011
The imperfect science of delineating poverty
How informative is the 'relative poverty' index?
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 18, 2011
Nadeshiko Japan obviously doesn't do it for the money
Will victory mean more money for women's soccer in Japan?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 17, 2011
When Sanma goes, so may the laughs
The tabloid Tokyo Sports has reported that one of the longest-running shows on Japanese TV, "Waratte Ii to mo" ("It's OK to Laugh"), may go off the air next spring due to sagging ratings. Hosted by the sunglass-sporting comedian Tamori since its inception in 1982, the noontime show's mix of celebrity...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 14, 2011
Hummer don't hurt them: Are Japanese consumers allergic to big cars?
Does GM's plan to sell small cars in Japan make sense?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 11, 2011
Realists and idealists on the cost of adopting renewable energy
If the Renewable Energy Act passes, what will it mean to your electricity bill?
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.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
Kansai airports to increase takeoff and landing slots ahead of Osaka Expo
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The upper limit on the number of takeoff and landing slots at the airport as well as Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture will be raised in spring next year ahead of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
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.
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.

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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