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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
CULTURE / Film
Oct 2, 2009
Yamagata's doc feast
Launched in 1989 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Yamagata, a city of 250,000 situated in the agricultural heart of Japan's northern Tohoku region, the biannual Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival was established by the late Shinsuke Ogawa, a resident of the city...
CULTURE / Film
Oct 2, 2009
Tokyo offers tasty platter of film
The Sept. 16 press conference for the 22nd Tokyo International Film Festival, which runs Oct. 17-25, was more stimulating than usual.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 1, 2009
Motherhouse: beyond Fair Trade
By cutting out the middlemen, Tokyo-based Motherhouse has found a way to make the Fair Trade system work like it's supposed to.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 27, 2009
Still a plus for Seven-Eleven
Seven-Eleven has followed the lead of the postal office by opening its ATMs up to foreign bank cards. So why haven't convenience stores followed suit?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 27, 2009
Denied bear necessities of life
About a week ago, while browsing the Internet, I came across a headline at the BBC Web site that made me pause: "Bear injures 9 at bus terminal." The first thought that crossed my mind was, "Why was a bear waiting for a bus?"
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 25, 2009
The Giants give you an excuse to go shopping
Big hurray for the Giants big pennant win! Bigger hurray for the department-store sales!
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 23, 2009
Annals of cheap: QB House
It's very chop-chop at QB House, a chain of successful barber shops where you get a cut, no chit-chat, no shampoo, all in 10 minutes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 21, 2009
Use it or lose it: Is expired food OK to sell?
Japanese consumers may have become suspicious of food companies, but the bargain prices of food slightly past its sell-by date is hard to resist.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 20, 2009
The forgotten DPJ promise on women's rights
In the weeks since the Democratic Party of Japan secured a majority in the Lower House, the new DPJ members of that institution have apparently been told to keep their mouths shut when they're around the media.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 18, 2009
Silver Week to make up for less than lustrous summer?
The government estimates that the average Japanese household will spend u00a537,000 during Silver Week. Question is, how? On beer alone?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 17, 2009
Dealing with the disposable
Awn in Higashi Nippori is a 'recycle shop' whose purpose had less to do with recycling or making money than with creating jobs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 14, 2009
Who pays for parking?
Why people who don't own cars have to subsidize the expensive parking lots used by weekend drivers?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 13, 2009
ANA looks to sky as JAL hangs head
In a TV commercial aired all last summer, airline passengers are shown relaxing when the pilot comes on the PA to make the usual announcement about travel times and weather. Nobody seems alarmed when they learn that the skipper is teen golf sensation Ryo Ishikawa, who isn't old enough to drive a car...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 12, 2009
Many happy repairs
When it comes to warranties, pride in one's products often trumps any short-term financial consideration.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 10, 2009
Annals of cheap: Gyoza no Osho
While others struggle to make ends meet amid the economic downturn, there's no stopping Gyoza no Osho, a late-night favorite for cheap Chinese eats.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 6, 2009
Japanese public housing: It's not just for poor people any more
Public housing in Japan might be associated with the boxy kodan apartments, but they've have come a long way. Question is, have they come far enough?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Sep 6, 2009
Media plays down landmark rent ruling
On July 23, the Kyoto District Court reached a verdict in a landlord-tenant dispute that found contract renewal fees common in rental agreements to be illegal. Kyodo News called it "a landmark ruling" with far-reaching implications.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2009
Wonder Stuff give fans an encore
Anyone who knows anything about the U.K. pop scene understands how important the music weeklies are to the success of young artists, and while the Internet has undermined that influence they can still make or break a band. Miles Hunt should know. He and his group, The Wonder Stuff, were darlings of the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 2, 2009
Super-fluous banking perks
It pays to read the fine print in your bank account passbook.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 30, 2009
Annals of cheap: Garigari-kun
Garigari: It's amazing what a brand rethink can do for ice and sugar on a stick.
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
Japan finds a 'stealth' cure for zombie businesses: Let them fail
A worker at Sakai Seisakusyo prepares to transport metal rods at its factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on July 8.
Trump makes his grand RNC entrance with a bandaged ear and a VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday
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.
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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