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July 16, 2024
 

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Michael Hoffman

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Michael Hoffman
Michael Hoffman is a fiction and nonfiction writer who has lived in Hokkaido by the sea almost as long as he can remember. He has been contributing regularly to The Japan Times for 10 years. His latest novel is "The Naked Ear" (VBW/Blackcover Books, 2012).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 20, 2021
Reality check: ‘We’re in a tunnel with no exit in sight’
Buddhist priest Myoyu Tamaoki describes the world in terms hard to argue with. “Calm,” she says, “is elusive.” Disaster, ruin and upheaval, if not hitting you personally at any given moment, may strike the next, as a glance at news of them hyperactive elsewhere cannot fail to remind you. “Everyone,”...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 6, 2021
Repressing the urge to do something might be better for us all
The ultimate relaxation, says one magazine, is not idleness but suitable activity — doing what you want, which does take courage.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Feb 20, 2021
Matsuo Taseko: It’s myth vs. reality for Japanese nationalism
Inspired by the u2018Manyoshu,' a peasant-poet took the Japanese capital by eloquent storm.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 20, 2021
Line between solitude and withdrawal becomes blurred in Japan amid pandemic
More than half of the nationwide hikikomori population of 1.15 million are between 40 and 64 years old.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 6, 2021
Finding the right measure of Olympic success in Japan
Does academic success lead to happiness? Weekly magazine Shukan Gendai offers a cautionary tale u2026
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 23, 2021
Wisdom often fails the test of time
One generation's knowledge is the next generation's folly.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 16, 2021
Matsuo Taseko: A poet caught up in nationalist fervor
When nine swordsmen stormed a temple in 1863 they cut the heads of three statues, making a political statement that reverberates to this day.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 9, 2021
Can a few simple words ease Japan's anxiety?
What we say to ourselves carries a lot of weight u2026
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 26, 2020
In 2020, kids still say the drollest things
2020 was a year to forget, if only we can u2026
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Dec 19, 2020
Thoughts on healing from the Heian Period
The psychology of health in 'The Tale of Genji' suggests that enlightenment may be the cure for what ails you.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 12, 2020
Rising suicide figures reflect many women’s despair in a pandemic
Almost as anguishing as having no future is having an unknown one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 28, 2020
When sensitivity becomes that one thing too many
Sensitivity is agony. In moderation it’s good, but moderation rarely knows when to stop, and soon becomes excess. Excessive sensitivity is a theme taken up by Spa magazine this month.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Nov 16, 2020
A charm offensive in the Yoshiwara pleasure district
Life in the pleasure district was fun, if you were capable of mustering up the right amount of charm.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 14, 2020
Japan’s rocky road to gender parity
Japan’s road to gender parity is rocky and potholed. Aera magazine this month chronicles a stumbling, faltering journey.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 31, 2020
Together or alone? Yukichi Fukuzawa’s 19th-century template for beating COVID-19
Influential Japanese writer may provide an example of the virtues needed to outlast the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Oct 17, 2020
Japan and Russia: The chivalrous war erupts
A key figure in the Russo-Japanese War, Gen. Maresuke Nogi was both a soldier and a poet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 17, 2020
A brave new world after COVID-19 subsides?
The future alone can unveil its secrets — in its own time.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 3, 2020
COVID-19 accelerates the irritation in society we all feel
“If a married couple can't get along in a pandemic, who can?”
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Sep 19, 2020
Japan and Russia: Sharing a view of the West
There are striking affinities between Japan and Russia, noticeable even before either country was fully aware of the other.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 19, 2020
Despite pandemic, some individuals are living ordinary lives
While enormous things are currently happening in the world, we shouldn't altogether lose sight of the small things either.
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.
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.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
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.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

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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