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November 21, 2024
 

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Russell Thomas
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 11, 2020
Pac-Man: How a faceless character based on eating changed video game history
Examining the cultural and commercial legacy of Japan's iconic arcade game on its 40th anniversary.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 2, 2020
Takashi Kokubo: Creating ambient music out of art and the environment
The rerelease of Takashi Kokubo's Bauhaus-inspired album from the 1980s is just another sign that ambient music seems to be making a comeback.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 20, 2020
The long and storied history of shichimi, Japan’s 'seven flavors' spice
Walk into any izakaya in Japan and you'll always find shichimi spice on the table. But what is it, and why has it remained popular for over three centuries?
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jun 12, 2020
Video gamers have pandemic entertainment figured out
Video games Final Fantasy VII Remake and Animal Crossing: New Horizons have engaging storylines, graphics that are worthy of Hollywood and now — a captive audience
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 2, 2020
What is Golden Week and why does it matter?
Due to COVID-19, this year's Golden Week has all but been called off. We take a look at the history behind this cluster of national holidays and why its effective cancelation is a big deal.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 25, 2020
Where we want to go in Japan once this is all over
COVID-19 has put a pause on travel, but that doesn't mean we can't plan. The Japan Times' Escape page regulars write about where they want to go in Japan once we see the back of COVID-19.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 9, 2020
Yumiko Morioka: A good time to find refuge in a reissue of her ambient sounds
Yumiko Morioka's first and only album, 1987's 'Resonance,' gets the reissue treatment, allowing fans to hear the musician's ambient sounds once again.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 4, 2020
When you can’t travel in actual reality, go virtual
During these strange days, the idea of online anything is proving more attractive — and vital. Families experience first-time conference calls, while musicians around the world put on internet gigs for locked-down audiences. Travel, too, is just a tap away, thanks to virtual reality.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 2, 2020
The unstoppable rise of Regal Lily
Regal Lily is supposed to be on tour at the moment. But instead of enjoying what the band’s members like about touring — eating hotel breakfasts, trying local dishes or simply exploring new towns — they’re staying put. There will be no early April show at Mynavi Blitz Akasaka, Tokyo, wrapping...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 4, 2020
Seigen Tokuzawa and Masaki Hayashi form a musical duo from the 'roots of soul'
Cellist Seigen Tokuzawa joins forces with pianist Masaki Hayashi to create new album 'Drift.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 29, 2020
Staying in style: Tokyo's best and brightest hostels
Hostels are no longer on the lower rung of the accommodation ladder. Tokyo's burgeoning hostel scene is brimming with new additions, from the cutting-edge to the repurposed and timeless.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Feb 8, 2020
Escape from Tokyo: Day trips from the capital
Got a spare day and not sure what to do? Russell Thomas suggests some easy day trips from Tokyo, whether you're after sake, art, history, mountains, shrines, festivals or flood defenses.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Feb 1, 2020
Back to the future: The world celebrates the 50th anniversary of Doraemon
As the blue robot cat turns 50, we examine the past, present and future of a Japanese icon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 28, 2019
Hatsuhinode: Where to see the first sunrise of the decade
There's never a better time to catch sunrise in Japan than at new year. From Tokyo Tower to the coast of Chiba Prefecture, here are 10 of the best places to see the first sunrise of the year near Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 14, 2019
Winding back the years in Yokohama’s Yamate district
One of Japan's '100 Cityscapes,' Yokohama's Yamate district — also known as 'The Bluff' — preserves some of the city's elegant European structures and international heritage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 2, 2019
Portals of the past: Peering into Tokyo's traditional kissaten coffee shops
"Sorry, we're full," I hear someone say as I open the door to Ladrio, a pre-eminent kissaten (traditional coffee shop) situated in a tumbledown alley in Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 18, 2019
Top 10: A local's guide to where to see the autumn leaves in Tokyo
From the mansions of former barons to riverside forests, here's Russell Thomas' pick of Tokyo's best autumn leaf-viewing spots.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 20, 2019
Why Kamakura is bigger than its Buddha
Kamakura, capital of Japan's first shogunate (1185-1333), once angled for a UNESCO-shaped stamp of approval. Under the title "Kamakura, Home of the Samurai" there were a number of landmarks included in the proposal. It was roundly rejected by UNESCO in 2013, who concluded that "tangible testimonies of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 26, 2019
Kinugawa Onsen: A dilapidated hot spring town in Tokyo's backyard
Kinugawa Onsen may have had its heyday in the 1980s, but this retro hot spring town still has plenty to offer Tokyoites looking for a weekend getaway close to home.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 15, 2019
Departure melodies: Celebrating the jingles' contribution to the rail experience in Japan
Like the ubiquitous neon signs and abundant convenience stores scattered throughout Tokyo, departure melodies at train stations are probably something many residents don't give much thought to as they travel around the city each day.
Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waves upon arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Callao, Peru, on Friday.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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

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