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December 22, 2024
 

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Kit Nagamura
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Apr 18, 2022
Seeing a new life: George Nobechi’s path to photography
Back in the day, photos used to be produced in a darkroom, where a film negative would be enlarged to expose a sheet of paper. The paper would appear blank, until swished gently in a bath of developer fluid. Gradually, an image would emerge.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jan 23, 2022
Exploring the poetry of an exiled emperor on the Oki Islands
Go-Toba, Japan's 82nd emperor, used his time in exile to advance the ancient poetic form known as waka.
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
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 11, 2020
Kokubunji: Signs of the times on Tokyo's western front
Named for its temple, history and legend flow through Kokubunji.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Dec 7, 2019
A last triumph of autumn in rain-soaked Kokubunji
A dreary drizzle of rain falls on the November day I've set aside for walking out along the Kokubunji gaisen (cliff line) in western Tokyo. Despite the weather, my hope is to catch some late autumn colors, so I yank on my trusty rubber birdwatching boots and head out west on the Chuo Line.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Oct 4, 2019
Good, clean dining in the alleyways of Shiba
Minutes from Tamachi Station, the area of Shiba, is a maze of weathered watering holes, chain restaurants, karaoke joints and gritty izakaya (Japanese pubs), like an east Tokyo version of Shinjuku's Golden Gai.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Aug 2, 2019
The little curiosities of Monzen-Nakacho
From craft goods and antiques to unusual galettes and premium sake, Tokyo's Mon-Naka neighborhood has it all.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 5, 2019
Quiet luxury in lesser-known Kansai
The Kansai area — think Kyoto, Osaka and surrounds — has some of the country's best anaba (little-known spots) where you can encounter the rich depths of Japanese culture, minus the crowds. Reserve one of these nine luxuriously uncrowded options to take your travels to new levels.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
May 31, 2019
Rock gardens, ryokan and rafting in Tokyo's Mitake
From the historic Kajikaen to kimono dyeing studios and the Gyokudo Art Museum, numerous institutions of traditional art and culture line the banks of the Tama River as it runs through Mitake.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Apr 5, 2019
Up high on a rickshaw, new views of old Asakusa
Although the streets of Asakusa are familiar stomping grounds for tourists and locals alike, a ride on a jinrikisha (rickshaw) can bring a refreshing new perspective to the historic area, and even reveal a secret spot or two.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Feb 1, 2019
Coffee connections in tranquil Togoshi
Togoshi's local businesses are quirky, wholesome and close-knit. But what truly brings this district together is the coffee shop that supplies them all with bespoke blends.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jan 4, 2019
Exploring Jiyugaoka's venerable shopping arcade
Winter winds whistle as I exit Jiyugaoka Station in Tokyo's Meguro Ward, surrounded by a flock of boisterous high school students in black uniforms. Their joyous chatter as we walk into brilliant sunshine at the station's main exit reminds me that the station and area was named in 1930 for a nearby high...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 30, 2018
Tottori's wild meat has many benefits for those who are game
As consuming wild meat, including wild boar and deer, gains popularity in Japan, Tottori Prefecture, in the Chugoku region of Honshu, aims to game to the next level.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Nov 30, 2018
Taking a perch with the hip birds of Uguisudanicho
One of two places in Tokyo named after valleys favored by the melodious uguisu (Japanese bush warbler), Uguisudanicho is a small neighborhood wedged between Daikanyama, Ebisu and Shibuya straddling the line between old-school businesses and gentrification.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Nov 2, 2018
Playing cat and mouse in the alleyways of Harajuku
Although most people familiar with Tokyo's Harajuku area have explored — or at least heard of — the uber-trendy and fashion-focused Cat Street, the smaller and quieter road that runs above it is full of its own unique mishmash of history, food and fashion.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Oct 5, 2018
Banking on the riverside alleyways of Komagata
Venerated establishments and new shops putting their own spin on traditional food and craft exist side by side in Tokyo's aquatic Komagata neighborhood.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Aug 3, 2018
Rocking the hot stuff in weathered Narihira
Although the Tokyo neighborhood of Narihira is slowly shifting toward a younger demographic, a postwar vibe still lingers in its back alleys and keeps its community close-knit.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jul 6, 2018
History is woven into the very fabric of Ome
Ome has a long history of high-quality textile production, and today's designers are trying to preserve old fabrics and techniques while still giving them a contemporary update.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jun 1, 2018
A small slice of Showa Era life, preserved in Ome
Ome brings 'Showa Retro' to life with vintage movie posters, goods and trains.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
May 11, 2018
Slow-paced Izu Oshima is anything but sleepy
A mere Jetfoil away from Tokyo, travelers to Izu Oshima island can expect volcanic hikes, fresh local cuisine and an abundance of hospitality.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party and opposition party Kuomintang brawl in parliament in Taipei on Friday.
Ride-hailing restrictions to be eased during 2025 Osaka Expo
A venue for the 2025 Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka
Foxconn's interest in Nissan said to be on hold amid Honda merger talks
Foxconn’s pause in its pursuit of Nissan is the latest development in the unexpected emergence of two suitors for the ailing Japanese carmaker.
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
With rare Asia carrier deployment, France seeks greater interoperability
The flight deck of the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier during a stop at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in May 2019

Podcast

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

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
By Alex K.T. Martin

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