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Howard Chua-Eoan
Tokyo Comic Con took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
CULTURE
Dec 18, 2024
Comic cons are far more than just cosplay
The conventions allow fans of comics to meet their heroes — both actors and authors — with manga and anime playing an increasingly bigger role each year.
Should Trump-o-phobes emulate Ellen DeGeneres, the comedian and ex-talk show host, who has apparently bolted for Britain to avoid the incoming administration?
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 27, 2024
Do you dislike Trump so much you’d quit the U.S. like Ellen?
DeGeneres’s escape from Trump may look like a political statement, but she’s not really a desperate pilgrim in reverse, risking all for new beginnings.
The theft of £300,000 worth of top-grade British cheddar serves as a reminder of the quality and joy British cuisine offers, particularly through its artisanal products like cheese.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024
The great British cheese heist gets personal
A slice of Brightwell Ash cheese serves as a reminder of the quality and joy British cuisine offers, particularly through its artisanal products like cheese.
The film character Godzilla poses on the red carpet during a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California, in November 2004.  
COMMENTARY
Nov 6, 2024
After nearly three-quarters of a century, Godzilla’s monstrous empire is thriving
The famed Japanese monster went from serious metaphor for nuclear destruction to a kitschy pop culture icon.
The emotional impact of constant news about wars and disasters is weighing heavily on many in the younger generations, causing them to seek ways to cope with their distress and anxiety.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024
Is the apocalypse making you too anxious to work?
A poll reveals that a significant portion of the Gen Z and millennial generations feel unable to function at work due to distress over current events.
The history of cooking shows that no country can claim exclusive ownership of a dish, as many iconic foods like kabobs, pizzas, or pad thai have international roots shaped by cultural exchanges.
COMMENTARY
Oct 11, 2024
A battle over the kebab’s nationality
National dishes are often recent constructs, with many foods evolving across regions and influenced by various cultures.
Henry VIII had to deal with xenophobic mobs in England too — and he did so harshly and imperfectly. But there’s an abiding lesson to be learned.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2024
The U.K. riots and an evil day 500 years ago in London
The enmity focused on the foreign-born may have been sparked by misinformation, but that doesn’t disguise the fact that the tinder was waiting to be lit in Britain.
Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist celebrates after scoring the club's sixth goal during their English Premier League football match against Everton on April 15.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2024
Arsenal? Liverpool? Chelsea? Help me pick my 'football' team
This writer’s been in England for six years. It’s time he backed a club.
Tourists wearing rented 'maiko' costumes stroll down a street in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2024
Kyoto and the hard part of soft power
Kyoto has the kind of soft power few cities — and countries — possess.
While privilege may always exist to some extent, efforts can be made to create a more equitable and humane society.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2023
We can move toward a post-privilege era. Who’s in first?
Privilege should be earned and shared, and it's not something that can be confined to a quiet street or an isolated island.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2023
When we were kings: What Shakespeare says about being No. 1
Charles’s crowning is religious pantomime, dramatizing the special relationship between the divine and the head of the royal family — and, by extension, with Britain itself.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2023
Pope Benedict and the art of strategic retirement
Joseph Ratzinger wasn't supposed to be pope. As pope emeritus, he was supposed to go quietly into history. He may be more influential after death.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition