Don't handle the tiles with both hands. Don't click them more than necessary. And don't show disappointment.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='250' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='../images/photos2006/nn20060508f1a.jpg' WIDTH='250' HEIGHT='176'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>Ryan Morris –

shows banker Liam Hearns which tile to discard during a mahjong lesson in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

Mahjong may be a game of skill, intelligence, calculation and luck, but Jenn Barr also believes in good form.

Two men suspected of smuggling 1 ton of gold into Japan from South Korea
U.K. gold bullion bars and coins are displayed at Baird & Co. in Hatton Garden in London.
Americans with four-year degrees now comprise a record 25% of unemployed workers
A job fair in Fletcher, North Carolina. The unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree-holders in the U.S. rose to 2.8% in September, up a half-percentage point from a year earlier.
War refugee Aonishiki becomes first Ukrainian to win sumo tournament
Ukrainian sumo wrestler Aonishiki receives the Prime Minister's Cup from Takahiro Inoue, an adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on Sunday in Fukuoka after becoming the first from his nation to win a tournament in the traditional Japanese sport.
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.
Top Chinese diplomat weighs in on Takaichi’s ‘shocking’ Taiwan remarks
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Lanting Forum in Beijing on Oct. 27.
TV icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's memoir paints a life of both war and glamour
“Totto” in “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was the nickname young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi gave herself as a child, mispronouncing her first name.
The secret to 'Last Samurai Standing'? Treating live action like anime.
“Last Samurai Standing” centers on a mysterious fighting event in which participants must hack and slash their opponents apart to collect enough wooden tags to win a big-money prize.
‘Tampopo’ lives on in bowls of ramen around the world
Juzo Itami's 1985 movie "Tampopo" has inspired many restaurateurs around the world to open their own ramen shop with the same name, such as this establishment in Auckland, New Zealand.
All systems Go for upstart Machida Zelvia after landmark Emperor’s Cup triumph
Machida manager Go Kuroda lifts the trophy as the club celebrates its victory over Vissel Kobe in the Emperor’s Cup final at National Stadium on Saturday.
Japan plans higher visa fees for foreign residents
Along with planned higher fees for foreign residents to stay, Japan is looking to raise the ¥3,000 single-entry visa fee for inbound tourists to Western standards in the next fiscal year.

Our Planet

The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
By Joel Tansey

Podcast

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

Longform

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” was released Nov. 23, 1985, and though it wasn’t a hit at the time, it has gained a cult following in the years since.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40
By Weiwen Lin

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