Search - i

 
 
Serbia's Novak Djokovic during his second round match against Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles at the U.S. Open in New York on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Aug 31, 2023

Djokovic ramps up U.S. Open bid as Swiatek and Gauff stroll

Djokovic climbed through the gears against 76th-ranked Bernabe Zapata Miralles, winning 13 of the last 15 games to ease through 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.
Pictured in his Kyoto kitchen, Alain Ducasse has the largest collection of Michelin stars of any chef alive — not that he puts much stock in such accolades.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 3, 2023

Alain Ducasse: ‘The Kyoto customer wants refinement’

The world’s most Michelin-starred chef sees those stars as a “reward” instead of an “objective.”
A child stands in front of the Hibiya Music Hall, which collapsed during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 31, 2023

The earthquake that turned Tokyo to ash

This week we commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake.
Mizuki Yoneyama is the Kodo taiko troupe's first female odaiko (large-scale drum) player, an indication that things are changing in the traditional community.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 2, 2023

For these women, taiko drumming is no longer a man's art

Ensemble taiko shows were developed in the 1950s, primarily by male leaders. Women taking part in Kodo’s early recitals only performed dance routines.
Bogdan Marynenko, 19-year-old construction worker, at Lazienki Park in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 1, 2023

'Don't belong there': the Ukrainians dodging the frontlines

Since the beginning of the war, authorities have detained 13,600 people trying to cross the border outside of checkpoints, a border guard spokesman said.
Coco Gauff celebrates after a point during her match against Caroline Wozniacki   at the U.S. Open in New York on Sunday.
TENNIS
Sep 4, 2023

Coco Gauff ends Caroline Wozniacki's comeback tour at U.S. Open

Gauff has been playing the best tennis of her career this season, picking up titles in Washington and Cincinnati
Novak Djokovic of Serbiaeacts during his U.S. Open men’s singles quarterfinal match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. in New York on Tuesday. Djokovic won 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
TENNIS / Tennis
Sep 6, 2023

Djokovic and Gauff steam into U.S. Open semifinals

Djokovic will appear in a record 47th major semi-final, eclipsing the mark he shared with longtime nemesis Roger Federer.
Actor Nahana says she considers her role as a punk rocker who falls in love with an avenging hero in Takahisa Zeze’s four-hour epic “Heaven’s Story” a turning point in her career.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 6, 2023

Indie film royalty Nahana looks back on 22 years

The Cinema Novecento theater in Yokohama is set to screen 12 of the versatile actor's films as a tribute to her long career.
An activist in Seoul protests Japan’s plan to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 7, 2023

Anger at Fukushima’s wastewater; hope in its renewables

Good news and bad news out of Fukushima.
Naomi Osaka participates in a forum on mental health during the U.S. Open in New York on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Sep 7, 2023

Naomi Osaka makes U.S. Open return. But not for tennis.

Naomi Osaka returned to the U.S. Open to participate in a forum on mental health and sports alongside former Olympian Michael Phelps.
Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa with his dog Sunny in Fukuoka
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 9, 2023

Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa: 'It’s better to live without being noticed everywhere.’

A former rikishi, Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa has swapped his sumo stable for the life of a salaryman.
More cooks are pursuing careers in cooking for wealthy clients, but the glitz that makes it into viral TikTok videos isn’t always the whole picture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 10, 2023

Private chefs toe the line between occupation and isolation

A new chapter in the age of food celebrity is unfolding online as more cooks take up careers as private chefs and go public with the perks of the job.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 8, 2023

Kauan Okamoto finds some closure after recognition of Kitagawa abuse

“I felt a bit better. There’s nothing more I want to say to Johnny & Associates,” Okamoto said.
"Lost in Translation" was a sleeper hit about two people meeting in an unfamiliar city and forming an intense and fleeting emotional bond.
CULTURE / Film / Longform
Sep 9, 2023

'Lost in Translation' at 20: A Tokyo perspective

The Japanese cast and crew of Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" reflect on their experiences decades later.
Coco Gauff celebrates next to former tennis champion Billie Jean King after winning the U.S. Open against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
TENNIS
Sep 10, 2023

U.S. teen Coco Gauff fights back to win U.S. Open

Coco Gauff, 19, clinches her first Grand Slam title, overpowering Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final to become the first American win since 2017.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson is aiming to end a 30-year drought for the Americans in Europe.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Sep 13, 2023

Zach Johnson ready for blame if U.S. should fall at Ryder Cup

Many of the U.S. players have visited the Marco Simone host course near Rome for a sneak peek at the challenging layout they will face.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 13, 2023

Hokutofuji shines early as sumo's English streaming era begins

The Day 2 presentation by YouTube channel Sumo Prime Time was a welcome development for international fans.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) is sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on the play.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Sep 14, 2023

Jets' Aaron Rodgers vows to 'rise again' after season-ending injury

Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury four plays into his debut with the Jets on Monday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in South Africa on Aug. 23
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 14, 2023

What does Xi really mean? Chinese diplomacy’s true intentions

Decoding the true meaning behind Xi Jinping's words, and his silences, reveals an increasingly isolated China.
Nobody wishes for a medical emergency, but preparing for one while you're in a foreign country can only make things easier.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 18, 2023

How to avoid medical purgatory when hospitalized in Japan

Much like a legal will, a visit to the hospital is the last thing for which you want to prepare — yet doing so will save you stress and worry.
Fans watch the F1 Tokyo Festival outside Kabukicho Tower in Shinjuku Ward on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 20, 2023

Formula One fans fill up Tokyo festival ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

Thousands skipped work and school to get a glimpse of two-time champion Max Verstappen, hometown hero Yuki Tsunoda and other drivers.
Leaves of marijuana plants from which hemp fibers are extracted at Japan's largest legal marijuana farm in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on July 5, 2016
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 21, 2023

Does a university cannabis scandal point to a larger trend?

A drugs scandal at Japan’s biggest university draws attention to a troubling statistic: Cannabis use among young people is on the rise.
Diane Hawley Nagatomo at her home office in Chiba. Born in the U.K., Diane has called Japan “home” for more than 40 years.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 23, 2023

Diane Hawley Nagatomo: ‘The only way to improve writing is to write’

After retiring from her position as a professor in 2022, Diane Hawley Nagatomo has just released her first novel, “The Butterfly Cafe.”
Freshness and seasonality, along with the chef's ability to highlight both, feature heavily in Japanese fine dining.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 24, 2023

Does Japan's fine dining philosophy stand alone?

While Japanese fine dining is not as categorically defined as French gastronomie, a culture of refined dining has long existed in the country.
John Williams (right) and Seiji Ozawa (center) have been friends for decades. Their long-awaited reunion in Japan comes courtesy of a musical collaboration between Williams and the Saito Kinen Orchestra for the 31st edition of Ozawa’s annual music festival.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 24, 2023

Music legends John Williams and Seiji Ozawa reunite at Matsumoto festival

The American composer and conductor led a special program featuring his famous film scores at his long-time friend's annual event in Nagano Prefecture.
Steve Kerr, who coached Team USA at the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup, is entering the final year of his contract with the Warriors.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Sep 26, 2023

Steve Kerr sees future at Warriors despite expiring contract

Kerr has led the Warriors to four NBA championships since taking over as coach in 2014.
(From left) G.R.D.V., Marao and Ryuseigun Saionji make up BBBBBBB (seven Bs pronounced one letter at a time), an Aichi Prefecture-based project whose brand of digital hardcore has made it one of the up-and-coming figures in Japan’s contemporary underground scene.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 28, 2023

BBBBBBB's sense of humor cuts through the noise

The Aichi Prefecture-based digital hardcore project finds inspiration in the loud chaos of Hollywood blockbusters from the 1990s.
Students from Yanagawa High School and its Thai-affiliated junior high school pose for a photo during an exchange event in August.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Oct 2, 2023

Pioneering Thai-Japanese school aims to nurture global minds

Yanagawa Junior High School Thailand is affiliated with a school in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Aoi Suzuki and her two sons head back down to a barbecue after watching the sun set.
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 28, 2023

Traveling Okinawa with a broken heart

Writer and photographer Lance Henderstein reads us his article on traveling Okinawa during the rainy season.
Jessica Gerrity says kyūdō is for everyone. It's just a matter of finding a dojo that fits you best.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 30, 2023

‘Archery gives me a chance to decompress from a busy life’

Gerrity is trained in several forms of traditional Japanese martial arts and works to promote Japanese culture as a tourism ambassador.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.