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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 6, 2021

Dagashiya in decline: The slow fade of a traditional sweets institution

These classic shops, where you could buy sweets for u00a530, once held a key social role. A few still remain, peddling nostalgia to both kids and adults.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 3, 2021

Of course the boss cares what you say on Twitter

This isn't about free speech or cancel culture. It's about employability. People who think they have unlimited free speech on social media are deluding themselves about how companies work.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jan 31, 2021

Yoshihiro Makino: 'One early morning I realized that a sunrise is more beautiful than a sunset'

Photographer Yoshihiro Makino began his career by snapping pictures of Tokyo's vibrant youth culture before establishing himself as an in-demand artist in Los Angeles.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 27, 2021

Men enlisted to fight 'tradition' of gender violence in Cambodia

A series of events in the Southeast Asian nation in 2020 drew condemnation from advocates around the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 23, 2021

The social media creators in Japan to keep an eye on in 2021

With parts of the country entering a second state of emergency, here's four digital producers that could define the year u2026
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
Jan 23, 2021

Poetry and translation are intertwined for Sawako Nakayasu

For poet Sawako Nakayasu, 45, a multicultural upbringing is what forged her distinctive perspective of language and artistic expression. Nakayasu was born in Yokohama and moved to the United States with her family when she was six. Although she was raised mostly in the U.S., Nakayasu also lived in France...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 22, 2021

Radical recombinations: Capture the moment with created kanji

A yearly contest asks Japanese speakers to come up with new kanji to reflect modern times, providing a fun way to learn and understand the characters.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 1, 2021

After a year of anxiety, what can we expect from the Year of the Ox in 2021?

Astrologers say the ox denotes hard work, positivity and honesty — stable qualities that will be manifested in all of us in some way or another over the next 12 months.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 28, 2020

Anne Frank and Sadako Sasaki: Two girls that symbolize the horrors of war

The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II came amid a pandemic. We take a moment to look back to remember two people in particular who died in that global crisis.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 27, 2020

The blast that blew away Lebanon's faith in itself

The lack of answers over the catastrophe is making it difficult for an already crippled nation to rise from the ashes again.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2020 in review
Dec 19, 2020

Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020

As 2021 approaches, six Japan Times book reviewers look back on their top reads released in English this year.
Japan Times
ESG CONSORTIUM
Dec 11, 2020

ESG awards recognize efforts on energy, child labor

To achieve the 17 U.N. sustainable development goals and bring a better future for all, what is needed is action by not just every government but also all organizations and each person. Borderless collaboration will accelerate such efforts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 5, 2020

Spaces for living: How Tokyo’s urban landscape deals with change

Exploring the city's constant flux — and the cost to its heritage.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 1, 2020

I'm sorry, but I think you can complain a little bit better than that

Japanese is well-known for being an indirect language, but that doesn't mean you can't make your dissatisfaction with a situation clear to others.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2020

Schools lauded for COVID-19 response and support

The number of international students enrolled in Japanese universities and vocational schools is on the rise. In May 2019, this number stood at 312,214, up from 164,000 in 2011, and the number of students who chose to work in Japan after graduating has more than doubled since 2013.
Japan Times
Nov 30, 2020

From Japan to the world – Lixil’s sustainability mission - Roundtable: Sustainability with Ross Rowbury -

The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd. (representative director: Minako Suematsu) launched Roundtable by The Japan Times, a series of talk events that will be broadcast in Japan.
Japan Times
PRESS / Events
Nov 30, 2020

Roundtable: Sustainability with Ross Rowbury

The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd. (representative director: Minako Suematsu) launched Roundtable by The Japan Times, a series of talk events that will be broadcast in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 25, 2020

Evidence builds that an early mutation made the pandemic harder to stop

There is no evidence that a coronavirus with the mutation causes more severe symptoms, kills more people or complicates the development of vaccines.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 22, 2020

Joy Jarman-Walsh: 'Japan could be a world-leader in post-COVID-19 travel'

Joy Jarman-Walsh pushes sustainable tourism in her podcasts and YouTube series, and she's optimistic about Japan's role in it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Nov 16, 2020

A charm offensive in the Yoshiwara pleasure district

Life in the pleasure district was fun, if you were capable of mustering up the right amount of charm.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 14, 2020

Reaction videos take center stage as YouTubers seek to decipher online content about Japan

Genre's roots can be traced to the sort of interactions once typically found on Japanese mainstream TV.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 11, 2020

Episode 72: Preserving the endangered Ainu language

The Ainu language has been declared critically endangered by UNESCO, with few people left alive today who speak it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 6, 2020

Pandemic keeps salarymen away from Fukuoka adult nightlife district

Though circumstances of infections and anti-prevention measures have differed from shop to shop, all have been treated as if they present the worst risks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2020

Sean Connery and James Bond brought Japan to the world

“You Only Live Twice” highlights the cultural differences between Japan and the West without belittling them.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 3, 2020

K-pop's social media power spurs Thailand's youth protests

From raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Thai protesters to inspiring the youths who join demonstrations through dances and social media, K-pop fans have emerged as a potent political force in Thailand's anti-government movement.
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Niseko Winter Special 2020
Oct 26, 2020

Powder hub offers outdoor activities, culinary treats

Fresh powder, lots of it, almost every day — that simple combination is enough to bring hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders to the slopes of the western Hokkaido town of Niseko every winter.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 25, 2020

Nahid Yoshinari: 'I love to involve the audience in the music'

An announcer and translator at NHK, Nahid Yoshinari is happy to share her Persian culture with people in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Oct 23, 2020

Refinement, artistry of swords

Samurai culture can be said to represent the epitome of Japan in its combination of strength and beauty.

Longform

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