Search - features

 
 
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 27, 2019

How a sanctions-busting smartphone business thrives in North Korea

North Korea is evading U.N. sanctions by profiting on the soaring domestic demand for smartphones, according to defectors, experts and an analysis of North Korean-made phones.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Sep 27, 2019

Aichi illustrator shines light on local moon-viewing tradition called 'Japan's Halloween'

There is a tradition in Japan of holding moon-viewing parties to celebrate the harvest on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, believed to be the best time of the year to watch the full moon, and this year it fell on Sept. 13.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Sep 26, 2019

Escape the usual TV snoozefest with season three of 'The Bachelor Japan'

The latest season of The Bachelor has dropped on Amazon Prime Video, bringing with it all the drama and absurdity of a Western reality show
Japan Times
Thailand report 2019
Sep 25, 2019

Honda Thailand moves ahead, reflecting its commitment to growing in step with Thai society

For over 36 years, Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd.’s commitment to the country and its people has driven the company’s business growth, both in terms of sales and the scale of Honda’s operations in Thailand.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Sep 24, 2019

'Okayama Art Summit 2019: If the Snake'

Sept. 27-Nov. 24
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 22, 2019

Kengo Kuma: Seeing the forest for the trees in Eskisehir

Nestled between the traditional buildings of Turkey's city of Eskisehir, Kengo Kuma & Associates' design of the new Odunpazari Modern Museum is a love letter to Seljuk, Ottoman and Turkish history.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 21, 2019

Signs of life: Urban renewal in Nakamachi

The oldest surviving quarter of Toba, Mie Prefecture, pins its hopes on crafts and small businesses to stay afloat.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 21, 2019

Student succeeds at failing to start work on his summer homework

For elementary school children in Japan, their weeks-long summer vacation isn't entirely a time for leisure. Instead, it's overshadowed by a stack of homework that features, among other things, an assignment known as jiyū kenkyū (independent project).
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Sep 20, 2019

Mie city's outreach to struggling residents in public housing pays off

Officials in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, are working to reduce rent delinquency among low-income residents of municipal housing, by visiting defaulters individually and compiling custom payment plans.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Sep 20, 2019

Sapporo group to equip emergency shelter for people with special needs

A Sapporo-based association providing support to people with rare and intractable diseases is planning to establish its own shelter early next year allowing people with special needs to find a safe place in the event of an emergency.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Sep 20, 2019

Exhibition traces history of Okinawa tattoo tradition that became a mark of shame

Back when Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879), tattooing the back of women's hands was a common practice, with the tattoos admired by men and women alike for their elaborate designs.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Sep 20, 2019

China's energy game plan features a giant coal-hauling rail line

There is nothing quite like a massive coal rail to demonstrate China's loyalty to the dirtiest of fossil fuels.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 20, 2019

Getting around Japan: 10 essential and free apps for travel

The idea of navigating your way around Tokyo — with an area nearly three times the size of New York City — can be a little daunting. Here’s a selection of useful apps that will help you get from point A to point B, as well as make the most of your time in Japan. And all of these are free (though...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 19, 2019

Huawei promises smartest 5G phone but who will be brave enough to buy?

Huawei launches what could be the world's most powerful and feature-packed 5G smartphone on Thursday, but the fate of the device in Europe will hang on whether it can overcome a U.S. ban to give customers the Google software they expect.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 17, 2019

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to hold dialogue aimed at easing tensions

Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, said Tuesday she and her team would begin dialogue sessions with the community next week, while reiterating that violence that has roiled the city over three months of protests must end.
Japan Times
SUMO
Sep 16, 2019

Sumo 101: Presentation of new recruits

Sumo is a world filled with ritual and costume.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Sep 15, 2019

Fantastic beasts and where to learn about them

'Regnum Imaginarium: Realm of the Marvelous and Uncanny' at Osaka's National Museum of Ethnology delves into the worlds of mermaids, unicorns, werewolves and giants. What more could a kid enjoy?
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 14, 2019

In the shadow of giants: Are high-rise condominiums in Japan destroying local communities?

Tsukishima is among many districts being gentrified by giant condominium projects popping up in the most populous city in the world.
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2019

Japanese agency plans to nurture Afghan industries in bid to provide employment, eradicate poverty

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched an initiative to nurture industrial activity in northern Afghanistan so that local residents can earn regular income in a bid to prevent them from joining extremist groups, it has been learned.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Sep 13, 2019

Plan to cut down ginkgo trees in Fukuoka to improve wheelchair access sparks backlash

An ongoing redevelopment project in the city of Fukuoka has sparked outrage among some local residents and calls for the authorities to reconsider their decision to cut down fully grown ginkgo trees along Fukudai-dori avenue, one of the city's main roads.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Sep 13, 2019

Gifu washi apprentice publishes book of 'insanely difficult' origami animals

Yuga Arisawa, 21, who has loved making complex artworks using origami since he was a child, traveled throughout Japan as a high school student looking for the best paper — fine but able to endure nearly 100 folds.
BUSINESS / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Sep 13, 2019

Fukushima Prefecture sets sights on flying cars to boost recovery and local industry

The Fukushima Prefectural Government is leading a collaborative effort involving companies from different industries and a robotics testing field to invent a flying car.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2019

Japan's mobile phone carriers to launch new iPhones on Sept. 20

Japan's three major mobile phone carriers are set to release the latest models of Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone series on Sept. 20.
Japan Times
Sep 12, 2019

TSUNEISHI FACILITIES & CRAFT Aims to Build the World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Ferry

TSUNEISHI FACILITIES & CRAFT CO., LTD. (HQ: Urasaki-cho, Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan; President: Jun Kambara) will build a hydrogen-powered coastal ferry with technology that enables the use of hydrogen fuel to power for commercial vessels.
Japan Times
SUMO
Sep 11, 2019

Sumo 101: Technique and strategy

One of the defining features of sumo is how quickly bouts end.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Sep 11, 2019

'Hit Me Anyone One More Time': A return to form for comedy stalwart

Koki Mitani's latest comedy feature follows the life of a Japanese prime minister trying to make good as he deals with memory loss

Longform

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