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Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2017

Hard-core vinyl fans are fueling a revival in obscure Japanese music from the 1980s

Fans of Japanese vinyl have good reason to be happy. HMV recently opened a store in the Kichijoji area dedicated to selling records — the third such establishment in Tokyo — and April 22 is Record Store Day. What started in 2012 as four artists putting out special releases has evolved into a day...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 11, 2017

Kakiemon: Generations of beauty

There's still time to enjoy cherry blossoms. Through May 14, the Toguri Museum of Art in Tokyo is exhibiting a stunning new work by Sakaida Kakiemon XV, the current inheritor of one of the most famous names in Japanese porcelain. The very large lidded jar, commissioned by the museum to commemorate its...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 1, 2017

'Killing Commendatore': Murakami's latest lacks inspired touch of earlier works

Haruki Murakami has lost his magic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 1, 2017

'Fractures': Putting together the pieces of a story told in verse

"Fractures" is a slip of a book featuring 27 haiku-inspired poems from author and Japan Times contributor Iain Maloney.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 29, 2017

'Nekoatsume House': The cat's meow of Japanese comedy

Japanese audiences never seem to tire of movies about dogs and cats. The millions of devoted pet owners here are certainly one reason, though the Brits, also known for their animal worship, do not express it as often in films.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Mar 29, 2017

The psychological perils of a Japanese homestay

All the homestays I have done in my life — three of them — were psychologically traumatic in uniquely torturous ways.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Mar 27, 2017

Seiko contemporary masters demonstrate craftsmanship

Demonstrating the quintessential Japanese sense of beauty and intricate craftsmanship, Seiko Watch Corp. is releasing another limited edition mechanical watch from its high-end Credor brand this summer.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Mar 25, 2017

Allowing the arty side of kids to blossom

Spring is a season of art. As winter recedes, the air fills with creative energy. Tokyo's art fairs at this time of the year can be fun with kids, but the crowds and sheer volume of exhibitors can be overwhelming. The city does, however, offer plenty of other art opportunities if you know where to look,...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2017

Why people still live, and die, on garbage dumps

In the developing world, huge open dumps loom as one of this century's most pressing health and environmental challenges.
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Mar 18, 2017

The evolution of the Japanese ego: the discovery of themselves

'There was no room for mercy in view of their crime." None asked, none given. "They met their end ... with ... a touching acquiescence in their fate."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 16, 2017

U.S. may find tough negotiator in fiery minister Aso

In his presidential campaign last year, U.S. President Donald Trump promised to scrap trade deals that gave unfair advantages to other nations and replace them with new ones that would revitalize the U.S. economy and bring jobs back home.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Mar 12, 2017

Militant approach to collecting fees hurts JASRAC's reputation

At the start of 2017, it was hard to imagine a way that the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) could garner more hate from social media users than its already received. The music copyright management organization has long been one of the most loathed institutions...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 11, 2017

'Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien': Excavating Edo's ancient memes with the power of 'yokai'

Beginning with 2008's "Yokai Attack!," translators Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have been on a quest to bring an aspect of Japanese culture that has lurked in the shadows to the world at large.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 9, 2017

India's democracy is strained by illiberalism

India continues to be robustly, even chaotically, democratic. But its freedom is under growing threat.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Mar 8, 2017

Hall of Fame boss Idelson deepening understanding of Japan baseball

Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, has spoken to groups of kids before.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Mar 8, 2017

China to launch lunar probe this year, testing capability for 'march towards deep space'

China on Tuesday announced plans to launch a probe to bring back samples from the moon before the end of the year, which state media cast as competition to U.S. President Donald Trump's ambitions to revitalize U.S. space exploration.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 2, 2017

SoftBank Robotics plans app store for humanoid Pepper robot

The team behind Pepper, the humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics, are planning a platform for the machine where developers create applications for everyday use, such as guarding your home or vacuuming the floor.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 1, 2017

'Snow Woman': chillingly modern

The Japanese folklore story of the "Snow Woman" has been told in many places, in many ways, and in many versions, but best-known is that of Lafcadio Hearn, the Greek-Irish writer who published it in his 1904 collection, "Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things."
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 23, 2017

Regional underdog shows Japanese banks how to beat demographics

Critics say Kochi Shinkin Bank has lost its way and is acting more like an investment firm than a regional lender. Supporters say it shows that provincial banks can thrive in Japan even as their customer base shrinks, so long as they're prepared to adopt new business models.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Feb 23, 2017

Welcome the season with sushi

The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, a Luxury Collection hotel in Tokyo, is offering the "Karin Temarisushi" sushi lunch plan — inspired by flower gardens — until May 31.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 23, 2017

What to prepare for when you're expecting one of Murakami's mammoths

Haruki Murakami has put scientists to shame. Harvard geneticists recently announced that they are two years away from bringing the wooly mammoth back from extinction, while Murakami is releasing his latest mammoth tonight: His novel "Kishidancho Goroshi" will be published in two 500-page volumes via...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 11, 2017

Defiant Apa paints a target on its back

"The Japanese airplanes attacked, and a total of 1,200 men, roughly half the victims of Pearl Harbor, died in action on the USS Arizona. ... In general, the powder magazine at the ship's bottom is not induced to explode in a bombing and it would not have caught fire and blown up six minutes after the...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Feb 11, 2017

New, old and classic — Mintdesigns, vintage clothing and Mihara Yasuhiro

Minty fresh designs
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Feb 10, 2017

U.S., Chinese military planes in 'unsafe' encounter over disputed South China Sea

A U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft and a Chinese military plane were involved in an "unsafe" encounter earlier this week in international airspace over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Pacific Command said Friday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 7, 2017

'The Collection of Matsumoto City Museum of Art: Connections, Nature and Yayoi Kusama'

Feb. 11-March 12
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 4, 2017

Trump administration tightens Iran sanctions; Tehran hits back with its own restrictions

The Trump administration on Friday imposed sanctions on Iran, calling them "initial steps" and saying Washington would no longer turn a "blind eye" to Iran's hostile actions.

Longform

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