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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2015

The poverty of American presidential politics

The time, effort and money that will be poured into the battle for the U.S. presidency are enormous, but the difference the outcome will make is limited.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / LOCAL POLLS '15
Apr 20, 2015

Naturalized Kabukicho denizen hopes to teach China lesson in democracy

Komaki Lee gained fame as a pioneering 'Kabukicho guide' who showed foreign visitors the ins and outs of the capital's seedy nightlife entertainment district in Shinjuku Ward. Now he's going into politics.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Apr 19, 2015

Lord of the manor: Cat Chatby finds a home in Kawasaki

Since appearing in The Japan Times in November, Milan, rechristened Chatby, has found a home.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 15, 2015

Jidaigeki revival?

The jidaigeki (samurai period drama) genre, whose films and TV series featuring sword-swinging samurai once dominated popular culture here, has long since fallen on hard times. In contrast to its 1950s peak, when jidaigeki accounted for nearly half the films in theaters, the genre has become something...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
Apr 14, 2015

SAS adds new features in long-haul upgrades

Scandinavian Airlines will conduct a complete renewal of its existing long-haul fleet by upgrading four A330 and four A340 aircraft this year.
WORLD
Apr 14, 2015

U.S. presses for probe into row at U.N. over whistle-blowers who warned of computer shipments to North Korea

Whistle-blowers at the United Nations patent agency say their concerns that computer shipments to North Korea may have violated sanctions were stifled for years.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 12, 2015

Grammy-winning rapper Nelly arrested on felony drug charges in Tennessee

Grammy-award winning rapper Nelly was arrested on felony drug charges Saturday after a Tennessee state trooper stopped the vehicle he was traveling in and found illegal drugs, authorities said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Apr 11, 2015

Take a slow, deep dive into marine life

Island nations have a unique relationship with the sea, and for Japan these connections often manifest themselves through its culture and cuisine. This can make an aquarium visit doubly interesting: Come for the fish, stay to watch the visitors as they admire each tank's inhabitants with a unique mixture...
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 9, 2015

The BBC's worldwide coverage is losing its way

BBC worldwide coverage is increasingly losing its way, suffering from budget cuts, dumbing down of content, loss of news priorities and a sacrifice of a true world view.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 8, 2015

The murder ballads of Mexico's brutal drug war

A group of Mexican folk musicians take the stage, guitars in hand and tuba at the back. Based on the gaudy outfits they're dressed in — a mix of mariachi style with Vegas-era Elvis — you might think you know how they're going to sound. Then you notice one of the musicians is holding a bazooka, and...
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2015

Sony boosts spending on camera sensor chips

Sony Corp. announced its second boost to capacity for chips used in camera sensors this year to meet demand for components it supplies for devices, including Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Apr 4, 2015

Okinawa: In the crosshairs of war

"We always seem to be at the tail end of history, dragged along roads already ruined by others."
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / OLYMPIC NOTEBOOK
Apr 4, 2015

Olympic channel set to innovate, inspire

The evolution of Olympic TV coverage mirrors technological changes that have transformed broadcast media — and society — over the past 50-plus years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 3, 2015

Multiracial Miss Universe Japan hopes to change homeland's thinking on identity

Ariana Miyamoto hadn't planned to enter a Japanese beauty contest because she figured her multiracial origins meant she couldn't win. Then a close multiracial friend committed suicide.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 1, 2015

Better call Saul to come fix Japan's streaming services

After "Breaking Bad" finished its five-year run in 2013, fans mourned the loss of one of the most gripping, innovative TV series they'd ever seen. When the head writer and executive producer of "Breaking Bad," Vince Gilligan, announced that there would be a spinoff series, people had their doubts, but...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Mar 29, 2015

Hell of war reaffirmed joys of the simple life for Okinawan, 102

For a man who once narrowly escaped execution after being forced to dig his own grave, 102-year-old Okinawan Shoko Nagamine is doing remarkably well.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 28, 2015

'License to Play' compiles research on all things ludic in Japanese culture

The stereotype of a stressed-out salaryman, vacantly sipping on his post-overtime can of beer, does little to confirm that Japanese society is deeply clued into notions of fun and play.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 26, 2015

Twenty years of 'Riverdance' and it's never been out of step

"Riverdance" is returning to Japan. Twenty years on from its debut as an interval in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, the Irish step-dancing show that revamped and massively expanded the genre's global appeal is returning to Japan for its sixth tour.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 21, 2015

Tunisian in museum attack showed no signs of hard-line Islamist ideology

Shortly before he and a friend gunned down 20 foreign tourists — including three Japanese — on Wednesday at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, Yassine al-Abidi sat down to a breakfast of olive oil and dates with his family and left for work at his travel agency as usual.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2015

Sony's PS4 hits China but with few games

The PlayStation 4 debuted Friday in China, but with few games and bare-bone online services as Sony navigates tight censorship rules to get a toehold in the world's biggest gaming market.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 18, 2015

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

It isn't the greatest of franchises but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to "Night at the Museum." The third and final installment, "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," of the zany, entertainment-for-all vehicle also marks the last screen appearance of Robin Williams, who died last...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 18, 2015

All change for Kanze noh theater

Of Japan's many traditional performing arts, noh is the most refined — and among its most prominent figures today is 55-year-old Kiyokazu Kanze, the 26th head of its largest faction, the Kanze School.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 18, 2015

Psycho-drama mystery tests Tani's 'pop' principles

"Probably nobody ever got involved with theater the way I did," Kenichi Tani said with a laugh, explaining that because his teachers at school were "really boring" he set his sights on becoming an interesting teacher in the future.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Mar 18, 2015

Jeter, Matsui team up for good cause

When Derek Jeter was asked whom he idolized growing up, he immediately mentioned Dave Winfield, saying the former Yankees player was "larger than life," and that he had a poster of Winfield in his room as a child. Then a wry smile flashed across his face.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 18, 2015

North Korea Web outage was reprisal for Sony hack, U.S. lawmaker says

A December blackout of North Korea's Internet was retaliation for that nation's hacking of computers at Sony Corp.'s Hollywood studio, a top U.S. lawmaker on cybersecurity issues said without identifying who was responsible.
CULTURE / Japan Pulse
Mar 16, 2015

Shochiku Kabuki x Uniqlo

Uniqlo's UT curators go deep into Japanese traditions for its latest collaboration.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Mar 13, 2015

Art is for everyone, including kids

Last fall, British artist Jake Chapman found a spectacular way to irritate arts-minded parents like me — all the while "coincidentally" generating controversy and interest in his latest show where there was previously none. Chapman is a shock merchant, so I should have realized that his words might...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 10, 2015

Momus honors music's eccentrics on 'Turpsycore'

Twenty years ago the Shibuya-kei music scene was in full swing. The charts were filled with some of the most daring, artistic pop music this country had ever heard, courtesy of artists such as Cornelius, Pizzicato Five, Original Love and Kahimi Karie.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / TRAVEL INSIDER
Mar 10, 2015

Sky-high coffee; Dreamliner expansion

Sky-high coffee

Longform

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