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BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 31, 2014

Forget North Korea, Sony hack may have been an inside job

At least one former employee of Sony Corp. may have helped hackers orchestrate the cyberattack on the company's film and TV unit, according to security researcher Norse Corp.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 30, 2014

'Kohaku' rallies the J-pop acts, but don't count enka out just yet

On New Year's Eve, many families in Japan inevitably wind up gathered around the TV to watch a selection of holiday programming. One of the most popular shows is NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen."
EDITORIALS
Dec 29, 2014

Pesky political fund problems

The return of Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc to a two-thirds majority in the Lower House has all but sidelined a spate of political fund problems that hit Cabinet members before the snap election. But it has not erased them.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2014

Hacking of low brow movie raises high stakes issues

The movie 'The Interview,' featuring the supposed blowing up of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, is a sad commentary on the idiocies of our troubled times. It should not have been made.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2014

'Plant hunter' on quest to shake up horticulture with rare trees, flowers

From the isolated Socotra Islands off Yemen in the Arabian Sea to the dry forests of Argentina, Seijun Nishihata has traveled to 33 countries over the past 13 years to track down unique plant species for clients all over the world.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 27, 2014

Learning to love robots

With half the decade complete, we examine an industry that has significantly changed the way we think about ourselves.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 25, 2014

'Kawaii' gets a landmark

While Japanese cool hunters might lament the lack of pop cultural exports in recent years — all the more conspicuous when compared to K-Pop's successful forays westward — kawaii (cute) culture has quietly permeated into global consciousness with all the effortless grace of singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 25, 2014

Sony mulled sale of music division that owns Beatles catalog: stolen email

Sony Corp. was considering the sale of its music publishing business, including a partnership with Michael Jackson's estate, which owns the Beatles catalog, as recently as last month, emails released by hackers show.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 24, 2014

Top 10 films of 2014: made in Japan, for Japan

Are Japanese films in decline? Not at the box office, where they still beat the Hollywood competition (with the huge exception this year of "Frozen"), but what about international festival invitations, awards and critical buzz? The answer depends on your perspective. For overseas festivals specializing...
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2014

Sony planned to sell music-publishing unit owning Beatles songs: hacked emails

Sony Corp. was considering the sale of its music-publishing business, including a partnership with Michael Jackson's estate that owns the Beatles catalog, as recently as last month, emails released by hackers show.
BASKETBALL / NBA / NBA REPORT
Dec 23, 2014

First Air Jordans were banned by NBA for clashing with team colors

This is the third installment from Hall of Fame writer Sam Smith's new book "There Is No Next: NBA Legends on the Legacy of Michael Jordan."
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2014

Job insecurity explains why Kim can't take a joke

North Korea's 30-something dictator Kim Jong Un's over-the-top reaction to Sony's satire 'The Interview' is rooted in his manifest insecurity about his grip on power and his need to maintain his cult of personality.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 23, 2014

North Korean Net access restored after long outage amid hacking dispute

North Korea's limited access to the Internet was restored after being cut off for hours, days after the U.S. government accused the country of hacking into Sony Corp.'s files.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 22, 2014

Hit manga 'One Piece' to be adapted as kabuki

It's like putting old wine in new bottles.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 19, 2014

Google planning built-in Android system for cars

Google is laying the groundwork for a version of Android that will be built directly into cars, sources said, allowing drivers to enjoy all the benefits of the Internet without even plugging in their smartphones.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2014

Gadget maker wants everyday items to have online access

A sleek, ¥10,246 leather-clad padlock being marketed by Tokyo-based startup DentsuBlue might look like another extravagant toy for the wealthy — but this one can be used in many different ways and even link itself to the Internet.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2014

Xi visit to Macau deals cold deck to high-rolling VIP gamblers

As Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Macau this weekend for his first official visit in five years, the message from Beijing is clear: the world's biggest gambling center cannot remain a one-industry town.
WORLD
Dec 18, 2014

Top U.S. theater chains delay screening Sony's 'The Interview' amid terror threat

Movie theater chain Regal Cinemas said on Wednesday it will delay showing Sony's North Korea parody "The Interview," while trade publication The Hollywood Reporter said AMC, Cinemark and Cineplex would also not screen the film, citing an unnamed source.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 17, 2014

Silence is golden in art-comedy for all

"I've been drawing pictures for as long as I can remember," Kentaro Kobayashi said when I asked him how he came to be such a versatile and popular entertainer.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Dec 17, 2014

For TV celeb LiLiCo, success flows from adversity and preparation

Famous for her regular Saturday morning TV appearances as a film commentator on popular TBS show "King's Brunch," half-Swedish entertainer LiLiCo says her work is such fun it is the fundamental driving force in her life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 17, 2014

Sony tells theaters they can pull 'The Interview' after threats

Sony Pictures executives told theaters they are free to pull "The Interview" from their multiplexes following threats of violence by a hacker group, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 17, 2014

Vintage ET Atari videogame found in New Mexico landfill sent to Smithsonian

A copy of a vintage ET Atari videogame extracted from a New Mexico landfill where hundreds of the cartridges were dumped after the game flopped in the 1980s has made its way to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
BUSINESS / NOTEBOOK
Dec 16, 2014

Meat treat for New Year's; friendship fun run

SEASONAL
WORLD
Dec 16, 2014

Rogen defends lampooning of Kim in movie

Actor-director Seth Rogen defended the choice to parody North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in raunchy comedy "The Interview," the movie that sparked a real-life threat from the country and has been suspected as the possible cause of a damaging cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.
BUSINESS / NOTEBOOK
Dec 16, 2014

Applications being accepted for pre-Tokyo Marathon 5K run

Applications are now being accepted for the Tokyo Marathon Friendship Run 2015, scheduled for Feb. 21. The 5K running event will take place one day before the 2015 Tokyo Marathon and aims to provide hospitality and promote exchanges with runners from overseas.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 15, 2014

China charms Hong Kong's law enforcers

Hong Kong's top law enforcers, schooled in British-style judicial independence and separation of powers, are being cycled through Communist Party schools in China, where judges are appointed by the party and police are charged with crushing dissent.

Longform

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