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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 25, 2018

Unique universities can rescue rural areas

Regional universities should not be taken lightly anymore; now is the time for them to shine.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 25, 2018

Amazon Echo eavesdropped on couple, sent recording to a contact: report

A couple's private conversation was mysteriously recorded by their Amazon Echo device and sent to one of their contacts, igniting privacy concerns about the voice-activated gadgets the online retailer wants to make as commonplace in homes as televisions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 23, 2018

Taxi! Tokyo prepares for Olympic tourism boom with accessible cabs and international drivers

Tokyo's taxi industry is undergoing some radical changes as Japan, already dealing with unprecedented levels of tourism, gears up to host two major sporting events in the next 26 months.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 23, 2018

'The Man from the Sea': A Japanese savior washes up in Aceh

Koji Fukada leads a younger generation of Japanese directors who are more internationally minded than their predecessors. He even used French export titles for his first two features — "Hospitalite" (2010) and "Au Revoir l'Ete" (2013) — reflecting the influence of French cinema, particularly the...
Japan Times
May 23, 2018

Yamaha Launches F425A/FL425A Outboard Motor in North America

IWATA, May 23, 2018—Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) announced today that it will launch the new F425A/FL425A* 425 horsepower outboard motor in North America in summer 2018.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 22, 2018

How to stop sexual harassment

Progress is being made in Japan, but legislation is needed to give anti-harassment efforts real teeth.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 22, 2018

Tomoo Gokita: Exposing the underbelly of pop culture

Tomoo Gokita's deformations of his subjects are surrealistic with a precision mix of austere black, white and grays, low-brow culture imagery, kookiness and powerfully evocative draftsmanship.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 21, 2018

Gifu factory devoted to producing allergen-free chocolate bars

A former president of a sweets manufacturer in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, has established a small factory exclusively for producing chocolates that do not contain any of 27 allergens, including dairy products and soybeans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
May 20, 2018

The new faces of today's technology

Drastic and subtle ways to give your face a virtual makeover, and a life-size anime service robot — what more could you need?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
May 20, 2018

Are black people dangerous for Japan?

Yes, if you're a backward-thinking, race-baiting YouTuber who fears the inevitable change we represent.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 19, 2018

China lands bombers on South China Sea outpost for first time

China has landed heavy bombers on one of its outposts in the South China Sea for the first time, part of an operation intended to provide "experience for Air Force bomber units to use islands as their bases," according to the Defense Ministry.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 19, 2018

Trump nominates Pacific Command chief Harry Harris to be South Korean ambassador

The White House formally nominated Pacific Command chief Adm. Harry Harris on Friday to fill the long-vacant post of ambassador to South Korea, as the U.S. gears up for the planned first-ever talks between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader on June 12 in Singapore.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 18, 2018

YouTube to launch music streaming service on May 22

YouTube will launch a music streaming service next week, it said Thursday, as it looks to use its popular internet video brand to tap the growing market for paid music streaming.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 18, 2018

Scuba diving in Japan: Beneath the sea, a paradise of color and life

A carpet of sand stretches into the distance below me. As clear and still as the water, the light seems muted, creating a peaceful, subdued scene.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 18, 2018

Aspiring brewer taps Fukushima town's hops in bid to boost sagging farming industry

"I can't wait to drink delicious beer made from homegrown hops," Makoto Honma, the president of Hop Japan Inc., told farmers with a smile in April when he visited them in Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 14, 2018

Planned cut in doctors' overtime hours worries Japan's rural hospitals

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration pushes to pass labor reform bills in the current Diet session, many major hospitals in the Chubu region are concerned that the bills, which include a cap on the working hours of doctors, could lead to a deterioration in medical services in rural regions....
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 14, 2018

Tanzanian man looks to transform Dar es Salaam's busy bus system using app he developed with Japan-based startup

It is not unusual for overseas visitors on their first visit to Japan to be impressed by the country's efficient rail network, with its heated seats and computerized message boards providing passengers with information updates.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
May 12, 2018

Put the sake down, warm weather means craft beer

Although Yona Yona Beer Works is a staple for great craft beer in Tokyo, there are plenty of other hidden gems. Global beer-drinking afficionados share some of their favorites.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 11, 2018

Okinawa citizens urged to get behind bid to put prefecture's style of karate on UNESCO map

The first international tournament for Okinawa style karate is scheduled for August, and expectations are growing that the martial art will become even more popular at home and abroad.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 10, 2018

Can Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic give U.S. hip-hop a boost in Japan?

This summer's slate of music festivals are putting more of a spotlight on American hip-hop. Fuji Rock Festival announced Kendrick Lamar and the group N.E.R.D as headliners, while Summer Sonic features Chance the Rapper on its main stage. It's a considerable showcasing moment for a genre having an up-and-down...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 9, 2018

'Amachan' star rebrands as Non and kicks out the jams on 'Super Heroes' debut

During the summer of 2013, when millions of viewers tuned in every morning to catch the latest installment of NHK's "Amachan," the show's sprightly 19-year-old star, Rena Nonen, seemed destined for big things. But her breakout role quickly became a cautionary tale about the perils of the entertainment...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
May 7, 2018

Tokyo-based bus firm brings fresh local produce, as well as passengers, from rural Gifu

Highway express buses between the city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture and Tokyo are being used to transport fresh fruit and vegetables to supermarkets in the metropolis.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
May 5, 2018

'Japanese Tales from Times Past': One thousand years later, the 'Konjaku' is still educating its readers

The 'Konjaku Monogatari' is one of Japan's oldest collection of stories. Many are supernatural folktales that warn against foxes and demons. All are meant to educate.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
May 4, 2018

Beat the heat with summer sports in Niseko

With a pantheon of outdoor sports such as mountain biking, ziplining, hiking and more, the summer season in Hokkaido's Niseko is increasingly switched on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
May 3, 2018

Luxurious lunch course to thank moms and dads

During May and June, Grand Hyatt Tokyo's Keyakizaka teppanyaki (iron grill cooking) restaurant is offering Mother's Day and Father's Day lunch courses — the perfect way for guests to celebrate and thank their parents.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 3, 2018

Nariaki Obukuro comes out of left field

Nariaki Obukuro bristles at the suggestion he makes J-pop. He prefers his music being described as J-pop-adjacent.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat