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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2017

Britain to send warship to South China Sea for freedom of navigation exercises next year

Britain plans to send a warship to the disputed South China Sea next year to conduct freedom of navigation exercises, Defence Minister Michael Fallon said on Thursday, a move likely to anger Beijing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 26, 2017

Figuring out who to watch at this year's Fuji Rock Festival

The 2017 edition of Fuji Rock Festival boasts one of the more eclectic lineups the long-running gathering has had in recent years. The headliners tell the tale: Cartoon rockers Gorillaz share the same font size as electronic pop star Bjork and dance music weirdo Aphex Twin. Dig deeper and you'll find...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 26, 2017

Normalizing the North Korean threat with malls and tourism at South Korean city beside the DMZ

A half-hour's drive north of Seoul, along a highway lined with barbed wire, lie two shopping malls the size of several stadiums, a stone's throw from the world's most militarized border.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 24, 2017

Man travels by wheelchair through Japan, propelled by the kindness of strangers

Tokyo resident Yusuke Terada, who has trouble walking due to cerebral palsy, recently launched a project called Helpush, where he travels throughout Japan with the assistance of strangers who help push his wheelchair.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jul 23, 2017

Is Japanese fashion ready to make a point?

A Ha-Ha 2015 runway show included models in wheelchairs
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Tools of the Japanese Kitchen
Jul 22, 2017

The circular evolution and history of Japanese rice cookers

Cooking rice, the staple grain of the Japanese diet for hundreds of years, used to be a laborious process. A dedicated heavy cast iron or earthenware pot placed on a wood-burning stove called a kamado was used for the purpose, and managing the heat to cook the rice properly required both skill and long...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 22, 2017

Try checking into a love hotel for a good night's sleep

Around the end of each year's rainy season in July, it's common for the media to run articles on the subject of sleep. Hot weather is not the only factor that makes Japan less conducive to sleeping in summer. Since daylight savings is not practiced, the sun rises before 5 a.m., affecting many people's...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 22, 2017

'Tokyo Geek's Guide': Mapping the epicenter of 'otaku' culture

Anyone on the lookout for "weird Japan" culture, take note.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 18, 2017

Nagoya assembly creates day care room for nursing mom among ranks

The Nagoya Municipal Assembly has created a private day care room for one of its members with a 1-year-old son, the first such facility among governments in the Tokai region and a rarity in other parts of Japan as well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 16, 2017

One year after the South China Sea ruling, a deceiving calm

China's basic position remains unchanged, and the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration is at risk of falling into irrelevance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
Jul 16, 2017

Date goes whole hog into boar leather business in Fukushima

Wild boar leather is said to breathe well and resist chafing. It is used in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, to make products like babies' first walking shoes because it is soft and fits well.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 13, 2017

Meet the kawaii witches of the East

Despite being a fantastic go-to costume on Halloween, witches in the West have never had it easy. There were the Salem witch trials of the 1690s, and similar trials elsewhere in North America and Europe through the 17th century, which served as warnings to independent women that they could be persecuted...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 10, 2017

Aichi aquarium displays invasive alligator gar caught in Nagoya Castle's moat

One of the alligator gars caught in the vast moat of Nagoya Castle last year has been turned into a specimen for display at Hekinan Seaside Aquarium in Aichi Prefecture, giving visitors the chance to fully observe the long carnivorous fish indigenous to North America.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 10, 2017

Smart speakers powered by voice agents seen ushering in era of AI

Major tech firms have been keen to sell speakers equipped with voice-based artificial intelligence agents recently.
Japan Times
CARTOONS / DAHL'S JAPAN
Jul 8, 2017

Inada Features

Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2017

Boxing legend Gushiken inspires younger Okinawa generation

Yoko Gushiken, a boxing legend who hails from Okinawa, hopes young people from prefecture will be brave enough to take on any challenge and succeed in any field.
EDITORIALS
Jul 6, 2017

Apple's iPhone turns 10

The iPhone has changed the world, transforming the lives of billions of people around the world and facilitating a social and economic transition that is still underway.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 5, 2017

From sex toys to works of art: 'Love doll' maker seeks to shed seedy image

Japan's oldest "love doll" manufacturer wants to strip the sex toys of their seedy image and encourage people to see them as works of art instead.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 5, 2017

North Korea apparently used Chinese timber truck for to carry ICBM, evading sanctions

To transport and erect the ballistic missile launched on Tuesday, North Korea apparently used a Chinese timber-hauling truck, highlighting the challenge of enforcing sanctions to curb the North's weapons program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2017

Oita aims to heat things up with video of Olympian synchronized swimming in onsen

Famous for its onsen (hot springs), Oita Prefecture has posted a promotional video featuring former Olympians performing synchronized swimming in geothermal pools in a bid to "heat up" momentum for an upcoming international aquatics sports competition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 3, 2017

New service connects Japanese travelers to compatriots living abroad

A website created by a Nagoya-based venture firm offering help from Japanese living overseas is gaining popularity with travelers.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 2, 2017

Canadians celebrate meaning of nation on rainy 150th birthday

Canada's long-anticipated 150th birthday celebrations Saturday were marked by heavy rain and some protests, though the downpour failed to dampen spirits of revelers who thronged in large numbers to enjoy musical performances and parades.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Jul 1, 2017

Japan Times 1992: 'Oita village sells itself as "Twen Peaks" '

The tiny village of Maetsue, Oita Prefecture, and Kyushu Japan Railway Co. are riding on the bandwagon of the popular U.S. television series “Twin Peaks,” asserting that the local scenery closely resembles the fictional American town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Jun 30, 2017

A visit to a preschool leads to lessons in noh and nothingness in Higashi-Gotanda

A gentleman I met at an educational conference invites me to tour the backstreets of Higashi-Gotanda, where he has opened a brand new preschool. Exiting A7 of the JR Yamanote Line's eponymous station in the early hours of a cool spring morning, I strike off northeast, along Sakurada-dori, more or less...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2017

Airbnb's new premium service steps up competition with luxury hotels

Airbnb Inc. is close to launching a new service that will match guests with quality-inspected home and apartment rentals. The product is intended to attract higher-paying travelers who have yet to use Airbnb because they prefer the amenities guaranteed by fancy hotels, said three people familiar with...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2017

Foreign IT workers seen as solution to industry shortage

There is a rising demand for IT engineers in Japan as many point out there is a shortage of such professionals domestically. An estimate shows that Japan will face a shortage of close to 600,000 IT-related professionals by 2030.

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