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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 30, 2021

'Japanese Prints and the World of Go': Exploring the pop-cultural psyche of the Edo Period

Meme-like themes in ukiyo-e prints reveal the rich heritage of go in “Japanese Prints and the World of Go.”
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 27, 2021

China tech giants spend billions to fuel growth after crackdown

Companies are digging deep into their pockets to open up new avenues of growth as Beijing curtails their most lucrative businesses from fintech to e-commerce.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 21, 2021

Rapper Daichi Yamamoto gets personal about breakups, his biracial background and a love of jazzy beats

Japanese rappers are beginning to share more about their own experiences in their tracks, an approach Daichi Yamamoto says is upping the standards for domestic hip-hop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 20, 2021

'Office Royale': Office politics get rough-and-tumble in OL-centered comedy

Familiar fodder for goofy comedies 'Office Royale' goes heavy on gags and action but stops short of a progressive message.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
May 17, 2021

3x3 basketball gets ready for close-up at Tokyo Games

A lot of people are going to be introduced to a different style of basketball when the 3x3 competition begins at the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 17, 2021

Bitcoin tumbles after Elon Musk implies Tesla may sell cryptocurrency

The currency slid below $45,000 for the first time in almost three months following a Twitter exchange involving the mercurial billionaire.
Japan Times
SOCCER
May 3, 2021

Manchester United match postponed after fans storm pitch to protest club's owners

Greater Manchester Police said around 100 United fans invaded the field, with some letting off flares and others carrying posters calling for the Glazers to end their ownership of the club.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 25, 2021

What will the new normal look like for China?

In the short term, the successful COVID-19 response by China will allow it to temporarily strengthen its position. But in the long term, its problems aren't going anywhere.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 25, 2021

‘Lonely Castle in the Mirror’ helps us face the consequences of bullying

Mizuki Tsujimura's touching novel about teenage bullying in the Tokyo suburbs illuminates the importance of compassion and reaching out.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Apr 12, 2021

Record fine for Alibaba, gem of China's tech sector, likely to chill growth

The discord began after Jack Ma infamously rebuked 'pawn shop” Chinese lenders, regulators who don't get the internet and the 'old men” of the global banking community.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 11, 2021

‘Terminal Boredom’ is a treasure trove of Izumi Suzuki’s subversive science fiction

Izumi Suzuki, a prolific writer of speculative science fiction and a counterculture figure in the 1970s and '80s, has gone largely overlooked by modern readers — until now.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 10, 2021

Stronger social media push on vaccinations necessary as Japanese remain on the fence

Plenty of people are still anxious about the effectiveness of the vaccine, as well as any side effects it might have.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 5, 2021

'First Person Singular' marks Haruki Murakami's welcome return to his signature style

The writer's new collection of eight short stories is a return to form, with first-person narratives full of cheek and playfulness.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Perspectives
Apr 2, 2021

How COVID-19 changed Asia

What lies ahead for the region after weathering the coronavirus pandemic u2026 for now.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 27, 2021

‘That We May Live’: New Chinese fiction delves into the playfully weird

Explaining the difference between speculative fiction and science fiction can feel like sorting out overlapping nebulae. The main distinction of speculative fiction may be that a story is just barely possible, at a slight remove from reality that veers into the playfully weird. A Japanese author exemplifying...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 25, 2021

Tokyo's art scene looks back at recent history

Asian artists and curators examine the present through the lens of the past.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 24, 2021

U.S. and China deviate from the diplomacy script

“Strong smell of gunpowder and drama” was the way Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian described the U.S-China meeting in Anchorage.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 28, 2021

Global education has permanently changed

Japan has made the shift to what was initially seen as “emergency remote teaching” but has been slower to adapt to the new education environment compared to other countries.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 17, 2021

A strong Japan-U.K. alliance needed to counter China

The U.K. should focus on cooperation with like-minded states like Japan to handle what could be shaping up to be this century's biggest security challenge — China.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 17, 2021

Heart-pounding tachiai endures as key piece of sumo puzzle

The initial clash when two rikishi come together is a moment that has few (if any) parallels in the wider world of sport.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 30, 2021

Japanese news outlets report from the besieged citadel of American democracy

The initial reactions in the Japanese media, which focused on the flamboyant garb of a certain individual that was part of the unruly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 30, 2021

U.S. slams Chinese warplanes' flights, but says carrier wasn't at risk

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command silent on reported simulated attack but lambastes Chinese military moves as the latest 'aggressive and destabilizing actions” designed 'to intimidate or coerce.'
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 27, 2021

Fake news becoming real issue for foreign sumo fans

Online information about sumo has increasingly been falling victim to many of the same issues that plague mainstream news.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jan 21, 2021

The ugly truth about a 'beautiful sight' in Hong Kong

One weaponized use of the Nancy Pelosi's quote in reference to the Capitol attack comes from a staunchly nationalistic Beijing tabloid.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jan 14, 2021

WHO finally lands in China to begin tracing the coronavirus. How hard will it be?

The investigation by the team of 10 scientists is a critical step in understanding how the virus jumped to humans from animals so that another pandemic can be avoided.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 14, 2021

Architect of U.S. pivot picked to be Biden's 'Asia czar'

The appointment of former Obama administration official Kurt Campbell will 'supercharge' Biden's standing in Asia, experts said.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jan 12, 2021

How Trump’s pied pipers rallied a faithful mob to the Capitol

The backers were inspired by conspiracy theories and whipped into action by Trump's desperate calls to 'save” democracy by reversing his loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2021

As world says good riddance to 2020, China hails its new status

China's position in the world has been elevated as a result of the pandemic, despite criticism that its early missteps and cover-ups made possible the spread of the virus around the world.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?