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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 24, 2017

Can Fukuoka live up to the tech startup hype?

Three foreign members of the Fukuoka tech entrepreneur community discuss whether the city's efforts to style itself as an international startup hub are paying off.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 24, 2017

On 'Kiseki,' rappers bring out the true grit in resurgent DJ Krush

On 'Es.U.Es Corporation,' DJ Krush's collaborators bring an undeniable energy to the proceedings, and the veteran turntablist responds with some of his grittiest productions since the 1990s.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 24, 2017

Breakfast at Nobu's: Chef Matsuhisa prepares his first London hotel

When Nobu Matsuhisa opened his first restaurant in London 20 years ago, there were very few places you could get a good meal in town, let alone a fancy breakfast.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 23, 2017

Tofubeats: the art of reality in an era of 'post-truth'

The final months of 2016 left Yusuke Kawai feeling confused. The electronic artist who records under the name tofubeats came across a BBC news segment touching on the concept of "post-truth" — the Oxford Dictionary named it word of the year and defines it as "relating to or denoting circumstances in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 23, 2017

'Profiles of Boso Figures Drawn in Ukiyo-e 1. Gimin: Sakura Sogo'

The story of Sakura Sogo of Kozu (present-day Narita) is legendary. It's believed that the 17th-century farmer sacrificed his life by directly appealing to the shogun, which was illegal, in an attempt to have harsh taxes on farmers eased.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 22, 2017

Three years after coup, junta deeply embedded in Thai life

On Friday evenings in Thailand, sandwiched between the evening news and a popular soap opera, is a prime-time program that has been running for three years, or ever since the military took power in a May 22, 2014, coup.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 22, 2017

Chubu Electric uses artificial nests so crows don't build their own on power towers

Chubu Electric Power Co. has adopted a unique method to deter crows from nesting on transmission towers and causing blackouts by building artificial bird nests far from the power lines.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
May 21, 2017

Don't bank on Japan's lenders making it easy to relocate abroad

A reader shares her experiences with internet banking upon leaving Japan on a temporary basis.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
May 20, 2017

The slippery slope of appeasement in Bangladesh

Unelected religious hard-liners are pressuring Bangladesh's elected government to embrace Islamic values as they define them, resorting to street protests and inciting violence to achieve their aims.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 19, 2017

Russia's Cold War habit is hard to break

In all three confrontations since the 19th century between Russia and the West, it was Russian action, motivated by domestic concerns, that spurred European or Western efforts at strategic containment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
May 18, 2017

Menu offers opportunity to meet the meat

The "Meet Meat Promotion," which runs through May 31 at The Tokyo Station Hotel, is part of an ongoing dinner promotion under the concept of "sharing and enjoying meat dishes."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 17, 2017

Takeda scores a KO in 'Poetry Angel'

In last week's review of Yuya Ishii's "The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue," I wrote that poetry-based Japanese films are rare — but here seems to be another: Toshimitsu Iizuka's "Poetry Angel." One more example and I'll have a trend.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 15, 2017

Patriotic Japan poster from 2011 causes social media stir after campaign's model outed as Chinese

A poster designed six years ago in an apparent bid to promote patriotism has recently gone viral on social media thanks to its catchphrase, which has revived public debate on race, and the revelation that its smiling model is actually Chinese.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 15, 2017

Nagoya team working on robot to help elderly drivers stay alert, safe

A research team at Nagoya University is developing a system to help the elderly drive safely using a small robot, with the aim of releasing the technology by 2019.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2017

Trump's troubling South China Sea policy

For those nations that believed in and depended on the U.S. to defend them and their shared principles, Trump has kicked off a whole new ball game fraught with uncertainty.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
May 14, 2017

Fukushima firm's 'fairy feather' silk gets Hermes' attention

The world's thinnest yarn-dyed silk fabric will soon find its way into Hermes' globally renowned scarves.
CULTURE / Books
May 13, 2017

'The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping': Crime novel lacks a detective or PI but entertains nonetheless

Bachelor executive Shinsuke Sakuma is an egotistic narcissist with a callous attitude toward females, preferring one-night stands to serious relationships.
Rugby
May 10, 2017

Japan drawn with Ireland, Scotland for 2019 Rugby World Cup

Host nation Japan was drawn to face Ireland, Scotland and two teams yet to qualify in the group stage of the 2019 Rugby World Cup at a lavish ceremony at Kyoto State Guest House on Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 9, 2017

Keeping up with the Joneses, Edo style

The Edo Period (1603-1868) is renowned for the flourishing of material culture — a time when major advances and innovations in Japanese folk crafts and design were prized by the burgeoning commoner class of Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Osaka.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2017

U.S. to test Beijing's South China Sea claims, navy says

The U.S. Navy will still challenge claims by nations like China to exclusive access in the South China Sea, Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift said, insisting a hiatus in "freedom of navigation" patrols doesn't mean the disputed waterway is a lower priority for the Trump presidency.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 8, 2017

Shabani the gorilla credited with keeping Nagoya zoo visitor numbers up despite bird flu outbreak

The total number of visitors to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya reached 2,408,400 in fiscal 2016, the second-highest level in the last 20 years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
May 6, 2017

June Yamagishi: Hitting New Orleans with a suitcase and a guitar

Musician's relaxed personality fits the homegrown lifestyle of the 'Big Easy' well.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 4, 2017

Lack of draft impacting competitive balance

In an analysis stretching back to September, there have been a number of important accomplishments during the B. League's inaugural season.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.