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Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 19, 2016

Pedal-powered wheelchair a hit for therapy, rehabilitation

The ongoing effort to improve the wheelchair isn't just about electricity and advanced technology.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 15, 2016

Special Mitsubishi Electric plant focuses on custom lifts for Asian venues

Made-to-order people movers, including spiral escalators and elevators with doors bearing elegant Islamic designs made at Mitsubishi Electric Corp.'s Inazawa Works, are becoming popular in Asia.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 11, 2016

Wanted: Four women to save the world

In 1989, "Ghostbusters II" was released in theaters where it did well in terms of profit, less so in terms of critical response. Reviews didn't matter, though — the original 1984 film was so popular that fans couldn't wait to see a third sequel.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 11, 2016

Feel the spirits of the season at haunted houses

It's the Bon holiday season and there's a new "Ghostbusters" film on the way, which means spirits are likely on the minds of people in Japan. With that in mind, we checked out a few haunted houses in case you're looking for a summer scare.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Aug 10, 2016

Games industry unlikely to try to clone 'Pokemon Go'

Top video game companies, caught off-guard by the runaway success of "Pokemon Go," are wrestling with how to play catch-up after the augmented reality app became a worldwide phenomenon.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 9, 2016

New images suggest China has built reinforced hangars on disputed islands, think tank says

Recent satellite photographs show China appears to have built reinforced aircraft hangars on its holdings in the disputed South China Sea, according to a Washington-based think tank.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2016

From home-made VR to intentionally lousy robots, hobbyists get their fill at Tokyo expos

Electronics hobbyists and model builders got their fill in Tokyo this weekend with two headline events in the DIY calendar.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2016

In Olympic campaign, Nissan bets on a Brazilian recovery

Like so many things in Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Ghosn's turn in the Olympic Torch Relay on Friday didn't go as planned. Ghosn, who is chief executive officer at both Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, was supposed to finish his 200-meter leg right in front of a Copacabana hotel covered bottom to top in advertisements...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 8, 2016

Ex-Nagoya official hopes to help others overcome stage fright

People who have stage fright often find their hands shaking, face turning red and minds going blank when they have to make a public speech.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 7, 2016

'Invisible Tokyo' seeks out the stories of people living in the capital

What does it actually mean to be connected? To be unique and young in the country's biggest city? A new, self-proclaimed "neo documentary" on Amazon Prime Japan titled "Invisible Tokyo" has taken up the task to answer these ever-evolving questions.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 6, 2016

Chinese Air Force flies 'combat patrols' over Spratlys, Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

China's air force has sent bombers and fighter jets on "combat patrols" near the disputed Spratly Islands and the flash point Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of stepped-up military moves that Beijing has said will become a "regular practice."
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 3, 2016

China must prepare for 'people's war at sea,' defense chief says

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan has warned of maritime security threats and called for increased preparations for what he termed a "people's war at sea" as Beijing seeks to "safeguard sovereignty" after last month's international tribunal ruling rejected its historic claims to much of the South...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Aug 2, 2016

Paul Smith has earned his stripes

Colorful and cluttered, the office bursts with paraphernalia, from stacked bicycles and piles of books on designer chairs to an apple-green iMac, a futuristic record player and a red Snoopy phone on the rosewood desk.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2016

Chinese Navy holds live-fire drills in East China Sea

The Chinese Navy held live-fire drills in the East China Sea on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in a short statement posted to its website.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 1, 2016

Nagoya student goes on world tour with pregnancy vest

A Japanese student has been traveling the world wearing a pregnancy simulator and inviting men to put on the 10 kg vest to feel the struggles faced by expectant women.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 31, 2016

Chinese state media calls Australia 'an ideal target to strike' in event of South China Sea patrol

Chinese state-run media has called Australia "an ideal target for China to warn and strike" if it ventures into the contested South China Sea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 30, 2016

U.S. to deploy B-1 bombers to Guam for first time in a decade

The U.S. will deploy long-range B-1 bombers to Guam starting next Saturday for the first time in a decade.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 29, 2016

The American chef bringing Kyoto 'kaiseki' to Tokyo

Culinary collaborations are commonplace these days, with chefs flying halfway around the world for one-off events far from their home kitchens. This exciting cross-fertilization of ideas and flavors is also starting to happen in Japan — but rarely, until now, in the field of traditional Japanese cuisine....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jul 29, 2016

Tokyu Hands goes diving for its new range of summertime desserts

Tokyu Hands' Ikebukuro outpost is offering some deep-sea desserts until Aug. 23. Its "Aquarium Sweets" series features 16 unique cakes, each shaped to look like a different sea critter, ranging from a cuddly otter to a sea slug. The cakes (ranging in price from ¥500 to ¥650) each has a different flavor,...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 29, 2016

China, Russia to carry out joint military drills in South China Sea

China and Russia will hold joint naval drills in the disputed South China Sea in September, China's Defense Ministry announced Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 28, 2016

Our favorite monster returns to terrorize Japan in 'Shin Godzilla'

After 12 years in storage (or on Monster Island) a Japanese Godzilla is roaring again. Toho film studios has revived the world's favorite atomic-breathed monster in "Shin Godzilla," which is set for nationwide release today.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 27, 2016

Crowdfunding offers freedom to filmmakers

It's not easy making indie movies in Japan. The big studios only want commercial projects with proven fan appeal, usually based on hit manga, novels or TV dramas. Given the need, government funding schemes are paltry, with much of the money going to films about safe, uncontroversial subjects.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 26, 2016

In Tokyo gubernatorial poll, more color than most know

What do a onetime Arabic translator, an advocate of decentralization and a former Tehran correspondent have in common?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 25, 2016

Clinton a known quantity to Japanese officials, while Trump is still a wild card

As the Democrats start up their national convention Monday, Japanese officials are pondering which of the two hopefuls — Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump — are more likely to get along, both on a personal and professional level, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jul 25, 2016

Nagoya Castle opens ninja school to train 'apprentices'

A ninja school opened in Nagoya Castle in Nagoya's Naka Ward earlier this month, attracting tourists from at home and abroad.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Jul 24, 2016

Yumi Ito of The Peanuts was a muse to both moth and men

I learned of the death of Yumi Ito, the last remaining member of 1960s pop duo The Peanuts, while battling a giant moth that had found its way into my apartment.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 23, 2016

'For Dignity, Justice, and Revolution': Voices from Japan's prewar labor movement

In 2008, a previously obscure novella by Takiji Kobayashi entered the best-seller lists in Japan. "The Cannery Boat," a tale of worker exploitation originally published in 1929, acquired new resonance in the fallout from the global economic meltdown. Kobayashi features prominently in "For Dignity, Justice,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 22, 2016

Asahi's highly caffeinated companion to the Rio Olympics

Want to watch the Rio Olympics live, but are worried about having 
to stay up until the wee hours of the morning? Asahi’s solution is the new Dodekamin Brazilian Energy drink, advertised as being able to give you the extra energy needed to watch the games as they happen. The beverage (¥140) boasts...

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