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Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 28, 2016

Mikawa-Anjo Station offers foreign visitors brief, cheap shinkansen experience

The number of foreigners visiting Mikawa-Anjo Station, the next stop after Nagoya Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, is increasing, particularly visitors from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Nov 27, 2016

A reading list for Japan's music scene

Sometime in the spring of 2014, a friend of mine who works for a small publishing company asked if I would write a book about the Japanese music scene for him.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 27, 2016

Capeson mixes R&B with U.K. indie on 'Hiraeth'

Capeson "Hiraeth" (Tokyo Recordings)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 27, 2016

Dai Hirai moves from beach to campfire on 'Love is Beautiful'

Dai Hirai "Love is Beautiful" (Avex Trax)
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 27, 2016

Will Facebook be China's propaganda tool?

By cozying up to the communist regime Facebook will help enable Beijing's relentless crackdown on dissent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Nov 26, 2016

Finally — the games PlayStation players have been waiting for

The years-in-the-making "Final Fantasy XV" is finally coming out. The game was originally announced back in 2006 as "Final Fantasy Versus XIII," but it has since been reworked and then rebranded as "Final Fantasy XV."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / OSAKA RESTAURANTS
Nov 25, 2016

Yoshino Sushi: A meal here will give you a new appreciation of rice

Yoshino Sushi has been making sushi in Osaka for more than 170 years, and has become well known for its hako (boxed) sushi, where the rice and seafood are pressed together in a rectangular wooden mold. Made from cypress wood, the mold creates sushi so pretty it could be mistaken for confectionery. A...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 24, 2016

A golden age of theater for Japan's seniors

At the age of 91, Saitama resident Izumi Noguchi is speaking at his first press conference — at least as an actor anyway.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 23, 2016

Should the world's oldest profession be legal?

As Amnesty Interational has pointed out, criminalizing the sex industry does far more harm than good.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 23, 2016

Campaign targets Japan's stray cat problem

Dogs are a man's best friend, and for many, cats are, too.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 22, 2016

Ong's spellbinding take on 'Richard III'

He is one of Asia's foremost theater directors, and Ong Keng Sen looked to be enjoying his latest challenge when we met in Tokyo in March during rehearsals for "Sandaime Richard," Japanese dramatist Hideki Noda's iconoclastic adaptation of Shakespeare's "Richard III."
WORLD / Politics
Nov 22, 2016

White nationalists could not be barred from Washington building, managers say

A federal building in downtown Washington that hosted a white nationalists meeting over the weekend and drew scores of street protesters cannot bar users because of their political views, its managers said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Nov 21, 2016

VR wave to leave Japan awash in business opportunities

New technological innovations have a tendency to create new business opportunities, and the latest craze, virtual reality, is no exception.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 21, 2016

Nagoya restaurant's guiltless, gluten-free cake finds fans overseas

A new vegetable dish invented by a restaurant in Nagoya is whipping up a media frenzy overseas, where it is being marketed as a sponge cake.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Nov 21, 2016

Scenes from the Tohoku Rokkon Festival Parade in Tokyo Shintora Matsuri

Sunday's Tohoku Rokkon Festival Parade was the climax of the Tokyo Shintora Matsuri, which was held this weekend in Toranomon. Close to 300 performers, a handful of cute mascots and one giant float offered up a lively sampler of Tohoku's biggest festivals.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 20, 2016

The hushed ambience of Ex Confusion

As the summer of 2014 came to a close, Atsuhito Omori found himself in a good position. The Nara-based artist who records ambient music as Ex Confusion had released an album titled "Flow" through buzzed-about New York label Orchid Tapes. Artistically, however, things weren't clicking.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 19, 2016

Yoshino Yoshikawa switches up his 'kawaii' sound on 'Event Horizon'

The Japanese word for cute, "kawaii," has been popping up more and more in the English lexicon in recent years. From the popularity of Hello Kitty to singer Gwen Stefani's new kawaii-filled cartoon "Kuu Kuu Harajuku" being cute means making money, and it's no different in the world of music.
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Nov 19, 2016

Line takes on Instagram with Moments app

JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Nov 19, 2016

Vileness is a quality more repugnant than evil

There is a kind of moral ugliness that, without being quite evil, may be even more repellant than evil because evil — genuine evil — has, sometimes, a certain romantic appeal. You can admire the villain's strength, or courage, or dash, or reckless defiance of that which we all, sometimes, wish we...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 17, 2016

Apple wants OLED displays in next iPhone iteration but most suppliers aren't ready

Apple Inc. has big plans to outfit its next iPhone with vibrant, energy-sipping organic LED displays, seeking to entice consumers with new technology that's already been embraced by other high-end smartphone makers.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 15, 2016

China says its first aircraft carrier is now 'combat ready'

China's first aircraft carrier is now ready for combat, state media said Tuesday, a key breakthrough as the Asian giant seeks to flex its naval muscle in waters far beyond its shores.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 15, 2016

Maruyama Okyo melded styles to pioneer a new path in art

The 18th century was an exciting time for Japan. After unification in 1603, a remarkable spirit of innovation pervaded as urban centers grew and the arts flourished.
EDITORIALS
Nov 14, 2016

Hong Kong's autonomy eroded

Beijing's promise to uphold the 'one country, two systems' formula that was designed to protect Hong Kong's distinct features — in particular its political system — looks increasingly empty.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Nov 11, 2016

Haagen-Dazs Japan's new ice creams mix things up

The latest ice cream range from Haagen-Dazs requires a little bit of work to appreciate. The "Decorations" mini-cup line features a decadent mix of flavors — banana caramel cake, cheese berry cake — that are ideally mixed together before eating.
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Nov 10, 2016

Cakes offer Christmas cheer

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo is offering seven varieties of the hotel's original Christmas cakes that have always captured the hearts of many.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 10, 2016

Belgian beer is a 'perfect partner' when it comes to these food pairings

The Belgians take their beer seriously. With a brewing history that dates back to the 12th century, Belgium is one of Europe's most prolific producers, turning out 1.8 billion liters per year, according to industry statistics. Scattered around the country, Belgium's roughly 180 breweries produce an impressive...

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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.