Search - features

 
 
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 15, 2016

China slams 'hyped-up' Pentagon report on state of its military

Beijing lambasted the U.S. Defense Department on Sunday over its annual report on the state of China's military, calling it a "hyped-up" move that "deliberately distorted the nation's defense policies."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2016

Yoshimi explores his city on 'Tokyo Restricted Area'

One of the classic cliches about Tokyo is that it's a city where the past and the future intermingle, one where ancient shrines sit steps away from neon-soaked shopping districts. Long-running musician Yoshimi Hishida explores this very idea on "Tokyo Restricted Area," but in a way far more abrasive...
Japan Times
JAPAN / FUKUSHIMA FILE
May 15, 2016

Fukushima river fish business plots revival after spotless tests

River fish distributor Yoshida Suisan in the town of Miyakoji, Fukushima Prefecture, is back in business shipping char, trout and rainbow trout for the first time in five years since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake kicked off the core meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
May 13, 2016

A toast to the arranged marriage of Champagne and 'kaiseki'

I didn't protest when my friend Katrine suggested — apropos of nothing — that we order a bottle of Champagne one afternoon last week. The marvelously warm and sunny weather, combined with the fact that I had finally begun to recover from a debilitating cold, provided justification for the extravagance....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
May 11, 2016

Big issues in film short 'World of Tomorrow'

Given the limited options for theatrical release, short films are generally condemned to the purgatory of YouTube, which makes the case of "World of Tomorrow" especially striking. Since premiering at last year's Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize, this 16-minute animation...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 10, 2016

The Medici loved trinkets of power

For over three centuries the Medici family dominated Renaissance Florence and much of its economic, political and cultural life. In the arts, the wealthy family is largely remembered for its patronage of painting, sculpture and grand architecture, but a new exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 10, 2016

U.S. sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef in South China Sea

A U.S. navy warship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Defense official said, prompting anger in Beijing which denounced the patrol as illegal and a threat to peace and stability.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 9, 2016

Aichi town residents setting up mini libraries to get locals reading, chatting

Higashiura Town Central Library in Aichi Prefecture is working with local residents to build mini libraries in the town so that residents have more opportunities to read books. Through it, the effort aims to nurture a stronger community.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
May 8, 2016

Solid-state technology juicing next wave of lithium-ion batteries

In an increasingly digital society, acquiring power to keep our smartphones, laptop computers and electric vehicles running is becoming essential to stay in communication and to get around.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 7, 2016

Paying for a can of peaches shows North Korean currency escaping regime's grip

For a country that trumpets the success of its economic system and the power of its local currency, it is very difficult as a foreigner in North Korea to buy anything with it.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 6, 2016

Mister Donut masters the croissant-muffin hybrid

Although it hasn't nabbed the same headlines as the Cronut, the Cruffin — a croissant-muffin hybrid invented by Australian baker Kate Reid in 2013 — has achieved modest success in the U.S. Bakery chain Mister Donut has brought the fusion food to Japan (thankfully, they left the clunky "Cruffin"...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
May 3, 2016

Hakuin's picture of Zen Buddhism

Zen, traced to the ancient teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni, took root in China via India around 1,500 years ago through the first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma. Spread there by the priest Linji Yixuan (Rinzai Gigen, died 867), it was transmitted to Japan in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333) and patronized...
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2016

Playing by the rules in the South China Sea

In making maintenance of a 'rules-based global order' a core strategic priority, Australia's new defense white paper adopts language not often found at the heart of national defense charters.
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 2, 2016

Over 80% of non-Japanese residents aware of 'Big One' threat, but not all prepared: survey

A recent survey by the Nagoya Municipal Government revealed that more than 80 percent of foreign residents in the city are aware of the risks of a Nankai mega-thrust earthquake and the devastation it would bring to the area.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 1, 2016

China's new tactic in disputed waters: playing by the rules

The professionalism displayed by China's navy in some of the world's most contested seas is masking an underlying challenge to the existing order in the East China Sea and South China Sea that must be resisted, according to a report by an Australian security think tank.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 30, 2016

Hakone in hot water: Romance, gimlets and raunchy 'onsen'

"I think they're having an affair," murmurs my companion, the ever-observant Megumi. She nods at a middle-aged couple sitting next to us on the "Romance Car," the limited express train that links Tokyo and the hot-spring resort of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 29, 2016

FamilyMart gives a healthy twist to the tiramisu

For those who want to have their cake and eat it too — without feeling guilty — FamilyMart's new soy berry tiramisu is here to help.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2016

In quake-prone Japan, Kumamoto temblors stir worry of 'Tokyo X Day'

There's nothing comical about this manga: office building windows shatter, trains derail and cars plunge from buckling bridges. It all happens at 4:35 p.m. on a day dubbed "Tokyo's X Day."
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Apr 28, 2016

Celebrating Children's Day with cake; enjoying a taste of Paris in Tokyo; everything is peachy in Yokohama

Celebrating Children's Day with cake
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 28, 2016

Theater festival's roots dig deep into Shizuoka

In recent years, theater fans and artists here and abroad have increasingly been wakening up to the fact that cherry blossoms aren't the only spring bounty in Japan.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 28, 2016

Title hunt tips off for 16 playoff contestants

After the long regular season, 16 teams remain in the hunt for the bj-league title.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 28, 2016

Nintendo disappoints without mobile Mario game and no new console

Nintendo Co. is easing into its newfound role as a mobile game publisher, but not fast enough for investors expecting a Mario-scale hit.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 26, 2016

Japan's traditional performing arts getting set for the Olympics

Spurred on by the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, many people involved in Japan's traditional performing arts are preparing for the surge in overseas visitors expected in 2020 — notably the Japan Council, which manages the National Theatre, the National Bunraku Theatre and the National Noh Theatre.

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