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Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 23, 2015

Young British directors take Tokyo by storm — but why?

This year it's quite noticeable how many non-Japanese are directing plays in Tokyo — not frequent and famed visitors such as David Leveaux, Robert Lepage and Simon McBurney, but relative unknowns here making their debuts at two leading large commercial theaters that almost always feature Japanese dramatists....
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 23, 2015

Why the pope cares about the Earth

By invoking St. Francis in his encyclical on the environment, the pope calls us to remember the fundamental interdependence of all life.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2015

The pope's powerful message

If we do not change our behavior quickly, we may well lose the environmental stability upon which our planet depends, warns the pope.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 22, 2015

Tokoname pottery makers turn to Russia, see vast market opportunity

Dealers and producers of Tokoname pottery, one of the six oldest types of potteries in Japan, are turning to Russia to market their teapots. They recently held the first teapot exhibition in Moscow, and sold 30 pieces in two days.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2015

Residents of South Carolina town once home to Charleston shooting suspect say they are not like him

At Dooley's Bait shop in Lexington, South Carolina, the talk around the worm bins and minnow tanks was dominated by one subject: Dylann Roof, a previously unremarkable local young man now accused of one of most shocking murders in state history.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2015

Noah takes inspiration from Hokkaido on 'Sivutie'

The way Ayuko Kurasaki, who creates music as Noah, describes her childhood home of Chitose in Hokkaido is so lovely that I'm surprised it isn't being used in tourism ads.
EDITORIALS
Jun 19, 2015

Rethink Olympic stadium design

Olympic competition should be limited to sports, not the construction of stadiums.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jun 19, 2015

Pokka Sapporo's vanilla-flavored cola may float your boat

Pepsi's Strong Zero soda — a zero-calorie cola boasting increased amounts of caffeine — was the biggest soft-drink release of the week. But it's really a tasteless beverage that will give you a bellyache. So let's focus on a pleasant alternative, available only at FamilyMart.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 19, 2015

Charleston massacre suspect Roof had past brushes with police

His uncle worried he was cooped up in his room too much. The few images of him found easily online suggest he had a fascination with white supremacy. And for his birthday this year, his father bought the young man a pistol, the uncle said.
BUSINESS
Jun 19, 2015

Jewel Watch: It's all on the wrist

Have a child who won't stop asking for a mobile phone? The Jewel Watch can help.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jun 18, 2015

Do's and don'ts that will make your night of fireworks a blast

Summer in Japan means hanabi taikai (firework festivals), and if you're unprepared you may find your night quickly fizzling out.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 16, 2015

Lions teenager Mori thriving on pro level

Tomoya Mori swings hard. Really, really hard. Sometimes, so hard he loses his balance for a moment.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 16, 2015

'Motion Science'

June 19-Sept. 27
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 15, 2015

Nagoya struggling to woo foreign cruise liners

Nagoya is facing stiff competition when it comes to wooing cruise liners.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jun 12, 2015

Tasting the many shades of Japan's regional sake

At the risk of sounding like a killjoy, I have to confess that drinks festivals rarely excite me. These events are often promoted as learning opportunities that can help you improve your tasting skills and discover new brands. While the lure of convenience (the chance to sample hundreds of varieties...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2015

Dick Costolo quits Twitter helm in another shake-up amid slow growth; shares briefly surge

Twitter Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dick Costolo abruptly announced he was stepping down on Thursday amid increasing scrutiny of the company's slow user growth and inability to attract advertisers at the same rate as its competitors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 11, 2015

Lunch, stay at Asakusa View Hotel; evening beer at Tokyo Prince Hotel; Fauchon at Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo

Lunch, stay at Asakusa View Hotel
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2015

Record industry warily embraces Apple Music

A decade ago, Apple Inc. helped revitalize a music industry hit hard by online piracy with its iTunes Store. Now, amid a steady slump in digital downloads, the industry is hopeful that the tech giant's new streaming service will give record companies another desperately needed boost.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 9, 2015

'Beauty of the Spirits': What lurks behind masks of mankind

"Masks: Beauty of the Spirits" comes from the Musee du Quai Branly, an institution that former President Jacque Chirac spearheaded toward the end of his long reign. Opened in 2006 to both fanfare and controversy, the Paris museum's stated mission is to celebrate the masterpieces of non-European countries...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 9, 2015

The ornate history of embroidery

"Transcendent Artful Embroidery II" at the Kobe Fashion Museum is a cross-cultural look at the perfections of needle craft across several centuries. It gets underway with a section on garments of Indian nobles and Chinese court dresses of the 19-20th centuries and then segues into Japanese aesthetic...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 8, 2015

Toyota museum breaking records as tourists flock to Nagoya

A museum dedicated to the history of Toyota Motor Corp. is attracting so many foreign visitors that attendance has set a new all-time high.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 6, 2015

War and peace on Okinawa's Iejima Island

Beside their coastlines, there are other insistent geographical features that identify islands. In Okinawa, there is the great escarpment of Tindahanata on Yonaguni-jima Island, while Ishigaki Island has the strangely occult form of Mount Maapee, shaped like a sorcerer's hat.
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 6, 2015

History is harsh unless you erase it

On his visit to the United States in April, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe addressed Congress and told them: "History is harsh. What was done cannot be undone."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jun 6, 2015

Watch out for hidden hazards of buying land

When we were looking for property we consulted topographical maps prior to checking a particular piece of land in person. Understanding the elevation of a plot is important if you're buying land near the coast or along a river. In the event of flooding or a tsunami, it's obviously better to be located...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 5, 2015

Analysis of a Japanese princess; the eternal struggle of the left-handed; CM of the Week: Uniqlo

Knowing about Japan's Imperial Family is considered very important, which is why the Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization is recommending young people watch the two-hour special, "Nippon no Princess Monogatari" ("The Story of Japanese Princesses"; Fuji TV, Tues., 7 p.m.).
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2015

Celebrities promote prisoners' handicrafts

A two-day exhibition that started Friday at Tokyo's Science Museum provides a glimpse at efforts being made at prisons nationwide to help inmates return to society through handicraft skills.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jun 5, 2015

Tokashiki earns spot with the Seattle Storm

Japan ace Ramu Tokashiki has made the Seattle Storm's opening-day roster, the WNBA club announced Thursday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 4, 2015

Kyu Karuizawa Hotel re-opening; lunch at the Century Southern Tower; ANA offers taste of South America

Kyu Karuizawa Hotel re-opening

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