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Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 21, 2014

'Bologna Illustrators Exhibition'

Since 1978, the Otani Museum has held annual exhibitions of prize-winning books from the Bologna Book Fair's illustration competition. This year there were 75 competition winners from 23 different countries, including 15 artists from Japan. This exhibition showcases winning books and features as its...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 21, 2014

Ford said to plan new hybrid series to compete with Toyota Prius

Ford Motor Co. plans to introduce a new hybrid gasoline-electric car in late 2018 to compete against the best-selling Toyota Prius, two sources with knowledge of the company's plans said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 20, 2014

MLB names four stars for series against Samurai Japan

As the Nichibei Yakyu extravaganza returns for the first time in eight years, Major League Baseball looks set to bring a serious squad to Japan come November.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 20, 2014

The Great Beauty

'The Great Beauty" recalls two other films set in Rome: "La Dolce Vita" and "Roman Holiday." The former takes huge bites out of the city's decadence and debauchery in much the same way as "The Great Beauty." The latter takes a mere lick at the pleasures proffered by Rome and declares satisfaction. The...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Aug 20, 2014

Japan rallies past Russia at World Grand Prix Finals

Japan came from behind to defeat Russia in four sets (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-17) on the first day of play in the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals at Ariake Colosseum on Wednesday night.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 19, 2014

Coldrain deliver a stellar EP, but have we heard it before?

The buzz surrounding metal idols Babymetal and the success of metalcore act Crossfaith has brought more attention to Japan's heavy-music scene. Nagoya-based post-hardcore band Coldrain has been quick to take advantage of this with an EP titled "Until the End" — a six-song release that comes on the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 16, 2014

Punk author Kou Machida on his offbeat samurai story

You wouldn't expect a punk musician to write decent novels, any more than you'd expect a boxer to be good at darning. The talents prized by the former vocation — restlessness, insouciance, hard-wired disregard for authority — don't lend themselves to the rigors of the author's life: all those long,...
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Aug 16, 2014

Obic Seagulls lose Sister Cities International Bowl in Alabama

The Obic Seagulls, Japan's top football team, came up short against the APDFL Blazers on Thursday, losing 16-12 in the Sister Cities International Bowl in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 16, 2014

A Wi-Fi router could flood your house

Pretty much all home Wi-Fi routers can be hacked, which is a problem if you've already adopted connected light bulbs and faucets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Aug 15, 2014

Latest in apps, toys and gadgets

Go with the Floe in the bath tub
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 15, 2014

Developing countries get lesson in basic health from Japanese schools

Developing countries are studying health measures used in Japanese schools, such as regular body measurements, lunch distribution and the use of school infirmaries, to promote the health of their own schoolchildren.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 14, 2014

How Japan's art inspired the West

In the decades after Japan was forcibly opened to large-scale international trade in the early 1850s, a fever spread across Europe for items from the exotic country: its textiles, ceramics, paper fans, woodblock prints and more. Meanwhile, the term "Japonism" was coined to describe works made in Europe...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 13, 2014

Clowning gets serious in Slava's show

"Slava's Snowshow" feels like a dream — and occasionally a nightmare. Its surreal scenarios play out one after another on a stage set with seemingly oversized, fluffy blankets that give the audience a sense of being tucked inside a child's bed. There's no real narrative — but as in dreams, there...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 12, 2014

Crzkny unites artists against nuclear power

Electronic-music producer Kenji Takikawa's work took a major detour following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 9, 2014

Sun-dazed on a distant archipelago

It didn't take long for a seasoned group of truck drivers to stake their claim to the best seats in the house or, in this case, ferry. They positioned themselves on tiny plastic seats at the rear of the open deck as the ferry left Tomari Port in Naha City, Okinawa, bound for the island of Kumejima. More...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 8, 2014

Center in Tokai helps foreigners

A new group has been established in the Tokai region to help foreign residents get educational, medical and welfare services in Japan.
WORLD
Aug 7, 2014

Thousands from Iraqi religious minority trapped in mountains by Islamists

Thousands of men and women from Iraq's Yezidi religious group are stranded in northern mountains, according to United Nations groups, as they sought to escape execution and rape by Islamist militants.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 6, 2014

Danchi No Yume (Dreams of the Projects)

There is such a thing as a Japanese dream, and in many ways it's a lot like the American dream. Japanese hip-hop artist Anarchy's dream has to do with escape, money and, ultimately, getting to a place where he can perform in a music video with bikini-clad babes.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Aug 6, 2014

Think you've got rights as a foreigner in Japan? Well, it's complicated

If you imagine paying taxes in Japan entitles you to welfare, you may want to take a seat.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 2, 2014

A deeper look at Hayao Miyazaki's nature

'The Art of Princess Mononoke' — a deeper look at Hayao Miyazaki's nature
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Aug 1, 2014

HIS angling to work with Toyota on test driving new tour concept

Travel agency HIS is collaborating with Toyota Motor Corp. to include a visit to one of its assembly plants in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, in package tours for tourists visiting Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Aug 1, 2014

Ticking the right tax boxes

In most places in the world, property taxes, which are levied on buildings and land, are administered and collected by local governments for the benefit of local governments. This is also true in Japan, but it's useful to keep in mind that property tax rules and regulations are determined by the central government.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 31, 2014

'Love' and the lost are among the top draws at the Yokohama Triennale

Strongly influenced by the Ray Bradbury novel "Fahrenheit 451," this year's Yokohama Triennale is divided into 11 different chapters (sections), each with its own theme.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 30, 2014

R-18 to G: Are pink films losing their potency?

Yuji Tajiri and Shinji Imaoka were two of the “Seven Lucky Gods of Pink” — a group of young pinku eiga (erotic film) directors who were hailed as the genre’s hope after they rose to prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s.

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