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Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jun 12, 2014

International Tokyo Toy Show allows a peek at Christmas hits

It's that time of year again. Children erupt with joy as they see their favorite anime characters come to life, and tech-savvy young adults scramble to figure out the latest cutting-edge gadgets. It's not Christmas, but the International Tokyo Toy Show runs a close second.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2014

N.Y. plan for fleet of Nissan taxis ruled legal

New York's plan for a new fleet of cabs from Nissan Motor Co. is legal, an appeals court ruled, overturning an earlier judgment that said the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission had overstepped its authority by requiring owners to buy a specific vehicle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 11, 2014

Imagination runs wild in Japanese contemporary art

"Nostalgia and Fantasy: Imagination and its Origins in Contemporary Art" is a ragtag grouping of nine individual artists and one unit, each of whom focus on extremely different things. It is difficult to say, in fact, where "nostalgia" and "fantasy" come into play in some instances. With only minimal...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 10, 2014

Knuckle sandwich: Did fistfights drive evolution of human face?

Current theory about the shape of the human face just got a big punch in the mouth.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Jun 9, 2014

Algae underfunded in energy hunt

Could algae power your car? In the search for new energy sources, scientists are turning the green goo into oil.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 9, 2014

Be-Japon recycles traditional culture to survive modernity

Perhaps it's a case of, "Be careful what you wish for."
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jun 6, 2014

Fans go nuts for Shiga banana carver

An electrician by day and banana artist by night, Keisuke Yamada has attained renown at home and abroad for his banana sculptures.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 5, 2014

'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Wes Anderson has always been a bit of a mystery to me. His films are remarkably consistent in their approach and stylistic idiosyncrasies, yet they seem equally capable of leaving me rapturous ("Moonrise Kingdom") or cold ("The Darjeeling Limited"). I'm not alone here: Check out any fan's list of Anderson...
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Jun 5, 2014

Tokyo's bleep on the synthesizer fan's radar

Making electronic music can be incredibly intimidating for beginners: What's the best hardware to buy? How do you use it? And all those cables!
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jun 5, 2014

Celebrating kaiseki cuisine; world foods for the World Cup; original cocktails mark 20 years

Celebrating kaiseki cuisine The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo in Roppongi will hold a special kaiseki dinner titled "Sake Journey," at the Hinokizaka Japanese restaurant on the hotel's 45th floor, on June 27.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 5, 2014

'Koroshi no Rakuin (Branded to Kill)'

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2014

JR East takes the wraps off new luxury train

East Japan Railway Co. has unveiled the designs for a luxury train that's scheduled to roll into operation around spring 2017.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 4, 2014

'Yasuyoshi Sugiura: A Natural History of Ceramics — Making Nature'

While attending college, Yasuyoshi Sugiura was moved by the words of his teacher, who told him, "ceramics are stones." This inspired the artist to explore the potential of clay as a medium, creating works such as the "Stones of Ceramics" series" that, as the title suggests, presented small, realistic...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 30, 2014

As male hunters dwindle, 'hunter girls' take up shotguns

"Hunter girls" are taking up the sport of hunting to protect farmers' crops as the demographic changes sweeping Japan erode its traditionally male participants.
COMMENTARY / World
May 30, 2014

Why Google's self-driving car terrifies Detroit

Perhaps the U.S. auto industry's biggest problem right now is that the usually slavish press is going crazy for the Google self-driving car prototype in ways that the carmakers haven't been able to inspire in a long time.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
May 30, 2014

Yokohama celebrates 155 years as a trade port

It might surprise you to know that Yokohama was once a tiny village with less than 100 households living off farming and fishing. It wasn't until the port opened to foreign trade in 1859 that it began to expand to become Japan's second most populated city. Now it is one of the most popular tourist destinations...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 29, 2014

Short-film festival offers flicks for free

Short films are today both everywhere but nowhere, even for many who consider themselves film fans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
May 29, 2014

Getting healthy with Maqui berries; time to try Portuguese barbecue; enjoying beer and summer views

Getting healthy with Maqui berries The Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo is offering a special accommodation plan featuring treatment using Maqui berries, which are also known as Chilean wineberries, through March 2015.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2014

A memorial to horror and honor

More fitting than any commentary about Memorial Day, just celebrated in the U.S., is the description of Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox to Ulysses S. Grant, which ended the Civil War.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 24, 2014

Ball and chain: gambling's darker side

With lawmakers debating whether to legalize gambling in time for the 2020 Olympics, we look at the other side of the coin — addiction
Events / KANSAI: WHO & WHAT
May 23, 2014

Overnight disaster prep for non-Japanese

Foreign residents can attend overnight training sessions from 4 p.m. June 7 to 10 a.m. the next day in Kyoto to learn how to reduce damage from disasters such as earthquakes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
May 23, 2014

Baffled foreign tourists get little help on trains

Although Asian tourists are flocking to Japan in greater numbers, many are at a loss in railway stations, where few signs are written in languages other than Japanese and English.
EDITORIALS
May 23, 2014

Reflect on Fukui nuclear ruling

The Fukui District Court's ruling that prohibits the restart of two nuclear power reactors run by Kansai Electric Power Co. challenges the Abe administration's energy policy of relying on nuclear power as a key source of the nation's electricity supply.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
May 22, 2014

Ryukyu favored to win third title

This season's title chase features three teams that have won 40 or more games, and the winner will be crowned at Ariake Colosseum on Sunday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 22, 2014

'Last Vegas'

"Last Vegas" is about as clever as the pun of its title. It's a geriatric riff on "The Hangover" that features four Oscar-winning actors playing to type. Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline play old neighborhood buddies from New York City who get together for a stag party...

Longform

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