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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 6, 2019

Tokyo Big Sight: Japan's biggest convention center all set for Olympic duty

One thing you notice pretty quickly when you spend some time attending events at Tokyo Big Sight is that there is a lot of esoteric language on display.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / BACKSTREET STORIES
Apr 5, 2019

Up high on a rickshaw, new views of old Asakusa

Although the streets of Asakusa are familiar stomping grounds for tourists and locals alike, a ride on a jinrikisha (rickshaw) can bring a refreshing new perspective to the historic area, and even reveal a secret spot or two.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Apr 3, 2019

Joy Waller's 'Pause :: Heartbeat' tackles intimacy and solitude in Tokyo

The solitude of losing yourself in techno, pink-tiled facades and rooftops as far as the eye can see, nocturnal intimacy and secret pockets of drug use — this is the lonely underbelly of Tokyo that Joy Waller puts into words in "Pause :: Hearbeat."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Mar 30, 2019

Kyoko Nakajima's 'The Little House': Secrets hiding secrets, and much left unsaid

Kyoko Nakajima's 'The Little House' is the story of how generations in Japan talk — or don't talk — to each other, and their inability to connect across eras.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 26, 2019

In Thai poll mess, allies of tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra race coup-prone generals to secure majority

Thailand's first election since the 2014 coup was always going to be messy. But it's turning out to be even more chaotic than many observers expected, setting the stage for renewed tumult after five years of military rule.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Beyond Tokyo
Mar 24, 2019

Base-laden Okinawa vies to become tourism magnet

Just a couple minutes from the Okinawa Prefectural Government building and the busy shopping street Kokusai-dori, Sora Shokudo offers jerk chicken on the menu — a Caribbean cuisine that goes well with rum — which is now also produced in Okinawa and attracting interest from domestic and overseas tourists....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Mar 24, 2019

Robert Ryker carved a niche for Tokyo Sinfonia by rescoring more than 500 classics

Conductor Zubin Mehta once told Robert Ryker that Mehta's two orchestras, the Montreal Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, had the world's two finest tuba players. Ryker, then 22 years old, was one of them. It was a rare compliment for any musician, most of whom never gain professional recognition....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 9, 2019

Just how convenient are convenience stores in Japan?

The recent trend of online videos showing "baito tero," or "part-timer terrorism," enacted by part-time workers has sparked another media discussion about the plight of low wage earners. Most of these videos were recorded by people working in food-related businesses, and explanations for why they are...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 1, 2019

Fukui’s Obama: Overshadowed by a president

Although the presidential-themed euphoria surrounding the city of Obama has faded, the area's very tangible cultural legacies make it well worth a visit for the foodie and the history buff alike.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 28, 2019

Huawei wages charm offensive in the battle for hearts and minds amid U.S. pressure

Huawei Technologies Co. has turned to a blend of wit, sarcasm and defiance to publicly fight allegations that the world's largest maker of telecommunications equipment is spying for China. It's a remarkable shift for a giant whose founder, Ren Zhengfei, spurned the media and avoided overt displays of...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Feb 25, 2019

Trump trade truce removes a cloud over global economy — for now

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to extend the deadline for increasing tariffs on Chinese goods defuses one of the biggest risks hanging over global trade, investment and sentiment.
EDITORIALS
Feb 20, 2019

Don't set the bar too low for North Korea

When they meet in Hanoi next week, Trump must get Kim to say to the world that he is willing to dismantle his nuclear weapons and that he is not waiting until the U.S. withdraws its nuclear umbrella.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 14, 2019

Reality continues to leak from American life

The Green New Deal reveals Democratic progressives have embraced Trump's political style: A stew of frivolity and mendacity.
Japan Times
SOCCER / From the Spot
Feb 4, 2019

Restrictions on Japan's soccer media lead to frayed relations with players

In the days since Japan's 3-1 defeat to Qatar in the 2019 Asian Cup final, Japan's soccer media has had plenty of time to unload its takes, whether first, second or simply hot.
Reader Mail
Feb 1, 2019

The attributes of being Japanese

Kuni Miyake's commentary "How Japanese is Naomi Osaka?" in the Jan. 28 edition is an excellent article that clearly explains some of the attributes of being a Japanese. It also shows that the language is but one part of being Japanese. I was moved by the fact that Naomi Osaka picks up her own trash....
Reader Mail
Feb 1, 2019

Profs do too much part-time teaching

In his commentary "The global decline of Japanese universities" (Jan. 19), Takamitsu Sawa mentions that a key factor for university rankings is the number of papers published and their citations, where Japanese academics do not perform well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2019

Theresa May's Brexit plan isn't dead yet

In the end, the British prime minister's rejected agreement might seem marginally less unpalatable than, and the only alternative to, a hard Brexit.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Jan 15, 2019

Takahiko Kozuka aiming to enrich skating

When a skater's career comes to an end, they are often faced with a difficult choice about how to proceed with their life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 5, 2019

Trump says China woes help U.S. in trade talks, downplays Apple warning

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed a revenue warning from Apple Inc that cited slowing sales in China and said China's weakening economic growth puts the United States in a strong position as negotiators from the world's two largest economies prepare for trade talks next week.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Dec 30, 2018

Hard work, nonstop play in the world of Japanese TV

It is hard to imagine Dave Spector doing anything else. Although tempting to call the fun- and pun-loving force of energy that is Spector a workaholic, he enjoys what he does so much that his palpable passion makes 'playholic' more accurate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 25, 2018

Easy win for Benjamin Netanyahu predicted in first poll since announcement of snap Israel election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will easily win a snap election set for April 9, according to an opinion poll on Tuesday, the first to be published since the ballot was announced.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2018

Departure of Jim Mattis stirs world of worries from Brussels to Beijing

The abrupt resignation of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has governments from Seoul to Brussels on edge, as the reliability of American alliances and the direction of policy under an erratic leader comes increasingly under question.
Japan Times
Special Supplements
Dec 21, 2018

A tasty lesson in tradition for elementary school students

On Dec. 7, fifth graders at Oji Daigo Elementary School in Tokyo's Kita Ward had the chance to fry up and feast on umami-rich pork using shiokōji, a traditional Japanese fermented condiment.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 10, 2018

New Zealand grapples with China's influence and intimidation

In April 2010, there was a scandal over the Confucius Institute at Osaka Sangyo University in Osaka. During meetings discussing a proposed relocation of the institute between campuses, the director of the University Affairs Board denounced it as a "cultural spy agency" for China and "a 'soft landing'...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 5, 2018

'jam': Comedy with a touch of 'Misery'

The films of Sabu — the pseudonym of actor-turned-director Hiroyuki Tanaka — are typically about guys on the move, be it as a troubled soul on a journey ("Blessing Bell") or a crook on the run ("Unlucky Monkey"). The object is usually laughs, though Sabu has also forayed into the serious ("The Crab...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2018

Mystery man who boasts he can shift the Nikkei with a single tweet to release tell-all book in Japan

The man who claims he can move domestic equity markets with a single tweet is planning to release a book on his trading philosophy.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 23, 2018

Divided by war, young Israelis and Gazans tell their stories via Instagram

In another part of the world they might have gone to the same schools or be sharing WiFi in the same coffee shops.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 13, 2018

Top military officer confirms Chinese Air Force plan to 'extend reach into space'

The Chinese Air Force intends to expand its presence into space as part of its plan to become a "world-class force," state-run media reported Tuesday, quoting top military officers.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 10, 2018

Illustrators use social media to highlight the minutiae of everyday life in Japan

Garbage collectors perform a service that is essential to the functioning of society, and yet their contributions are often overlooked. Whatever a person’s social standing, however, it doesn’t mean their observations on life aren’t worth examining.

Longform

People in cities across Japan will pop into their local convenience store for any number of products they believe will help them with a night of drinking.
Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan — but do they work?