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Japan Times
Special Supplements
May 27, 2022

Panasonic Connect: From dreams to reality

At the beginning of April, a cheerful commercial was broadcast on various media in Japan. In it, a girl goes to a store to buy the same pair of red-and-white socks her friend is wearing but becomes disappointed when she finds they’re sold out. A sensor in the store captures the expression on her face...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
May 15, 2022

Baseball’s streaming push leaves fans scrambling to find games

Sports leagues and broadcasters are struggling to accommodate both streaming-savvy younger fans as well as older fans still tethered to traditional TV packages.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
May 14, 2022

Era of lost connectivity on in-flight Wi-Fi may be nearing an end

A spate of new in-flight connection deals in recent weeks, including the first aircraft contracts signed by SpaceX's Starlink satellite unit, aim to make high-speed Wi-Fi less glitch-free.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 21, 2022

Netflix rout is worst since 2004, punishing Roku and Disney, too

Shares of the streaming leader have plunged 35%, erasing $54 billion of market value in its biggest drop since 2004.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 19, 2022

After a two-year ban, hugs are back at Disneyland

With the return of character hugs, operations have been almost fully restored at Disney's domestic resorts after a lengthy period in which coronavirus safety measures took priority.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 4, 2022

As the pandemic drags on, more in Japan find solace in 'oshikatsu' devotion

Made more accessible through new technology, styles of fandom long monopolized by those obsessed with pop culture, anime and manga are, for many, becoming a vital part of lockdown life.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 2, 2022

Shaken at first, many Russians now rally behind Putin’s invasion

Polls and interviews show many Russians now accept the Kremlin's assertion that their country is under siege from the West. Opponents are leaving the country or keeping quiet.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Mar 9, 2022

Formula One's 'marriage' with Netflix still has more mileage

Despite some criticism over its impact, the docu-series 'Drive to Survive' has created a surge of interest in grand prix racing among younger sports fans.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Mar 7, 2022

Vaughan and Rie Allison welcome all new arrivals to Mia Mia

Picking a location for their cafe far from Tokyo's bustling central hot spots, Vaughan and Rie Allison have nonetheless developed a loyal following among the locals.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 15, 2022

Rap takes over Super Bowl halftime, balancing celebration and protest

At Super Bowl LVI, rap finally got the spotlight . . . in perhaps the 20-somethingth year of hip-hop occupying the center of American pop music.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 5, 2022

Japanese game developers embrace NFTs, but at what cost?

The market for digital investment assets looks primed to expand in 2022 and yet the industry isn't quite sure of the best way to handle them.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2021

New Year's TV sees us spoiled for choice

Japanese broadcast television's slate of new year programming features star-studded blowouts that offer the perfect dose of moderately entertaining content as we head into 2022.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 25, 2021

Fairy tale fantasies meet reality on ‘The Future Diary’ and ‘The Bachelor Japan’

Whether you're in the mood for a love story with a melodramatic touch or some messier romantic competition, streaming services have you covered.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 24, 2021

Escapist bops and deep pop: Music was a mood in 2021

After a year in which Japan's music industry had to make its peace with streaming, this year saw more of the holdouts get on board with the times.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 23, 2021

As Bob Iger departs, Disney investors also look to get off the ride

Walt Disney Co.'s board promised a smooth transition from the end of the Bob Iger era to the new regime under CEO Bob Chapek, but the reality looks much rockier.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 10, 2021

2021 saw breakthrough talents in film rise from the shadows

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's two releases shone abroad, Keisuke Yoshida was honored with a Director in Focus section at home and younger filmmakers blazed new paths.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 3, 2021

JO1 to the world: A new stage for J-pop

The 11-member act signals the rise of reality TV talent competitions geared toward the social media age.
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2021

New normal takes shape as Japan announces 'vaccine-test package'

Those showing proof of vaccination or a negative test result would be able to enter eating and drinking establishments as normal, even under a state of emergency.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Oct 11, 2021

Netflix hit show 'Squid Game' spurs interest in learning Korean

Duolingo reported a 76% rise in new users signing up to learn Korean in Britain and 40% in the United States over the two weeks following the show's premiere.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 1, 2021

China’s box office becomes a giant headache for Hollywood

Now the world's largest film market, nationalism and China's own version of 'cancel culture” mean challenges for U.S. filmmakers.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 22, 2021

How do you deflect a controversy? Keigo Oyamada blames the media.

Musician Keigo Oyamada cries foul over how he was portrayed in a pair of magazine articles that ended up causing him a job at the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 21, 2021

China targets ‘effeminate’ men in Xi’s growing push for conformity

Beijing has pushed conservative ideas about gender before, including a 2016 ban on entertainment with gay themes and a 2018 attack by some state media on effeminate men in popular culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 15, 2021

Norm Macdonald, ‘SNL’ comic dripping in dry wit, dies at 61

Norm Macdonald, the acerbic, sometimes controversial comedian familiar to millions as the 'Weekend Update” anchor on 'Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998, died Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Aug 19, 2021

Xi crackdowns aim to whip China’s ‘lying flat’ youth into shape

Chinese President Xi Jinping's push for 'common prosperity” is in part aimed at turning the younger generation into motivated, patriotic and productive workers.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 7, 2021

London defined Boris Johnson. Then Brexit changed the metrics.

The city that made the British prime minister's political career risks becoming an economic casualty of his premiership.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 6, 2021

Singapore ready to cash in on Southeast Asia's esports boom

The tiny city-state is emerging as a force in hosting events related to mobile and video games, and is cultivating itself as a hub for the industry.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 1, 2021

Jason Hancock: 'A fully inclusive Japan is barrier-free, judgment-free and full of mutual cultural understanding'

A TV reporter and personality, Jason Hancock founded the Special Beauty Japan pageant to celebrate the talent of special needs youth nationwide.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 22, 2021

‘Inubu: The Dog Club’: Puppy love with a heavy dose of advocacy

Drawing from a novel based on true events, “Inubu” shows the barriers activists fighting for the humane treatment of animals face, their own physical and financial limits among them.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.