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Japan Times
CULTURE / Longform
May 31, 2021

Cool Japan campaign at a crossroads 10 years after setting sights abroad

The government-funded initiative's future looks uncertain given its mixed results so far in promoting Japanese culture overseas.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 28, 2021

Chip crisis forces carmakers to rethink just-in-time ordering

The shortcomings of that system were made starkly clear this year as the automakers confronted a dearth of the chips they need to build advanced functions into their vehicles.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 26, 2021

Thrilling Summer Basho showed sumo's potential to entertain

Terunofuji continued his remarkable comeback with his fourth title, but that was far from the only storyline that mesmerized fans over 15 days at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 24, 2021

'The Big Lie' and its consequences

Under President Donald Trump, the cooked-up issue was whether the count in the electoral college actually represented the popular vote in their states.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
May 17, 2021

3x3 basketball gets ready for close-up at Tokyo Games

A lot of people are going to be introduced to a different style of basketball when the 3x3 competition begins at the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 14, 2021

U.S. audiences can’t get enough of Japanese action shows and anime

Have you seen 'Yasuke' yet? How about 'Alice in Borderland'? If you're in the United States, according to Netflix, it's increasingly likely that you have.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 9, 2021

ByteDance hires thousands in bid to challenge e-commerce king Alibaba

A burgeoning e-commerce business could help the firm surpass its $250 billion valuation when it goes public.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 18, 2021

R rating for 'Demon Slayer' in U.S. highlights difference in attitudes

While Japan's highest-grossing film is accessible to all in its home country, younger viewers in the United States must be accompanied by their parents.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 12, 2021

Chinese shows blur Western brands over Xinjiang cotton dispute

The censorship has exposed the unexpected political tripwires confronting apolitical entertainment platforms.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2021

Netflix gets ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Jumanji’ franchises in multiyear Sony deal

Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, though previous reports suggest Sony was seeking as much as $250 million a year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2021

Netflix to launch 40 new anime shows after ‘Blood of Zeus’ win

The world's largest paid-streaming service will launch 40 new anime titles this year, it said in a statement Saturday during a virtual animation expo from Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Mar 10, 2021

From AC Japan ads to 'Your Name.': The impact of 3/11 on pop culture

The triple disaster of 2011 still looms large in the collective memory of those who were in Japan at the time. How society remembers it, though, has been influenced by films, music and art.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 27, 2021

Corporate selloffs reflect tough times in Japan amid pandemic

Leading Japanese companies are considering selling off prestigious headquarters in central Tokyo as COVID-19 continues to reshape business operations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 18, 2021

'Yabuhara Kengyo' shows audiences that justice isn't always blind

Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke IV takes on the role of Suginoichi, the cunning antihero of Hisashi Inoue's play about social oppression.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 23, 2021

The social media creators in Japan to keep an eye on in 2021

With parts of the country entering a second state of emergency, here's four digital producers that could define the year u2026
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2021

Kamala Harris will make history. So will her ‘big, blended’ family.

As Harris ascends to this barrier-breaking role, millions of Americans will see a more expansive version of the American family staring back at them.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Jan 17, 2021

B. League salvages canceled All-Star weekend with online contests

Players contributed dunk videos from their team's practice facilities while a small team broadcast from Adastria Mito Arena, where the festivities had been scheduled to take place.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 16, 2021

Stories that cater to the soul, the intellect and the stomach

Examining the challenges facing Soka Gakkai, a new teen comic book hero and coffee franchises nationwide amid the pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jan 10, 2021

How COVID-19 has changed live events in Japan

While some live events have resumed, the arrival of artists and participants from overseas still may be a ways off.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 26, 2020

How has COVID-19 changed Japan's pop culture? Recultured podcast

Recultured is a podcast series by Deep Dive from The Japan Times. It tells the story of how COVID-19 affected Japan in 2020 through the lens of the country's pop culture.
Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Dec 17, 2020

Government in a muddle over suspended travel campaign

Researchers found that people who participated in the government's Go To Travel campaign were as much as twice as likely to have COVID-19 symptoms than those who did not.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2020

Drone business attracts attention as growth industry

Drones have been used in pesticide spraying in agriculture since the 1980s. Drones have become smaller, lighter and more high-performance machines. In addition to agriculture, they have been used in various fields, including the construction, medical and entertainment industries.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 8, 2020

Japan's 2020 buzzwords still contain a sense of whimsy in spite of trying times

At the start of the year it was expected that 2020's buzzwords would all be related to the Olympics. Oh, how quickly that can change.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2020

Viral hit: 'Sanmitsu' — the 'Three Cs' — declared Japan's buzzword of 2020

The 'Three Cs” approach to the pandemic, popularized by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, refers to avoiding closed spaces, crowds and close-contact situations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 12, 2020

With the PlayStation 5, Sony sees a long-term cash cow amid gaming boom

The new PlayStation is Sony's most important gadget since the Walkman, and it goes head-to-head with Microsoft Corp.'s next-generation Xbox over the holidays.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Nov 6, 2020

Saudi Arabia to host Formula One night race in Jeddah in 2021

Saudi Arabia will host a Formula One grand prix for the first time next year with a night race on the streets of the country's second city Jeddah, the sport and organizers announced on Thursday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2020

Sony shares surge after boosting forecast on game demand

The hike in the firm's outlook underscores how the entertainment giant is benefiting from a global pandemic-era consumer shift.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?