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Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 14, 2020

'The Benza' proves that toilet humor is universal

“The Benza,' a series on Amazon Prime Video about an epic quest to replace a broken toilet seat, was inspired by actor Christopher McCombs' real-life travails in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 13, 2020

Japan's 'virus vigilantes' take on rule-breakers and invaders

Officials have reported instances of cars with out-of-prefecture license plates being tailgated and vandalized, and their drivers targeted with verbal abuse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
May 12, 2020

'No man's land': Delhi's urban villages face uncertain future

Many of the landmarks of Paras Tyagi's life remain the same in Budhela village in Delhi where he grew up: the house he lived in, the school that he, his father and grandfather attended, the homes of neighbors he knew as a child.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 12, 2020

Outnumbered but unafraid: Japanese climate activists confront society to save it

Myriad challenges are being overcome by 20-year-old Mika Mashiko and other young environmental activists nationwide.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2020

The future of work is here: Why the COVID-19 crisis calls for a fundamental reset of labor markets

This is the window of opportunity to invest in our most precious asset: our human capital.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
May 11, 2020

An island off the coast of COVID-19 presses pause on tradition

Smaller towns in Japan aren't having to deal with the pandemic directly, but its effects are still being felt on lifestyles as festivals opt to cancel celebrations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Women of Taste
May 9, 2020

Not a sake lover? You just haven’t met sommelier Yuki Imanishi

At Sake Lovers Inc., founder Yuki Imanishi works with 100 small breweries across Japan to promote their products and connect them directly with consumers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 9, 2020

A pandemic potpourri of Golden Week news gems

As if the COVID-19 pandemic didn't give Japan enough things to worry about, the unseasonably warm winter and resulting lack of snow may spell severe shortages of water by this summer.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
May 9, 2020

Upcycle: Nurturing new value for rice and its rural domain

Ryo Saegusa started the Kotaki Rice & Future Project in 2015 to promote and sell the rice lovingly cultivated by Kotaki's farmers. Today, it's marketed as a high-end, sustainable gift.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 9, 2020

Ilgin Yorulmaz: Always write as if your story matters

International journalist and professor Ilgin Yorulmaz on how to pitch to an editor, the story that's left the biggest impact on her and what makes Japanese perseverance so noteworthy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 8, 2020

Live music needs structural change to survive COVID-19

With footfall having dropped dramatically at Japan's live music venues, many are turning to crowdfunding. But whether this will help mid-sized spaces remains to be seen.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 8, 2020

'One Cut of the Dead' director Shinichiro Ueda brings teleworking to Japan's film industry

Shinichiro Ueda reunites the cast of his hit comedy 'One Cut of the Dead' for an innovative teleworking sequel
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
May 7, 2020

South Korean findings suggest 'reinfected' virus cases are false positives

South Korean health authorities raised new concerns about the novel coronavirus after reporting last month that dozens of patients who had recovered from the illness later tested positive again.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 7, 2020

Yonawo brings chilled sounds to a tense Japan

The Fukuoka group has released its first major-label mini-album, and is firmly looking forward.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 5, 2020

Japan's response to COVID-19: A preliminary assessment

Will Japan end up in the group of countries that is on the way to successfully containing the virus or in the group that experiences an exponential growth in infections?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2020

Where is the local news about COVID-19?

There's a paucity of accurate, practical community-level information about the pandemic.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
May 3, 2020

Longtime work for chamber evolves into leading role

Although her days are packed to the brim, Sally Townsend wouldn't have it any other way. As commissioner for South Australia to Japan and Korea, Townsend leads her home state's trade and investment office in Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
May 2, 2020

Upcycle: For bottled Japanese teas, the future begins in the field

Since tea cultivation began around 800 years ago in what's now Shizuoka Prefecture, it has been renowned as Japan's largest tea-producing region. Benefitea repackages the beverage for the 21st century.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional voices: Chubu
May 1, 2020

Drive-thru services in Aichi support butchers and restaurants

Firms have been hit hard by requests from municipal governments to shut down businesses and for people to avoid nonessential outings.
Reader Mail
Apr 30, 2020

Disregard for the state of emergency — from inside local government

I work at a small government-funded tourism association in a prefecture outside of Tokyo. As of today (April 27), still more than a week before Japan is due to review its state of emergency, we have been ordered to resume tours of the prefecture, some of which involve distances of 150 km or more, with...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 30, 2020

Independent cinema campaign meets donation goal

A crowdfunding campaign to save art houses reaches its donation goal as Japan's film industry grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2020

COVID-19, disease surveillance and smart cities

Tracking infections is vital to containing the pandemic, but it also creates mind-bending opportunities for social control.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2020

The Chinese Health Organization?

The WHO director-general should be taken to task for his deference to China throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2020

Why China’s propaganda efforts so often backfire

An obsession with finding enemies and uniting the front makes it difficult to 'tell China's story well.”
Japan Times
SOCCER
Apr 26, 2020

Arsenal to reopen training ground to players

Arsenal will reopen its London Colney training ground to their players next week for individual training but the Premier League club will continue to observe social distancing rules amid the coronavirus outbreak, it said on Saturday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Apr 25, 2020

Vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo offering takeout

Finding good take-home food as a vegetarian remains a challenge in Tokyo's current state of emergency. Fortunately, plant-based restaurants across Tokyo have stepped up to the challenge: Here's The Japan Times' recommendations for five of the best.

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