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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 18, 2020

Eiji Yoshikawa: The 'Compassionate Pugilist'

Boxer Yoshikawa helps others to learn to roll with the punches
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Jan 18, 2020

Vegan Store: Japan's first vegan convenience store

Vegan Store, Japan's first vegan convenience store, is on a mission to demystify vegan fare and make it more accessible in the capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Jan 18, 2020

Rieko Nakagawa: From 'Guri and Gura' to Studio Ghibli

Rieko Nakagawa, born in 1935 in Sapporo, was working as a teacher in a small nursery school near Komazawa Park when she wrote her first children's book.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 18, 2020

Kukai: Sowing the seeds of Shingon Buddhism

'Some say that though Kobo Daishi (Kukai) left this life he did not die, that he lies uncorrupted in (his tomb on Mount Koya) under these ancient trees, awaiting the coming of the future Buddha who will signal the salvation of the world' — Oliver Statler, 'Japanese Pilgrimage' (1983)
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 18, 2020

Once-in-a-decade U.S. Census to kick off in remote Alaska Native village

This year's once-a-decade official U.S. national population count will start in a small Alaska Native village perched on the tundra overlooking the Bering Sea. Daytime temperatures will be well below freezing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jan 17, 2020

Nagoya tech school students plan to build seaplane for flood rescues

Members of Nagoya City Technical High School's airplane club are planning to develop a seaplane that can be used to rescue people from floods — an idea they came up with after learning about the Ise Bay Typhoon, a 1959 storm that swept through the Chubu region, claiming more than 5,000 lives.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 16, 2020

Clocking up the years with Charlie Nagatani, Japan's country king

After more than 60 years of playing country music, and having staged numerous festivals in his native Kumamoto Prefecture, Charlie Nagatani shows no signs of stopping.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 14, 2020

Overcoming the 'Putin paradox'

In his two decades of rule, Russia President Vladimir Putin has succeeded in making his nation a global player that punches far above its economic weight.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 14, 2020

Life begins at 60 (or at least it starts anew)

Japan Times writer Daniel Morales celebrates his 60th column with a lesson on turning 60, a special birthday in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 14, 2020

New York Hanukkah machete attack suspect could face potential death penalty trial if comatose victim dies

The man accused of stabbing at least five people in a machete rampage at the home of a Hasidic rabbi during a Hanukkah celebration could face a death penalty trial if one of his alleged victims, still in a coma, dies, a judge said on Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2020

Why implicit bias training doesn't work at companies

Perhaps most obviously, every nation has pervasive cultural stereotypes about other nations, usually its neighbors, which play a critical role in shaping and cementing their cultural identity.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jan 13, 2020

Living in Japan during a time of climate crisis

Substantial action needs to take place in order to deal with the environmental problems on our planet. Still, don't discount the little things you can do just yet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jan 13, 2020

Picture the fun at a manga museum

Built into a repurposed elementary school, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, one of the most impressive manga repositories in the world, will keep kids entertained for hours.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jan 12, 2020

Steadfast commitment to hard work, cultural roots

Ambassador of Norway Inga Nyhamar is delighted to be in Tokyo. Yet there are times when the Trondheim native, who grew up with swathes of forest on her university-town doorstep, itches to escape 'civilization' and reconnect with the great outdoors.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Jan 11, 2020

A toast to mingei: Shining a light on new uses for objects both venerable and hardworking

In Jeffrey Montgomery's Lake Lugano home, items that are no longer used in everyday life in Japan, or that might even be at risk of being thrown away, find new purpose and bring new charm.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 9, 2020

Raving from the past into the future with WaqWaq Kingdom

Shigeru Ishihara and Kiki Hitomi release a second album, fusing an eclectic mix of genres with a deep and personal set of lyrics
Japan Times
GLOBAL INSIGHT / Jamaica report 2020
Jan 9, 2020

The best place to do business in the Caribbean

Jamaica’s successful economy, strategic location, connectivity, natural resources, cultural status and pro-business approach make it the ideal investment destination.
Japan Times
GLOBAL INSIGHT / Jamaica report 2020
Jan 9, 2020

Jamaica cements its position as the jewel of Caribbean tourism

The vibrant and increasingly accessible island offers a full spectrum of immersive vacation experiences that extend far beyond it being the perfect location for sun, sea and sand.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Jan 8, 2020

Yuriko Kotani: The Japanese comedian laughing her way through dark days in the U.K.

Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani journeys back from her adopted U.K. for a series of live shows, in which she discusses the quirks of the British and their language.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 7, 2020

Ghosn attacks the very system that crowned him

The former Nissan CEO was Japan Inc.'s favorite rebel before it turned on him. What does he have left to say?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Jan 7, 2020

YouTuber reporter targets Japan's tech-savvy youth as print media withers

It's a quarter past 11 p.m. and Mainichi Shimbun political reporter Kenta Miyahara, having just wrapped up his nightly informal chat with a politician he covers closely, begins to set up his smartphone, tripod and lighting in a cluttered office devoid of any of his colleagues.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 7, 2020

After Carlos Ghosn's dramatic escape, former minister says Japan should overhaul bail system

Japan should introduce a more relaxed bail system but step up its surveillance of defendants in criminal cases to prevent a repeat of the dramatic escape by fallen auto titan Carlos Ghosn, a former Cabinet minister and Tokyo governor said Tuesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 7, 2020

Rakushin: A flavorful harmony of Japanese-Flemish cuisine

It's Belgian-meets-Japanese for this collaborative four-hands meal organized by Arts Flanders Japan at Osaka's Rakushin.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2020

Kyoto mayor says city will require barrier-free rooms at all new hotels and lodging facilities

In order to improve the accommodation experience for people with disabilities and elderly guests, the city of Kyoto plans to require all rooms in newly built lodging facilities to be barrier-free in principle, Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa said Monday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 7, 2020

Harvey Weinstein charged with sex crime in Los Angeles as trial on separate charges starts in New York

Los Angeles prosecutors indicted Harvey Weinstein on Monday on sex crime charges just hours after the former film producer appeared in a New York court for the start of his rape trial, which has become a focal point for the #MeToo movement.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jan 6, 2020

When American country meets Japanese anime

The lineup of artists onstage at the Tokyo premiere of 'Sturgill Simpson Presents: Sound & Fury' was as eclectic as the film they'd all made: a 41-minute anime music video set to an entire album by the Grammy-winning Simpson.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 6, 2020

Mike Pompeo defends U.S. killing of Iranian general as Democrats ask 'Why now?'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, as Democratic lawmakers questioned whether the action was justified and the United States braced for retaliation.

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