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Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 15, 2019

The hot topic of Western saunas in Japan

Onsen hot spring baths may reign in Japan, but the Western sauna could be the next health and wellness trend.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 14, 2019

'World Class': What a world class education looks like, and what it doesn't

'World Class,' by Teru Clavel is an examination of what a top-tier education system — and its opposite — looks like.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Sep 14, 2019

Wonders of washi: Sekishu Washi Kubota produces strong, pliant paper from local mulberry plants

The Sekishu-washi produced by Akira Kubota, prized for its delicate watermark patterns and subtle colors, is used to restore precious cultural properties.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / Children's Literature in Japan
Sep 14, 2019

Mimei Ogawa: The father of modern Japanese children's literature

Often referred to as the Japanese Hans Christian Andersen, Mimei Ogawa's (1882-1961) numerous children's stories and fairy tales elevated the literary genre from simplistic tales to nuanced, humanist works.
EDITORIALS
Sep 14, 2019

Lessons from the latest typhoon

Last week's typhoon provided ample evidence the Tokyo area needs better prepartation for disasters, especially among transport companies and employers in general.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2019

Japan-South Korea feud starts to cast shadow over 2020 Olympics

A deepening feud between Japan and South Korea threatens to undercut next year's Tokyo Olympic Games as the two sides spar over whether spectators could wave Rising Sun flags during the event.
Japan Times
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Sep 14, 2019

Sizzling summer threatens Tokyo 2020, Osaka Expo

The summer of 2019 brought record-breaking heat. Early to mid-September, until last week, felt like late July in Kansai, Tokyo, Nagoya and parts of Kyushu and Shikoku. Only in a few areas of Hokkaido, where temperatures dropped into the low teens at night, were there clear signs autumn was arriving....
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 13, 2019

Luxury on the Nakasendo with a dash of adventure

In Nagano Prefecture's idyllic Kiso Valley, near the post town of Tsumago on the rugged Nakasendo trail, the new 'expedition hotel' Zenagi offers guests the best of the region's food and culture — with an adventurous twist.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 13, 2019

Free bank accounts may become a thing of the past in Japan

Japan's long-suffering savers have put up with virtually zero interest for years, but at least their bank accounts have remained free.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2019

Website of Japan's new 78-year-old IT minister offline for months, raising questions over his tech acumen

The official website of new Japanese information technology minister Naokazu Takemoto has been unviewable for the past few months, raising concerns among social media users over his ability to handle the portfolio, it was learned Friday.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 11, 2019

How much Japanese-language skill do you need to work in Japan?

Back in the bubble period, I was able to get a job at a Japanese bank in Tokyo with language skills that were intermediate at best. With a lot of intensive effort (and classes kindly paid for by my employer) I was able to improve quickly and was eventually writing reports in Japanese.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Sep 11, 2019

Unpicking the mysteries of a Japanese convenience store at night

"Ping-pong, ping-pong! Ping-pong, ping-pong!"
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2019

Dispelling the myths of Kashmir

Until China and Pakistan stop trying to undermine its territorial sovereignty in Jammu and Kashmir, India will have little choice but to take steps to protect itself.
Japan Times
SUMO
Sep 9, 2019

Sumo 101: Rikishi & social media

At first glance, sumo can seem intransigently stuck in the past.
Japan Times
Special Supplements
Sep 9, 2019

Winning the climate change challenge: What one person can do

Sept. 23 will see the Climate Action Summit held at U.N. headquarters in New York, preceded by the Youth Climate Summit on Sept. 21.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 7, 2019

Death notes: Traditional rituals associated with curses persist in 21st-century Japan

It's a scorching summer afternoon with temperatures crawling toward 37 degrees Celsius. Kadota Inari Shrine is empty except for a chorus of screeching cicadas and the smooth stone statues of foxes guarding its entrance.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Kateigaho International Japan Edition
Sep 7, 2019

Wonders of washi: Exacting standards at Mino Takegami Kobo

At Mino Takegami Kobo, Toyomi Suzuki and her family make Honmino-shi, a delicate handmade washi paper with a magnificent irregular texture.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 7, 2019

Cook Japan Project: World-class chefs flock to Japan for a year of pop-up dinners

Cook Japan Project is a 10-month rotating chef's residency program, hosting over 30 culinary stars from around the world to foster cultural exchange and expose Japanese diners to the wider culinary world.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 7, 2019

Sipping the spectrum of Kanazawa coffee

Kanazawa has a reputation as a hub for traditional Japanese arts and culture, but its coffee shops, new and old, offer a glimpse of how locals live and enjoy this historic city.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Sep 7, 2019

A literary platform for the collected writers of Kyoto

Writers in Kyoto is an English-language literary salon formed by writer John Dougill in 2015 to create a 'sense of community' for writers connected to Japan's imperial capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
Sep 7, 2019

'Mishima, Aesthetic Terrorist': The brain behind the coup

In 'Mishima, Aesthetic Terrorist,' Andrew Rankin takes us to the less-visited corners of Mishima's complete works, the intellectual essays that were the fount for the ideas that played themselves out in his novels.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 7, 2019

Steve Sakanashi has the heart of a coach

Student startup incubator Sekai Creator founder Steve Sakanashi on the most creative pitch he's ever heard, what sets Japanese youth apart from their American counterparts and how he kicks off his mornings.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 7, 2019

U.S. will aim to persuade others to 'call out' China over Uighurs at U.N.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the United States would use the United Nations General Assembly this month to persuade countries to help "call out" China over treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority.
Japan Times
JAPAN / SATOYAMA & ESG AWARDS
Sep 6, 2019

Recipients recognized for sustainable contributions

The Japan Times Satoyama and ESG consortiums hosted an inaugural awards ceremony on Friday at Tokyo Midtown to recognize seven parties for their activities and contributions in their respective fields.
Reader Mail
Sep 6, 2019

Human capital can make Tokyo better

Regarding the commentary "Making Tokyo more competitive" by Haruaki Deguchi in the Aug. 27 edition, a moderate climate makes life pleasant, but weather is not holding Tokyo back from being a leading world city. The city already has a first rate communications and transportation infrastructure, and with...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 5, 2019

Giving anime strength overseas

The Crunchyroll Expo in California sees Japanese animation enthusiasts gather to meet their heroes and embrace all aspects of anime fandom.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 5, 2019

Envisioning comparisons between sumo and rugby as RWC approaches

Sumo isn't the only show in town this September, as the world's third-largest sporting event comes to Asia for the first time ever.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 5, 2019

Manic Street Preachers bring best-selling album to Japan, 20 years on

Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers prepare for two dates in Tokyo at which their 1998 hit album 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours' will be played in full
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 4, 2019

AFWJ celebrates 50 years of uniting women

Members of the Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese reflect on the group's achievements and progress.

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