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JAPAN
Jan 8, 2014

Kobe neighborhood gets spicy with 'kimchi town' moniker

A Kobe neighborhood densely populated with Korean residents is now touting itself as the "town of kimchi," having created brochures that have proved more popular than expected.
LIFE / Style & Design / Japan Pulse
Jan 8, 2014

Feelin' lucky? The highs and lows of 'fukubukuro'

Some people got lucky 'fukubukuro' this New Year's and some got. . . well, something! We take a look at Twitter users' 'lucky bag' adventures.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 7, 2014

Hysteric Picnic opts for cassette grooves and imperfections on 'Cult Pops'

In an age where the traditional guitar-bass-drums-vocals setup of a rock band is being eschewed in favor of more stripped-down groups using laptops and synthesizers, at first glance Hysteric Picnic may seem like it's just another band following the trend.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2014

Expanded links to Indian air force eyed amid China spat

Japan and India moved to expand air force ties before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits New Delhi in a few weeks, bolstering relations two months after China declared an air defense identification zone in a disputed area.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 6, 2014

Arrival of 'bad inflation' trend bodes ill for Japan's rebound

Price increases are prompting Japanese shoppers to buy less mayonnaise, showing the fragility of any economic rebound unless wages keep up with living costs.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2014

'Solar girl' sheds reliance on Tepco for spartan life on the edge of the grid

It was August 2012 when Chikako Fujii had one of the most memorable conversations of her life. That moment came when a bill collector from Tokyo Electric Power Co. rang her doorbell in the west Tokyo suburb of Kunitachi and told her with finality that she had an important choice to make.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2014

Citizens seek nuclear-free Shimane

Shimane Prefecture citizens seeking to enact a local ordinance that would phase out nuclear power and develop renewable energy sources have collected more than 92,000 signatures of support from registered voters, well over the minimum needed to force the governor to introduce the ordinance to the prefectural...
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jan 5, 2014

English fluency hopes rest on an education overhaul

Ringing in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has a dream: One nation that will actively re-engage with the global marketplace.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 5, 2014

Museum refuses to bat an eyelash with controversial new acquisitions

The Victoria and Albert Museum has tossed a grenade into the debate on the ethics of cheap fashion with two controversial acquisitions. The museum wants to add a pair of Katy Perry false eyelashes to its collection, along with some jeans sold by cut-rate clothing retailer, Primark, and made in the Rana...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 4, 2014

Slippery slope to Yasukuni, Nago oiled by lucre

As with the Yasukuni story, most of the commentary on Okinawa base relocation deal focused on its contentious nature, but also like the Yasukuni story, the main impetus behind the actions reported was economic.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 3, 2014

Cross-generational relations add to HIV cases

Studies show that the greater the age difference between sexual partners, the more frequent is the practice of unsafe sexual behavior that can lead to HIV infection.
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Jan 3, 2014

Suzuki, Murakami exemplify power, passion that make skating magnetic

It has been almost two weeks now, but the emotions aroused by the recent Japan national championships in Saitama remain vivid.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 2, 2014

'Insidious: Chapter 2'

"Insidious" is what happens when you take the director of one horror-movie franchise — "Saw" helmsman James Wan — and team him up with the producers of another — Jason Blum and Oren Peli of "Paranormal Activity." If that sounds about as promising as curry-mayonnaise pizza, well, it's not that bad:...
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 2, 2014

Google's drive into robotics should concern us all

Over the past year, Google has bought eight robotics companies. Its most recent acquisition is an outfit called Boston Dynamics, which makes the nearest thing to a mechanical mule that you are ever likely to see. It's called Big Dog and it walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. It's the size of...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 2, 2014

'Seventh Code'

One of the more baffling and maddening aspects of the pop music scene here for a lot of foreign observers, especially those who write about it for the English-language media, is the long-continuing and now overwhelming popularity of girl idol groups, whether or not their names end with "48." For the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 2, 2014

'Odd Thomas'

Director Stephen Sommers is known for works such as "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and "Van Helsing"; in the words of one U.S. critic, he makes "watchable trash."
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2014

Komatsu bets on local concrete boom as global mining sales falter

Construction equipment maker Komatsu Ltd. expects spending on disaster reconstruction and prevention, as well as preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, to boost earnings in its home market.
CULTURE
Jan 1, 2014

Lucky food, charming decorations and visiting deities: welcoming the new year with history and tradition

Wearing kimono, getting together with family and friends, and not working for the first three days of a new year. Shogatsu, or New Year's, is when Japanese generally work less than the rest of the world.

Longform

The building of new high-rise residential buildings has some alarmed that they could empty and fall into disrepair as Japan's population shrinks.
The high cost of letting Japan's condos crumble