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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 14, 2018

Japanese tech CEO behind popular 'Monster Strike' in search of new hit

Five years ago, Koki Kimura pulled off an unthinkable turnaround to save his company. Now, he's trying to do it again.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2018

With eye on foreign tourists, Kyoto bids to expand nighttime sightseeing

At 6 p.m. on one weekday in August an enthusiastic audience had almost filled Gion Corner, a theater of some 200 seats at the center of the Gion traditional entertainment district in the city of Kyoto.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Sep 15, 2018

Chinese A-list actress Fan Bingbing last seen in June amid culture crackdown

Fan Bingbing, an A-list Chinese movie star who has appeared in the "X-Men" and "Iron Man" film franchises, has more than 62 million followers online in China and fronted campaigns for Montblanc watches and De Beers diamonds, has disappeared.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 13, 2018

Akinori Nakagawa captures Frankie Valli's voice in 'Jersey Boys'

Nothing sounds quite like the early 1960s more than the vocals of Frankie Valli. As lead singer of The Four Seasons, his falsetto remains an unmistakable part of classic tunes such as "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry," though it's also his remarkable voice, in a lower register, behind hits like "Can't...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / IDEAS IN ACTION
Aug 29, 2018

The sky is the canvas: Tokyo startup looks to launch world's first artificial meteor shower

It was literally an out-of-this-world idea that seemed unfeasible when it struck her nearly two decades ago: Made-to-order shooting stars. But Lena Okajima's audacious project to reproduce nature's fireworks for mass entertainment is getting ready for takeoff.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Aug 10, 2018

'Namie Amuro generation': Okinawa moms pursue dream of fame

Five Okinawa women in their 40s, who practiced singing and dancing as teens at the same school as pop diva Namie Amuro, have recently relaunched their music careers after a lengthy break with a goal of achieving fame.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2018

Already in decline, Japan's pachinko industry now braces for gambling-addiction regulations

Like many pachinko parlors throughout Japan, Naomi Suzuki's establishment on the outskirts of the city of Fukushima was once full of energy, with the din of bouncing steel balls and garish lights flashing to indicate winnings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 17, 2018

Netflix shares tank after subscriber growth falls short and India foray faces rivals

Netflix Inc.'s subscriber growth fell short of Wall Street expectations on Monday, sending shares of the normally high-flying stock down 14 percent on fears that the company's expansion is slowing.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2018

Casinos in Japan: Tourist attractions or hotbeds of gambling addiction?

As the year's ordinary Diet session nears a climax this week, debate is heating up over a bill Prime Minister Shinzo Abe characterizes as key to his growth strategy: the so-called casino implementation legislation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 30, 2018

Explosions in the sky: Fireworks lie at the heart of summer in Japan

Is Japan "the best" at fireworks?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 24, 2018

In cartoon arms race against Japan, Chinese tech giants splash out

Growing up in the Chinese port city of Dalian in the 1990s, Zhang Hongchang spent hours immersed in Japanese cartoons like "Dragon Ball" and "Naruto."
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jun 14, 2018

Get ready for summer: Night pools, outdoor concerts and Pikachu armies

You know when you go on YouTube — or Spotify, or Netflix — and you’re faced with so many options for entertainment that you don’t know where to start? It can feel like that with Japanese summer festivals, too.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 12, 2018

Late Edo Period villainy is captured in violent ukiyo-e prints

In the waning years of the Edo Period (1603-1868), a darkness seized hold of the public consciousness and bloody murders, acts of arson and sexual scandal were rampant. Well, at least in Japanese art.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2018

Sony backs maker of instrument that RZA and Grimes can't live without

Sony Corp.'s venture capital arm is backing Roli, the maker of digital musical instruments like the Seaboard that have attracted stars including Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA and Canadian artist Grimes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 2, 2018

Fantasy island: Collaborative multimedia project in Nagasaki seeks to augment the natural world

A young girl's voice rings through the forest, drawing me further into the darkness. "Koko ni kite," the voice calls again in a whisper from the right, using a Japanese phrase that means "come this way."
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2018

Cabinet approval of casino bill welcomed in Osaka by politicians and international casino operators

The Cabinet's approval of a casino bill draws praise from Osaka politicians and casino moguls eager to open Japan's first legal gambling dens.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 19, 2018

Iconic Shibuya 109 building launches ¥1.09 million design contest for new logo

The operator of a landmark shopping center in Tokyo's famed Shibuya district is holding a contest to design a new logo as it prepares for a fresh look.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 1, 2018

Tokyo Cowboys shoot for more diversity on Japanese screens

'We can't all be lost, drunk, rude gaijin (foreigners) on television and movies forever,' says Christopher McCombs of Tokyo Cowboys.
BUSINESS
Mar 9, 2018

Trump meets 'Doom' maker and other video game execs over violent content

U.S. President Donald Trump met on Thursday with the makers of popular video games "Grand Theft Auto" and "Doom" to discuss what the president believes is a link between video games and violent acts like last month's school shooting in Florida.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 6, 2018

'Sarugaku Masks: Shaping the Culture of Noh'

March 10-June 3
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2018

Will China 'weaponize' social media?

Now that Russia has shown how cybertactics and informational subterfuge can upend established democracies, China will surely be taking some pages from the Kremlin's playbook.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 31, 2018

1970s Japanese TV series 'Monkey' had a magic that has never been matched

The news that 'Monkey' has been remade by Australia's ABC in a co-production with TV New Zealand and Netflix is likely to cause those in the know to fan two fingers in front of their mouth, Monkey-style, to summon a flying cloud.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 11, 2018

After 12-year wait, Sony relaunches robot dog Aibo to much fanfare

Sony Corp. relaunched the Aibo on Thursday, with fans expressing excitement at the second unleashing of the robot dog.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 10, 2018

'We Make Antiques!': A caper flick that's the genuine artifact

One of my guilty pleasures is watching "Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan," which translates loosely as "Get Lucky! The 'Anything Goes' Appraisal Team" in English. It has been airing on TV Tokyo since 1994 and has encouraged countless folks to unearth family treasures for inspection by expert appraisers. Quite...

Longform

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