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Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 14, 2021

‘Blue’: Not your typical underdog story

Kenichi Matsuyama plays a fighter on a losing streak in Keisuke Yoshida's “Blue,” a boxing drama that finds nobility in failure.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 14, 2021

How pandemics change the course of history

When COVID-19 first arrived last year, everyone’s go-to historical parallel was the 1918 influenza pandemic. Precisely because it was so fleeting, it’s hard to find evidence that it caused a sweeping reorientation of everyday life. In its wake, most people simply forgot what happened. Other global...
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 13, 2021

Second night of unrest after police shoot dead Black man near Minneapolis

The shooting of Daunte Wright, 20, appeared to result from an officer mistakenly opening fire with her gun instead of a Taser during a traffic stop, the city's police chief said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 12, 2021

‘You can’t trust anyone’: Russia’s hidden COVID-19 toll is an open secret

At least 300,000 more people died last year during the coronavirus pandemic than were reported in Russia's most widely cited official statistics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 11, 2021

‘Terminal Boredom’ is a treasure trove of Izumi Suzuki’s subversive science fiction

Izumi Suzuki, a prolific writer of speculative science fiction and a counterculture figure in the 1970s and '80s, has gone largely overlooked by modern readers — until now.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 10, 2021

The changing face of medical care for Japan's older residents amid COVID-19

The prolonged state of social isolation amid the ongoing pandemic is deteriorating the mental and physical health of Japan's seniors.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 7, 2021

Late Kototsurugi's illustrations captured sumo's essence

The former rikishi's caricaturish style, a longtime fixture of sumo merchandise and media, is widely considered a definitive representation of the sport.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 5, 2021

How a Georgian diplomat won hearts and minds in Japan

At the heart of his unusual connection with Japan is one local medical practitioner whom he feels forever indebted to.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Apr 5, 2021

Susan Mercer’s 15-year quest to educate on pet adoption in Japan

Canadian Susan Mercer founded HEART Tokushima 15 years ago. Amid a rise in pet ownership due to the pandemic, she's asking people to get educated before committing to a new furry friend.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2021

Pianist Satoko Fujii creates abstract expressionism in musical form

Whether she’s playing solo piano or leading one of her various large ensembles, pianist and composer Satoko Fujii will tug you toward the details.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 2, 2021

While Asia wants a baby boom, Indonesia says enough is enough

Countries across Asia are trying everything from fertility tours to baby bonuses to spur population growth in an aging world. Not so in Indonesia.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 29, 2021

Inside Myanmar’s army: ‘They see protesters as criminals’

Four officers spoke about life in the feared Tatmadaw, which has turned its guns on civilians again. “The Tatmadaw is the only world” for most soldiers, one said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 27, 2021

‘That We May Live’: New Chinese fiction delves into the playfully weird

Explaining the difference between speculative fiction and science fiction can feel like sorting out overlapping nebulae. The main distinction of speculative fiction may be that a story is just barely possible, at a slight remove from reality that veers into the playfully weird. A Japanese author exemplifying...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2021

The business case for vaccine passports

While several countries and regions are preparing to unveil systems of inoculation proof, vaccine passports have met resistance from some quarters.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 27, 2021

Enduring casualty of pandemic in the U.S.: Care for the dying with a human touch

COVID-19 has disrupted almost every aspect of comforting the terminally ill at the end.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB Preview
Mar 25, 2021

Six players to watch in the Central League in 2021

Japanese baseball is back on Friday, which makes this a great time to single out a few players in the Central League who fans should keep an eye on this season.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Mar 22, 2021

Martin Holman: A pioneer in Japan's puppet theater tradition

Martin Holman knew early on that he had a passion for puppets. What he didn't know, however, is just how far that passion would take him.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Mar 22, 2021

Archetypes of the 'modern girl' from Japan's 'jazz age'

People thronged European-style cafes and breathed new air with new lungs. At the center of it all were the 'mobo' and 'moga': modern boys and girls, respectively.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2021

Waiting for Tokyo: How 110,000 Olympic volunteers put their lives on hold

Mixed signals from the games' organizers and a recent sexism scandal have left some would-be helpers lacking motivation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 20, 2021

Reality check: ‘We’re in a tunnel with no exit in sight’

Buddhist priest Myoyu Tamaoki describes the world in terms hard to argue with. “Calm,” she says, “is elusive.” Disaster, ruin and upheaval, if not hitting you personally at any given moment, may strike the next, as a glance at news of them hyperactive elsewhere cannot fail to remind you. “Everyone,”...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 20, 2021

The pandemic left Japanese students studying abroad scrambling. A year later, what’s happened to their academic dreams?

Students who had their programs disrupted are grappling with tough choices: study online, wait until borders reopen or abandon their study abroad.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 20, 2021

Heavy rain forces evacuations and flood warnings on Australia's east coast

Australia's east coast was smashed by heavy rains on Saturday, forcing multiple evacuation orders and pleas from authorities for people in Sydney to stay at home amid the potentially life-threatening flash flooding.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 18, 2021

Impact of virus measures wane as Tokyo looks to cautiously reopen

The emergency declaration's effectiveness seems to have reached its limit as the number of new cases in the capital region stubbornly refuses to decline.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 17, 2021

Clubhouse’s founder is in a state of perpetual motion

Over the past 15 years in Silicon Valley, the Clubhouse chief executive officer has explored the depths of how technology can be used to connect people in new ways.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Mar 17, 2021

Kento Momota fully healthy and ready to make run for gold at Tokyo Olympics

Kento Momota was afraid he would be unable to play badminton again after a traffic accident in Malaysia left him with serious injuries last year. But now that he's fully fit again, the world No. 1 says he's gunning for gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / The World of Translators
Mar 13, 2021

Cathy Hirano: Translation is a door to another world

Translator Cathy Hirano balances her time between freelance translations and young adult literature, and has earned accolades for both. Although her most recognized translations are for lifestyle guru Marie Kondo’s wildly popular works, starting with “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Hirano’s...

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