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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 16, 2017

Hokkaido's unique konbu dials up the umami to 12

Fisherman Kazuaki Ida entered the No Borders Cafe in Rausu just as we were finishing cups of hot coffee on a rainy Hokkaido afternoon. He held giant flat-leaved stalks that scraped against each other like hard plastic, garnering appreciative "ahs" of recognition among the cafe's customers. As a first-time...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 16, 2017

Getting to the bottom of a slippery game show gone viral

No aspect of Japanese pop culture titillates the world more than the country's game shows. From references on "The Simpson's" to inspiring Western riffs on subjects such as "Banzai" and "I Survived A Japanese Game Show," the idea of wacky creations bordering on torture have played a central place in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 16, 2017

Playing War: Children and the Paradoxes of Modern Militarism in Japan

In an old magazine photo, a baby enjoys "children's heaven" — perched in a tank-shaped stroller and, the caption jokes, going to Manchuria. In a manga released by U.S. Forces Japan, two cute doe-eyed characters — the bunny-boy Mr. USA and the Japanese schoolgirl Ms. Alliance — discuss playfully...
EDITORIALS
Dec 14, 2017

Top court rules on NHK fees

NHK should realize that it's desirable to win the support of TV owners when asking them to sign subscription contracts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2017

Japan Times advisory board weighs in on the paper's past and future

The Japan Times Media Advisory Board met at the newspaper's office Oct. 24 to review the redesign implemented on April 1 and news coverage over the past year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 13, 2017

Taunts, tweets and tough talk: Japan's quotes of 2017

Soundbites tell the story of a roller-coaster year for Japan, from its Diet to its dohyu014d.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2017

Government mulls conferring national award to Japanese shogi, go champions

Japan considers conferring the People's Honor Award to two shogi and go champions after the pair won all major titles in their respective games.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Dec 13, 2017

Retired athletes put future options in spotlight

When Eiji Shiraki retired as an American football player for the powerhouse Fujitsu Frontiers of the semi-pro X League three years ago, he was completely bewildered.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 13, 2017

Japan's World Cup hopefuls seize chance in win over China

Japan's third-string players are forcing their way into World Cup contention with their performances at the E-1 Football Championship, according to manager Vahid Halilhodzic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2017

Asia in the wings of Japan's art scene

"Tis the season to be jolly ... circumspect. As regards art, despite suggestions from some art professionals that biennials and other recurring art festivals are an exhausted format, 2017 offered up an embarrassment of riches, some more embarrassing than others as it turned out.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2017

Charles Jenkins, U.S. defector to North Korea and husband of former Japanese abductee Hitomi Soga, dies at 77

Jenkins, who spent nearly 40 years in North Korea as a prisoner, lived in Japan with his family after his release in 2004.
CULTURE / Art
Dec 12, 2017

Bohemia along the Sumida: In search of cultural capital

On paper, the Japanese government supports the arts, which are considered important vehicles for promoting Japanese culture globally, enhancing the country's image as a tourist destination and stimulating declining regional economies. But, where does the content for Japan's increasing number of art festivals...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2017

Japanese workers feel guilty taking time off and use fewer holidays than their international peers: survey

A survey revealed that Japanese used 50 percent of their vacation days, placing them at the bottom of the list for the second consecutive year.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 9, 2017

Diego Pellecchia: When heavy metal and noh collide

Noh scholar and practitioner talks about what noh, heavy metal and fantasy literature have in common.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2017

Half of Uny superstores will become Don Quijote outlets

Major Japanese retailer FamilyMart Uny Holdings Co. will convert about half of its Uny superstores into discount retail outlets operated by its business partner Don Quijote Holdings Co., FamilyMart Uny President Koji Takayanagi said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 7, 2017

Kanayama rice terraces 'an impressive feat of human ingenuity'

Looking out the window as the bullet train crosses into northern Iwate Prefecture, the mighty Tohoku mountains stand tall behind deep forests, rice paddies and the occasional sleepy town. Long gone is the constant buzzing of cars and a view that stops on the other side of the street. If it weren't for...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 6, 2017

In Japan, rarefied manners abound but courtesy is less common

Japanese manners are often remarked upon with awe and wonder by visitors, but you seldom hear a word about Japanese courtesy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2017

Uber joins forces with global public transport group UITP in bid to boost local-level relations

Ride-hailing app Uber said it is joining a global public transport association to improve mobility in the cities it operates in, although North America's largest public transit union said there was no place for the U.S. company.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 5, 2017

How to tell if North Korea is about to test a nuclear bomb

When North Korea unleashed an earth-shaking nuclear bomb of as much as 250 kilotons on Sept. 3, one man wasn't fazed.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2017

Don't worry, China isn't taking over the world just yet

Some of China's greatest economic advances depend heavily on local conditions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Dec 4, 2017

Brazilian cartoonist's manga helps his young compatriots adjust to school life in Japan

Famous Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa has created a manga introducing Japanese school life to Brazilian children who have migrated to Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 4, 2017

Frederik Schodt recalls the 'different world' of manga translation in the 1970s

'I loved manga but there was no way to make a living (with it),' recalls manga translation pioneer Frederik Schodt.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Dec 3, 2017

Different constitutions, similar defect?

The Meiji Constitution rise and fall of the affects contemporary constitutional attitudes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / ESSENTIAL READING FOR JAPANOPHILES
Dec 2, 2017

'A Brief History of Japan': Jonathan Clements guides readers from ancient lore to otaku obsessions

Ask any Japanese high school student which is their most difficult subject, and chances are they'll answer Japanese History — a consequence of the endless litany of dates, names and battles they need to memorize. Pity then, that they don't use this little book in class, because it manages to make thousands...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 1, 2017

There's no escaping the sea in historic port city of Shimonoseki

The Yamaguchi city that's famous for its puffer fish offers a wealth of experiences.

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