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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK
Jan 22, 2017

Reversing Japanese names for Western use?

When did the Japanese start reversing the family-personal name order for Western consumption?
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jan 22, 2017

Indian women attend rallies, demand safety in public places after reported mass molestation

Hundreds of women gathered in over 30 towns and cities across India late Saturday, saying they were "occupying the night streets" to demand safety in public spaces after reports of the mass molestation of women in the city of Bangalore on New Year's Eve.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / INVENTING THE TASTE OF JAPAN
Jan 20, 2017

The discovery of umami: How MSG changed the culinary world

Japan is renowned for its exceptional food culture and Tokyo is the nation's culinary crown jewel. The capital has been awarded more Michelin stars that any other city in the world for 10 years. Traditional cuisine and fine dining have made Japan's food world famous, but there's a less expected element...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 19, 2017

Homeless Korean casino gambling addicts signal warning for Japan

Four years ago, Kim Jong-gu went to the South Korean mountain town of Sabuk to find out why his 30-something daughter kept asking him for money.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 18, 2017

Researchers urge Japan to reform college sports system

In the past year or so, the Japan Sports Agency, an external bureau of the education ministry, has discussed the potential establishment of "a Japanese edition of the NCAA" as part of its scheme to make college sports in this country more business-like.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 17, 2017

The new testament to Bowie's star power

"I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something," the younger Bowie once said about "a major hero" of his, Elvis Presley.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jan 17, 2017

'Elizabeth Peyton: Still Life'

Jan. 21-May 7
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 17, 2017

Chinese official fired after calling Mao a 'devil'

An official in northern China has been fired after he called the founder of modern China, Mao Zedong, a "devil" on social media and called the annual commemoration of Mao's birthday "the world's largest cult activity."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2017
Jan 17, 2017

Improved innovation through gender equality

Gender equality is one of the areas that the World Economic Forum strongly emphasizes as the organization, which has been publishing the annual Global Gender Gap Report since 2006, believes that half of the world's talent — women — should be better integrated into the workforce to boost the world...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2017

Australia disappointed by Japan's whale hunt in Southern Ocean

Australia said Monday it is "deeply disappointed" that Japan has continued whaling in the Southern Ocean after anti-whaling activists published a photograph of a dead whale two days after Australian and Japanese leaders discussed the issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Jan 15, 2017

Japan gropes for cyberattack solution as victims suffer in silence

Last November, chilling news made headlines nationwide — the internal communications network of the Defense Ministry and Self-Defense Forces had been hacked in September, possibly by another nation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 14, 2017

Curtain call: Examining the evolution of Japan's humble 'noren'

The shōtengai (shopping street) in Katsuyama, a rural hamlet located on the banks of the Asahi River in Okayama Prefecture, wouldn't look completely out of place in a Richard Scarry picture book for young children.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Jan 14, 2017

Don't let winter stop you from going out

It's the coldest part of the year in Japan. Combine frigid weather with cramped apartments, rambunctious kids and a dose of cabin fever and you have a parent's recipe for frustration. However, in Tokyo there are countless options for indoor family fun, and with the season in mind, I've created a list...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 14, 2017

The little black screen we just can't take our eyes off

A great weight sits perched on us. It's called a head. It houses our brain and presents our face to the world. It comprises roughly 10 percent of our body weight. Heavy enough at the best of times, it grows heavier as it inclines forward. Held high, it's a 5.5-kilogram burden on the neck of a person...
JAPAN / History / THE LIVING PAST
Jan 14, 2017

The evolution of the Japanese ego: Learning to say 'I'

When Adam and Eve defied God, creator and master of the universe, and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, what did they learn? To say "I."
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Jan 13, 2017

Ginza sushi restaurant tests Champagne pairing

Nothing says "festive" like Champagne, that most elegant of elixirs. The drink's life-affirming effervescence makes it a natural choice for New Year's celebrations, but Champagne pairs so well with many of my favorite foods that I drink it far more often than once a year — with everything from raw...
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 11, 2017

The messy march of folly to Brexit and beyond

Barbara Tuchman published her masterpiece, "The March of Folly," in 1984. It explored what the American writer and historian called "one of the most compelling paradoxes of history: the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests." Today she might have explored the march of folly...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2017

Learning to bow: Japan reluctantly opens door to foreign housemaids

In a Japanese-style apartment, Maria Del Bago learns how to properly bow, clean traditional tatami floor-matting and decipher instructions for a high-tech toilet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 9, 2017

Feel young again with the 'yokozuna' products of last year

Back in 1971, a newly launched newspaper covering retailing and distribution, named the 日経流通新聞 (Nikkei Ryūtsū Shimbun, subsequently named Nikkei Marketing Journal), was looking for a promotional idea. It came up with a real winner by mimicking a 相撲番付 (sumō banzuke, a stylized hierarchical...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jan 7, 2017

The 'washi' paper trail: from the tree to its many purposes

Stepping off the bus at the Gakko-iriguchi stop in Higashi-Chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture, the first things to strike the eye are high-flying clusters of balloons, suspended like colorful dirigibles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 7, 2017

'Falling into the Dragon's Mouth': a poetic tale of overcoming school bullies

In her third verse novel, Japan-based writer Holly Thompson tackles the topical issue of bullying. Her protagonist, likable American sixth-grader Jason Parker, struggles to fit in at his Japanese elementary school after moving from America to a seaside community on the Shonan coast in Kanagawa Prefecture....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 6, 2017

Richie Hawtin: Pairing Japan's best sake with techno

Richie Hawtin needs no introduction to anyone familiar with electronic music. For 25 years, this Berlin-based, English-Canadian DJ has been at the forefront of techno and he continues to play at major music and art events around the planet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / EARLY START
Jan 6, 2017

Have breakfast in Tokyo where time has frozen, but the coffee's hot

Visiting one of Japan traditional coffee shops, known as kissaten, is a unique way to start to the day.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Jan 5, 2017

Traditional crafts to welcome new year; luxury retreat for examination prep; inspired cocktails offer a twist

Traditional crafts to welcome new year

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