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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2014

Tesla reportedly to unveil 'autopilot' cars this week

Tesla Motors Inc. will make its first foray toward automated driving, joining luxury rivals in offering high-tech features, including one that can keep the car in its lane, according to a source familiar with the carmaker's plans.
EDITORIALS
Oct 4, 2014

Pop-idol group debuts in debt

It's not unusual for nine young women to form a new pop-idol group in Japan. Contrary to other groups, though, members of The Margarines were chosen for their personal indebtedness.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 28, 2014

SoftBank rumored to be in talks to buy DreamWorks

SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son plans to make Hollywood's DreamWorks Animation studio part of his communications and media empire, a source reveals.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 26, 2014

Kojima's terrifying world of the unknown

Hideo Kojima's "P.T." isn't even a full game, and it still might be the scariest video game experience of the year. It is atmospheric, unfailingly creepy, and in future years might be looked back on as the first step in the reimagining of the horror genre.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2014

Artists, athletes will get to shine at Sports Culture Davos in 2016

As Japan gears up to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, the government will jointly hold Sports Culture Davos in fall 2016 in Tokyo and in the Kansai region with the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, education minister Hakubun Shimomura said.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Sep 12, 2014

For toddlers, Anpanman doesn't have a use-by date

He has a big red nose, two rosy cheeks and an edible head that is regularly rebaked in his uncle's oven.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Aug 27, 2014

On this island, depopulation isn't the problem — inertia is

There is one thing most people don't realize about this island paradise amid the Seto Inland Sea: that despite many people wanting to move here, none of them can.
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2014

MGM seen scouting Tokyo fish market as potential casino locale

MGM Resorts International has scouted the world's biggest fish market as a potential site for the casino resort it wants to build in Japan, according to two sources familiar with the company's plans.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 12, 2014

USJ touts wizardry of Harry Potter to win Japan casino partners

As Japan edges toward legalizing gambling resorts, USJ Co. is counting on its cachet turning around its Universal Studios theme park to win a partnership with a foreign casino operator.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jul 25, 2014

Anime enjoys summer homes in Los Angeles

For more than two decades, post-production, audio and creative studio Bang Zoom! Entertainment in Burbank, California, has been delivering the anime fix abroad. Founder and CEO Eric P. Sherman talks about how it all began.
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2014

Odds fall on USJ casino ambition

As Osaka moves forward with plans to build an integrated resort complex in the hope that the Diet will soon legalize casinos, the future role of the Universal Studios Japan theme park remains unclear.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 29, 2014

Comic books champion debate on Fukushima disaster

Farmers in Fukushima try to convince skeptical visitors that their crops are safe from radiation. Blood trickles from the nose of a reporter who visits the area.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2014

Sony to buy Britain's CSC media group in TV network push

Sony Corp.'s movie and TV unit will snap up Britain's CSC media network, adding to a string of acquisitions designed to shift its focus from movies to higher-margin television programing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 19, 2014

Sony CEO apologizes for another steep loss

Sony Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai apologized to investors Thursday after the maker of PlayStation consoles and Xperia smartphones projected a sixth loss in seven years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Jun 12, 2014

International Tokyo Toy Show allows a peek at Christmas hits

It's that time of year again. Children erupt with joy as they see their favorite anime characters come to life, and tech-savvy young adults scramble to figure out the latest cutting-edge gadgets. It's not Christmas, but the International Tokyo Toy Show runs a close second.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jun 9, 2014

AKB48 members deserve to get workers’ comp for saw attack

Are members of girl group AKB48 'workers' under the law and therefore eligible for industrial accident insurance? The evidence suggests so.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 28, 2014

Godfather of J-horror escapes from genre's grip

Hideo Nakata could be called the godfather of contemporary Japanese horror, but he would probably hate the label. Regardless, this 52-year-old director of such genre classics as "Ring," "Ring 2" and "Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara (Dark Water)" has made J-horror — a combination of present-day settings...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 22, 2014

Hirai refuses to pull plug on Sony TV business

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai said Thursday the company still expects to turn around its loss-making home electronics business, which includes TV sets, this fiscal year after completing restructuring.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 18, 2014

Monster hits continue to survive the Internet age

A monster lays waste to America's cities, smashing skyscrapers and tearing up passenger trains. It's the familiar tale of Godzilla, a mutant lizard last seen rampaging through cinemas in 1998 and now back on the big screen.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 11, 2014

Casino moguls gamble on Japan

Two U.S. billionaires bet on rival cities to be the first to open casino resorts in Japan if the government legalizes gambling.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 6, 2014

'X-Men' director Bryan Singer sued in second teen sex abuse case

A British man who accuses "X-Men" director Bryan Singer of sexually abusing him as a teenager was spurred to bring a lawsuit against the filmmaker after Singer was sued by another man on similar allegations, the plaintiff's lawyer said Monday.
WORLD
May 5, 2014

Aussie billionaire Packer punches business rival in Sydney brawl

Billionaire Australian gaming mogul James Packer was seen brawling on a Bondi Beach street with fellow businessman David Gyngell, a lifelong friend, former best man and chief executive of the Nine Entertainment Group, media reported Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
May 2, 2014

Japan a key battleground for BBC's expansion in Asia

Judging from the activity on the floor at February's BBC Worldwide Showcase in Liverpool, England, television is most definitely not dead. Over 700 buyers and distributors descended on the BT Convention Centre to investigate what was new ("The Game," "The Musketeers") and what was returning from the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 23, 2014

PUK's children's puppet shows suspend disbelief for all ages

Parents around the capital seeking entertainment options for young children over the next several weeks could do a lot worse than check out Puppet Theater PUK, where old and new stories will come to life in the hands of seasoned puppeteers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2014

H.I.S. eyes island off theme park for casino

H.I.S. Co.'s Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park along the Nagasaki coast is considering buying a deserted offshore island in an expansion to boost its appeal as a possible site for a casino resort.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBL NOTEBOOK
Apr 22, 2014

Roster depth, unselfish play highlight Toyota Motors' epic 28-game win streak

The Toyota Motors Alvark have always been a powerhouse in Japanese men's basketball, and it's nothing unusual for them to post more wins than losses.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Apr 19, 2014

Koza: the carbonized city

My first glimpse of Koza was a burned out car on a monochrome print I picked up at a recycle shop in Naha. I would see the image again when I visited the history section of the Okinawa City Hall, where there was a prominent display on the Koza Riot of 1970.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2014

Sony PS4 sales top 7 million mark

Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 4 sales are proving a bright spot for Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai, who is cutting costs to spur a revival at a company hit by falling demand for its televisions and cameras.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Mar 26, 2014

Let cherry blossoms light up the evening at Osaka castle

When it comes to spring beauty, nothing surpasses the sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom, especially when they are illuminated during the night. Add the grandiose view of Osaka Castle as the backdrop plus a delicious bento-box picnic, and you have a winning combination.

Longform

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