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Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 16, 2021

'Wintering': A memoir of hope for embracing dark and lonely times

A few weeks ago, The Financial Times published a sobering essay on an urgent subject: loneliness in the time of COVID-19. Written by the paper’s Chicago correspondent, Claire Bushey, it described what it has felt like to live by yourself in this miserable year.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 8, 2021

New Year Basho arrives with yokozuna absent and virus concerns rising

The first grand tournament of 2021 is scheduled to begin Sunday despite the announcement of a state of emergency in parts of the greater Tokyo area.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 6, 2021

Hakone ekiden's stubborn crowds cause for Olympic concern

The 2021 Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race concluded as a last-mile thriller between the eventual winner Komazawa University and runner-up Soka University.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Beyond COVID-19
Dec 27, 2020

The pandemic of fear

When people are isolated in their homes and haunted by fear, boredom and paranoia, one of the few activities that does not cease is discussion of the coronavirus.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 26, 2020

Japanese abroad adjust to new realities of life in a foreign community amid COVID-19

Uncertainty surrounding the outbreak has forced many Japanese living overseas to view their future with fearful optimism.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 25, 2020

Hot spring resorts in Aichi struggling to stay afloat

The government's Go To Travel subsidy campaign offers only temporary aid for hotels that had difficulty attracting domestic visitors even before the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Dec 25, 2020

Foreign detainees let go temporarily amid pandemic have nowhere to go

Many have been left without means of support, as they are prohibited from working and are not eligible to receive any administrative assistance.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2020

Ezra Vogel saw the good in every person and every nation

Ezra F. Vogel, one of the country's leading experts on East Asia, whose scholarship spanned from family issues to social welfare, industrial policy, international relations and history, passed away on Sunday at age 90.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Dec 21, 2020

A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan

COVID-19 wasn't the only story of 2020. In May, footage of the murder of George Floyd was posted online and resulted in a month of protest in the U.S. and in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 18, 2020

Musical improvisation: Karaoke venues find new uses for their multimedia spaces

Firms have seen sales fall by as much as 40% amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but have also been able to tap into new demand.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Dec 18, 2020

Hokkaido fishing villages face tough decision over nuclear disposal sites

While a traditional industry is slowly dying out, some see a nuclear site as bringing valuable income, while others feel very differently.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Dec 11, 2020

Far north of Fukushima, a village that bet big on nuclear feels the fallout

Higashidori has been facing an economic crisis due to the uncertain future of nuclear power plants in its vicinity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 11, 2020

Murder victim’s mother calls for better family support in Japan

While some help is offered on a prefectural basis, Fumiko Isogai, whose daughter was killed 13 years ago, wants a centralized safety net.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Dec 4, 2020

Mission possible? The long road ahead for Fukushima cleanup.

Tepco aims to undertake the crucial removal of fuel debris from Fukushima No. 1 in 2021 ahead of decommissioning the plant.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2020

Schools lauded for COVID-19 response and support

The number of international students enrolled in Japanese universities and vocational schools is on the rise. In May 2019, this number stood at 312,214, up from 164,000 in 2011, and the number of students who chose to work in Japan after graduating has more than doubled since 2013.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 27, 2020

Muslim residents in Kyushu struggle to establish cemetery amid local anxiety

In Japan, where the vast majority of people are cremated, only a limited number of cemeteries offer proper burial grounds for the growing Muslim population.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Nov 27, 2020

Hurdles remain for government plan to rebuild Shuri Castle by 2026

Since the blaze, a large number of problems have surfaced, such as securing the wood to rebuild, ownership of the castle and an insurance shortfall.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 27, 2020

Warmer waters bring new types of fish to Hokkaido

Dolphinfish, sunfish and bluefin tuna have all been caught in waters around the north of Japan in recent years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Nov 27, 2020

Shoplifting becomes unforeseen side effect of ban on free plastic bags

More and more customers are now taking advantage of their own personal, reusable bags to conceal unpaid items, making theft harder to spot.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2020

Blunt claim on Senkakus overshadows progress in China-Japan meeting

During an at times uneasy news conference in Tokyo, Beijing's foreign minister seemed determined to send a clear message over territorial disputes: China won't back down.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Nov 21, 2020

Kids see many ads but few educational videos on YouTube, study shows

A report found that adverts were present on 95% of videos analyzed, with a fifth of the ads being categorized as age inappropriate.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 21, 2020

U.S. and Taiwan hold talks on strengthening economic ties

The United States and Taiwan held talks on Friday on strengthening their economic relationship in the face of increasing pressure on the island from mainland China, which the Taiwanese side hailed as a successful step forward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Nov 20, 2020

March 2011 victims identified thanks to forensic officer's lifelike portraits

Shuichi Abe has been hailed for his realistic drawings, which have reunited a number of bodies with their families in Miyagi Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 20, 2020

Vulnerable foreign workers in Mie suffer as firms face downturn

“My daughter and son lost their jobs at the same time, and we are at loss as to what to do next,” said Raquel Garcia, 45, who worked at the Mie factory for nine years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 19, 2020

China’s Xi vows no decoupling in call to reject protectionism

President Xi Jinping pledged that China wouldn’t engage in decoupling, in an address to Asia-Pacific leaders in Kuala Lumpur just days after the region inaugurated the world’s largest free-trade agreement.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 16, 2020

An outsider's look at the problems plaguing rural Japan

When new people come to town they bring a flurry of new ideas with them. In the small town of Nakatsugawa, this has meant an exciting cultural exchange.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 13, 2020

Pride before a fall: Why Mitsubishi Aircraft's SpaceJet project is grounded

The SpaceJet was launched in 2008 as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). Its first delivery, initially planned for 2013, has been delayed six times and cost u00a51 trillion so far.

Longform

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