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Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 30, 2013

A son of Lyon brings his native conviviality to the heart of Tokyo

When Lyon-born French chef Christophe Paucod arrived in Japan in 1998, he came on a one-way ticket with no job prospects and no idea of what he would do.
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2013

LDP takes aim at English education, seeks to boost TOEFL levels

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is on a quest to reform the educational system in order to foster global talent to reverse the nation’s declining competitiveness on the world stage, and English-language studies have been especially targeted for improvement.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 29, 2013

Revamped Kabukiza theater aims to charm a new audience

The Kabukiza is back — with big ambitions and aspirations to make the nation's classical theatrical entertainment more attractive to a 21st-century audience.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2013

Pope Francis should look east to end poverty

Philippine President Benigno Aquino faces a huge roadblock in his push to end the poverty weighing on his 106 million people: the Catholic Church.
CULTURE / Music / STRANGE BOUTIQUE
Mar 28, 2013

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find out what it means to indie's new talent

It's 6 a.m. and the tiny studio is crammed full of people and reeks of sweat. An ear-splitting punk trio do their best to blast the ceiling off and a woman wrapped in nothing but a bit of Duct tape careers around the room, shrieking into a microphone.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 28, 2013

'Shohachi Kimura'

Shohachi Kimura (1893-1958) developed an early interest in foreign novels and other facets of Western culture. He first aspired to become a writer, but changed his mind at age 18 to pursue art and painting. Still interested in literature, however, he often contributed illustrations to novels.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 28, 2013

'Through Japanese Eyes: Paris, 1900-1945'

Japan first became fascinated with Western culture after the Meiji Restoration (1868), when the country opened itself to foreign relations and trade. Keen to learn about, assimilate and reinvent cultural influences, many Japanese sought inspiration in Paris, which was then considered the art center of...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WORDS TO LIVE BY
Mar 27, 2013

Kite artist Tetsuya Kishida

Japanese kite artist Tetsuya Kishida, 89, has been creating and flying kites since the age of 6. He used to be a salesman for the steel industry and he later sold bonsai. In his late 40s, he finally turned his hobby of painting kites into a profession. His artistic repertoire is inspired by images from...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2013

Lessons from the Iraq War are there for the heeding

Do Obama policymakers really know the economic consequences of beginning military operations in Iran or supplying weapons to Syria's opposition
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2013

Effort to lure more ASEAN Muslims

In line with government efforts to bring in more foreign tourists, the ASEAN-Japan Center will provide guidance on its website starting Monday to help the tourism industry be more accommodating for Muslims.
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Mar 26, 2013

Consensus: Corporal punishment in sports misguided, demoralizing, backward

The following are some readers' responses to the March 12 Foreign Element column by Richard Parker headlined "Right or wrong, corporal punishment can produce winners." See many more in the comment section below the original article.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Mar 26, 2013

'The day my mum looked after the Beatles'

In rock mythology, John Lennon was the cynical, acid-tongued Beatle, Paul McCartney was friendly and open, George Harrison was the quiet one and drummer Ringo Starr was the group's clown, always joking around. Satoko Condon remembers it a bit differently.
PRESS / Corporate Trends
Mar 25, 2013

The Japan Times, New York Times announce publishing agreement for Japan

TOKYO — The Japan Times and The New York Times Company today announce a publishing agreement that will see the International New York Times packaged with The Japan Times in the Japan market. The combined product, which will be distributed Monday through Saturday, will be known as The Japan Times /...
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2013

Reports of pope's past silences deflate bubble

Reports that he stood silent during Argentina's 'dirty war' and on sex abuse allegations against priests have toned down the welcome for Pope Francis.
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 24, 2013

"Paji"; Persian influence in ancient Japan?; CM of the week: Nissin Foods

"Paji," a manga that won an award from the Cultural Agency, has been turned into a two-hour TV drama (TV Tokyo, Wed., 9 p.m.). The title is a mash-up of "papa" and "ojiisan" (grandfather) and describes the main character, Mokuchi (Shiro Ito), a 71-year-old widower who is raising his 5-year-old granddaughter,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 24, 2013

Zen master indulges Japanese sword myth

'The one who kills is empty, his sword is empty, and the one who is attacked is empty, too. Thus the one who attacks is not a person. And the sword that strikes is not a sword. For the one who is attacked, it is just like cleaving in a lightning flash the breeze blowing in the spring sky.'
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 24, 2013

Mandatory retirement takes a leap forward

The angels that guard you / When you drive / Usually retire / At sixty-five
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Mar 23, 2013

To survive, anime must adapt, but not too much

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first TV broadcast of anime in Japan, which kicked off with "Astro Boy" created by the "god of manga" Osamu Tezuka.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / BJ-LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Mar 22, 2013

'Helicopter' Humphrey flying high again after injury

The Saitama Broncos find themselves in a familiar place as the season heads into its stretch run — near the bottom of the pack. And they will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Mar 22, 2013

Geek out on anime in Tokyo

The crux of the government's "Cool Japan" initiative to promote Japanese culture overseas mostly hangs on anime, and this weekend a major anime-based event takes place in Tokyo.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Mar 22, 2013

Taste Spanish wines, listen to rakugo; share a night with art; rest in an artist-designed room

Rakugo and Spanish wine event
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Mar 22, 2013

G-tokyo art fair makes a change

This year, four-year-old art fair G-tokyo boasts that it will turn over a new leaf with some radical changes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 21, 2013

Enjoy an art night out in Roppongi

Spring finally returns and with the change of weather comes a flurry of activity in and around Tokyo, as this year's Roppongi Art Night is welcomed back. Running from 10 a.m. on March 23 until 6 p.m. the next day, the festival hosts a diverse collection of new and established artists, some showing for...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 21, 2013

Japan's influence on Grimes grows deeper

Grimes has never been shy to acknowledge the influence of Japan on her work. The Canadian electronic pop artist, born Claire Boucher, credits a wide and various list of Japanese inspirations, including Yayoi Kusama, Geinoh Yamashirogumi, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, "Akira," "The Legend of Zelda" video-game series,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 21, 2013

'Kunio Okawara: Mechanic Design'

Kunio Okawara's robot designs have appeared in many widely loved Japanese anime series, including "Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman," ("Science Ninja Team Gatchaman") and "Kido Senshi Gandamu" ("First Gundam").
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Mar 21, 2013

'California Design, 1930 — 1965: Living in a Modern Way'

Home to Hollywood and its promises of riches and fame, California is often considered the quintessential model of the American Dream. This exhibition, the first of its kind, takes an analytical approach to Californian modern design and how it influences American material culture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 20, 2013

U.S. minor gets five to 10 years for strangling Furlong

An American minor is handed an indefinite prison term of between five and 10 years for killing an Irish exchange student last May.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / JAPAN WEB WATCH
Mar 20, 2013

Japan expresses its love for Apple and Steve Jobs, in manga

Apple Inc. has been always loved by people in Japan. Even during its toughest years, in the 1990s, after cofounder Steve Jobs had been expelled and the company was almost dead, its Macintosh computer held a much greater market share in Japan than in other countries.

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