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Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 1, 2019

The prison inside: Japan's hikikomori lack relationships, not physical spaces

Fifty-three-year-old Kenji Yamase doesn't fit the traditional image of a hikikomori, but then perceptions of Japan's social recluses are changing.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
May 26, 2019

Diversity amid enhancing innovations in technology

While the odds are that most are familiar with the name Nokia, they may not be aware of the major role the firm currently plays in Japan's telecommunications scene.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 18, 2019

Aging population spurs drive to tidy nation's cluttered homes

KonMari? Let's, by all means.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
May 18, 2019

Mari Yamamoto: Staying international on and off camera

Becoming an actress was a way to liberate Mari Yamamoto from a salaryman way of life.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 16, 2019

Understanding the peaks and valleys of Japan-South Korea ties

To improve bilateral relations, Tokyo and Seoul have to take advantage of open doors to cooperation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2019

Incoming Imperial monarchs offer Japan something new

Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Crown Princess Masako, represent a lot of firsts for the nation's next Imperial monarchs: university-educated, multilingual and with years of experience living overseas, during which the monarch-to-be even did his own laundry.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 22, 2019

Understanding Japan's southwest islands buildup

Japan is upgrading its military presence in the East China Sea in response to China's active challenging of Japanese sovereignty.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 13, 2019

'Zen: The Art of Simple Living': Habits, ideas and hints for living a happy life

'Zen: The Art of Simple Living' is a profoundly beautiful work, easy to read, encouraging deep thought and reflection, but most importantly, acting as a practical guide to Zen action.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2019

Connan Mockasin finds his Japan groove ahead of his debut gig in his adopted country

"Sorry?" splutters Connan Hosford, better known as Connan Mockasin, as his bandmates cackle in the background. "Excuse me ... What did you say before?"
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 9, 2019

Gatekeepers, listeners, tax money: How Akita, once the prefecture with highest rate, halved suicides

Taeko Watanabe awoke one cold March night and found a trail of blood in the hallway, a bloody cleaver on her son Yuki's bed and no trace of him in the house. Then police discovered a suicide note in his bedroom.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 1, 2019

Heisei it ain't so! An era of great vocabulary is ending

In the beginning there was the word. More precisely, the prefix. When the Heisei Era officially started, on Jan. 8, 1989, Japan's economy was still merrily bubbling along. That must have been one reason for the popularity of 超 (chō, hyper-). The prefix itself is anything but new, but the idea to make...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Mar 23, 2019

Fumi Nagasaka: When Japan is neither in nor out of the picture

For Fumi Nagasaka, photography was born from making friends.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 13, 2019

Bad assumptions behind 'Cost Plus 50' plan

Trump's posture toward allies hosting U.S. forces could damage crucial relationships.
Japan Times
Figure Skating / ICE TIME
Mar 5, 2019

Rising choreographer Benoit Richaud says Kaori Sakamoto in good form ahead of worlds

Following a disappointing fourth-place finish at last month's Four Continents Championships in California, Japan champion Kaori Sakamoto didn't dwell on her result, but rather went right back to work to prepare for this month's world championships in Saitama.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 25, 2019

Who's been sleeping in my bed? An unexpected guest

A few weeks ago I had one of those "only in Japan" experiences that leaves you shaking your head and asking yourself, "Did that really just happen!?"
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Feb 9, 2019

Tatsuhiko 'Ryu' Akashi knows you're never too old to play

Medicom Toy's urban vinyl and other designer toys keep the inner kids alive in their adult fans.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Feb 5, 2019

Game for a laugh: Learning to become a manzai comedian

As I stand in the cramped wooden gangway at the side of the stage, going over my lines in a frantic whisper, I am reminded of something that American comedian Patrick Harlan had told me when we first met four months ago.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 20, 2019

Stop trying to create Japanese versions of overseas institutions

Japan lacks the human resources to create world-class educational institutions, research institutes and innovation ecosystems.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 13, 2019

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger: 'Following the truth, wherever it leads'

In the spring of 2014, a low rumble could be felt deep in the media landscape. An in-house report about the need for digital innovation at The New York Times was leaked by competitors, and what it revealed was a major news organization clearly struggling to overcome internal stasis and catch up with...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 12, 2019

Aiko Tanaka: A bundle of laughs in America

From dancing in clubs to stand-up comedy, Aiko Tanaka's experience in the U.S. has helped realize her dream of making it in the entertainment industry.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / B. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 3, 2019

Jets flying high as second half of season gets started

Just over half of the season remains, but it appears to be a six-team title race.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Dec 31, 2018

Akira Satake: From handmade banjos to vases

When the music industry became too stressful to bear in the U.S., Akira Satake found a new vocation in pottery.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 20, 2018

2018 was a busy year for gamers in Japan, with established franchises and open world epics reigning supreme

Many gamers began 2018 by teaming up with a garishly outfitted cat and rushing into battle against a big, angry monster. Some of those same people will usher out the year by punching Nintendo icon Mario in his famously mustachioed face.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 29, 2018

Faced with Japan's changing habits and demographics, delivery firm Sagawa looks to diversify

Sagawa delivery driver Keisuke Kawabe has seen the video that went viral on the internet two years ago of one of his colleagues smashing up parcels out of frustration that the customer wasn't home, and he doesn't approve.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Oct 31, 2018

Cities seek cash and tech as they plan a safer and greener future

As 1.4 million people move to cities each week, local abilities to keep residents safe can become strained, increasing the risk of disasters, warned the United Nations secretary-general.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 25, 2018

Masaaki Yuasa: Anime for the discerning fan

Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most exciting directors working in Japanese animation today, with a three-decade career behind him. Yet until last year, you may not even have heard of him. Long the filmmaker of choice for discerning anime fans, the 53-year-old has had a significant profile boost over the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 23, 2018

It's pop, but complicated: Tokyo Shiokouji takes minimalism in new directions

Fuji Rock Festival's Rookie A Go-Go stage has served as a springboard for bands from Asian Kung-Fu Generation to Chai, but each year it draws a few acts with rather less obvious commercial appeal. The most peculiar group to appear this year was Tokyo Shiokouji, an eight-piece ensemble featuring percussion,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW 2018
Oct 13, 2018

'Management and coexistence': Japan's justice minister calls for balance in dealing with foreign nationals

Ten days into his new job, Justice Minister Takashi Yamashita said one of his major goals is to strike a balance between management and coexistence when it comes to foreign nationals in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Malaysia special
Oct 5, 2018

MISC on moving energy to build a better world

MISC Berhad is a leading provider of international energy-related maritime solutions and services. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, its core businesses include energy shipping which largely covers liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum and product shipping and its related activities, owning and operating...
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Sep 28, 2018

Mount Ontake: Four years after its deadly eruption

Four years after its unexpected eruption, Mount Ontake's scenic hiking trails and summit are once again open for hikers. But will that be enough to bring back visitors?

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