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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2012

Smartphone toys come to the fore

The International Tokyo Toy Show kicked off Thursday with an unmistakable message that toy makers don't want to miss out on the smartphone boom.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 15, 2012

'Act of Valor'

Ten minutes into "Act of Valor", I could practically hear the voice of Homer Simpson in my head, delivering his own critique of the movie: "Ooh, propatainment!"
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jun 14, 2012

In the light of Rinko Kawauchi

It's quite surprising to find out that "Kawauchi Rinko: Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow" is Rinko Kawauchi's first solo exhibition in Tokyo. For a winner of prestigious photography prizes, who has published multiple books — not to mention held major exhibitions overseas — this mid-career show...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 13, 2012

Toy sector saw sales rise 3.4% in '11

The domestic toy market logged ¥692.1 billion in sales in fiscal 2011, up 3.4 percent from the previous year for the second straight annual rise despite the sluggish economy, the Japan Toy Association said Tuesday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / TECH_JAPAN
Jun 13, 2012

Gadgets and games to keep you dry in the washroom

It's not the classiest of topics, but here I go touching on the taboo — toilets. We all visit the bathroom several times a day, and what a relief that we do! The experience can conjure a curious mix of emotions: pleasure, pain, anxiety, boredom, impatience, pride. Japan famously produces toilets with...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / MIXED MATCHES
Jun 12, 2012

Couple move to the beat of a different drum

American Chris Holland and Lisa Kakinoki from Yokohama, both 26, first met in 2006 when they were studying at J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 10, 2012

Investigation of the 'long life' hormone; forensics mystery; CM of the week: Kagome

A new obsession in Japan is something called the "long life" (chōju) hormone, a naturally occurring chemical that prolongs the life of the person who produces it. The medical variety show "Shujii ga Mitsukaru Shinryojo" ("The Clinic Where You Can Find Your Own Home Doctor"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 8 p.m.) explains...
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 10, 2012

The self-styled 'Land of the Free' nurtures yet another facet of hypocrisy

Last month, two members of the U.S. Senate vilified Eduardo Saverin, the cofounder of Facebook Inc., for doing something that Americans are apparently coming to consider a punishable sin.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 10, 2012

Matsue: 'City of Water ' with a history set in stone

The train from Okayama to Matsue took nowhere near as long as the one the English writer Sacheverell Sitwell boarded in 1959 to the same destination: "Nine hours from Osaka, into a remote and little-visited part." The region still feels faintly remote, the train carriages clickety-clicking over rivers...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2012

'My House' takes Tsutsumi home

"Auteur" is not the first word that leaps to mind to describe Yukihiko Tsutsumi. In a directing career that began with a segment of the 1988 comedy anthology "Bakayaro! I'm Plenty Mad," the prolific Tsutsumi has made films in a variety of genres — mystery/thriller ("Spec: The Movie"), dystopian fantasy...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 7, 2012

Nagasawa quiets down for 'Seven'

Some musicians simply ooze self-confidence. They walk into the room like they own it, flashing a smile that instantly melts a thousand hearts. But Tomoyuki Nagasawa is not one of those musicians.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Japan Pulse
Jun 6, 2012

Moldy Mos Burger confirms kōji boom

Mmm, mold. How an old spore found new life in Japan's kitchens.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 5, 2012

'Nixon option' for Iran could break stalemate, allow U.S. to strengthen security without war

Rearranging the deck chairs would not have saved the Titanic. Nor did the endless debates on the shape of the table in the Vietnam negotiations advance the effort to end that maligned conflict. Still, many U.S. presidents have successfully redesigned talks with adversaries in bold new ways to strengthen...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Jun 5, 2012

Blackston taught kids days before murder, may have toured with AI

Although no official statement has been made by the artist or her representatives, evidence points to links between high-profile Japanese pop star AI (Ai Carina Uemura) and at least one, if not both, of the suspects being questioned over the rape and murder of Nicola Furlong.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2012

What counts as a Catholic within a secular state

The dispute over the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' new regulations mandating that employers provide contraception coverage has been framed by opponents of the rules as a fight over religious liberty. And so it is.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 4, 2012

Ramirez still learning, producing on baseball diamond

History has seen lots of baseball players play for long periods of time — Chunichi's Masahiro Yamamoto, in his 29th season, and Jamie Moyer, still pitching in the U.S. at age 49, to name a pair — but no one has yet figured out how to play forever.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jun 3, 2012

Kitajima knows third Olympic sweep won't come easy

Sustained excellence makes a small number of Olympic athletes a special group.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 3, 2012

Bashōfu culture weaves its spell in Kijoka

White-caps beat steadily against the northwestern shore of Okinawa's main island. Winds have stirred up the seas, yet the water looks as cerulean and inviting as ever. I should be paying more attention to this enviable vista but I'm preoccupied, indifferent. The circuitous coastal road requires more...
Events / KANSAI: WHO & WHAT
Jun 2, 2012

Sculptor Sato's works at Sagawa Art Museum

The Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, is hosting an exhibition of sculptor Churyo Sato through June 24. Sato, who died last year at age 98, was a diligent artist, working from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 70 years.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 1, 2012

Sugiuchi sacrifices glory for team

Just think about it. A 3-2 count, two outs in the ninth inning, and with a perfect game on the line — what would you do on your next pitch?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Jun 1, 2012

Cucina Tredici Aprile: Rustic Italian fare, served in seclusion

Quick, before the wonderful spring weather turns to rain and then to sweltering summer. It's the perfect season for long, leisurely alfresco lunches: Time to book that peaceful verdant patio table at Cucina Tredici Aprile.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 31, 2012

How high is up: Tokyo Skytree boosts economy for some

Tokyo Skytree is a bonanza for some, a headache for others.

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