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Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 21, 2022

This ancient brew has retro appeal in South Korea

South Korea's craft makgeolli revival has been underway for at least a decade, but the drink's popularity took on new dimensions during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 14, 2022

What can we expect from J-pop in 2022?

Ditch the downer sounds of 2021 for brighter bops, Shibuya-kei and breakout hits via TikTok.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 18, 2021

Kim Jong Un's crackdowns leave North Korean defectors with little hope

In the 10 years since he came to power, North Korea has cracked down on people trying to get out of the country, leaving many defectors without hope of seeing their families again.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 12, 2021

‘The Shut Ins’: A poignant look at loneliness from four points of view

The individual voices of the characters shine in Katherine Brabon's novel, which delves into societal pressures and isolation in contemporary Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Nov 20, 2021

Hero or vigilante? Kyle Rittenhouse verdict reignites polarized U.S. gun debate

Guns have long been a potent political issue in the United States, where permissive laws have led to the highest rate of civilian firearm ownership in the world.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 20, 2021

U.S. teen Kyle Rittenhouse acquitted of all charges after divisive murder trial

A jury acquitted the teenager of murder in the fatal shooting of two men during racial justice protests in a decision that ignited fierce debate about gun rights in the United States.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 16, 2021

For Meghan, an image rendered in a U.K.-U.S. split screen

Although the Duchess of Sussex remains a polarizing figure in Britain, she has been able to restyle herself in the U.S. as a business owner and social activist.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 6, 2021

Surveillance in the academy: Hong Kong's new compulsory national security courses

Last month, several thousand Hong Kong university students, some of them under the watch of a closed-circuit TV camera, were the first to take compulsory courses on the territory’s national security law.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 18, 2021

A soul-nourishing workspace in the Northern Alps

When offices closed down due to the pandemic in early 2020, workers had to figure out their minimum needs — the basic equipment, space and environment for them to continue to be productive. Yet it did not take long for some to realize the goal should not be to reproduce the traditional office environment...
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Oct 10, 2021

Anime aesthetics blur the line between real and virtual fashion

As some brands dip their toes into NFTs, others turn to nostalgia-with-shock-value to sell both real and virtual clothing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 8, 2021

Cameron Mackintosh's all-Japanese 'Oliver!' will have you asking for more

'You'll leave the theater with a smile on your face and joy in your heart,' says theater titan Cameron Mackintosh of his latest production.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 7, 2021

French director Arthur Harari delves into the paranoid mind in 'Onoda'

French director Arthur Harari's biopic delves deep into the inner life of the Japanese soldier who refused to surrender for decades after the war.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 1, 2021

Kyotographie taps into the echoes of hardship

The annual international photography festival reflects on times of major crisis.
SUMO
Sep 10, 2021

Door open for Terunofuji to celebrate yokozuna ascension with Emperor’s Cup at Autumn Basho

It was impossible not to marvel at how Terunofuji fought through the pain and reached the pinnacle of sumo's violent and harsh world while practically held together with duct tape.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 2, 2021

LDP leadership fight intensifies as Suga rival outlines COVID-19 plans

The former foreign minister backs enhanced PCR testing and electronic 'vaccine passports,' among other measures, while Suga is looking to tap the popularity of Japan's environment minister.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 19, 2021

Fuji Rock attempts an all-Japan experiment

Constrained by COVID-19, the music festival reimagines itself and leans into highlighting emerging artists.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 8, 2021

Persist, pivot, prosper? Tourism businesses on weathering the pandemic

With the Olympics and a national vaccine rollout underway, The Japan Times checks in with four small tourism businesses. How are they holding up? And how did they pivot to stay in business?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Aug 5, 2021

Katie Kitamura and the cognitive dissonance of being alive right now

Her new novel, “Intimacies,” introduces readers to the perceptive, digressive mind of an interpreter at The Hague who is dealing with loss, an uncertain relationship and an insecure world.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 7, 2021

Sumo's greatest comeback story could end in white rope for Terunofuji

The ozeki will find himself in one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sport if he manages to get the championship — or equivalent — needed to earn yokozuna promotion.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Washoku Essentials
Jun 26, 2021

Approach mealtime differently with a washoku mindset

Japanese kitchen traditions — using food fully while being mindful of balancing color, flavor and method — will help you put together a meal that's healthy, colorful and delicious.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 24, 2021

‘Ito’: Ren Komai strums the right notes

Satoko Yokohama's drama, set in the director's native Aomori Prefecture, features a troubled teen whose talent for playing the shamisen is hindered by grief.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 18, 2021

In China's new Xinjiang: Patriotic tourism, riot police and minders

China is trying to move on from a security crackdown in Xinjiang in which more than a million ethnic Uyghurs were detained in so-called re-education centers from 2016.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants 2021
May 29, 2021

L’evo: Destination dining that’s worth the journey

Chef Eiji Taniguchi's “avant-garde regional” cuisine showcases the best of Toyama Prefecture's seasonal ingredients and local artisans.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 3, 2021

The downside of decision-making practices in Japan

Adherence to the rules is important in Japan. When those rules don't work, it is sometimes easier to make a whole new set.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 2, 2021

‘Tokyo Junkie’: Robert Whiting recounts a lifelong addiction to his adopted city

The author and longtime Japan resident tackles his hardest writing project ever — “interviewing himself” for a memoir on his life, the changing urban landscape and, of course, baseball.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2021

America’s undimmed global cultural reach continues

The influence of American culture remains as strong as ever. The growth of a QAnon movement in Japan is the clearest example that some of its more paranoid ideas are spreading overseas.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 18, 2021

Marathon runners sweating over future of 2021 races

Steven Rojas was ready. He had already started the program of long runs, track workouts, and tempo efforts prescribed by Brooklyn Track Club in anticipation of running the 2020 New York Marathon.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 2021

Leo Konno expresses his biracial heritage through the melodies of a koto

The koto player's cross-cultural approach to the traditional Japanese instrument reflects his biracial identity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Mar 20, 2021

Sipping spring spirits with all of Tokyo at your feet

Bar Virtu's spring-inspired cocktail lineup is the excuse you need to glam up and escape the humdrum of daily life.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake