Search - culture

 
 
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Dec 12, 2018

Shared spaces, locally produced goods and everyday objects

Making physical connections with people, whether via large-scale events and spaces or design concepts, and a continued celebration of traditional crafts, appeared to be a key direction for design in Japan this year.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2018

Ghosn a symptom of broken global capitalism

There hasn't been a more exciting time to be a critic of the 'greed is good' philosophy of the corporate sector led by self-centric rock-star CEOs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 24, 2018

The Jomon Period: Modern Japanese art with ancient beginnings

Japanese art has a quality all its own. The ancient and the avant-garde merge. Prehistoric figurines seem 10,000 years deep rather than 10,000 years old. And modern art takes us back even as it propels us forward. Manga, for instance, predates its name by centuries — millennia even, you might suppose,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 13, 2018

'Hokusai and the Gourmets of Great Edo'

Ever since washoku (Japanese cuisine) was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013, interest in this country's dining culture has continued to increase worldwide.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KANPAI CULTURE
Nov 10, 2018

The SG Club: Cocktail history in the making

Shingo Gokan's new bar in Tokyo's Shibuya ward, The SG Club, is a living piece of historical fiction that delights in cross-cultural references. The initials 'SG' stand for Sip and Guzzle, and the space is divided into two bars, each with a different vibe.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Nov 3, 2018

Daichi Nakamura: In pursuit of perfection

This year marks 25 years of violin study for Daichi Nakamura. His practice has earned him a host of international accolades and the position of guest soloist at renowned symphony orchestras in Europe such as the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2018

Japanese towns that thrive on once-abundant squid suffer as numbers decline at alarming rate

Takashi Odajima picked up a cracked and faded photograph and dusted it off with his sleeve. He smiled a little sadly at the image from long ago, back when he was a baby boy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2018

Setouchi sets ¥500 million goal to bring renowned Japanese sword back 'home'

The city of Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture, which once flourished as a major producer of swords, said Tuesday it will use crowdfunding as part of an attempt to raise a total of ¥500 million from in and outside the country to bring back "home" a renowned sword called Yamatorige.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Internationalization of Japanese Universities
Oct 22, 2018

Diverse options reflect Sophia University's global origins

Fulfilling the vision of the Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier, who visited Japan in 1549, Sophia University was founded in 1913 in Tokyo by three Jesuit priests, Joseph Dahlmann from Germany, Henri Boucher from France and James Rockliff from the U.K.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Internationalization of Japanese Universities
Oct 22, 2018

Meiji program empowers cultural connections

The English Track program at The School of Global Japanese Studies at Meiji University is an English-based bachelor's degree program that has been offering students from around the world the unique opportunity to explore a wide range of intellectual interests, improve their Japanese language ability...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Internationalization of Japanese Universities
Oct 22, 2018

Timing ripe for pursuing higher education in Japan

There they go, gliding through conversations in flawless Japanese with ease, catching the locals' jokes, even making their own. It all seemed so effortless for them and there I was, struggling away trying to string together a semi-coherent sentence. Just as I had aligned all that tricky grammar into...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Internationalization of Japanese Universities
Oct 22, 2018

Voices from 10 students and recent graduates

In an increasingly globalized world, going abroad for higher education is becoming more common. Here, 10 students and recent graduates of Japanese universities share their experiences with English-heavy degree programs.
Japan Times
GLOBAL MEDIA POST / Ireland report 2018
Oct 19, 2018

EU’s fastest growing economy on four-year streak seeks stronger business links with Japan

Rising anew from a devastating recession 10 years ago, Ireland has rehabilitated its image as the Celtic Phoenix as its economy grows year-on-year, wages rise and new jobs are created. Although small in terms of size and population, Ireland is among the world’s most productive and profitable markets...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 13, 2018

Can female surgeons dismantle stereotypes in Japan?

The long-running American TV series "Grey's Anatomy" is popular because of the way it mixes standard medical drama with mushy romantic intrigue, but another part of its appeal is the makeup of its characters. The drama takes place in the surgical department of a Seattle hospital, and half the doctors...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Oct 13, 2018

In art, there are no rules, only new challenges

For the director of the Japan Society in New York, it was a teenage encounter with a Shoichi Ida print that led to her love of art and its international influence
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 13, 2018

Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media

Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Deep Dive
Sep 18, 2018

Japan's 'danchi': Public housing blocks highlight the complexity of interculturalism

Stroll through Shibazono Danchi in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on a weekend and you will find children shrieking with glee. They run across its communal playground or splash about in the fountain of the public housing complex as elderly residents enjoy leisurely walks in the background. Apartment...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2018

Okinawa marines' version of Da Pump's 'U.S.A.' goes viral

U.S. Marines based at Okinawa's Camp Foster have sparked a viral internet craze with a rendition of the summer hit song "U.S.A." by Japanese hip-hop band Da Pump, raising hopes of improving the image of U.S. forces in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Aug 20, 2018

Riedel CEO's return to Japan flavored with innovation

To say that Japan holds Riedel Japan CEO Wolfgang Angyal in a judo-like grip is not far off the mark. Visibly enthused with his adopted home, and the potential opportunities it affords, as well as a slew of professional achievements under his belt, the dapper Austrian feels very much in tune with this country.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 13, 2018

Gender discrimination: Nation's dignity is being questioned

Are the rigged entrance exams at Tokyo Medical University merely the tip of the iceberg?
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Aug 3, 2018

'Handkerchief Prince' is a quintessential Koshien tale

Yuki Saito, as a high school senior pitching for Waseda Jitsugyo, may have become the most famous athlete in Japan during Summer Koshien in 2006.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Jul 22, 2018

Coaching experts trade ideas at workshop

We have seen various types of unreasonable harassment problems surrounding Japanese sports, especially in school athletics, over the last several years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2018

U.S. teacher, naturalized ex-student recall impact of 1968 Ogasawara reversion

When the 23-year Allied Occupation of the Ogasawara Islands ended 50 years ago, it was also a moment of closure for George Yokota, who had worked for 12 years as a teacher on Chichijima — one of the two main inhabited islands in the chain 1,000 km south of Tokyo.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Jul 11, 2018

Former Laker Sasha Vujacic helping launch Saga Ballooners

The Saga Ballooners look to literally launch a big balloon with the help of a former NBA player in order to eventually become a major basketball club in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 6, 2018

Incan burial site found in desert valley in Peru

Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered an extensive Incan burial site inside an adobe pyramid in a coastal desert valley far from the Andean heart of the empire.

Longform

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