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Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 14, 2016

The centuries-old charm of Japan's cherry blossoms

The time of year much awaited by many people across the country is finally near: the blooming period of the nation's beloved sakura (cherry blossoms).
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 13, 2016

Making an impression in Japan: a hanko primer

Everything you wanted to know about chops, from cheapo ¥100-shop seals to the Privy Seal of Japan, which is wielded by the Emperor and hewn from pure gold.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 23, 2016

Tokyo sightseeing boats offer unique views, but missing foreign tourist tide

A trip to Tokyo does not necessarily mean elbowing your way through crowds. You can get fine views of the capital from a boat on the bay.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 16, 2016

Takashi Murakami collects more than just his thoughts

"Takashi Murakami's Superflat Collection" is an exhibition of other people's work, amassed as the result of one man's phenomenally successful artistic career. It's evidence that Murakami must have done something right, or wrong, depending on your view of culture. He's sometimes portrayed as a kind of...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Feb 10, 2016

Japanese hoops waking up to skill training

Japanese athletes have always been labeled inferior in size and power, forcing them to rely on skill and technique to compete on the international stage.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2016

The predators behind the TPP

Twelve Pacific Rim countries representing around 40 percent of the global economy signed the u2028Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade accord on Thursday. Dutch author Karel van Wolferen u2028examines the corporate ramifications of the divisive deal
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Feb 3, 2016

Japanese Odissi dancer masters Indian classical art form

Masako Ono's skills in this ancient style of dance have won her kudos and success in her adopted land of India.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Feb 2, 2016

Japan's picture ID before World War II

Last year, the number of tourists coming into Japan outnumbered those going out for the first time in 45 years. In absolute terms, it may be the first time that tourism has properly taken off for this country, despite numerous attempts by various ministries and semi-official agencies over the years to...
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 2, 2016

Literacy, technology fuel Arab unrest

Rising literacy rates and rapid advances in communication technology have stirred the Middle East into a maelstrom of competing cultural narratives.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 31, 2016

Kyary ride does its part for 'Cool Japan'

"Cool Japan Heats Up" declares a sign welcoming visitors to an area of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) devoted to the country's hottest pop culture exports.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE SMASH
Jan 16, 2016

Online streaming keeps anime afloat

Last week in California, I caught up with some of the chief purveyors of Japanese popular culture in the United States and elsewhere in the world. It became rapidly clear that 2016 won't be at all like 2015 — or any other year before it.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2016

Win or lose, Taiwan's women gain a victory

If Tsai Ing-wen is elected Taiwan's next president as expected, the achievement will stand in stark contrast with how the Chinese Communist Party keeps women out of its top posts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 2, 2016

House of cards: Can traditional New Year’s greetings survive in modern times?

On Jan. 1, legions of Japan Post Co. employees delivered millions of nengajō (New Year's cards) to homes nationwide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Dec 24, 2015

The Japan Times advisory board rates paper's coverage

The Japan Times Media Advisory Board members who have been monitoring the newspapers' reporting met Nov. 18 to discuss progress from the previous board meetings and offer advice for the future.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 24, 2015

South Korean 'superdads' on paternity leave break with tradition

It is a weekday morning and Chung Sang-hoon, 34, is at home with his two small children, classical music playing in the background.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 10, 2015

CNN's Paula Newton: The key to covering other cultures is maintaining 'respect'

The topic of cultural appropriation has been a hot one in 2015, with a kimono display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts drawing a small protest and a slew of articles that discussed culturally insensitive Halloween costumes. With this in the background, how easy is it to do a show about experiencing...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Dec 8, 2015

Real beauty lies in rustic reality

French society and culture has always had a fascination with the exotic, going back to the Chinoiserie of the rococo period, the Orientalist fascination with the harems and slave markets of the Middle East, and the Japonisme of the 19th century. One might even suspect that this trait could represent...
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / JAPAN TIMES GONE BY
Dec 5, 2015

Germans torpedo Yasaka Maru; Men spending more on booze; Japan, ROK restore ties; South Korea to allow singing in Japanese

100 YEARS AGOFriday, Dec. 24, 1915
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 28, 2015

Can Asian selfies democratize fashion?

'When I was growing up and reading magazines, I didn't see anybody that looked like me," fashion blogger Aimee Song says in a video on her Song of Style blog.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 9, 2015

Republican candidates pitch 'Old America'

The Republican presidential candidates are pitching a return to 'the Old America,' when the country was whiter, men were in charge, government was smaller and religion more influential.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 4, 2015

China's five-year plan shows Xi's influence in promoting 'Chinese dream,' pledging to 'purify' Internet

The details of China's new development blueprint, which was officially handed down Tuesday by the Communist Party's Central Committee, leave little doubt as to President Xi Jinping's role in crafting the document.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 21, 2015

Three cases of whine offer lessons in how not to criticize Japan

Novelist John Updike famously declared America to be "a conspiracy to make you happy." I wonder sometimes if Japan is, then, a conspiracy to make you unhappy? Or, if not exactly unhappy, how about uncomfortable, exasperated or confused?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Oct 21, 2015

Tokyo can feel less than welcoming to food allergy sufferers

Japan needs to improve labeling and education surrounding food allergies, and increase allergen-safe options.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 18, 2015

Kero Kero Bonito blend English and Japanese rap into bouncy pop tracks

Sarah Midori Perry remembers checking MixB, an online bulletin board for Japanese expats in London, almost every day ... and feeling underwhelmed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 11, 2015

Hoodie Monks mix beats with their Buddhism

The Hoodie Monks bring together two cultures that might at first seem like unlikely partners: Buddhism and hip-hop.

Longform

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