Search - features

 
 
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Oct 29, 2022

In pushing adventure travel, rural towns see paths forward

Where tourists who flock by bus clog up sidewalks and restaurant reservation slots, those who travel further afield bring some positive baggage with them.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2022

XBB variant, spreading fast in Singapore, detected in Tokyo

The coronavirus subvariant features several mutations in its spike protein, giving it an exceptional ability to evade immunity. But its severity is not yet known.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 28, 2022

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, it could be a yōkai

Yu014dkai can take any form as they are our fears and imaginations made manifest. They make for easy scapegoats, and can be used as warnings to keep children on their best behavior.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 27, 2022

All Blacks test offers Brave Blossoms chance to advance Japanese rugby

Saturday's matchup at the National Stadium with New Zealand, while ostensibly a friendly international test, could be Japan's most important 80 minutes since 2019.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Oct 24, 2022

Battle to stop Kagoshima seawall highlights divide over coastal engineering

Seawalls are a fixture of Japanese coasts, but one beach on the island of Amami Oshima is fighting against the tide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Oct 24, 2022

War orphan hopes tragedies that harm Japan-China ties won't happen again

Kohei Yamada, 85, was left behind in China amid the chaos of the end of World War II. He returned to Japan after the two countries normalized ties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Oct 24, 2022

Second generation of Unification Church followers begin to speak out

Growing up constrained by the church's doctrine and expected to act as role models for believers, some children suffer when trying to seek their own religious freedom.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 22, 2022

Sumida Mukojima Expo embraces an anarchic spirit

The local arts festival highlights the neighborhood of Kyojima's scrappy sense of character and its history of resilience.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 22, 2022

Swallows and Buffaloes assemble for Japan Series rematch

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Orix Buffaloes staged one of the most competitive series in recent memory last season, and this season promises much the same.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 20, 2022

Concerns over China bringing Japan and Australia's relations ever closer

Kishida is set to travel to Perth this weekend for talks on stepping up defense, economic and energy cooperation as bilateral ties grow stronger in the face of Beijing's rise.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 19, 2022

Familiar faces set to highlight Yakult-Orix rematch at Japan Series

Most of last year's cast are set to play starring roles again on Japanese baseball's biggest stage, offering another treat to fans who enjoyed their tightly contested 2021 encounter.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 19, 2022

Neurodiversity emerges as a skill in artificial intelligence work

For decades, workers with developmental disabilities, especially autism, have faced discrimination and disproportionately high unemployment levels.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Oct 17, 2022

Miyagi stores and facilities offer hours with less sensory stimulation

The trend of dimming lighting and reducing sounds for people with developmental and other disabilities has started to attract nationwide attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Oct 17, 2022

In Japan, body hair removal transcending age and gender boundaries

At the same time, there are also moves to rethink the notion that hairless skin is beautiful.
Japan Times
The Philippines report 2022
Oct 17, 2022

Own a piece of Japan in Bonifacio Global City

Premier Philippine real estate developer Federal Land Inc. is bringing together Filipino hospitality and sense of community with the Japanese traditions of excellence and innovation to deliver a slice of Japanese living in the Philippines.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Oct 16, 2022

From ‘gastrobar’ origins, Tinc Gana elevates modern Spanish cuisine

Chef Jerome Quilbeuf prefers to start each meal with “the finest cured ham in the world.'
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 13, 2022

Struggling Rakuten may need to phone a friend for help with mobile bet

Hiroshi Mikitani isn't as rich as he used to be — and is losing money rapidly on his bet on mobile. The smart play may be to find a partner with deeper pockets.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 13, 2022

‘Break of Dawn’: Extraterrestrial adventures lack momentum

Tomoyuki Kurokawa's anime about a group of children's quest to help an alien return home is a nostalgia trip that takes on weighty themes but slogs toward the end.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 12, 2022

Young underground reporters ‘fight a gun with a pen’ in Myanmar

The Southeast Asian nation has seen a relentless crackdown on free expression, with a small literary magazine emerging as one of the few remaining independent media outlets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 11, 2022

So you want to work remotely: a guide

As more employers offer flexibility, countries, travel brands and entrepreneurs are stepping in to make working from anywhere easier, with everything from special visas to work pods.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 11, 2022

China’s cryptocurrency holdouts test the boundaries of Xi’s crackdown

Beijing's move to banish cryptocurrency trading and mining seemed poised to snuff out the entire domestic industry, but that's not how things turned out.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Oct 10, 2022

Empire of steel: Where Japan’s railways stand after 150 years of evolution

Much has changed since the country's first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama laid the foundation for a world-renowned network of trains to be created.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2022

The biggest threat to democracy and peace is thuggishness

The operating system of any functioning society is civility, and thuggishness is the virus that makes it crash.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / New Wine Frontier
Oct 9, 2022

The 'invisible' American bringing Old World soul to Japanese wine

Bruce Gutlove was growing tired of Napa Valley when Japanese wine came calling.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 8, 2022

Halvor Skiftun Digernes finds a new life's calling crafted from clay

The former mixologist and Tokyo cafe co-founder is combining his creative interests with a new passion — ceramic arts.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 7, 2022

Go For Kogei: The evolution of Hokuriku's crafts, art and nature

The craft-art festival, which takes place at three historical temples and shrines, showcases how the region's history and artisanal works are closely intertwined.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 7, 2022

I know Japanese. Why can’t I read signs in Hokkaido?

A lot of the readings for kanji on Japan's northernmost island are connected to the language and culture of the Ainu, who are indigenous to Hokkaido.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 6, 2022

Climate change made summer hotter and drier worldwide, study finds

Europe, China and North America were parched by extreme heat that would have been u2018virtually impossible' without the effects of global warming, scientists said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 6, 2022

‘To the Supreme!’: Clever rom-com keeps twists coming

Santa Yamagishi's rom-com about four women with lackluster love interests is cleverly plotted but takes a while to get to the drama.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.