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Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jun 23, 2019

Here's to the tabby cat that brightened up one family's home

The gorgeous tabby cat Tournesol was first featured here in June 2015. We are happy to report that he was adopted and has been living in Hyogo Prefecture with the Matsumoto family.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2019

How Japan turned against 'bazooka'-wielding central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda

In late January 2016, the lights were on well past midnight on the seventh floor of the Bank of Japan's headquarters. Inside, a handful of bureaucrats were working on a shock plan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 20, 2019

Japan's summer festivals plan for a final party before Olympic fever hits

As Yo La Tengo once sang, "summer's what you make it," and that's especially true in Japan this year. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are likely to throw a major wrench (or should that be hammer?) in the works for next summer's festival calendar, so it's worth enjoying things while the going...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Jun 16, 2019

Global ambitions defined by empathy, opportunity

Boehringer Ingelheim Japan President and Representative Director Thorsten Poehl is proof of the old adage that good things come to those that wait
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Jun 16, 2019

'You're empathetic, but there's that distance': A German undertaker in Japan

As Japanese mourners file into the funeral parlor, shrouded in silence and laden with flowers, Felix Steinkemper, dressed in a dark suit, stands ready to assist.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 13, 2019

CVN: The sound of the Japanese underground

A change in address altered the way Nobuyuki Sakuma approaches his songs. "I think of the music I used to make in Tokyo as a fantasy. It was completely inspired by my own image, what I thought up. It didn't have much to do with what was happening around me or in society," he says.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 11, 2019

Breaking down the barriers of animation with Hiroyuki Imaishi

One does not tune into an anime directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi for subtlety.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 10, 2019

A top global finance meeting loses relevance

Ministers mouth the right words, but aren't empowered to solve what ails the global economy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 2, 2019

Higher wages key to higher productivity

A forced hike in wages is both a powerful stick and a nutritious carrot that will boost productivity, and thus the future prosperity of Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 31, 2019

Proactive actions crucial to attain workplace diversity

Diversity is at the core of many of the labor and economic policies designed by the current government, including work-style reforms and promotion of women's participation in society. How much has actually changed in Japanese workplaces? Are they becoming more diverse in all aspects?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2019

The kids aren't all right: Japan struggles to protect its most vulnerable children at group homes

Miwa Moriya was 6 when social workers told her she was going to a Christmas party but instead moved her into a group home for about 60 children in a small city in western Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 27, 2019

Why Joe Biden is the least electable Democrat

Only one thing can defeat Trump: A unified, enthusiastic and progressive front.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Beyond Tokyo
May 26, 2019

IT services touted as key to future of Japan's farming sector

Self-driving tractors, tomato-picking robots, camera-mounted drones to survey fields and spot crop damage, and satellite data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to help farms keep track of climate and weather data.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 17, 2019

Tigers' Pierce Johnson striving to improve his Japanese

Sitting in the Hanshin Tigers' bullpen has given Pierce Johnson a chance to pick up some new things. Namely, his teammates have been teaching him some Japanese during their downtime, and he's already imagining the possibilities of having a new language in his arsenal.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2019

Despite being only 10 years old, actor Kokoro Terada is taking on tough topics

A heart-warming tale about an elderly woman's struggles with dementia as seen from the perspective of her young grandson, "Grandma is Okay" ("Baba wa, Daijobu") is the latest movie by Yokohama-born filmmaker Jacky Woo.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / HOOP SCOOP
May 4, 2019

Nomadic Neumann lived an incredible basketball life

Johnny Neumann forged an unconventional path in life.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 1, 2019

Pint-size Enho could shake up banzuke in Reiwa Era

The first banzuke (ranking) of the Reiwa Era was released on Tuesday with newly minted ozeki Takakeisho the standout promotion.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Apr 29, 2019

Defining the Heisei Era: Just how peaceful were the past 30 years?

Asked what characteristics best summed up the Heisei Era (1989-2019), 79 percent of Japanese people thought it would be best remembered as being “peaceful and without war.”
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 25, 2019

A whole new ballgame: Yokohama DeNA BayStars get an upgrade

Looking down at the sea of dark blue seats that frame one of Nippon Professional Baseball's smallest playing fields, one thing becomes clear: For the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, the ballpark, and the myriad experiences it offers those who take in a game, is their top commodity.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 24, 2019

Nobody's perfect, but an apology really helps at a Japanese company

What if you were doing something that drove your Japanese colleagues crazy, but you didn't realize it? Conducting seminars for Japanese businesspeople who work with people from other countries, I found a common theme that comes up every time I ask what behaviors of their foreign colleagues are hard for...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Apr 20, 2019

Shuichi Kotani: Taking soba noodles worldwide

From working at McDonald's in Himeji to making noodles for Japanese restaurants in America, Shuichi Kotani has always looked for and taken opportunities.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Apr 18, 2019

Yuta Watanabe makes positive impact as a rookie

Yuta Watanabe's blue-collar work ethic and perpetual desire to improve were defining characteristics of his rookie season.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Apr 15, 2019

Swallows' hot-hitting lineup firing on all cylinders

Anyone who watched the Tokyo Yakult Swallows play this past week probably still has the Tokyo Ondo stuck in their head. When they close their eyes, they might still see a sea of small, mostly green umbrellas bobbing up and down in rhythm to the tune.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 13, 2019

Vaughan Allison: Transforming nonessentials into essentials

Vaughan Allison on why his blood is black, his best concert memory and the most underrated area in Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2019

After 600% rally, pioneering tech firm Minebea Mitsumi prepares to shape post-smartphone future

Yoshihisa Kainuma has made a career out of being in the right place at the right time.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Apr 7, 2019

ESG-centered values drive management, strategies

Dave Muenz hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where pollution from the local steel mills was once so severe that his steelworker father had to take multiple shirts to work because by lunchtime 'the color of his original shirt would be so bad.'
Japan Times
JAPAN / Heisei Icons
Apr 4, 2019

Takanohana: The nail that sumo pounded down

In sumo's 2,000-year history, few men have been as steeped in the sport's traditions as Koji Hanada.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 27, 2019

Kengo Kora and the perfect period drama sword fight

'Game of Thrones" star Sean Bean is well-known for dying in almost everything he stars in. If you had to find a Japanese equivalent, though, it would certainly be Kengo Kora.

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