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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2020

Universal Studios Japan to open Nintendo theme park in February

Set to open Feb. 4, the attraction is part of a long-delayed, u00a560 billion effort to introduce Mario and other beloved characters to real-world theme park visitors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 28, 2020

News outlets clash over tone of COVID-19 coverage

The government's COVID-19 subcommittee held a news conference on Nov. 9 to discuss nationwide increases in infections this winter. The government itself seems hesitant to call this sudden spike the "third wave," a term that has become normalized in the media, but the subcommittee definitely sees it as...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 27, 2020

Muslim residents in Kyushu struggle to establish cemetery amid local anxiety

In Japan, where the vast majority of people are cremated, only a limited number of cemeteries offer proper burial grounds for the growing Muslim population.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Nov 27, 2020

Hurdles remain for government plan to rebuild Shuri Castle by 2026

Since the blaze, a large number of problems have surfaced, such as securing the wood to rebuild, ownership of the castle and an insurance shortfall.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 27, 2020

Warmer waters bring new types of fish to Hokkaido

Dolphinfish, sunfish and bluefin tuna have all been caught in waters around the north of Japan in recent years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 23, 2020

Cheap, spacious, crowd-free: Rural Japan is having a moment with the foreign community

Laura Blackhall took a risk purchasing an empty house in the Ibaraki countryside. Amid and following a pandemic, though, it's a choice that just might pay off.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: TECH
Nov 22, 2020

Tech to improve your at-home concerts and beat the winter blues

It still pays to be cautious about COVID-19, but the development of interesting and useful gadgets to improve our “with corona” life never stops.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 22, 2020

A partnership in coronavirus misinformation

Two separate but increasingly allied groups are peddling misinformation: a small but active corner of the Chinese diaspora and the highly influential far right in the United States.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Nov 20, 2020

March 2011 victims identified thanks to forensic officer's lifelike portraits

Shuichi Abe has been hailed for his realistic drawings, which have reunited a number of bodies with their families in Miyagi Prefecture.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 20, 2020

Vulnerable foreign workers in Mie suffer as firms face downturn

“My daughter and son lost their jobs at the same time, and we are at loss as to what to do next,” said Raquel Garcia, 45, who worked at the Mie factory for nine years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 13, 2020

Pride before a fall: Why Mitsubishi Aircraft's SpaceJet project is grounded

The SpaceJet was launched in 2008 as the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ). Its first delivery, initially planned for 2013, has been delayed six times and cost u00a51 trillion so far.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 13, 2020

How one firm drove influence campaigns for big oil across the U.S.

In early 2017 the Texans for Natural Gas website went live, urging voters to "thank a roughneck” and support fracking. Around the same time, the Arctic Energy Center ramped up its advocacy for drilling in Alaskan waters and in a vast Arctic wildlife refuge. The next year, the Main Street Investors...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Nov 12, 2020

Multidisciplinary collection in Tokyo depicts a paradox of restraint and restriction

The Fergus McCaffrey gallery has curated works that explore social and regional boundaries as well as the confinements of genre and convention.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 12, 2020

With the PlayStation 5, Sony sees a long-term cash cow amid gaming boom

The new PlayStation is Sony's most important gadget since the Walkman, and it goes head-to-head with Microsoft Corp.'s next-generation Xbox over the holidays.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Women of Taste
Nov 7, 2020

Dawn Club culinary group shines a light on Tsugaru’s traditional cuisine

Odds are you've never heard of Tsugaru, or its culinary history. But one group of farmers is trying to keep traditional dishes alive.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 6, 2020

Smaller firms without heirs see more support as Japan grays

The problem has recently become more visible in Okhotsk, Hokkaido, where the number of companies seeking support from one bank doubled in five years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 6, 2020

Pandemic keeps salarymen away from Fukuoka adult nightlife district

Though circumstances of infections and anti-prevention measures have differed from shop to shop, all have been treated as if they present the worst risks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2020

Sean Connery and James Bond brought Japan to the world

“You Only Live Twice” highlights the cultural differences between Japan and the West without belittling them.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Nov 2, 2020

TELL takes its fundraisers online ahead of holiday rush

Nonprofit counseling service TELL holds an auction to help fund its Lifeline as the holidays approach.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Oct 30, 2020

Akita Prefecture taps bear expert to stop damage to farms

Due to depopulation and changing lifestyles, residents no longer take proper care of mountains, which some believe is causing bears to roam further.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Oct 30, 2020

Medical students in Aichi struggle to get on-site training amid pandemic

Medical departments in universities are having difficulty conducting anatomy classes, clinical rotations and other training for students.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Oct 30, 2020

Fishers and farmers fear impact of Fukushima water release

Nearly 10 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, prices for food products from the prefecture haven't fully recovered.
Japan Times
LIFE / EVENTS AND INFORMATION
Oct 30, 2020

Porcelain shards serve as stark reminder of war

Pieces of Old Imari porcelain serve as reminders of the tragedy of war and reviving them symbolizes the hope for world peace.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Oct 29, 2020

Designart Tokyo forges ahead with hybrid approach

Like many industries, design, art and fashion has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — from major exhibitions and trade fair cancellations to drops in consumer sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2020

Japan's unorthodox household goods champion rides a pandemic boom

Iris Ohyama has made a name through reasonably priced electronics, and launches more than 1,000 new products a year.
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Niseko Winter Special 2020
Oct 26, 2020

Powder hub offers outdoor activities, culinary treats

Fresh powder, lots of it, almost every day — that simple combination is enough to bring hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders to the slopes of the western Hokkaido town of Niseko every winter.
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Niseko Winter Special 2020
Oct 26, 2020

Snowy fun, education made easy

Niseko in winter can almost feel like a trip abroad with an international community, a variety of luxurious accommodation options and cuisine from around the world. The area is famous for its world-class powder snow that can be experienced from Niseko United’s 900 hectares of skiable terrain, over...

Longform

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