Tag - koji

 
 

KOJI

Health ministry officials enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Osaka plant on Saturday for inspection.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 4, 2024
Cause of Kobayashi Pharma health scare still unclear as probe continues
A natural compound derived from blue mold has been detected in the firm's beni kо̄ji supplements, but the substance's health impacts are still unclear.
Renegade director Koji Wakamatsu (Arata Iura, right) heads to Nagoya in the early 1980s to open his own cinema in “Hijacked Youth Dare to Stop Us 2.”
CULTURE / Film
Apr 4, 2024
‘Hijacked Youth Dare to Stop Us 2’ captures origins of indie theater boom
Junji Inoue’s semi-autobiographical film is a love letter to independent cinemas — and their fans.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi (second from left) and other executives apologize for the deaths and other health damage associated with its dietary supplements, in the city of Osaka on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 29, 2024
Kobayashi Pharma says blue mold compound may be cause of health problems
The beni kо̄ji red yeast rice dietary supplements are now linked to five deaths and 114 hospitalizations.
Packs of dietary supplements designated as functional food by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical. Consumer rights groups have for years argued that the functional food label is thin in scientific evidence and potentially harmful to health.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 29, 2024
Kobayashi Pharma scandal reignites debate on ‘functional food’ labels
The labels have been criticized for years over the lack of sufficient scientific proof of safety and efficacy accompanying their use.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Osaka manufacturing facility in the city of Osaka on Wednesday
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Mar 28, 2024
What we know so far about Kobayashi Pharma's supplement deaths
The Osaka-based drugmaker is finding itself under further scrutiny as the search to pinpoint the cause of the deaths continues.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has announced a recall of its products.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024
Concerns mount after two deaths linked to Kobayashi Pharma supplement
A government probe is being conducted to establish whether the supplement, which contains beni kо̄ji red fermented rice, led to the deaths.
Akihiro Kobayashi (left), president of major drugmaker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, speaks to reporters along with other executives in Osaka on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2024
Osaka drugmaker recalls dietary supplements linked to kidney disorders
The Osaka-based drugmaker announced Friday that, of the six hospitalized, two suffered symptoms serious enough to require temporary dialysis.
Wim Wenders (left) co-wrote the script for “Perfect Days” with top advertising creative Takuma Takasaki. Japanese star Koji Yakusho (right) won best actor at Cannes last year for his performance as the film’s protagonist, a taciturn toilet cleaner in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 27, 2024
Oscar-nominated 'Perfect Days' is 'not about toilets,' Wenders says
The director's film about a taciturn cleaner who keeps Tokyo's public toilets spotless prompts reflections on urban solitude, community and growing older.
Even if you’re unfamiliar with 'kōji' by name, chances are you’ve been consuming it for a while.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Feb 18, 2024
Recipe: Dry rub to jump down the ‘kōji’ rabbit hole
On the eve of a major gathering of Aspergillus oryzae aficionados, here’s a ‘kōji’ recipe to get you started on your own adventure with the magical mold.
Newly elected Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui receives a sea bream as a congratulatory gift in Kyoto on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2024
New Kyoto mayor aims to tackle over-tourism with higher fares
Koji Matsui faces many hurdles, and he takes over at a time when the demerits of over-tourism have become a particular topic of concern for residents.
A Tokyo toilet cleaner (Koji Yakusho, left) bonds with his teenage niece (Arisa Nakano) in “Perfect Days.”
CULTURE / Film
Jan 4, 2024
Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’ finds beauty in small pleasures
Koji Yakusho gives an evocative, multilayered performance as a Tokyo toilet cleaner with a passion for simple joys in this poetic drama.
Director Wim Wenders served as president of the competition jury at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival. Wenders' "Perfect Days," which opened the festival and features Koji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo, is Japan’s nominee for the Academy Awards’ best international feature film category.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 11, 2023
'Perfect Days' and '(Ab)normal Desire' turn heads at Tokyo International Film Festival
Wim Wenders' film opened the event, while Yoshiyuki Kishi’s multilayered drama made a splash, taking both the Audience Award and the best director prize.
A young man (Yuki Kura, left) who isn’t well-versed in wooing attempts to strike up a relationship with a convenience store clerk (Haruka Imou) he has a crush on in “How to Find a Lover.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 19, 2023
‘How to Find a Lover’: Quirky rom-com is deeper than it seems
Koji Maeda keeps the film’s tone fun and offbeat while not shying away from the emotional wounds of its lead characters.
Hanshin has a seven-game lead in the CL pennant race.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Aug 21, 2023
Tigers full of life during this season's 'Road Trip of Death'
The team has gone 14-4 through the first 18 contests of a 23-game trip away from their primary ballpark.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 13, 2023
Toyota sets out the tech it says will equip it to sell millions of EVs
Comments and hours of presentations at a technology briefing contrasted with years of Toyota executives speaking cautiously about how quickly car buyers will be ready to go all-electric.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 10, 2023
NATO planning to open office in Tokyo, Japan’s envoy to U.S. says
While Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Koji Tomita confirmed that discussions have been taking place on how to strengthen Tokyo’s partnership with NATO, he did not elaborate on the details.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 10, 2023
Biden unlikely to deliver special nuclear disarmament message at Hiroshima G7
Japan will instead aim for the grouping to release a “strong message” on the issue of nuclear weapons, likely in its joint statement.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
May 3, 2023
‘Father of the Milky Way Railroad’: Writer biopic plays to domestic audience's love of a good cry
Koji Yakusho and Masaki Suda give strong performances as father and son in a film about Kenji Miyazawa, one of Japan’s beloved authors of children’s literature.

Longform

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