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June 30, 2026
 

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Mathias Cena
Hitomi is seen working at the At-Home Cafe in the Akihabara district of Tokyo.
LIFE / Travel
May 28, 2026
‘Geek’ hangout to tourist draw: Japan’s maid cafes
Once niche “otaku” spaces, Japan’s maid cafes now attract tourists, couples and families seeking playful escapist entertainment.
Toru Akama pets a cat at his animal shelter in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 5.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2026
Former Fukushima worker devotes life to abandoned pets
Toru Akama tends to dozens of pets abandoned after the catastrophe 15 years ago, work he sees as part of his quest for redemption.
A player throws a snowball during the Showa-shinzan International Yukigassen snowball fight competition in Sobetsu, Hokkaido on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 22, 2026
The Japanese snowball fight game vying to be an Olympic sport
The game’s federation emphasizes the “mental challenge,” as players on both teams pelt their opponents while taking cover behind shelters.
Staff members of Stand-by Amusement Company stand by claw crane game machines during the Amusement Expo 2025 in Tokyo in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 23, 2026
Hooked on the claw: How crane games conquered Japan’s arcades
“Crane games are keeping the sector afloat,” said Morihiro Shigihara, an industry expert and former arcade manager.
Tourists board a bus after sightseeing in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 22, 2025
Japan businesses brush off worries over China tourists
With less Chinese customers, “it’s become a bit easier for Japanese shoppers to visit, so our sales haven’t really dropped,” a shop manager said.
An offshore wind turbine off the coast of Goto in Nagasaki Prefecture
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2025
Floating wind power sets sail in Japan’s energy shift
Still heavily reliant on imported fossil fuels, Japan has declared offshore wind energy a “trump card” in its drive to make renewables.
Super Mario soft toys in various sizes at collector Kikai's residence in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Aug. 19
LIFE / Digital
Sep 12, 2025
‘He’s a regular man, not unlike us’: Marking 40 years of Mario games
Super Mario Bros., released for Nintendo’s home consoles in Japan on Sept. 13, 1985, was a landmark of early video gaming.
Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada attends the red carpet event for FX's "Shogun" at the Academy theater in Los Angeles in February.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 25, 2024
Demand for Japanese content booms after ‘Shogun’ success
With interest coming from overseas producers, Japan-based companies are trying to help creators get their stories told.
The PlayStation 5 on display during the annual Tokyo Game Show in September. PlayStation was Sony's first foray into the world of video games when it hit the shelves in Japan on Dec. 3, 1994.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 2, 2024
PlayStation at 30: How Sony’s gray box conquered gaming
The PlayStation became a legend, selling more than 102 million units and positioning Sony as a heavyweight in a hugely lucrative sector.
Ken Kutaragi, the creator of Sony's PlayStation, speaks at the annual Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 2, 2024
Father of PlayStation says ‘everyone told us we would fail’
With revolutionary 3D graphics and titles like “Tomb Raider” and “Metal Gear Solid,” the device first hit shelves on Dec. 3, 1994.
The newly opened Nintendo Museum and upcoming Donkey Kong Country area of Universal Studios Japan are the latest examples of the gaming giant's efforts to expand beyond traditional consoles and handhelds.
LIFE / Digital
Nov 16, 2024
Why Nintendo is becoming a ‘talent agency’ for its beloved characters
Game and console sales account for over 90% of Nintendo’s revenue, so exposure to characters could be “a trigger” to attract more people to consoles.
Shop manager Komura poses with a signed Metal Gear Solid box at Super Potato, a shop selling vintage video games and memorabilia in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, on June 18.
LIFE / Digital
Sep 22, 2024
Japan is next level for retro game collectors
Game Boy cartridges, Sega Dreamcast consoles and antiquated arcade machines await tourists in some of Tokyo’s stores.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last July.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 18, 2024
Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Japan soon, where he will hold talks on energy while hunting more opportunities in gaming.
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2024
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
Spending per head soared 52% over the first three months compared with 2019.
Mayuko Kashiwazaki tries on her mask after getting into costume before a dress rehearsal for "Dojoji," a famous noh drama about the revenge of a betrayed woman.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 7, 2024
An ‘all-women’ noh production challenges traditional Japanese ideas
While women have been involved in noh for decades, older audiences tend to expect an all-male cast. Now, actors believe the times are changing.
Japanese fans of Taylor Swift take a selfie before entering Tokyo Dome for the pop star's Eras Tour show in Japan on Feb. 7.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 7, 2024
Taylor-mania hits Tokyo as Swift resumes tour before Super Bowl
Excited fans from countries such as Australia, Thailand and China joined the vast crowd at Tokyo Dome ahead of the megastar’s Eras Tour show on Wednesday.
Executive officer, producer and director Masayoshi Yokoyama poses next to a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The Yakuza gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto, but Yokoyama dismisses any such comparison.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
‘We don’t hit women’: How Yakuza differs from Grand Theft Auto
Designer Masayoshi Yokoyama sat down to discuss video game violence ahead of the Jan. 26 release of the latest in the Yakuza series.
A man walks out of a game store displaying a promotional poster for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the latest in the Yakuza series of video games. Behind the worldwide success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues like sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.
LIFE / Digital
Jan 25, 2024
From Japan to the world: how to translate a game
Everything from slang to costumes needs to be considered in an era where international success is crucial to making a blockbuster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Apr 3, 2023
Super Mario: Nintendo’s decades of star power
The pint-sized plumber has enjoyed 40 years of extraordinary popularity that has transformed the character into a truly global icon.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 24, 2023
Japan’s rare intimacy coordinators in demand after abuse scandals
In the wake of sexual abuse scandals in Japan’s entertainment industry, some directors are reaching out for guidance from intimacy coordinator Momoko Nishiyama.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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