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June 30, 2026
 

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Owen Ziegler
Owen Ziegler is an editor at The Japan Times in charge of Lifestyle and Food. For pitches, contact him at [email protected].
In Coffee Talk Tokyo, a new visual novel game set in a near-future Tokyo populated by spirits and folkloric creatures, the player steps into the role of a barista dispensing as much advice as caffeine.
LIFE / Digital
May 23, 2026
A salaryman, a ghost and a water spirit walk into a coffee bar
Out May 21, visual novel Coffee Talk Tokyo trades flashy gameplay for thoughtful meditations on life in a near-future Japan.
Save for a handful of themed suites, most rooms at The Royal Park Hotel Maihama Resort Tokyo-Bay offer straightforward decor.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 4, 2026
A smarter stay near Tokyo Disneyland — if you don’t need the extras
Opened on Feb. 13, the budget-friendly Royal Park Hotel Maihama Resort Tokyo-Bay opts for theme park-focused performance over luxury bells and whistles.
Resident Evil Requiem is a fantastic marriage of the long-running franchise's disparate halves marred (only in Japan) by the realities of censorship.
LIFE / Digital
Mar 21, 2026
Why Resident Evil Requiem bleeds less in Japan
The latest game in the long-running horror franchise is a blend of action and terror that suffers only from its approach to blood and gore.
First built in 1936 as the Yasaka Kaikan theater, the building housing the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto is the only such structure within the Gion neighborhood above the legal limit of 12 meters.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 6, 2026
High above Gion, Kyoto’s Imperial Hotel is a new frontier for geisha district
Open from March 5, the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto offers unprecedented views of — and exclusive access to — the ancient capital’s most famous geisha district.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Castlevania's Alucard and the weak yet lovable Slime from Dragon Quest are just some of Japan's iconic gaming franchises celebrating midlife anniversaries in 2026.
LIFE / Digital / Longform
Feb 20, 2026
Japan’s gaming icons are getting midlife makeovers as they hit their 40s
Zelda, Pokemon, Dragon Quest and more mark major anniversaries in 2026 — a milestone year for the industry they built.
Collecting Pokemon cards is an expensive hobby — especially if you're interested in owning one of the rarest cards ever printed.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 16, 2026
Rare Pokemon card sets record with $16.49 million sale
One of just 41 such cards in existence, the Pikachu Illustrator card is now the most expensive trading card in history.
Team Ninja's latest soulslike action RPG will put you through the ringer, but it also gives you more than enough assistance to feel as powerful as the demonic enemies you'll face.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 4, 2026
Nioh 3: Demons, death and an early contender for game of the year
Team Ninja’s latest hardcore action RPG will hurt — but it gives players ample tools to hit back even harder.
Japan saw more tourists last year than ever — and a new report suggests its popularity among travelers is only going to grow.
LIFE / Travel
Jan 24, 2026
Data-driven travel rankings crown Japan as world’s top destination
According to travel planning outlet World Travel Index, the weak yen is a major factor in Japan’s enduring popularity with global tourists.
This year, Asian countries' relatively lenient approach to nuisance streamers has been replaced by legal charges and potential jail time.
LIFE / Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 27, 2025
In 2025, Asia got tough on nuisance streamers. Japan did not.
After years of leniency, Asian countries are imposing serious penalties on transgressive online personalities — with Japan lagging behind.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei and Assassin’s Creed Shadows were among the most prominent video games of 2025 to draw heavily on Japanese aesthetics, history and genre traditions.
LIFE / Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 19, 2025
In 2025, Japan became the canvas for the year’s best video games
From Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Ghost of Yotei, Japan served as both inspiration and setting for many of the year’s most notable releases.
The iconic New York Bar on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo retains all the cosmopolitan charm it exuded before the hotel's 19-month-long renovation.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 18, 2025
Park Hyatt Tokyo reopens, and nothing’s been lost in renovation
Despite a top-to-bottom refurbishment, the iconic Shinjuku hotel has reopened with all the cosmopolitan charm it had before.
Open from Oct. 1, the InterContinental Sapporo is the first international luxury brand in the Hokkaido capital.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 6, 2025
InterContinental Sapporo kicks off Hokkaido capital’s MICE push
The Hokkaido capital’s first luxury international hotel signals a high-end future for the Nakajima Park area.
At Fufu Tokyo, each guest room comes with its own private "onsen" (hot spring) — a luxury nearly unheard of in the heart of Tokyo's capital.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 15, 2025
At Ginza’s newest hotel, luxury is a private treasure
With “onsen” baths in every room, Fufu Tokyo brings its modernized take on the traditional Japanese inn to the capital.
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 11, 2025
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
Set in Ezo (modern-day Hokkaido), the highly anticipated samurai action-adventure game contains familiar thrills but subpar substance.
A stay at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is one of Bali's priciest choices — but also one of its most uncompromisingly luxurious.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 13, 2025
In Bali, the Ritz-Carlton’s ultraluxury Mandapa hotel marks 10 years
One of just nine “Reserve” properties around the world, Mandapa offers a delightfully unsanitized take on a rainforest retreat.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is the latest overnight success to come from the world of Japanese video games — never mind it was originally released in 2021.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Sep 6, 2025
Racehorses, anime girls and gambling: Umamusume’s recipe for success
The latest overnight hit from Japan’s gaming world relies on a quirky mix of elements from the worlds of pop culture and sports.
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance makes excellent use of stages dripping with atmosphere to punch up the feel of its tight combat mechanics.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Aug 25, 2025
Sega’s ninja-themed Shinobi series is back from the dead
The long-running series hasn’t had a console release since 2003, but the new title is nearly enjoyable enough to make the wait worth it.
At Panorama Dining, one of Junglia’s two proper restaurants that also doubles as the rooftop Inifinity Terrace overlook, guests can pay extra to sit in balcony tables made to look like birds’ nests overlooking the park grounds.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 1, 2025
Junglia brought dinos back to Okinawa. But will it bring tourists?
If you’re set on visiting Okinawa’s newest theme park, the biggest threat isn’t dinosaurs — it’s long lines and a remote location.
In Junglia’s Dinosaur Safari attraction during a media preview on Thursday, a casual drive through a habitat for the prehistoric creatures goes haywire when several Tyrannosaurus rexes break out of containment.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2025
Junglia, Japan’s newest theme park, opens in northern Okinawa
Open from July 25, the new Junglia theme park turns an old golf course into 22 dinosaur- and adventure sports-themed attractions.
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jul 12, 2025
Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?
When it comes to Hideo Kojima’s visuals, art imitates life — and it’s more often Hollywood’s version of life than Japan’s that influences his games.
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
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