Often referred to in conversation as “the other Murakami,” I would argue that while not enjoying the sales and acclaim outside Japan that Haruki does, Ryu has done much more over his long career to p…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Foreign visitors to Japan totaled 28.7 million in 2017, climbing 19.3% from 2016 and marking a record high for the fifth straight year. East Asian tourists dominate the rankings, pointing to the need…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Japanese anime director Isao Takahata, co-founder of the famed Studio Ghibli, has died at the age of 82.

Mr Takahata was nominated for an Oscar in 2014 for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya but is best…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Isao Takahata, the Japanese animated film director who co-founded Studio Ghibli and is known for his award-winning "Grave of the Fireflies," died of lung cancer Thursday at a Tokyo hospital, Studio G…

posted by  Yubi | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Women trying to provide emergency treatment to a person who collapsed in a sumo ring were urged to leave it during a sumo event. The Japan Sumo Association later said the appeal was inappropriate in …

posted by  Yubi | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

It was a good year for the super-wealthy in Japan. The Nikkei stock market rose 7% in the 12 months through late March, the yen strengthened 6% against the dollar and the country drew a record number…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Women who rushed to the aid of a man suffering a stroke while giving a speech at a sumo event in Japan were ordered off the raised ring due to rules banning females from the sacred space.

The 66-year…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 1 comment

A Japanese prefecture that previously renamed itself Udon Prefecture (formerly Kagawa Prefecture) due to the fact that its udon noodles are so delicious has gone through another name change, but this…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Giant squid, the huge tentacled creatures that live in the dark ocean depths, were probably the inspiration for the legend the kraken and have remaind largely elusive for most of human history. The f…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments

Authors beware, because an AI-written novel just made it past the first round of screening for a national literary prize in Japan.

The novel this program co-authored is titled, The Day A Computer Wri…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 0 comments