JAPAN TODAY
 
TOKYO — Japan is finally starting to seriously seek ways to curb excessive work hours, with the overwork-related suicide of a young employee spotlighting a long-standing issue that has always been in question but never quite addressed.
The traditional corporate culture in Japan of p...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
Narita Airport is crowded on Thursday as travelers head overseas on their year-end and New Year vacations. A seasonal peak of about 50,000 outbound vacationers were expected to depart from the airport on the day.
The flow of returning travelers is expected to peak on Jan. 3. Toky...

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JAPAN TODAY
 
Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Thursday drew prompt criticism from Japan’s two closest neighbors, with South Korea condemning it as “deplorable” and summoning a Japanese diplomat to lodge its protest.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry c...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
The actor, film director, TV host and comedian Takeshi Kitano (aka Beat Takeshi) has met with Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike. There would be nothing news-worthy about that in itself, except for the fact that Kitano arrived dressed up as President-elect Donald Trump.
Kitano met with Ko...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
Now there are two Michelin-starred ramen restaurants in the capital, and we lined up to try the signature dish from the latest award-winning eatery.
Last December, Tsuta made international headlines after it became the world’s first-ever ramen restaurant to be awarded a prestigious ...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
OSAKA — The Asia and Pacific Trade Center (ATC), which attracts foreigners visiting Japan from China and other countries, started a “Robot Street” event on Saturday at a commercial complex in Osaka.
“Bilingual” humanoid robots wait on customers at the event and answer questions i...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
Is it a musical instrument? Is it a coffee maker? Or just a wacky Rube Goldberg machine?
Well, it’s kind of all three.
 
At the Nescafe Harajuku cafe from December 2nd until December 25th, visitors can experience a unique contraption created by music artist Shuta Hasunuma.
Coffee M...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
The global coffee house chain is squeezing one more star ingredient into their beverage lineup before the end of the year.
Starbucks Japan has had a flurry of delicious new releases in the past couple of months, with baked apple dessert drinks, Christmas Frappuccinos and a surprise ...

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ROCKET NEWS
 
Also, the unexpected appearance of “Santa Pikachu.”
The gameplay of the mainline Pokémon video games is neatly divided into two elements. First you search for/catch Pocket Monsters, then you use them in battles to improve their combat capabilities.
It’s not so surprising that develo...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
Japan Airlines said it has started offering passengers replicas of the happi jackets worn by the members of The Beatles when they disembarked from a JAL plane on a landmark visit to Japan in 1966.
The replicas commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary British rock band’s ...

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