I don’t know about you, but when I travel to Asia and lodge in one of its great cities, such as Tokyo, probably the first print item I reach for after the magnificent Japan Times newspaper is TIME OUT TOKYO. This worldwide chain of urban guides offers the traveler unbelievably…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – “Politically correct.” Rarely do you come across a phrase that will elicit so many different reactions. There’s a thin line between offensive and funny, and lately it seems as if it always leans more towards the former than the later. But is this a phenomena exclusive…
MIRANDA PAK WRITES – For the first time since the release of the Pokémon franchise 1996, the games have been launched in simplified and traditional Chinese in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Traditionally, according to BBC reporting: “Pokemon characters’ names used to be translated differently in different parts of the…
TOM PLATE WRITES – These are times that try one’s pro-American soul. To succeed Barack Obama as president, the fight looks to have come down to a duel between know-nothing and a know-it-all – between a candidate who has never held any political office, and one who has held only…
AMANDA KRETSCH WRITES – Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. has sealed the deal to take over and revive Sharp Corp, making this acquisition the first time a foreign company will acquire a Japanese electronics manufacturer. Hon Hai and Sharp negotiated for months, but with the downturn of Sharp, a…
AMANDA KRETSCH WRITES – Recent efforts to reactivate the Takahama nuclear power plant have been shaky at best, since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster shutdown. The fourth reactor was reinstated in early February, but radioactive leaks and generator mishaps have been haunting the continuation of this project, making the government…
ERISA TAKEDA WRITES – Despite claims from the Right that the film lacked credibility, would hurt U.S.-Japanese relations, and put the country in a bad light, Angelina Jolie’s biopic “Unbroken” opened in Japan without incident February 6. Released under the title “A Man of Fortitude” — a direct translation of…
AMANDA KRETSCH WRITES – It’s been seven years since the release of “The Cove” but Japan evidently is still smarting. Former dolphin trainer and star of the brutal 2009 documentary, Ric O’Barry, arrived in Tokyo as a tourist last month and was immediately detained by officials. This isn’t the first…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – BuzzFeed, a site that every millennial is well aware of, has finally made a move to provide quizzes, funny cat gifs, and “would you rather” polls to Japan. At the helm of the site will be founding editor Daisuke Furuta. As a former member of the digital…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – As of September 2, the citizens of Japan have been able to “Netflix and chill” to their heart’s content. Be that as it may, it looks as though they aren’t really into binge-watching uber popular, original series such as “House of Cards” or “Orange in the…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Since the end of World War II, Japan has successfully avoided war as a way to settle international conflicts. The country’s constitution intentionally promotes peace by de-emphasizing its military. That may no longer work. Early Saturday morning, September 19, the upper house of Japan’s parliament passed…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Big occasions call for speeches that will be remembered for decades. Unfortunately, for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered one that disappointed many. Both China and South Korea wait anxiously every time the Prime Minister is…
ASIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDER TOM PLATE WRITES – So what’s in a phrase? Sometimes, it seems, a great deal, but not always what the glib phrase maker intended. History, we learn, often gets the last laugh. Our story begins years ago, you see, with a highly esteemed lady of the…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Zoos and aquariums have seemingly always been under fire by animal rights activists and others who believe that putting animals on display is cruel. To help ease tensions, the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) voted to stay part of the World Association of Zoos…
YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Summer is the season of sun, fun, and numerous nerd conventions throughout Southern California. These are notorious for attendees that cosplay, and I’m no exception. But as I prepare for Anime Expo 2015, the largest anime convention in North America, I can’t help but lament certain aspects.…
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – In a piece from The Japan Times, Columbia University’s Gerald Curtis states that, “the [Japanese] government doesn’t have to muzzle the press if the press takes it upon itself to do the muzzling.” Shigeaki Koga, an ex-bureaucrat at Japan’s Ministry of the Economy, wants to tear…
