Rain Batters Japan Nationwide
From The Mainichi:
Heavy rain battered wide areas of Japan on Tuesday, disrupting bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka and prompting the weather agency to urge caution for landslides and floods.
From The Mainichi:
Heavy rain battered wide areas of Japan on Tuesday, disrupting bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka and prompting the weather agency to urge caution for landslides and floods.
From Nikkei:
Japan's restaurant industry is deploying a two-tiered pricing system in tourist spots as eateries look to cash in on an influx of foreign visitors without alienating local customers.
Compared with the castle pricing for tourists below, I do have a problem with this if it starts to become common outside of tourist areas. For foreign residents wanting to have a meal, an identity check should not be part of the ordering process.
Akihiro Ogomori from The Mainichi:
When viewed from an angle, the building resembles a ship without the bow and stern, forming a U-shape with gentle curves. According to the company, it is thought that the design was in fact inspired by a ship, since the headquarters was built on the site of a former shipyard.
I love the ugly concrete buildings that seem native to modern Japan and the unique design choices made to make them stand out. This is one example with an interesting curved base to keep fumes from coming into open windows.
Erik Augustin Palm from The Japan Times:
Japan played an important role throughout Calder’s life — a destination that he himself never physically visited but that presented itself from the very start. A seed planted by his parents’ collection of Japanese art and objects in the late 19th century, later clearly reflected in the unmistakable Japanese-inspired aesthetics integrated into many of Calder’s own artworks.
From The Japan Times:
The restaurant, located in the bustling Akasaka area of Tokyo, offers a unique “Okinawan kaiseki” — a fusion of Ryukyuan court cuisine and the traditional Japanese kaiseki multicourse dinner. It was opened in 1998 by culinary researcher and author Rin Takagi, who came up with a modern interpretation of the Ryukyu dynasty's cooking method, known as a secret to people’s health and longevity in the region.
In more positive Ryukyu news, a lovely survival story about a Michelin star Okinawan restaurant in Tokyo.
Masaki Ishihara from Nikkei:
Central Japan Railway kicked off a farewell tour for the "Doctor Yellow" diagnostic shinkansen bullet train on Friday at Tokyo Station, where enthusiasts gathered to pay their respects to the perennial favorite.
Any place where being a train nerd can be somewhat mainstream is a good place to be.
Hiroyuki Tanaka from The Mainichi:
The renewed exhibition room is located on the fifth floor of Mori JP Tower, Japan's tallest building, which opened in November 2023. It includes a special section featuring materials related to Chiune Sugihara (1900-1986), who issued "visas for life" to Jewish refugees during World War II while serving as a vice-consul for the Japanese Empire in Lithuania, and on Shigeru Yoshida (1878-1967), a diplomat who served as foreign minister and prime minister.
Admission to the new exhibition room is free, and unlike the prior facility, it is open on Saturdays, too. It remains closed on Sundays and public holidays.