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August 11, 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].
Japan's first prison-turned-hotel, Hoshinoya Nara Prison offers as much luxury as it does surprisingly thoughtful reflections on the former facility's place in the country's march toward modernity.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 8, 2026
Locked up in luxury at the new Hoshinoya Nara Prison hotel
Open from July, the lodging occupying an Important Cultural Property prompts guests to reflect on societal progress and the role of prisons.
Releasing on Aug. 4, Beast of Reincarnation is set in a far-future version of Japan ruined by a mysterious apocalypse.
LIFE / Digital
Aug 1, 2026
Beast of Reincarnation shows Game Freak has more to learn
Game Freak¡¯s ambitious action RPG borrows familiar ideas but struggles to make them feel fresh.
In Denshattack!, your one-car train becomes a kickflipping, wall-riding vehicle up and down a postapocalyptic Japan.
LIFE / Digital
Jul 16, 2026
¡®Tony Hawk with Japanese trains¡¯: Denshattack! makes derailing a blast
Launching July 15, the new game mashes up Japanese trains with stylish tricks and fast-paced gameplay for a delightfully addictive time.
From January 2028, PlayStation games will release only as digital downloads, calling into question protections about ownership over software and the long-term playability of older titles released on discs.
LIFE / Digital
Jul 2, 2026
Sony to end video game disc production in January 2028
The gaming giant says the move toward digital-only games aligns the company with consumer trends toward online marketplaces.
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 ¡ª 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 ¡ª and exclusive access to ¡ª 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
Â鶹´«Ã½ gaming icons are getting midlife makeovers as they hit their 40s
Zelda, Pokemon, Dragon Quest and more mark major anniversaries in 2026 ¡ª a milestone year for the industry they built.
Collecting Pokemon cards is an expensive hobby ¡ª 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 ¡ª but it gives players ample tools to hit back even harder.
Japan saw more tourists last year than ever ¡ª 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ 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 ¡ª 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 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 ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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 Â鶹´«Ã½ gaming world relies on a quirky mix of elements from the worlds of pop culture and sports.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.
How Â鶹´«Ã½ racehorses find second careers away from the track
TCC Therapy Park is supported financially by racing organizations as well as donations from members of the public.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

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Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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