At a time when Japan’s economy was booming and citizens were expected to conform to a salaryman lifestyle, the word “otaku” was used to describe social outcasts obsessed with niche hobbies like trainspotting, reading manga or playing video games. But the outcasts of the 1980s walked so we the proud otaku of the 2020s could double jump. Our online guide is for gamers, and there are two modes to play it. If you’re new to gaming — or maybe just want to mix your gaming tourism with more analogue activities — start casual: a selection of locations that will help you acclimate to your new surroundings, see some amazing things, score some loot and maybe hit up an arcade or two — all in easy-to-find spots that won’t take you too far off the beaten path. For die-hard fans of Japanese games, there’s a hardcore mode, which is full of secret spots and local specialities you’d be hard pressed to find from a simple Google search. So make sure you’ve got plenty of coins in your pocket, and let’s hit play. Read the full guide with the link in our bio. 📸 Taidgh Barron #japan #tokyo #akihabara #akiba #videogames #travel #traveljapan #videogame #gaming #gamer #nintendo #playstation #japantimes #日本 #東京 #秋葉原 #秋葉 #ゲーム #ニンテンドー #任天堂 #プレイステーション #旅行 #オタク #アーケード #ゲームセンター #ジャパンタイムズ #🎮

In welcome news for Japanese @F1 fans, Yuki Tsunoda's (@yukitsunoda0511) return to the grid for the 2024 season was confirmed by his @alphataurif1 team on Saturday, one day before he contests his home #JapaneseGP at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. The Japan Times was given a peek into the #AlphaTauri garage during Saturday's practice session as Tsunoda prepared for afternoon qualifying. 📸 @dokool #f1 #yukitsunoda #角田裕毅 #formulaone

Check out the incredible #deconails sported by these dedicated fans at the @F1 #JapaneseGP during Friday’s practice sessions! #f1 #motorsport

Tokyo Game Show is back and bigger than ever. This weekend's event will showcase several familiar names, including Persona, Metal Gear Solid and Tekken. Participants at the gaming convention should expect long wait times for demos, but the Final Fantasy remake is worth it. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 Owen Ziegler #japan #tokyo #tokyogameshow #tokyogameshow2023 #tgs #tgs2023 #videogames #finalfantasy #tekken #metalgearsolid #persona #sega #squareenix #games #japantimes #日本 #東京 #ゲーム #セガ #ファイナルファンタジー #鉄拳 #ペルソナ #ジャパンタイムズ #🎮

Formula One roared into the Tokyo nightlife district of Kabukicho on Wednesday afternoon, inviting thousands of fans to get close to some of their favorite cars and drivers ahead of the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit. The plaza outside the recently opened Kabukicho Tower was transformed into the F1 Tokyo Festival, with fans watching race highlights on the tower’s giant video display as they waited for the event’s start. Attendees had a chance to take photos with the F1 driver’s championship trophy as well as cars from the Red Bull and AlphaTauri teams. The large contingent of foreign fans was a welcome reminder of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix status as the first edition since the resumption of post-pandemic international tourism. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 @dokool #japan #tokyo #f1 #f1driver #f1racing #japanesegp #racing #sports #japantimes #🏎

For the past 130 years, Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel has witnessed the city’s changing landscape, Japan’s emergence into a tourism hotbed and makeovers by several architects. Of the final group, one name stands above: the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who 100 years ago this month completed an acclaimed renovation of the famed hotel. While Wright may be the most famous steward of the Imperial Hotel, he was just one of many over the years. For the building’s 1890 opening, Yuzuru Watanabe designed the hotel as a comfortable Victorian-style guesthouse for foreign visitors, followed by Wright in 1922 and the third-generation expansion by Teitaro Takahashi in the 1970s. In March 2021, the hotel announced plans to embark on the fourth renovation of the Imperial Hotel. Moving on from a Wright design made international headlines and raised a few eyebrows, but the architect chosen for the project — Paris-based Tsuyoshi Tane of Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects — states that the goal is not to modernize but to regain the legacy of its origin when it opens in 2036. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 Courtesy of The Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects #japan #tokyo #imperialhotel #hotel #hotels #architecture #archidaily #history #japantimes #日本 #東京 #ホテル #帝国ホテル #建築 #建築家 #建築デザイン #デザイン #歴史 #ジャパンタイムズ #🏨

Until the 1980s, salmon in Japan was not considered safe to eat. Since the fish spends half its lifetime in fresh water in the wild, it can be susceptible to parasitic worms. It was only through the marketing efforts of a Norwegian salmon fishing organization that Japanese people started to eat farmed salmon grown in controlled conditions free from those pesky worms. Another thing that has changed since raw farmed salmon became prevalent in Japan is that people have become less aware of the season for wild salmon, which starts in September and continues throughout the winter months. This can still be observed in regional dishes, however, such as Hokkaido’s playfully named "chan-chan yaki" — or griddle-cooked salmon. There are various theories behind the name; one is that it comes from the clicking sounds (chan chan in Japanese) from the pan when it's cooked, while another theory holds that the dish was made by "chan," a slang word for father. This dish also reflects a combination of Ainu food traditions from Hokkaido. Read more and get the recipe with the link in our bio. 📸 Makiko Itoh #japan #japanesecooking #cooking #recipe #recipes #salmon #japaneserecipe #hokkaido #japantimes # #日本 #料理 #日本料理 #レシピ #サーモン #北海道 #ジャパンタイムズ

In the autumn of 2003, Japan was having a bit of a moment at the movies. That October, cinema audiences were treated to the spectacle of Uma Thurman clashing with the Crazy 88 yakuza gang in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: Vol. 1.” A few weeks later, Tom Cruise could be seen getting in touch with his warrior spirit in Edward Zwick’s period epic, “The Last Samurai.” But first out of the blocks was “Lost in Translation,” the sophomore feature by Sofia Coppola — a celebrity kid already well on her way to becoming a celebrated filmmaker in her own right. Released in U.S. theaters on Sept. 12, this tale of a brief encounter between two lonely souls at a luxury hotel in Tokyo was a resounding critical and commercial success. Produced on a modest $4 million budget, it went on to pick up four Academy Award nominations, including for best picture, with Coppola taking home the Oscar for best original screenplay. The Japanese cast and crew talk about the not-so-relaxing times making the movie for the film's 20th anniversary. Read the full story with the link in our bio. 🎨 @chuanming_ong #japan #tokyo #movie #movies #lostintranslation #sofiacoppola #billmurray #scarlettjohansson #japantimes #日本 #東京 #映画 #撮影 #文化 #ロストイントランスレーション #映画大好き #🥃

Tokyo is arguably one of the greatest culinary capitals in the world. But there is one key area in which Tokyo falls short of its overseas counterparts, however, and that’s outdoor bars. There are few quaint plazas fringed with tables from eclectic establishments, begging regulars to while away an hour or two over an Aperol spritz ... or three. Yet more and more places are recognizing the allure of drinking outside. In fact, several places are taking alfresco imbibing to higher levels — literally. Tokyo’s rooftop bars and terraces offer respite from the hustle and bustle of the city streets in summertime. Enjoy a little breeze as you enjoy booze with a view with the top five rooftop bars in Tokyo, which you can read about with the link in our bio. 📸 @pheebzeatz #japan #tokyo #bar #bars #traveljapan #travel #rooftopbar #japantimes #日本 #東京 #バー #飲み物 #飲み #飲み会 #酒 #ジャパンタイムズ #🍸

Following the 2011 triple disaster — and the subsequent cratering of support for nuclear energy — Fukushima Prefecture has positioned itself at the forefront of Japan’s low-carbon transition. Few projects better exemplify that than the Minamisoma Mano-Migita-Ebi solar power plant, which was the largest in Fukushima Prefecture until 2019 and is made up of 220,000 solar panels that, if laid end to end, would cover 350 kilometers — roughly the distance between Nagoya and Tokyo. The panels can generate up to 60 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 20,000 households. Because of projects like the Minamisoma facility, Fukushima Prefecture has claimed the crown as the Tohoku region’s leader in cumulative solar power generation since 2013, and this is a direct consequence of the reconstruction policies that were put in place after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 Francesco Bassetti #japan #fukushima #energy #news #environment #japantimes #日本 #福島 #ニュース #環境 #ジャパンタイムズ

Historically, it has usually been a man standing in front of the mighty taiko drum. A woman’s role was reserved for singing or dancing, their bodies judged incapable of meeting the demanding physicality of playing taiko. But the future of taiko looks loudly female, with taiko groups around the world claiming more women than ever before are taking bachi in hand. Through taiko performances, Japanese women are redefining cultural stereotypes, one drumbeat at a time. Sado Island is often called the home of "kumi-daiko" (ensemble taiko performances) after musician Den Tagayasu started to teach the art of taiko to young men on the island in the early 1970s. But now, women are committing to the taiko lifestyle, too. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 Courtesy of Takashi Okamoto, Nikola Neral #japan #taiko #music #news #japantimes #日本 #太鼓 #太鼓の達人 #和太鼓 #ニュース #文化 #音楽 #🥁

After years of pandemic isolation and inescapable self-reflection, the paradigm shift toward prioritizing well-being and environmental concerns appears to have stuck. This month, On: Design highlights a few thoughtfully conceived products that foster social connections, respect the environment and reflect a growing desire for a slower, more mindful lifestyle, including "wagashi" kits, "washi" instruments and paper teapots. Read more with the link in our bio. 📸 Courtesy of Sadamaranai Obake; Maki Ogawa / Codomono No Codomomade; Uo Design / Marumatsu Tea #japan #design #japandesign #japanesedesign #japanesedesigner #japantimes #日本 #デザイン #デザインペーパー #絵 #和菓子 #ジャパンタイムズ