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July 24, 2026
 

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Samantha Low
In the most recent expansion to the long-running Warframe, Alpha Takahashi voices cyborg mechanic Aoi Morohoshi.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 15, 2025
Alpha Takahashi: ¡®The world of video games was tied to my upbringing¡¯
The Tokyo-born actor has voiced Psylocke in Marvel Rivals, Hanako Arasaka in Cyberpunk 2077 and many more since breaking into the industry in 2013.
Dress-up games and dating sims were once forgotten genres, but now expanded player bases are helping to generate major profits.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 1, 2025
Gaming¡¯s feminine side is starting to make big bucks
Two recent releases ¡ª a sci-fi dating sim and a souped-up dress-up simulator ¡ª are starting to change the conversation around previously dismissed genres.
One of the brighest spots of Japan's indie gaming landscape in 2024 was Sonokuni, and with more incubators and other avenues of support springing up, there may be more games like it in the future.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jan 21, 2025
Japan-made games part of a rising tide of indie greatness
With games developed by lone individuals rivaling the quality of major studios, it¡¯s time to reconsider what makes an indie game indie.
Video game music has come a long way from its humble origins.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Dec 7, 2024
Beyond beeps and boops: Video game music has grown up
Video game music has gone from 8-bit chiptunes to fully realized productions that bring the gamer¡¯s experience to life.
Held weekly at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Tokyo¡¯s Nakano Ward, Tatakai Tuesday brings together both local and visiting fighting game enthusiasts.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Nov 2, 2024
Blood, bruises and brotherhood at Tokyo¡¯s fighting games club
Organizers Jonathan Metoyer and Andrew Fidelis started the events to ¡®replicate a sense of pressure you¡¯d feel in competitive space.¡¯
As is the trend in movies and TV, the games with the biggest budgets at Tokyo Game Show 2024 were by and large remakes and remasters.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Oct 5, 2024
At Tokyo Game Show 2024, nostalgia was king
Indie gems were on the show floor, but the nostalgia from remakes and remasters drew the biggest crowds this year.
Tokyo Game Show opens to the public on Sept. 28 full of cosplayers promoting a full slate of new and upcoming titles.
LIFE / Digital
Sep 26, 2024
Tokyo Game Show 2024 stacked with big returns and hyped announcements
PlayStation returns to Tokyo Game Show for the first time since 2019 as Japan¡¯s biggest gaming show opens to the public on Sept. 29 and 29.
Held annually in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom is the world's largest gaming convention, meaning it attracts attendees and exhibitors from near and far.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Sep 7, 2024
Traveling to Germany is ¡®worth the cost¡¯ for Japan¡¯s indie studios
¡°Nothing beats seeing players¡¯ faces as they play our game in person, and getting to ask them directly about their experience, both positive and negative.¡±
Kingdom Hearts-inspired action-adventure game Luminous Nights was one of many indie titles that had to fight for attention on an increasingly crowded show floor.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Aug 3, 2024
Bigger than ever, BitSummit¡¯s indie spirit wears thin
As the indie game show grows, the question looms as to whether its current trajectory continues to be true to its original spirit.
While MyDearest's games are understably digital, employees also joke that sometimes they known coworkers only by their avatars used during meetings.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jun 21, 2024
Action drives VR, but Japan prizes anonymity and plot
A far cry from origins as a tech novelty, Japan¡¯s virtual reality industry is currently valued at $3.9 billion (about ?615 billion).
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 19, 2024
Want to be a voice actor? Stay ¡®true to the character¡¯
¡°Most people think of just the cutscenes,¡± SungWon Cho says, ¡°but you end up voicing everything ¡ª the sounds a character makes when fighting, like battle cries, for example.¡±
Since the original 2010 release, visual novel series Danganronpa has spawned eight mainline games (and several other titles) for a total 5 million copies sold worldwide.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Apr 6, 2024
Are visual novels ready for a great leap forward?
Where reaction time and manual reflexes are in other genres, visual novels prize critical thinking and the ability to interpret characters¡¯ motivations.
Chorus supported A Space for the Unbound by publishing the console versions of the game, which meant working closely with platforms like Nintendo for the eShop and physical versions while also providing additional Japanese localization for the game.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Feb 24, 2024
How a small publisher links Japan to global indie gaming hits
Chorus Worldwide was founded in 2014, but the combined games pedigree of its core team goes much further back.
Final Fantasy VII Rebith, the second installment in the modern remastering of the 1997 classic scheduled for a Feb. 29 release, leads the slate of Japan-made games this year.
LIFE / Lifestyle / ON: GAMES
Jan 13, 2024
Final Fantasy and Tekken kick-start exciting year for gamers
Many upcoming titles are legacy franchises with recognizable faces that have withstood the ebb and flow of gaming popularity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
May 4, 2023
Why IRL streaming in Japan is ¡®not for the faint of heart¡¯
Privacy concerns and overzealous viewers can wear off the shine of filming in Japan, but many streamers say it¡¯s still very much worth it.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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