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July 03, 2026
 

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O SHOGATSU

Pop trio Mrs. Green Apple was joined by tuxedo-clad dancers for its glee bomb of a track, ¡°Good Day,¡± toward the end of NHK¡¯s annual New Year¡¯s Eve music contest, ¡°Kohaku Uta Gassen.¡±
CULTURE / Music
Jan 5, 2026
NHK¡¯s 76th ¡®Kohaku¡¯ was over the top and oddly comforting
With pyrotechnics, celebrations for major milestones and a sea of dancers, the year-end music bonanza went all in on excess and reminded viewers why it still matters.
On Dec. 31, rock duo B¡¯z appeared on NHK's year-end "Kohaku Uta Gassen" music extravaganza for the first time in a career spanning more than three decades.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jan 10, 2025
An explosive B¡¯z set on ¡®Kohaku¡¯ hints at a strategy to win over viewers
Japan¡¯s best selling act delivered one of the biggest moments of the year-end music blowout and reinforced the importance of catering to a more middle-aged market.
The number of passengers who used express services operated by Japan Railways Group companies during the 10-day period through Sunday was 2% higher than in fiscal 2018, surpassing the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2025
Number of passengers on JR express services during New Year rose 11%, firms say
The figure for the 10-day period through Sunday surpassed the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend a New Year ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 2, 2025
Emperor wishes for peaceful year for those affected by disaster
Emperor Naruhito expressed his wish on Thursday for a peaceful year for people affected by disasters, following a strong earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula a year ago.
On the first day of the 2000s, the world was relieved that the Y2K computer glitch was mostly nothing. And in Russia, Vladimir Putin came to power.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Jan 1, 2025
Japan Times 2000: Japanese celebrate new year
Check out what was on the front page on Jan. 1 in 1925, 1950, 1975 and 2000.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako pose for a photo at the Imperial Palace Small Hall in Tokyo on November.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2025
Emperor prays for world peace in New Year¡¯s message
Emperor Naruhito stressed the ¡°importance of people recognizing their differences and working hand in hand to realize a peaceful world.¡±
The start of the 2024 Hakone Ekiden in Tokyo's Otemachi district. Every year on Jan. 2 and 3, Hakone Ekiden brings millions of fans across Japan to a standstill.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 31, 2024
A newcomer¡¯s guide to the Hakone Ekiden experience
Every year on Jan. 2 and 3, Hakone Ekiden brings millions of fans across Japan to a standstill, even people who normally don¡¯t care about running.
At each shrine and temple, priests create festive, decorative go-shuin stamps, and you can collect the marks of all seven of the lucky gods on one piece of paper (called a shikishi) to serve as a good-luck talisman.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 27, 2024
Start the new year not with one temple visit, but seven
The seven lucky gods pilgrimage is a less hurried alternative to the often-crowded first temple or shrine visit of the year.
Writer Baye McNeil and his wife, Miki, host a Kwanzaa gathering in Yokohama together. The end of the year at the McNeil¡¯s home is a mix of several different holiday traditions, including those of Kwanzaa.
COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye
Dec 23, 2024
A holiday season built on creativity and care
Fusing African heritage with Japanese spirituality, our columnist crafted a holiday season that celebrates cultural understanding.
Japan's traditional New Year cuisine has a long history, though modern developments have led to slight changes in the way things work.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 22, 2024
A brief history of ¡®osechi ryš­ri,¡¯ Japan¡¯s edible tradition for the new year
In addition to wordplay, color and shape often determine the reason why certain foods are part of Japan¡¯s New Year holiday menu.
Passengers at the check-in counters of Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Jan. 3. The average budget for domestic trips during the upcoming year-end and New Year holiday period is estimated to hit a record high for the second straight year.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2024
Domestic travel budget for holiday period projected to hit record
The increase reflects soaring accommodation costs and growing demand for travel to distant destinations, JTB said.
The average price of osechi traditional food for the 2025 New Year stood at ?27,826 ($185), a 1.3% increase ¡ª or ?360 ¡ª compared with that for the 2024 New Year.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 2, 2024
Osechi ryš­ri prices climb for a third consecutive year
The latest increase, at ?360 ($2.40), is the smallest in three years, at less than half the increase for the 2024 New Year.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, wave to members of the public for the Emperor's 64th birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Feb. 23. The imperial family will greet the public at the palace on Jan. 2.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2024
Imperial family New Year¡¯s event to be held for first time in two years
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other imperial family members will greet the general public.
Emerging Gen Z J-pop group ME:I will perform on this year's "Kohaku Uta Gassen," national broadcaster NHK¡¯s New Year's Eve spectacle.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 24, 2024
¡®Kohaku¡¯ still matters for J-pop bragging rights
The recently announced 2024 lineup underlines how capturing a year of J-pop in one broadcast bonanza is impossible these days.
Many of the acts making their debut at this year's "Kohaku" song contest came out for the lineup announcement at NHK's studios in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 19, 2024
NHK announces Number_i, Illit and Glay for ¡®Kohaku¡¯ lineup
Acts from the former Johnny¡¯s were frozen out for a second year as NHK opts for new names and old favorites.
Aeon is selling an assortment of 'osechi' (traditional New Year's cuisine) curated with the support of artificial intelligence.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 13, 2024
AI fried chicken, retro chic collabs: Retailers rebrand Japan¡¯s New Year¡¯s cuisine
Major department stores and supermarkets are trying unorthodox methods to entice younger generations to buy traditional New Year¡¯s dishes in Japan.
J-pop duo Yoasobi performed its 2023-defining hit, ¡°Idol," during the 74th edition of NHK¡¯s ¡°Kohaku Uta Gassen,¡± giving the show its best moment ¡ª and drawing anger from netizens.
CULTURE / Sound Off
Jan 12, 2024
Yoasobi delivered the standout moment of ¡®Kohaku.¡¯ Why did some music fans hate it?
The J-pop duo brought artists from J-pop and K-pop together on stage for the night¡¯s best performance, but it didn¡¯t take long for negative voices to emerge on social media.
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2024
JR passengers up 8% during year-end and New Year¡¯s holidays
The combined number of users of bullet trains and other rail services came to around 9,869,000 for the period from Dec. 28 to Thursday.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko pose for a photo at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Dec. 1.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 1, 2024
Japan emperor hopes for expanded support for needy people
Emperor Naruhito, in a New Year¡¯s message on Monday, expressed his wish that support will expand for people facing difficulties.
Visitors strike a giant bell to mark the new year as a Buddhist monk looks on, at Zojoji temple in Tokyo on Jan. 1, 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 31, 2023
Ring in the new year on your phone: Apps offer alternate to Japan temple tradition
Smartphone apps are aiming to offer alternative ways to enjoy a noisy New Year¡¯s tradition.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ?3,000 from ?1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
¡®My dream is broken¡¯: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men¡¯s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Inside Japan¡¯s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Why is the yen so weak and what can Japan do about it?
Japan spent ?11.7 trillion ($73 billion) between late April and late May to prop up the weak yen.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
Japan¡¯s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan¡¯s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan¡¯s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.

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