Julian Ryall

25 Nov 2012

When a massive earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, David McNeill and Lucy Birmingham experienced the terrifying sensation of the earth moving uncontrollably beneath their feet.

6:03PM

Quake puts young men on shaky ground

13 Feb 2012

This time last year, Keiko wanted to meet a man who met the three traditional 'high' requirements of the perfect Japanese husband: He needed to be tall, have a high level of education and a high...

7:20AM

Lost and found - ties that bind

26 Feb 2007

ORIZA HIRATA started to cultivate a broad view of the world as a teenager. At 17, he cycled 20,000km on a journey that took him to 26 countries in 18 months.

7:29PM

Asashoryu to answer allegations of fixing

27 Jan 2007

Mongolian-born grand champion Asashoryu has been summoned to appear before a panel of the Japan Sumo Association to explain media reports claiming he has been arranging for bouts to be thrown...

3:59PM

Mind your own business

23 Dec 2006

Wandering the streets of the Marunouchi district - the business heart of the city - on a typical weekday evening would have been like walking through a ghost town a few years ago.

12:07PM

Off the wall

9 Dec 2006

With a barely audible hiss and a final flick of his wrist, the artist completes his spray-painted work of art. It is bright, aggressive and on public display.

The problem is that it...

10:09AM

Opinion

The last straw for Terry Wong?

2:53PM

Alex Lo

Survey exposes racism's shameful face

Updated 1:51AM

Rail rage

In the not-so-distant past, staff on Tokyo's myriad railway and subway lines would think nothing of waking a slumbering passenger with a friendly yet firm shake of the shoulder.

4:04AM

Indecent exposure

I am fortunate to have a very large park close to where my family and I live. A stroll past the pond and through the trees is the ideal way to work off a Sunday lunch.

3:34AM

Voice of hope

Kim Seong-min has stopped hiding. Eight months after his Free North Korea Radio station went live on shortwave, the 44-year-old says he no longer worries about assassins being sent from Pyongyang...

1:43AM

Would-be gigolos left red-faced

Thousand of embarrassed would-be gigolos who fell victim to a job offer scam have failed to file complaints with Japanese police, despite losing an estimated 300 million yen ($20 million) to the...

11:13PM

Rush to rudeness

The man in the business suit beside me on the train probably couldn't help his reaction. It was a slight intake of breath combined with a clicking of the tongue and an involuntary crossing of the...

10:49PM

Touchy subject

Urban yet deeply rural. Conservative yet forward-thinking. Traditional and still incredibly innovative. Japan is truly a nation of contradictions - particularly when it comes to its menfolk.

9:31PM