Several women earned their very first Grammys, including Miley Cyrus, best new artist Victoria Monét, country artist Lainey Wilson and Karol G — also the first woman to win in best música urbana, a moment that may reflect changing perceptions of reggaetón and Latin hip-hop as exclusively “men’s music.” Read more
The Grateful Dead pulled out ahead of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra with 59 total Top 40 entries on the chart Monday following the No. 25 debut of their archival release “Dave’s Picks, Volume 49: Frost Amphitheatre, Stanford U., Palo Alto, CA (4/27/85 & 4/28/85).” Read more
More than 10 years have passed since washoku — Japanese cuisine — was registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in December 2013. Read more
Taylor Swift gave Travis Kelce a short peck and embraced him with a big hug after he and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the Super Bowl, and then the two locked lips with a smooch seen around the football world. Read more
The Yakumo express trains, notorious for plaguing passengers with motion sickness due to their considerable tilt on curved tracks, will launch a new type of car this spring to improve the ride. Read more
Maria Kawahara, a kimono designer, believes that the traditional garment can be worn more freely — with a belt, for instance, if one doesn’t have an obi, or even with boots or high heels instead of zori (traditional thong sandals). Read more
A sea horse aquaculture farm in Minami-Kyushu, Kagoshima prefecture, is attracting tourists ahead of the Year of the Dragon because the Japanese word for sea horse is “tatsu no otoshigo,” which means “spawned baby dragon.” Read more
Donald Keene, who introduced the charms of Japanese literature to the world, in his later years published a book about Watanabe Kazan (1793-1841). Read more
The “Mean Girls” competition over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend featured several new releases, including the Jason Statham action movie ” The Beekeeper ” and the Jay-Z produced biblical satire “The Book of Clarence,” in addition to a slew of awards contenders capitalizing on buzz from recent nominations and the Golden Globes. Read more
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The appetizing smell and sizzling sound of an okonomiyaki savory pancake being prepared on a hot griddle, or teppan, can make anyone’s mouth water. Read more
Discarded glass bottles collected in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, were recycled and transformed into dragon figurines at Okazaki Garasu Kobo Aoi workshop for the Year of the Dragon. Read more
Global streams were also up 34% from last year, reflective of an increasingly international music marketplace. Read more
The project has been ensnared in a legal challenge that claims the university failed to study the potential noise issues caused by future residents and to consider alternative sites. The park has also been the scene in recent years of skirmishes between activists opposing the project and police trying to help clear it. Read more
The nominees for next year’s Golden Globe Awards have been announced. Read more
A soda drink containing pieces of “entsuke” gold leaf — which is made using a technique registered on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list — has been put on sale by Hakuza Inc., a gold leaf manufacturer and retailer in Kanazawa. Read more
Rabbits holding flowers, poodles with collars and parakeets in bright colors — all perched on sticks — greet me with a sweet aroma as I enter a candy shop in Tokyo. Read more
“After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew,” Abasolo said in a statement posted to his Instagram account. “Sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go.” Read more
It’s still being observed each New Year’s Eve, at many multiracial and predominantly Black churches across the country. Read more
An investigation by the New York Times uncovered painful new details, establishing that the attacks against women were not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence on Oct. 7. Read more
Adventure travel could be the next big thing to draw visitors to Japan if the efforts of the public and private sectors come to fruition. Read more
Dogs might be the next step in Japan’s efforts to combat fire ants. Read more
