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College Football Playoff picture for Week 7: Changes are on deck

09/10/2022samura

There was not an upset in the top 10 in Week 6, and that means the College Football Playoff picture will not change much.

Change, however, is coming soon. Week 7 will feature two – perhaps three – top-10 showdowns.

Alabama visits Tennessee in the latest installment of the Third Saturday in October. Penn State travels to Michigan in a Big Ten East undercard challenge to see who wants to challenge Ohio State. Oklahoma State and TCU meet in a battle of unbeaten Big 12 teams, and Clemson stays on the road at Florida State.

This is the best week

North Korea Continues to Provoke Japan

09/10/2022samura

In this week’s roundup, we report on the latest missiles from Pyongyang as North Korea continues to provoke Japan and several other countries. There’s sad news domestically as two Japanese icons pass away and the body of a 7-year-old girl is found in the Edo River. In Myanmar, filmmaker Toru Kubota is handed a 10-year prison sentence. And in sport, NBA players delight Japanese fans at the Saitama Super Arena.

J-Alert Warning Shocks Residents in Northern Japan

Residents in Northern Japan were given a fright on Tuesday morning as alarms began bleeding from cellphones and public speakers. For the

Top New Music Albums from Japan: September 2022

06/10/2022samura

Back after the summer break, musicians really hit the ground running in September. This year has been dominated by newer artists, yet last month reminded us that even accomplished musicians still got ‘it.’

We have crackling experimental electronic spookiness by Ultrademon through to punk jazz from Hei Tanaka plus foot-tapping city pop with YeYe and more. September’s top albums are a mishmash of genres, each one a standout in its own way.

No Buses — Home Sweet Home

Fresh from their appearance at Fuji Rock’s Red Marquee stage, indie five-piece No Buses released their third album Home Sweet Home to

Kenji Kohashi: Making Miracles in Japan

27/09/2022samura

Kenji Kohashi was struggling to see a light at the end of what had been a dark tunnel. As an actor, he made quite a name for himself appearing in movies such as Azumi and the NHK morning drama Churasan, but at 27, he gave it up to go traveling. Returning to Japan two years later, he was excited about trying something new. Things, however, didn’t work out how he’d hoped. Mostly bedridden at his parents’ house, he was out of work, suffering from depression and all his savings were gone. Then came the diagnosis that his liver was

Artist Luke Jerram Brings the Moon to Shimokitazawa

26/09/2022samura

Tokyo Weekender recently spoke to internationally-renowned artist and moon enthusiast, Luke Jerram, to coincide with his “Museum of the Moon” exhibition showing in Japan for the first time. Visitors to Shimokitazawa this weekend will be greeted by a huge moon hanging over the old Odakyu tracks for a third and final time.

Installation View, Shimokitazawa Moon Art Night Photo: Startbahn

Running until September 25, Moon Art Night Shimokitazawa also includes an exhibition by Australian artist Amanda Parer titled “Intrude” that displays giant glowing rabbits around Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine. In front of the station lies the giant “Museum of the Moon”

Typhoon Nanmadol Causes Further Anxiety About Climate Change

24/09/2022samura

Last Sunday, news sources poured out headlines warning Japanese residents about the super typhoon Nanmadol threatening the country. For some, weekend plans were canceled due to heavy rain and wind, but for a whopping nine million others, it meant potential evacuation of their homes.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) proclaimed in a tweet that it was “one of the strongest typhoons ever seen,” and the amount of damage and displacement indeed supports this statement. The storm killed at least two and injured over 100 others. Two days after the height of the storm, at least 300,000 people were still without

10 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in Chiba Prefecture

23/09/2022samura

Located adjacent to Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture is home not just to Disney resorts and Narita International Airport, but also to breathtaking natural wonders, including valleys, waterfalls and caves. Its beauty shows both inland and by the sea from its spacious parks and Mount Nokogiri to Kujukuri Beach, Japan’s longest stretch of sandy coastline. It proves a worthwhile visit in the autumn when the colorful leaves transform the beautiful landscapes into new scenes. Here are some of the best places to see the fall foliage in Chiba.

As the largest artificial lake in Chiba prefecture, this popular sightseeing location

Living the Luxury Life Thanks to JackRoad

20/09/2022samura

On a quest to find a unique gift or keepsake to pass down to the next generation? Look no further than the long-established JackRoad, your one-stop luxury-goods shop, be you local resident or international traveler.

A Nakano Favorite

JackRoad is associated with watches, but timepieces are just the beginning of what it has to offer. The store, originally a dealer of European and American antiques, was established in Nakano by lifelong locals. Over the years, a fan base of luxury connoisseurs has grown up around JackRoad — and its sister store, Betty Road — thanks to the wide-ranging selection of