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February 22, 2025
 

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Mark Schreiber

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Mark Schreiber
Mark Schreiber worked as a salaryman in travel, consumer electronics, computer software, advertising and market research before turning to translation and writing full time. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he has lived in Tokyo since 1966.
Shohei Ohtani's prowress on the diamond translated into an outsized influence on Japan's consumer trends this year.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 13, 2024
The year that Shohei Ohtani achieved 'yokozuna' status … in the market
To qualify as a genuine "hitto" (hit), a product or service must harness some new concept or technology in a manner that significantly impacts the marketplace.
Located in the Otemachi neighborhood, the 'skull mound' of Taira no Masakado is said to be the source of ills and misfortunes of any who would disturb the site.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 26, 2024
Take a Halloween stroll through Tokyo’s dark history
Tokyo has no shortage of creepy places to check out this Halloween, and the good news is that many are conveniently accessible.
BUSINESS
Dec 27, 2022
Dissecting Japan's hit consumer products of 2022
The two items that topped Nikkei Marketing Journal's annual rankings were not products per se but product attributes reflecting consumers' response to inflation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 14, 2022
A look at the kanji that helps us turn nouns into adjectives
The kanji for 'teki' can be seen in many words, and it's a rather versatile one that works particularly well as a suffix.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 18, 2021
2021's hit products tap into Japanese consumer needs as pandemic drags on
Hit products of any given year are expected to change the direction of the market, carve out a completely new market segment or appeal to changing lifestyles with something innovative.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 27, 2021
Can artificial intelligence be harnessed to protect the public from random assailants?
Facial recognition technology can be used to identify known criminals from a database as well as home in on a person acting suspiciously.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 13, 2021
October quake gives Tokyo a wake-up call
Residents of the metropolis are urged to make sure they're fully prepared for when the dreaded “big one” strikes.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 23, 2021
‘Two-sword’ baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani shines as Japan’s newest icon. But is he underpaid?
Shohei Ohtani's performance this year has baseball fans excited and the tabloids brimming with new angles on the reasons for his success.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 9, 2021
Kishida has no time to lose as stories from the faltering middle class hit the stands
Japanese magazines are filled with stories of economic hardship as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida takes the reins of the country.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 25, 2021
The trial of a yakuza boss ends with a death sentence … and a threat
An ominous warning from a crime boss as he is sentenced gets the Japanese tabloids in a real stir.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 11, 2021
Believe it or not, ‘expensive’ Japan is actually underpriced
Tokyo's reputation as an expensive city was debunked by Diamond's comparisons of prices for various consumer items in different cities around the world.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 28, 2021
All the foreign media praise aside, Japan's convenience stores are fighting a slump
While journalists trapped in an Olympic bubble wrote a lot about how Japanese convenience stores came to their aid, the companies that run the stores have taken a hit in earnings.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 14, 2021
Olympian tattoos fail to leave their mark on the Japanese press
After Tokyo was awarded the Olympics in 2013, many thought tattoos would be a major issue during the Games. In the end, they barely scratched the surface of public attention.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 30, 2021
Gold, silver and bronze aren't just words for the Olympics
With all the talk about gold, silver and bronze medals, take a look at some metal-related vocabulary that you can use even when the Games are done.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 24, 2021
Earthquakes, typhoons … and now we have to worry about heat domes?
High temperatures in Japan have reached more than 41 degrees Celsius in the past, but a heat dome in Canada has the media speculating on whether higher temperatures are ahead.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jul 10, 2021
Japanese vending machines: the cutting edge of merchandising … and on the brink of irrelevance?
Media reports focusing on Japan's quirky vending machine culture dive into what new items are on offer and the risk they face due to competition from convenience stores.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 26, 2021
Road signs that point to a 'post-corona' Japan
What does Japan look like after the COVID-19 pandemic? An economic recovery? A downturn for all-night industries? The tabloids are getting into predictions.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jun 12, 2021
Magazines shed some light on the successes and failures of the vaccination rollout in Japan
With the rollout in vaccinations for those age 65 and over finally underway, magazines in Japan have taken up the topic from a variety of perspectives.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 22, 2021
Some food for thought amid the COVID-19 pandemic
New research warns that produce once billed as healthy can wreak havoc on the body.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 8, 2021
Them's fightin' words: How militaristic vocabulary works its way into Olympics coverage
Militaristic language has made its way into headlines about the Olympics, but that may say more about Japan's news media than the actual situation.
Yen advances past ¥150 per dollar as BOJ rate-hike bets ramp up
The Japanese currency climbed as much as 1% to ¥149.95 against the dollar on Thursday, a level it hasn’t touched since Dec. 9.
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
LDP and opposition lock horns over Japan budget
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in parliament on Friday
Japanese panel seeks to tighten screening of new universities
Education minister Toshiko Abe (right) receives a report on higher education from an advisory panel on Friday.
Over 80% of Japanese say death penalty system is 'unavoidable'
Former death row inmate Iwao Hakamata (left) and his sister, Hideko, attend a gathering of his supporters after his acquittal in a retrial over a 1966 murder case was finalized in October last year.
As Ukraine rift emerges, Kyiv's envoy says Japan must take on bigger global role
Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky speaks during an interview at the Ukrainian Embassy in Tokyo on Monday.
Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo
Shiori Ito, who won a civil suit over a rape case against a TV reporter, in 2018. Her former lawyers claim her documentary includes footage used without the consent of sources.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown ready to sprint past Paris disappointment
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (center) runs during a 100-meter heat at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3, 2024.
What is the ceiling for sumo’s newest yokozuna?
Newly promoted grand champion Hoshoryu (center) performs a dedication ceremony at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Jan. 31.
‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight
“Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” centers on a real-life love triangle between poet Chuya Nakahara (Taisei Kido, left), actor Yasuko Hasegawa (Suzu Hirose, center) and literary critic Hideo Kobayashi (Masaki Okada).

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Tokyo Koon stands at the forefront of tackling the so-called 2025 issue, also known as the “Magnetic Tape Alert.”
The race to save 20th-century history
By Alex K.T. Martin

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