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December 22, 2024
 

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Ray Franklin

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Ray Franklin
Ray Franklin is from Colorado, USA and has been teaching English in Osaka for over 20 years. After dabbling in journalism on his high school and college newspapers, he has been revisiting his hobby with Views from the Street contributions to The Japan Times since 2011.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Sep 16, 2013
Osaka: What on Earth should be done about the deteriorating situation at Fukushima No. 1?
As Tepco plays 'whack-a-mole' with myriad problems at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, readers offer their advice to the utility and Abe's government.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 5, 2013
Osaka: What was your dream job as a child, and would you still like to do it now if you could?
As a little girl I dreamed of being a flight attendant, because my aunt was one for Cathay Pacific airlines, and I always thought she looked so beautiful and sophisticated in her uniform. And of course the international travel sounded very appealing. I definitely would do it today if I could, but I think it's not possible now that I have tattoos.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 28, 2013
Osaka: What do you make of Mayor Toru Hashimoto’s comments about “comfort women” and his suggestion that U.S. forces in Okinawa use local brothels?
He's a perfect example of why 'diapers and politicians should be changed often, and for the same reason'! He's too incompetent for Osaka, and should be 'promoted' to national government. I've lived here for 30 years; I miss the old days when mayors and governors concentrated on administering Osaka and stayed out of the limelight. Hashimoto should take his showboating to Tokyo and leave Osaka under the radar.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Apr 2, 2013
Osaka: If you could live in any city outside Japan, which would it be?
Amsterdam comes to mind, but on second thoughts, I would choose to live in Maastricht, the Netherlands, because I love the pastoral atmosphere there. It has many of the same benefits as the more famous capital — canals, nice people, coffee shops — but without the tourists, and combined with a wonderful countryside feeling, so for me it is the best of both worlds, combining city and country life.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jan 1, 2013
Osaka: What are your hopes for yourself, Japan and the world in 2013?
I argue with my husband a lot, so I hope that diminishes next year! And I hope everyone stays healthy, especially my four grandkids and new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, since he previously quit for health reasons. I worry about Japan's conflicts with our neighbors, and hope that the country can use its brainpower and high-tech knowhow to figure out ways to solve the various island disputes. Can't we all just get along nicely?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Nov 6, 2012
Osaka: Who will win the U.S. presidential election, and what changes will that bring?
Erkki Hietalahti, 53University professor (Finnish)Obama should be re-elected, because he saved a bad situation, even though many initiatives were blocked by the Republicans. Obama is a better choice than Romney, who seems to flip his opinions, so who knows what he'd do in office? Obama cares about people,...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 14, 2012
Osaka: What are your plans for the Obon holidays?
Etsuko Nomura
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 24, 2012
Osaka: Which sports or athletes will you be following during the London 2012 Olympics?
Shoki Kanemoto
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jun 5, 2012
Osaka: What do you think of Mayor Toru Hashimoto's latest crackdowns on political activities by Osaka employees — and on those city workers with tattoos?
Kim Mangialaschi, 47
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Feb 15, 2011
Osaka: What are your thoughts on the decision to cancel the Osaka sumo tournament due to the match-fixing scandal?
Atsuko Fujimoto
Freed anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson arrives in France
U.S.-Canadian anti-whaling environmental activist Paul Watson, who was released from prison in Greenland's capital Nuuk after five months in detention, arrives with Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Roissy-en-France, near Paris, on Friday.
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party and opposition party Kuomintang brawl in parliament in Taipei on Friday.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
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