author

 
 

Meta

Mara Budgen
Japan Times
LIFE
Aug 6, 2022
Sentō Samaritans: The fight to save urban bathhouses
Were public bathhouses to vanish from Tokyo, Osaka and other cities across Japan, much more than hot water would be lost.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Jul 4, 2022
Climb every mountain: Japan’s female mountaineers scale new heights
As hikers prepare to ascend on Mount Fuji for the 2022 season, it's worth celebrating the achievements of the nation's female climbers both above and below the clouds
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 20, 2022
TELL’s Bahasa Indonesia services provide vital support
Felicia Nainggolan, TELL's Indonesian-language counselor, on the importance of mental health services for underserved communities.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Jan 17, 2022
Beneath the surface: Are Japan’s iconic hot-spring resources sustainable?
The public and private use of hot springs is leaving a significant imprint on the environment.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 15, 2021
Are Japan's onsen sustainable?
Japan Times contributor Mara Budgen takes a look at the history of onsen in Japan and asks whether Japan's iconic hot-spring resources are sustainable.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 30, 2021
Behind the push to improve universal access in Japan
Steps have been taken to create barrier-free facilities ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games. But now that the Paralympics have begun, who is going to ensure such groundbreaking efforts continue?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 21, 2021
Pandemic magnifies household gender roles in Japan
Latest figures show that women earn on average 44% less than men while also spending five times more time on housework and child care.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2021
A slow return to agriculture in Fukushima’s evacuated areas
Ten years on from the triple disaster of 2011, farming in the region is tentatively getting back on its feet. But can this growth be sustained?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Mar 7, 2021
Your dinner has an origin story and blockchain tech can help you find it
Tracing the journey of how your food gets to your table is becoming easier with the help of apps that allow shoppers to make more informed decisions.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Feb 21, 2021
Can Japan embrace an alternative approach to plastic?
Japanese companies are rethinking how we make, use and dispose of products by creating substitutes to fossil fuel-based plastics.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 11, 2020
Episode 72: Preserving the endangered Ainu language
The Ainu language has been declared critically endangered by UNESCO, with few people left alive today who speak it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 25, 2020
The Ainu language and the global movement for indigenous rights
With the Ainu language considered to be on the brink of extinction, global connections are breathing new life into revitalization efforts.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?