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Magdalena Osumi
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2019
Cherry blossoms in Japan are predicted to arrive earlier than usual again in 2019
Although some parts of Japan have yet to see this year's first snowfall, experts say they already know when spring will come.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jan 15, 2019
Japanese volunteer's initiative allows Cambodians to see future beyond dumps where they scavenged
In Anlong Pi, a village on the outskirts of famous tourist destination Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia, a group of women gather each day to peel bark from 3-meter-long sections of banana tree trunks. The bark pulp taken during the process, akin to peeling onions, is steamed to recover fibers and then...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2018
Government seeks public feedback on draft ordinances for foreign blue-collar workers
As Japan prepares to open its doors wider to foreign blue-collar workers from April, the Justice Ministry on Friday started soliciting public comment on drafts of ordinances and regulations that will set conditions for employing migrant workers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 27, 2018
Two Japanese death row inmates executed over 1988 robbery-murders of Cosmo Research president and employee
The executions were the first carried out since 13 former members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult were hanged in July.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2018
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike working to make capital more accessible for foreign and disabled visitors ready for 2020 Games
With 575 days until the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and a law passed earlier this month that opens the door for 340,000 foreign workers to enter the country over the next five years, Tokyo is about to see a lot of new faces.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2018
From a harrowing experience in Iraq to youth mentorship: Noriaki Imai dedicates his life to helping at-risk teens
When freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda returned to Japan in October after being held captive by a militant group in Syria for over three years, 33-year-old Noriaki Imai was confounded and disappointed by the muted reception he received from the public, with many blaming the journalist for his own abduction....
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2018
Government approves measures it says will make life easier for foreign workers under new blue-collar visas
The measures include the establishment of about 100 consultation centers nationwide and the allocation of u00a5600 million for a Japanese-language education program for non-Japanese.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2018
Nihon University admits nepotism in entrance exams
Nihon University revealed that in the past two years it gave preference to 10 applicants whose parents had graduated from its medical school, at the expense of other students.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2018
Tokyo Metro says new station will be called Toranomon Hills, as trend of mixing Japanese and English draws satirical pushback
Following a recent naming trend that mixes Japanese and English words, Tokyo Metro Co. has announced that a new station set to open ahead of the 2020 Games will be called Toranomon Hills.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2018
2020 Tokyo Games: Costs related to Japan's scorching summers being factored into the budget
Organizers and the head of the International Olympic Committee's inspection team for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Wednesday said the rising costs associated with preventing heat-related illnesses and injuries to athletes and spectators due to the country's increasingly hotter summers are being factored into...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2018
'Sodanē': Japan uses top buzzword of 2018 to end year on a high note
After months of scandals in sports, politics — and society as a whole — the top buzzword of 2018, announced Monday, struck a strikingly positive tone as the year winds down.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 27, 2018
Japanese and U.S. researchers say allergy shots for pregnant women may protect babies for life
A group of researchers based in Japan and the United States believe that administering allergy shots to women during pregnancy could prevent their unborn children from developing allergies after birth and throughout their lives.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2018
Victim of plea bargaining? Carlos Ghosn's arrest based on murky evidence, former prosecutor says
A prominent lawyer and plea deal expert said Monday that Nissan's ex-Chairman Carlos Ghosn, suspected of violating financial law, may have fallen victim to Japan's recently established plea bargaining system, leading to an arrest despite a lack of clear incriminating evidence.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2018
3,000 foreign employees join ramen noodle shop's workers union
Ramen noodle restaurant operator Hiday Co. says its workers formed a labor union, with some 3,000 foreign employees — mostly part-timers — joining the union's ranks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 20, 2018
Honda apologizes after dealership mocks rival Nissan on Twitter over Ghosn scandal
A prominent Nissan marketing catchphrase was turned on its head after a rogue Honda dealership took aim at the rival automaker on Twitter over the arrest of Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, forcing Honda to apologize Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2018
Last thing quake-prone Japan needed was the KYB data-rigging scandal
In disaster-prone Japan, earthquake resistance is vital to prevent buildings from collapsing when a powerful temblor hits, and builders and seismic reinforcement providers have repeatedly given assurances about the safety of their structures.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 16, 2018
Family and supporters of deceased English teacher urge Japan to minimize use of physical restraints at mental health institutions
Family members of a New Zealand man who died last year after he was strapped down at a mental hospital in Kanagawa Prefecture submitted a petition to the health ministry Friday calling for Japan to take measures to restrict use of restraints at mental institutions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 15, 2018
Vietnam-born rights advocate Bungo Okabe steps in to stifle abuse of technical trainees in Japan
When it came to light in March that a Vietnamese man in Japan's foreign trainee program was duped into performing radioactive decontamination work in areas devastated by the 2011 nuclear disaster, Bungo Okabe, 36, was the first to offer help in seeking justice.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2018
Japanese buzzwords of 2018 nominees reflect myriad influences and issues
Thirty candidates for buzzword of the year, announced Wednesday, highlight the numerous scandals that rocked Japan's amateur sports, the brutal summer of natural disasters as well as the country's response to the worldwide #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2018
Freed journalist Jumpei Yasuda expresses gratitude, apologizes over Syria ordeal
Journalist Jumpei Yasuda, who returned to Japan last month after being held by militants in Syria for more than three years, said Thursday that he did not hold any grudge toward the Japanese government over his ordeal.

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