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November 22, 2024
 

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Mami Maruko
Staff writer Mami Maruko writes stories about the international community in Japan, including profiles of Tokyo-based ambassadors and international marriages. She received education in Japan, England and the U.S. She graduated from Goldsmiths College, University of London, with a masters degree in Theater Arts.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2001
A new drumbeat resounds around the world
The powerful beat of taiko (Japanese drums) of different sizes vibrates the air, while the delicate sound of shinobue (bamboo flute) adds spice to the dynamic rhythm. On stage is taiko troupe Tokyo Dageki Dan: four muscular men drumming and another with the flute.
COMMUNITY
Apr 15, 2001
A yen for thrift
There was a time when Japan prided itself on its thriftiness. Hard times after World War II produced the need to save money and cut every corner. Children were taught that each grain of rice was sacred and not to be wasted. Sardines and mackerel were standard fare, beef reserved only for special occasions....
COMMUNITY
Apr 8, 2001
Keeping your eyes on the skies
In November 1999, the Leonid meteor storm returned, brighter in the night skies than it had been for 33 years, prompting many to turn out to watch the spectacular celestial show.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 8, 2001
Putting your best foot forward
When the mountains are blanketed with the fresh, green leaves of spring, it's peak hiking season. Hiking has always been a popular activity as it presents a challenge surmountable for most people, regardless of age. It's easy to prepare for and not as risky as rock-climbing or other hardcore outdoor...
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 1, 2001
Tokyo's most wanted: the depachika bestsellers
The capricious tastes of consumers have seen food fads come and go. Remember the short-lived nata de coco boom or Cinnabon craze of last year? Now depachika are the centers of gourmet attention, selling a whole range of foods, among them some old favorites, but also many new items aiming to become the...
CULTURE / Music
Jan 30, 2001
Kitaro tunes in to a healing vibe
Kitaro, one of few Japanese musicians known internationally, has unshaken faith in his music. With enormous energy counterpointing his calm, modest and easy-going manner, he has handled huge projects in the past and has been called the pioneer of New Age music in Japan.
COMMUNITY
Jan 25, 2001
The kindergartens are all right
Michiko Sonobe (not her real name) was nervous before an interview with authorities at a prestigious kindergarten in Yokohama as part of her 21/2-year-old son's entrance examination last November.
COMMUNITY
Nov 30, 2000
1,000 yen shops offer customers discount-shopping thrills
In response to the continuing economic slump, 100 yen shops have popped up everywhere in the last few years, but their popularity may soon be overshadowed by the emergence of 1,000 yen shops.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 11, 2000
Art transcends time in 'Julius Caesar' production
A talented theater director can breathe new life into an old play, and David Lan, the new artistic director of the Young Vic Theater in southeast London, has done just that.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 28, 2000
Cirque du Soleil set to dazzle Japan
There is usually a charismatic man behind any successful entertainment company, and the Canadian circus group Cirque du Soleil has Guy Laliberte to thank for its success.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 28, 2000
Birth of a new generation
Turn on the television or flip through any popular magazine, and you're sure to come across gyarumama (gal mamas) -- teenage moms with tanned skin, trendy clothes and towering platform shoes.
COMMUNITY
Aug 10, 2000
Japan's favorite schlemiel goes international
The great manga artist Fujio Akatsuka sits casually, a glass of Chivas Regal in one hand, for all the world as if he were drinking at an izakaya with friends rather than sitting in his hospital room in Tokyo.
COMMUNITY
Jul 27, 2000
A social clash of old values and new rules
The number of divorces in Japan, especially among couples who have been married for 20 years or more, has been increasing. According to a survey carried out by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in 1999 there were a total of 250,538 divorced couples.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 15, 2000
Singapore seeks its own artistic future
Singapore is known for being a clean country full of sunshine, greenery and delightful people. But although it offers great shopping, gourmet dining and sightseeing, it is not frequently associated with the art world.
COMMUNITY
Jun 26, 2000
It's true! Chocolate is good for you!
The academic name for cacao beans is Theobroma cacao, which means "God's food." They are said to have first been found in pre-Columbian Mexico, where they were valued as an elixir of life among the royalty. The native Mexicans believed that with one block of crushed chocolate, one could work five to...
CULTURE / Stage
Jun 16, 2000
A ghost brings actress back into the spotlight
"I was deeply impressed by the beauty of the words," says actress Keiko Matsuzaka, 47, breathless with enthusiasm as she talks about the play she's producing: "Tenshu Monogatari."
COMMUNITY
May 11, 2000
Young women study up for the future
A high attendance in classes ranging from aromatherapy, beadwork and flower arrangement to exotic languages and cooking, offered at department stores and community centers all over Japan, is a sign of a new trend among women in their late 20s and early 30s.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 29, 2000
Life springs eternal in oshibana creations
Using one's own garden flowers to create oshibana (pressed-flower arrangements) and thereby eternally preserving the flowers' beauty is a joy many nature lovers would relish.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 22, 2000
World of freeze-framed flowers at Mitsukoshi
Despite a long history dating back to the 16th century, when botanists in England and Italy began systematic collection of specimens, the art of flower pressing still tends to be treated as a mere hobby or handicraft in many countries. In Japan, too, although the number of oshibana (pressed flower) artists...
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 18, 2000
Festival of fools makes its Tokyo debut
In Europe, clown and mime performances have always been acknowledged as respected forms of entertainment, with some countries even establishing national circus schools. These types of entertainment have never enjoyed the same level of recognition in Japan, however, where clowning and mime have traditionally...
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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

Longform

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

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