Mami Maruko - The Japan Times

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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.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Oct 7, 2001

There was a time when virtually every city neighborhood had a public bathhouse. Those days are over, but the soothing waters haven't completely dried up. Here in Tokyo, there is a variety of sento from which to choose. And if traditional bathhouses aren't up to your standards, you can try kenkoland (literally,...

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Sep 30, 2001

A plague upon your house

Insects aren't everyone's favorite animals, especially when it comes to those such as cockroaches, termites and wasps that frighten us as well as potentially harm us and our environment.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Sep 23, 2001

Shitamachi survivors

Although the shitamachi areas of Tokyo may have lost some of their bygone ambience, a few shops dating back to the Meiji or early Showa eras still remain. Sticking to tried-and-tested favorites, they are loved by customers old and new. Some have even appeared in the works of great writers and poets such...

COMMUNITY

Sep 16, 2001

Can blood type determine character?

If you're a recent arrival to Japan, don't worry if a new friend asks "What's your blood type?" Your inquisitor is unlikely to be a vampire. Here, blood type is believed to tell a lot about a person in just a letter or two: A, B, O or AB.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Sep 2, 2001

The growth of green cuisine

A decade ago, it was difficult for vegetarians in Japan to eat out, but now there are far more restaurants to meet their needs -- and those of anyone else who enjoys tasty, low-fat and nutritious food.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Aug 19, 2001

Sights of the city

"Public art," according to Sokichi Sugimura, president of the Public Art Research Institute, "is anything that has artistic value in the eyes of the general public."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Aug 19, 2001

"Kimi-chan" by Itaru Sasaki, the red granite and bronze statue of a little girl standing in leafy Patiojuban, commemorates a real girl named Kimi Iwasaki.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Aug 12, 2001

She's got legs . . .

You've probably seen her somewhere -- on product packaging, in fashion catalogs or TV commercials. But no one would recognize her, because she is famous only for her legs.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Aug 5, 2001

Down the aisle in style

As a little girl, I dreamed of getting married in a church amid beautiful European scenery -- or, if the wedding were held in Japan, then in the quiet setting of the woods of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jul 29, 2001

The added cost of convenience

If you've got a rumbling in your tummy but little time or money, what could be better than a bento (boxed lunch) from the nearest convenience store?

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jul 22, 2001

Reaching higher than the sun

The determined individualism and unique artistic vision of Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), a leader in Japan's 1960s-'70s avant-garde art scene, continues to be a source of inspiration to many people today.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jul 1, 2001

Eat right to beat the heat

Japan's long, hot, humid summer can certainly put a damper on both mind and body. So what kind of food, if any, will help you cope with the intense heat and make you feel cool?

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jun 24, 2001

Charity begins at the checkout

No time for voluntary work? An easy -- and fun -- way to alleviate your conscience is to go shopping.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jun 17, 2001

Some like it steamed

Many Japanese who grew up in the 1950s still recall roba no panya, horse-drawn bakery wagons selling mushi-pan (steamed bread). Popularized by Kyoto-based bread manufacturer Vitamin Pan Rensa-ten Honbu in the latter part of the decade, by around 1960 the company boasted 160 roba no panya across the country,...

COMMUNITY

Jun 10, 2001

Learning to live in a house with attitude

Architects Ben Matsuno and Kumi Aizawa have a dream in which homes are not just for sleeping and serve as more than just private spaces for residents only. But the husband and wife team doesn't intend to sit back and wait for society to change. By forming Life & Shelter Co., they're putting their...

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jun 3, 2001

Where to find those bygone gems

If you're after antique furniture you don't have to go to Camden Lock or Jubilee market in London to find that "one-and-only" piece. There are antique shops right here full of treasures from home and abroad -- and at reasonable prices.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

May 27, 2001

Preparing for your journey to the land of nod

Apart from comfortable bedding, what kind of environment promotes deep, refreshing sleep? Many studies have been carried out to determine the answer, and although much is still not understood, it is now thought that light plays a major role in determining the quality of one's slumber.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

May 13, 2001

Rediscovering nature's healing powers

Records of their use can be found in the ruins of Mesopotamia, dating back to 5,000 B.C.

COMMUNITY

May 6, 2001

Insurers reach out to women at risk

"Korobanu saki no tsue," goes an old Japanese saying. Literally "a cane before stumbling," the maxim holds that preparedness can soften, if not prevent, a fall. Today, insurance is often the cane people keep in hand.

CULTURE / Stage

Apr 22, 2001

Yukio Ninagawa: Now that's the fighting spirit

In the theater world, director Yukio Ninagawa is a living legend. Practicing his craft for more than 30 years and in the international spotlight for 20, he has yet to exhaust his renowned creativity and energy.

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.

Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.

The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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