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July 16, 2024
 

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Alex K.T. Martin

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Alex K.T. Martin
Alex K.T. Martin is a Tokyo-based journalist and senior writer at The Japan Times, primarily focusing on feature stories. Previously he was a Tokyo correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 4, 2018
Japan's banks secure access to police agency database to help screen for yakuza and other 'anti-social forces'
Starting Thursday, Japanese Bankers Association members will be able to screen individual loan seekers using the National Police Agency's database of organized crime members.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 28, 2017
Japan's first 'official' same-sex couple announce separation
Japan's first official same-sex couple terminated their partnership on Christmas Day.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2017
Tokyo's Kabutocho financial district gets creative in bid to revive its quiet streets
It's a Monday night in late November and Ryutei Ichiya, a kimono-clad 34-year-old rakugo comic raconteur, is performing a skit in front of a crowd of over 100.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2017
Japan's glut of abandoned homes: Hard to sell but bargains when opportunity knocks
Realtor Yuken Kon specializes in properties most of his peers steer clear of.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Dec 25, 2017
New JRA system to let addicts' families block online gambling
The Japan Racing Association says it will begin accepting applications Thursday from family members living with those clinically diagnosed with gambling disorders or suspected of struggling with its symptoms.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2017
Taiwan objects to Kojien dictionary's definition of the independent island state
The publisher of Kojien, the most authoritative dictionary in Japan, has been stuck between a rock and a hard place over its definition of Taiwan as a province of China, prompting a request for a correction from the self-ruled island.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2017
Cabinet OKs record-high ¥97.71 trillion 2018 budget to cover rising social security and defense costs
The Cabinet approves a draft budget of u00a597.7 trillion for fiscal 2018, breaking the record for the sixth year straight.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 14, 2017
Rakuten announces foray into saturated Japanese cellphone market
The e-commerce giant aims to become nation's fourth mobile carrier, in a move that threatens to disrupt the cellular phone market oligopoly.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2017
Japanese workers feel guilty taking time off and use fewer holidays than their international peers: survey
A survey revealed that Japanese used 50 percent of their vacation days, placing them at the bottom of the list for the second consecutive year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 11, 2017
Rakuten Inc. teams up with Booking.com to offer minpaku lodging services
E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. is teaming up with global online travel agent Booking.com as it prepares to take on Airbnb Inc. in the increasingly competitive market for private short-term minpaku lodging services.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 5, 2017
Two Japanese animated films in contention for top recognition at Annie Awards
Two Japanese animated films — one dealing with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the other about the fantastical adventures of a nap-loving high school girl — have been nominated in one of the main categories for the 45th annual Annie Awards.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2017
Birkenstock looks to step up Japan sales with a mix of tradition and bold new ideas
German shoemaker Birkenstock plans to double its business in Japan and offer consumers a wider range of products through selective distribution, according to the first chief executive officer from outside the founding family to run the centuries-old company.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 21, 2017
Jobs battle environment on sacred but scarred Mount Buko
Shin Sasakubo grew up listening to blasts of dynamite scar the slopes of Mount Buko and echo across his small town every day at half past noon.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 17, 2017
Airbnb's Japan unit denies violating antitrust laws after raid by FTC in October
Airbnb's Japan arm reveals it was raided by the Fair Trade Commission last month but denies any wrongdoing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 10, 2017
Money Forward CEO wants to take popular budget-tracking app global
Budget-managing app operator Money Forward Inc. stoked investor excitement when it became the nation's first financial technology venture to go public in September, reflecting strong interest in the nascent but fast-growing sector.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 8, 2017
Small Saitama town embraces sharing economy in bid to battle demographic drain
Yokoze, a quiet, scenic town of around 8,400 in the mountainous Chichibu region in Saitama Prefecture, isn't immune to the sweeping demographic change impacting hundreds of rural municipalities across Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2017
Airbnb Inc. inks deal with ANA and Peach to promote 'new travel style'
Airbnb Inc. said Monday it has signed a partnership agreement with Japan's largest carrier, All Nippon Airways Co., and its subsidiary, Peach Aviation Ltd., in a bid to solicit more demand for domestic travel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Nov 5, 2017
Yoshiharu Hoshino: Inn innovator's winning formula born from bubble's crash
Yoshiharu Hoshino describes his experience taking over the reins of his century-old family business in 1991 as a "hard landing."
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 1, 2017
Sony's Aibo makes a comeback: There's life in the old dog yet
Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will resurrect Aibo, the robot-dog that inspired a cult following even after it was discontinued over a decade ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 1, 2017
Hospitality king Tomoyasu Kato sees small-scale boutique resorts as the next big thing
Tomoyasu Kato single-handedly transformed an ailing family business into a sprawling empire of hotels, spas, entertainment venues and a popular chain of udon noodle restaurants. Now he has set his sights on attracting affluent overseas travelers to a series of small-scale luxury resorts he plans to build...
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

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

Longform

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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