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September 18, 2025
 

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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 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...
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2017
Huge rent hike set to end sweet deal for Sensoji Temple shopkeepers
One of Japan's oldest and most visited shopping streets in the heart of Tokyo's touristy Asakusa district is bracing for a massive rent hike.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Oct 16, 2017
Ippudo ramen chain credits its global success to localized tastes
Toshiyuki Kiyomiya likes to compare ramen to a carefully arranged universe in a bowl.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2017
Hokkaido uses manga to educate people on how to react to any North Korea missile threat
The northern island of Hokkaido is turning to manga to instruct residents how to respond in the event of a North Korean missile launch.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2017
Hoshino Resorts, known for luxury, moves into midrange urban market
Hoshino Resorts Inc., known for its luxury hotels and traditional lodgings blending Japanese aesthetics and contemporary design, is making a foray into the urban hotel market with a new brand targeting tourists.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2017
Japan tourism group builds social media presence with new Instagram account
The Japan National Tourism Organization is finally turning to Instagram to attract overseas travelers amid an unprecedented tourism boom.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 3, 2017
Mobile gaming firm Akatsuki to adapt Japanese content for U.S. TV and movie screens
Mobile gaming company Akatsuki Inc. announced Tuesday the launch of a U.S.-based entertainment production company aimed at developing feature films for a global audience based on popular Japanese content including manga, anime and novels.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 28, 2017
Megahit anime 'Your Name.' to get live-action Hollywood remake
J.J. Abrams and Paramount Pictures will be turning one of Japan's highest-grossing anime films into a live-action remake, but not all fans are enthusiastic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2017
Japan Airlines announces code-sharing deal with Hawaiian Airlines
Japan Airlines said Tuesday it will enter into a code-sharing deal with Hawaiian Airlines and form a joint venture in the coming months to boost access to one of the most popular overseas destinations for Japanese travelers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2017
Voters question Abe's decision to call snap election
Many voters on Tuesday appeared confounded at the timing of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election, questioning the need to set in motion a costly process without a clear need to secure a new national mandate.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2017
The public has spoken: Xiang Xiang is the name of Ueno Zoo's newest star
The new star at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo has been named Xiang Xiang, the kanji for which can mean either "fragrance" or "popular" in Chinese.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 25, 2017
High tech, IT and robots are at forefront of Japan's funeral industry boom
From a sutra-chanting humanoid robot to automated cemeteries, technological innovation is changing how Japanese deal with funerary rituals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 22, 2017
Amazon's Twitch ready to take on Japan's game-streaming market
Amazon's game-broadcasting and social-video company, Twitch, is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in the nation that invented Mario, Pokemon and the PlayStation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2017
U.S. colleges still attract international students despite country's racial tensions: USC president
Despite the heightened state of racial tensions in the United States, interest in the nation's higher education system remains strong among international students, the president of the oldest private university in California said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2017
Campaign to help elderly, disabled passengers launched by Tokyo-area train companies
East Japan Railway Co. and other railway services operating in the Tokyo metropolitan area launched a campaign Tuesday asking the public to lend a hand in helping the elderly and people with disabilities.
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
Japan dispatches five language education 'partners' to India
Five members of the Japan Foundation's Nihongo Partners program (front) gather at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday.
Struggling train firm in Chiba Prefecture turns to self-deprecating humor
"Laughter is important when you're in a difficult situation," said Katsunori Takemoto, president of Choshi Electric Railway, on Aug. 5 in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.
Japan's elderly population down at around 36.2 million
The estimated number of people age 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, accounting for record 29.4% of the country's total population, according to the internal affairs ministry.
Japan’s front-line researchers see bright path ahead for dementia treatment
A scientist looks at scans of grains at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 6, 2023.
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
Japanese athletes inspired by raucous home fans at World Athletics Championships
Fans cheer on the home favorites during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
Japan's major art events converge this fall
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
Tara Davis-Woodhall leaps to gold and finds redemption at world championships
Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrates after winning the women's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships at Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday night.
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.

Podcast

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

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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