author

 
 
 Alex K.T. Martin

Meta

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
PODCAST / deep dive
May 17, 2023
Yes, crime is on the rise in Japan. No, you don’t have to panic.
The year so far has been marked with several high-profile crime stories and, according to the numbers, crime is on the rise. However, the types of crime we’re seeing are different from before.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Longform
May 15, 2023
Rebuilding a community: Hiroshima after the bomb
In the decades since World War II ended, the city has undergone significant material and demographic changes — yet some still remember the old streets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
May 1, 2023
A new journey: Reviving Japan’s hospitality industry
In the wake of the pandemic, businesses are looking for ways to engage workers once more and welcome new waves of travelers.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 20, 2023
[Rebroadcast] How making alcohol from trees could give rural Japan a buzz
Check out this podcast from November that explores how some Japanese companies are trying to make alcohol from old trees.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / Longform
Apr 10, 2023
Are rising crime rates in Japan cause for alarm?
After tumbling for two decades, the number of criminal offenses in the nation jumped last year. Should we be worried?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Longform
Mar 11, 2023
Abandoned after 3/11, Fukushima starts attracting new residents
People are moving to areas near the crippled nuclear power plant in the prefecture lured by the promise of subsidies, discount housing and work opportunities. But will these migrants stay?
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 8, 2023
Moving to Fukushima? You’ll have to kick out the boars first
This week Alex K.T. Martin joins us to talk about the state of Fukushima 12 years after the quake. Animals have practically taken over, but Fukushima isn't the only place facing that challenge.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 5, 2023
In the shadow of the Fukushima disaster, an unusual experiment in rewilding
Wild animals have been thriving and expanding their habitat around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant since 2011, giving researchers a glimpse of nature’s resilience to radiation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 2, 2023
Details emerge on teenage suspect in stabbing at Saitama school
Police arrested the 17-year-old on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a 60-year-old teacher multiple times in the arms and stomach.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Feb 20, 2023
Unpacking Japan’s great wage conundrum
With inflation running at a four-decade high, the world’s third-largest economy’s famously stagnant salaries are finally showing signs of rising. Can the momentum be sustained?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Jan 30, 2023
Reining in Japan’s unstoppable urban sprawl
The world’s most rapidly aging nation wants its shrinking population to concentrate in regional urban centers. However, things aren't going as planned.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 23, 2023
Trapped in trash: Japan’s hidden hoarders
Behind closed doors, Japan has more houses filled with garbage than you might think — a phenomenon being exacerbated by shifting demographics and pandemic-induced social isolation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2022
With wildlife pests on the rise, Japan turns to novel countermeasures
The old-school approach of the nation's hunters is being pushed to its limits, prompting some to turn to unusual kinds of drones and robots.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 19, 2022
Downsizing death: Japan's funeral industry at a crossroads
The death care business is rethinking the services it offers in response to soaring bookings and sagging revenue in a rapidly aging nation
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 30, 2022
How making alcohol from trees could give rural Japan a buzz
Alex K.T. Martin joins us to talk about the science — and sustainable process — behind the process that may bring cedar, oak and sakura to your next cocktail session.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Longform
Nov 28, 2022
Wood spirits: How Japan made the world’s first liquor from trees
History is being made by a technology that may help aging rural populations, reinvigorate the nation's struggling forestry sector and shake up the global alcohol industry in unforeseen ways.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 2, 2022
Hey Japan, are you happy?
Deep Dive explores whether the Japanese are content or not with the help of Alex K.T. Marin, who has written several features on the polls and surveys of happiness.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 31, 2022
Can Japan’s pandemic-hit amusement parks return with a bang?
Does the opening of Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture reflect a turnaround in fortunes for theme park operators in Japan?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 17, 2022
Work forever: Japan’s seniors brace for life without retirement
Many older Japanese can no longer afford to stop working as demographic woes pressure the nation's labor market and social security system.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Sep 19, 2022
Pitch black: A therapeutic walk into total darkness
Night treks help people in Japan reclaim a primitive fear and reverence toward a world without light.

Longform

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