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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
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jan 10, 2022
So close, yet so far: What will travel look like in 2022?
Japan's battered tourism operators are somewhat hopeful that travel will regain its footing this year while incorporating the lessons learned from the past two tumultuous years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Dec 25, 2021
Child adoption slowly gains ground in Japan, though prospective parents still face obstacles
Child adoption slowly gains ground in Japan, though prospective parents still face a number of obstacles in trying to expand their families.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2021
Tokyo exodus: Is the capital losing its luster among businesses?
Firms are moving their headquarters out of the metropolis at a record-setting pace amid the proliferation of remote work and growing risks of natural disasters.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2021
Pair of quakes shake Japan and prompt fears of more seismic activity to come
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake jolted eastern Yamanashi at around 6:30 a.m., which was followed by a magnitude 5.4 temblor in Wakayama three hours later.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Nov 29, 2021
On shaky ground: Is Tokyo prepared for the ‘Big One’?
A powerful earthquake that shook the capital in October has fueled fresh fears of an impending temblor that could devastate the world's largest city.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Nov 22, 2021
Deflation generation: Japan’s budget-minded consumers keep price hikes in check
Decades of stagnant wages and low prices have ingrained a “deflationary mindset” into shoppers who are hesitant to spend more, thwarting policymakers' efforts to fan inflation.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 10, 2021
Japan's loneliness epidemic
Surveys of the Japanese public show that 1 in 2 people in their 20s and 30s have felt lonely during the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Longform
Oct 29, 2021
Voter apathy looms over yet another election in Japan
Efforts are underway to buoy turnout amid widespread political disenchantment, especially among the young. Will more eligible voters exercise their rights during the Lower House election?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Oct 25, 2021
Kodoku: The fine line between solitude and loneliness in Japan
The nation appears to be showing remarkable tolerance toward COVID-induced social isolation, but are people really fine being alone?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 21, 2021
Extinct Japanese wolf may hold key to unlocking origins of dogs
Genomic sequencing suggests the mysterious animal, considered extinct since 1905, is the closest relative of dogs and that its ancestral DNA has been widely inherited by man's best friend.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 14, 2021
The drones are coming: Unmanned machines fly to rural Japan's rescue
Aging and shrinking communities in the nation's countryside are looking to the sky for essential deliveries.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2021
Japan’s growing ‘underclass’ creaks under weight of pandemic
The nation's wealth gap is widening as the health crisis drags on, disproportionately burdening women and the expanding pool of nonpermanent workers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Sep 27, 2021
How to retire in Japan decades earlier than you think
Japan's pioneers of the FIRE movement — u2018financial independence, retire early' — believe in living below one's means early in life so they're able to stop working well before retirement age.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2021
COVID-19 was expected to spur a remote-work revolution in Japan. What happened?
A lack of digital infrastructure and an archaic corporate culture that values long working hours and face-to-face meetings is slowing down the nation's push toward working remotely.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / Longform
Aug 14, 2021
The race is on to define the legacy of Tokyo 2020
It may be too early to determine a legacy for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but that won't stop people from trying to define it even before the Paralympics have yet to begin.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 7, 2021
Tokyo tomorrow: What comes after the 2020 Games?
Rebuilt from the war and continually building back stronger, the 1964 Olympics gave Tokyo an identity. Will the 2020 Games do the same?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 2, 2021
Tokyo today: A city in a state of perpetual rebuilding
When you think of Tokyo, what do you think of? Is it the chaotic commercialism of Shibuya or the temples nestled in the city's backstreets?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2021
The 'Recovery Olympics' take a back seat amid COVID-19 concerns
The Games were supposed to showcase Japan's recovery efforts following the devastating 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. Such efforts have been thwarted by the pandemic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Longform
Jul 10, 2021
In search of Japan's lost wolves: Enduring legacy
In the final chapter of our five-part series, we look at how the mythos and mystery of the wolf continue to captivate and inspire.
Japan Times
LIFE / Longform
Jul 9, 2021
In search of Japan's lost wolves: Territorial threat
Industrialization and deforestation played a part in the Japanese wolf's supposed demise in the early 20th century. More than 100 years later, the ecological crisis is still with us.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat