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November 22, 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 Times
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2018
Itoshima: How a beach community is drawing newcomers amid rural depopulation
Swapping his dress shoes and business suit for flip-flops and swimming trunks, Shingo Takei starts the day by walking to the beach to go stand-up paddleboarding.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 5, 2018
The two-sister circus of Charan-Po-Rantan
Koharu Matsunaga used to be a fixture on Tokyo's busking circuit, belting out tunes on her button accordion with her gypsy brass band at popular tourist stops like Ueno Park.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 18, 2018
All aboard: Exploring Japan's abandoned train lines
Admiring the decaying beauty of abandoned railroads is just one of myriad hobbies Japan's railway enthusiasts indulge in.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 10, 2018
In the countryside, success starts with coffee: Niseko pioneer
The thriving Hokkaido ski resort of Niseko is considered an anomaly among the many rural communities in Japan facing a slow demise from the shrinking and graying population.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2018
Canned chūhai drinks thrive on salaryman buzz
"When life gives us lemons, we make -196˚ C Strong Zero Double Lemon!"
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2018
Pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi to take 'hard look at himself' as he apologizes for forcibly kissing teen
Teary-eyed and his voice shaking, pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi apologized Thursday for kissing and engaging in indecent behavior with a high school-aged girl in a career-crushing scandal leading to his indefinite suspension from show business.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 24, 2018
Endangered bat, believed to be extinct locally, discovered in former U.S. training area in Okinawa
A former U.S. military training site in Okinawa Prefecture provided a precious refuge for a critically endangered bat unseen on the prefecture's main island for 22 years. The Yanbaru whiskered bat (Myotis yanbarensis) was captured by a research team two months ago, Kyoto University revealed Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2018
Toys R Us in talks to sell majority stake in Asia unit, including Japan business
Beleaguered retail chain Toys R Us Inc. is negotiating to sell its 85 percent stake in its Asian business, including the Japan operations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2018
U.S. ride-hailing provider Lyft considers offering services in Japan
U.S. ride-hailing firm Lyft Inc. is considering providing its services in Japan, a market where rival Uber Technologies Inc. has so far seen limited success due to regulatory hurdles.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2018
Japan's ¥1,000 departure tax: Diet approves law on use of revenue from levy set to start in 2019
The government aims to use the funds to boost tourism infrastructure and promote travel destinations in rural Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 6, 2018
Rakuten Inc. gets approval to become nation's fourth major wireless carrier
E-commerce giant granted access to a fierce competition for subscribers alongside industry heavyweights who have long dominated the cellular market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 5, 2018
Japan faces losses on grain, production fronts if U.S.-China trade war erupts
Firms in Japan could be affected by the escalating trade row if they source production in China, export grain from U.S. subsidiaries, or if U.S.-bound shipments from China fall.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Apr 1, 2018
Zozotown founder Yusaku Maezawa follows eclectic path
Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's Soup cans, a painting by Takashi Murakami and a word sculpture by Jack Pierson are some of the pieces decorating the head office of Start Today Co., operator of Japan's largest online fashion mall, Zozotown.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / Taking the Lead
Mar 22, 2018
Lawson chief bets on health, tech as future of convenience
Back in 2014, Sadanobu Takemasu was asked by his boss to go to Lawson, the convenience store chain known for its white milk can logo on a blue signboard.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / Deep Dive
Mar 19, 2018
1995 Aum sarin attack on Tokyo subway still haunts, leaving questions unanswered
Hitoshi Jin describes his younger brother spending the booming 1980s "cult surfing," exploring what new religions had to offer to fill the gaping spiritual void left by a childhood scarred by an abusive father.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 3/11: Rebuilding Tohoku
Mar 10, 2018
Kamaishi mounts a soft-power recovery to revive tsunami-hit community
The city of Kamaishi is quietly combating its population decline with PR, career-advancement and tourism measures designed to revive its tsunami-battered community.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 3/11: Rebuilding Tohoku
Mar 8, 2018
Tohoku communities slow to regroup as tsunami-hit cities rebuild on higher ground
Takashi Ito's family-owned book and stationery store is one of the 20 or so shops occupying a new mall that opened last year in Rikuzentakata, a tsunami-ravaged city in Iwate Prefecture once known for the towering pine trees that lined its scenic coast.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 12, 2018
Japan's staff-heavy banks downsize and turn to technology for survival
These are tough times for banks.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Feb 11, 2018
Kind act sprouts into grass-roots movement to feed kids
Hiroko Kondo is credited with coining the term kodomo shokudō: makeshift eateries for disadvantaged kids that morphed into a national grass-roots movement to address the growth of poverty in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 6, 2018
Nikkei plunges over 1,600 points as Wall Street rout spreads
Tokyo stocks on Tuesday saw their largest decline since 2016 as Wall Street's sell-off delivered heavy blows to investor risk appetite.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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

Longform

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