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April 03, 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
Apr 24, 2010
Masuzoe launches new party
Former health minister Yoichi Masuzoe and five other Diet lawmakers formed a new political party Friday, following three other new minor parties that hope to give voters an alternative choice in the Upper House election his summer.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2010
Small parties looking for bigger say
With the approach of the summer Upper House election, several new parties are vying for voters disenchanted with the Democratic Party of Japan, which swept to power last year on the promise of change but became mired in money scandals and accusations of poor leadership.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2010
Hatoyama's grip weakens but DPJ short of alternatives
During a news conference in Tokyo earlier this month, veteran Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Kozo Watanabe touched on the possibility of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stepping down if his team fails to solve the relocation conundrum involving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma by the end of May....
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2010
Foreigner suffrage opponents rally
Conservative intellectuals and key executives from five political parties were among the thousands who gathered in Tokyo on Saturday to rally against granting foreign residents voting rights for local elections.
JAPAN / POSTAL REFORM ROLLBACK
Apr 15, 2010
Reversal on deposit limit a major gamble for DPJ
The Cabinet's recent decision to accept a plan to double the ceiling on postal savings accounts to ¥20 million, as proposed by postal reform minister Shizuka Kamei, marks a drastic policy shift for the Democratic Party of Japan, which in the past argued the maximum should be halved from the current...
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2010
LDP defectors launch new political party
Former trade minister Takeo Hiranuma and four other ex-Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers launched a new party Saturday in a bid to create a viable alternative to the dominant players ahead of this summer's Upper House election.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2010
Wakabayashi exits Diet due to illicit votes
Former farm minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi resigned from the Diet Friday after coming under fire for manipulating a parliamentary vote earlier in the week.
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2010
Child-allowance bill clears Diet
The bill to provide monthly allowances to families raising children cleared the Upper House on Friday, enabling the ruling Democratic Party of Japan to deliver on a key promise made in last year's election campaign.
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2010
Half-year on, Hatoyama struggling
It's been six months since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and his Cabinet strutted the red-carpet for an inaugural photo session, staging a perfect Hollywood ending to a summer blockbuster election that knocked the Liberal Democratic Party out of almost 50 years of unbroken rule.
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2010
Hatoyama's brother quits 'ousted' LDP
Former internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama, whose older brother, Yukio, is the prime minister, served notice Monday that he was exiting the Liberal Democratic Party, saying he was ready to form a new force.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2010
Ishiba laments LDP's divisions
The Liberal Democratic Party should focus on creating clear policies and restructuring and end its internal bickering, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2010
Decks cleared, DPJ focuses on poll
With Tuesday's Lower House passage of the fiscal 2010 budget securing the way for its enactment by the end of March, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan will now focus on passing as many key policies as it can to bring visible results to voters before the summer Upper House election.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 2, 2010
All movies subject to rating, even cuts
Moviegoers in Japan may have noticed that either during the opening or ending credits of a feature film, a mark appears on the screen bearing two kanji enclosed in a circle.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2010
Hatoyama spars with opposition
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, during his first one-on-one debate against opposition party leaders, was forced Wednesday to fend off criticism over the money scandals dogging his administration.
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2010
LDP struggling in vain to rebuild
Taking the podium last month at the Liberal Democratic Party's first convention since its fall from power at the hands of voters last summer, Katsuya Nomura, former manager of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles baseball team, had a few words of advice for the LDP.
JAPAN
Feb 9, 2010
Hatoyama says Ozawa can stay
Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa on Monday was given the go sign to remain as the party's secretary general by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama despite mounting public calls that he step down over his fund management body's involvement in a shady Tokyo land purchase.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2010
Opposition rides Ozawa, Hatoyama over scandals
The opposition camp took the podium Monday to grill Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama over the money scandals involving him and Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2010
Ozawa undergoes second round of questioning
Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa said Monday he has undergone a second round of questioning by prosecutors over accounting irregularities involving his fund management body.
BUSINESS
Jan 29, 2010
Diet passes stimulus worth ¥7.2 trillion
A ¥7.2 trillion supplementary budget aimed at avoiding a double-dip recession cleared the Diet on Thursday, giving Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama some relief in the face of a series of money scandals and a declining approval rate.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2010
Ozawa again denies direct role in fund scandal, vows to stay on
Repeating his previous claim, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa on Monday denied receiving any illicit corporate donations and vowed to continue working as the DPJ's No. 2.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker
All eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he makes his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.

Podcast

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

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
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