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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 Times
CULTURE
Jun 20, 2020
Rethinking summer in Japan amid a pandemic
Japan struggles to deal with the cancellation of annual seasonal events that serve as a lifeblood for local communities.
LIFE / Travel
Jun 6, 2020
Getting the wheels back on Japan's travel industry
Unprecedented travel restrictions have crippled tourism, forcing businesses in the sector to rethink strategies and explore new opportunities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 23, 2020
Remote possibilities: Can every home in Japan become an office?
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting companies to adopt remote work to reduce contagion risks, accelerating the digital shift of the workspace.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 9, 2020
Hard sell: Japan’s retail sector may need to reinvent itself in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
A sea change in shopping habits amid the new coronavirus outbreak could impact marketing and distribution across the country for years to come.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2020
Japan’s economic backbone creaks under the weight of COVID-19
Domestic small and medium-size businesses are bearing the brunt of business closures amid a nationwide state of emergency.
JAPAN / History
Apr 11, 2020
Looking for solace in Japanese mythology during a pandemic
Amid growing anxiety over an invisible pathogen that has so far claimed tens of thousands of lives worldwide, some Japanese are turning to faith and mythology for solace.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 5, 2020
In graying Japan, the market for home shopping is still maturing
The suit-clad television presenter makes breathless promises about the qualities of the Hitachi rice cooker he is pitching, describing how the induction heating steam pressure system allows the aluminum pot to produce the perfect batch of Japan’s staple food with a fluffy yet firm texture and a sweet...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2020
Coronavirus pandemic fuels trend toward smaller funerals in Japan
From dispatching Buddhist monks to connecting grieving families with affordable funeral homes, Osaka-based end-of-life startup Uniquest Inc. is among the many firms that have been capitalizing on the growing preference toward simple, cheaper funerals and greater efficiency and personalization of services....
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 21, 2020
In bloom? Celebrating Japan’s iconic cherry trees in a time of pandemic
Blossoms are beginning to open in Tokyo, but will this year's celebrations wither due to concern over the new coronavirus?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 14, 2020
In the footsteps of Okinawa's forgotten priestesses
Utaki (sacred sites) are scattered throughout the islands of Okinawa. Historically the purview of priestesses and kings, these sites have recently seen an uptick in visitors interested in exploring their own history.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2020
Michi no eki: Japan's rest areas are kings of the road
This isn't your modest highway truck stop with parking, public toilets, a few vending machines and a kiosk.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 8, 2020
What's Japan's next food trend? It might finally be pulled pork
Barbecue pulled pork might not have taken off in Japan just yet, but thanks to restaurants like Fatz's The San Franciscan, which aserve up the real slow-smoked deal, that might be about to change.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / The Climate Crisis
Jan 18, 2020
Balance of power: Redefining Japan's energy needs
Sitting silently among the rolling pastures, rice paddies and lush forests of the idyllic village of Otama are rows upon rows of photovoltaic solar panels — vast swaths of dark gray injecting dissonance into the postcard-like landscape local residents pride themselves on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 13, 2020
Japan's rockin' pastor: Counseling those living on a prayer
No ordinary pastor, Kazuhiro Sekino wields a bass guitar like a rock star to bring his congregation together.
JAPAN / New Year's Special
Jan 2, 2020
Can Tokyo's soft power push ensure a positive Olympic legacy?
When the capital hosted the Olympic Games over half a century ago, it was heralded as a symbol of Japan's postwar recovery. This time around, Tokyo appears keen on trading brick and mortar for hearts and minds.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 21, 2019
Jomon revival: Interest in Japan's indigenous hunter-gathers grows
From his hilltop studio in the suburbs of Tokyo, Taku Oshima is reviving an ancient form of body art tradition he believes was practiced by the indigenous hunter-gatherers that inhabited Japan thousands of years ago.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 25, 2019
One diorama at a time, miniaturist reconstructs aftermaths of ‘lonely deaths’
Miyu Kojima's models of the apartments she has help clean after the deaths of their tenants can be hard to look at, but they also reveal the empathy needed to be able to continue in such a difficult line of work.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / 2010s: Decade in Review
Nov 16, 2019
The gray wave: Japan attempts to deal with its increasingly elderly population
Eighty-one-year-old Sachiko Miura wakes up at 6 a.m. every day to prepare breakfast at her newly renovated apartment located near a large supermarket, spa and a hospital in the suburbs of Japan's third largest city.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 27, 2019
Rare views of Mount Fuji: Japan's last sentō artists
A dying craft, sentu014d (public bathhouse) painting now has just three artisans continuing the art form. Can interest in Japanese culture, sparked by the 2020 Olympics, help renew an appreciation for the stunning murals?
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2019
The new norm: Japanese experts warn of more rain, raging rivers and submerged homes
The nation should expect the frequency of powerful typhoons and heavy rains to grow with global warming, says a professor at the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research at Nagoya University.
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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