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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 9, 2013
'Nutritious' claims need to be taken with a pinch of salt
During a recent visit to the United States, I was impressed by several advertising campaigns. The American Beverage Association (ABA) is running a series of spots that alternatingly complain of what it deems the over-regulation of soft drinks and promote the efforts of member manufacturers to make their...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 4, 2013
The widening income gap is affecting higher education
Students from higher income families are squeezing out lower income students in public university enrollments
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jun 4, 2013
Sometimes it pays to look on the bright side
The flyers were provocative: New houses priced at more than ¥35 million, but the builder promised that the mortgage would amount to ¥0 a month. A free house is obviously too good to be true, but we decided to check out the merchandise to see what the story was.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 2, 2013
Media polls on constitutional change reveal bias
In a democracy, the people's will is conveyed through representative government. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to rewrite the Constitution, but Article 96 requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the national assembly to do that, so in order to hasten the process he first wants to change Article...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 30, 2013
Lottery operators still looking for last year's winners
Seven 2012 grand prize Takarakuji winners still haven't picked up their money.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 26, 2013
The dark side of Japanese fashion made in Bangladesh
While it's not clear if any Japanese firm had interests in factories operating in the building that collapsed in Dhaka last month, it is natural to infer that there are Japanese companies in Bangladesh taking advantage of lower wages and less stringent safety regulations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 22, 2013
City dumps dog tax for yellow cards to deal with lazy owners
A city in Osaka Prefecture cracks down on negligent dog owners in a novel way.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 19, 2013
Family drama is reimagined for today's Japan
"Kazoku Game (The Family Game)," directed by the late Yoshimitsu Morita and released in 1983, remains a movie milestone. A cynical black comedy, it presented to the world a distillation of the less edifying social outcomes of Japan's postwar economic miracle. The Numata family are invaded by a private...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 18, 2013
You can't get there from here (at the same price with an IC card)
The new IC card system integrates lines but not necessarily fares.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
May 14, 2013
On uneven ground: landfill property pitfalls
After the real estate agent unlocked the front door, the musty smell told us that the house had not been aired for some time. He laid out slippers for us and proceeded to raise the shutters and open the windows. Then, upon entering the kitchen he exclaimed, "Katamuite iru" ("It's uneven").
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 13, 2013
As land lines go the way of the dodo, what is a subscription right worth?
Use your telephone land line subscription right or lose it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 12, 2013
Inose's lack of media savvy may have ruined Tokyo's Olympic bid
Two weeks ago, Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose gave an interview to the New York Times in which he violated International Olympic Committee rules by publicly bad-mouthing Istanbul and Madrid, the Japanese capital's two rivals to host the 2020 games.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 7, 2013
Anticipation: How high will mortgage interest go?
After 20 years housing loan interest rates are ready to rise.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 5, 2013
Media weighs in on LDP's English education plan
The Liberal Democratic Party has a thing for archery. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's financial policies comprise "three arrows." The symbolism is based on the old Japanese saying, "Three arrows are harder to break." Since "Abenomics" has proven to be a PR success, at least with the electorate, he's using...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 1, 2013
Bargain sales aren't always what they appear to be
'Sale prices' are all in the mind of the consumer.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 28, 2013
Pressure grows for the nation's housewives
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's April 19 National Press Club speech about boosting women's participation in the workforce has been covered extensively in the domestic and foreign media since it signals a sea change in the Liberal Democratic Party's view of women's role in society. He said the government...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 27, 2013
Should healthy people pay less for health insurance?
Should healthy people pay less for national health insurance than unhealthy people?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 23, 2013
Service contracts and the 'mendokusai' factor
Do mobile service providers purposely make their terms impossible to understand?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 21, 2013
Local media must play a bigger role in alerting public on product recalls
Last week, four Japanese carmakers announced a worldwide recall for vehicles with faulty airbags. According to USA Today, "Toyota, Honda and Nissan need to track down 3 million vehicles around the globe," and with Mazda later added to the roster, the number rises to almost 3.4 million. The defect has...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 15, 2013
Deflation watch: gyudon
Will fast food price competition undermine Abenomics?
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
Kansai airports to increase takeoff and landing slots ahead of Osaka Expo
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The upper limit on the number of takeoff and landing slots at the airport as well as Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture will be raised in spring next year ahead of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

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Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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