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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 8, 2012
Diaper manufacturers get them coming and going
Adult diapers now outsell baby diapers in Japan
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 6, 2012
'Hidden children' of politicians no hurdle to success
Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa was acquitted last week of conspiring to file false financial reports for his political group. He can now return full-time to the job he was elected to do, but the sense you get from the mainstream media is that he's through as a politician. The press has...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 3, 2012
Bus driver salaries inversely proportional to risk involved
Cheaper bus fares means higher stress factor for drivers
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
May 1, 2012
Who you buy a home from can make a big difference in price
We met the real estate agent at Honda Station on the Sotobo Line in Chiba Prefecture. As we drove to the property we talked about the area. Though a typically cramped Japanese bedroom community, it's a bit older than most, so the houses were more varied in shape and size, with wider spaces between them,...
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 29, 2012
Death sentences prove difficult for lay judges
However one feels about the death penalty, it's difficult to argue that its application in Japan isn't arbitrary. Last week, former Justice Minister Hideo Hiraoka publicly denounced his successor Toshio Ogawa's decision to have three death row inmates hanged on March 29, saying that the government needs...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 27, 2012
Ruling party ends up back where it started with assistance for families
Crunching the numbers for the new child allowance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 22, 2012
TV 'wide shows' question decision to restart Oi reactor
When it comes to public relations, the Japanese government tends toward imprecision. Many say the Japanese language is already built for vagueness, but that doesn't mean Japanese people can't see through the haze.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 20, 2012
Government shows awareness of something called 'child support'
New divorce notification forms finally acknowledge that some couples have kids.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 16, 2012
Outlet malls another American concept that may not work in Japan
The craze for auto-centered outlet malls may have stalled before it even began.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 15, 2012
An idol 'graduating' should not be front-page news
Following Atsuko Maeda's March 25 announcement that she was leaving the all-girl idol collective AKB48, a rumor circulated on Twitter that a male University of Tokyo student had committed suicide in response. The rumor was quickly exposed as a hoax, but the point had been made. People were taking the...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 9, 2012
Consumption tax increase: Fairness is in the eye of the beholder
How will the proposed sales tax increase really affect the average household?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 8, 2012
Mainstream media toes the line on sales tax
A bill to increase the consumption tax has finally been submitted to the Diet. Approval is by no means assured, owing partly to the fact that the substance of the issue has changed since the idea of a consumption tax was originally formulated. The Liberal Democratic Party saw it as a source of funding...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 3, 2012
Experience counts for something in JR embezzling incident
When the supervisor makes an (illegal) offer his subordinates can't refuse.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Apr 3, 2012
Little houses crammed in a big city
The neighborhood of Minami Senju in Tokyo's Arakawa Ward is serviced by three train lines that provide easy, quick access to all parts of the city and beyond. East of these lines is an area called Shioiri, highlighted by a relatively new urban development complex centered around high-rise condominiums...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 1, 2012
Yomiuri vs. Asahi in war over Giants' broken paycap agreement 'scoop'
On March 15, the Asahi Shimbun reported that the Yomiuri Giants baseball team paid huge amounts of money in contract-signing bonuses to several rookies, in violation of an agreement signed by all 12 Japan Professional Baseball teams. The payouts took place from 1997 to 2004, and involved six players...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 30, 2012
How much money do rice farmers need to make from farming?
Since most Japanese farmers are part-timers, TPP may have little effect on their real income.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 25, 2012
Media's gender roles push LGBT groups into corners
Last week, NHK aired all 22 episodes of the second season of "Glee" over seven consecutive nights. "Glee" is an American TV series centered on a high school glee club whose members are considered outcasts because of their love of singing. One member is a gay youth named Kurt. In the first episode of...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 23, 2012
Auto thefts in Japan record first rise in a decade
Grand theft auto, the real kind, makes a slight comeback in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 18, 2012
Putting the 'fortune' back in fortune telling
It pays to shop around when looking for a fortune teller.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 18, 2012
Quake insurance is but a token offering
As the government continues to push for an increase in the consumption tax, a question related to last year's disaster is still being debated: How much of the burden for rebuilding should be shouldered by taxpayers? We live in a resolutely capitalist country that stresses personal responsibility, and...
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.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

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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