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July 17, 2024
 

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Philip Brasor
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 25, 2010
New government bonds attempt to play it safe
Will new 'easy to buy' bonds help stabilize Japan's debt?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 20, 2010
Who pays for sumo?
Sumo wrestlers don't make huge salaries but they can get a lot of yen in other ways.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 20, 2010
Government policy of cash gifts to journalists rolls on
In late April, about a month before Naoto Kan took over as prime minister from Yukio Hatoyama, a hand-written note was taped to the intercom outside Kan's home in the Kichijoji district of Tokyo. It read, "No press meetings," and was signed "Kan," but it wasn't written by the current Democratic Party...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 18, 2010
Matsuzakaya finds a reason to have a sale
Do department stores need a reason to sell discounted goods across the board? They do now, and it's called wakeari.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 14, 2010
Tap water gains for economic not environmental reasons
Tokyo has gone to great lengths to make its tap water more drinkable ... so why do most people still buy bottled water?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 13, 2010
Few TV surfers ride 'Korean wave' series 'Iris'
Two weeks ago, cast members of the South Korean TV drama series "Iris" appeared in concerts at Osaka Castle Hall and Saitama Super Arena. Some 60,000 fans of the star Lee Byung Hun bought tickets, but 1,400 at one of the Saitama events found themselves shut out after the organizers decided that the stage...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 10, 2010
Annals of cheap: UR apartments to die for
With UR rentals, you can land an apartment for half the price ... as long as you're not easily spooked.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 6, 2010
Beyond belief: Graveyard business expands
Thinking ahead to reserving a cemetery plot in Tokyo? It's a gravely serious business.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 6, 2010
Grappling with the gangsters
Some years ago, a Japanese friend suggested we have dinner together at a chanko-nabe restaurant because neither of us had ever been to one. Chanko-nabe is the fortifying stew that sumo wrestlers grow fat on, and they all learn how to make it. Many rikishi (sumo wrestler) who don't become stable masters...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 3, 2010
Car sharing becomes more practical
In a pinch and need to borrow a BMW for 15 minutes? Your car is waiting, sir, via Times Plus, which takes car-sharing to a whole new level.
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 30, 2010
Summer gift season tests Miyazaki meat rep
Dept. stores worry that Miyasaki's foot and mouth disease outbreak could put a chill on chugen sales.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 30, 2010
Does Miyazaki Pref. flap have silver lining?
The foot-and-mouth disease crisis that has ruined much of the livestock industry in Miyazaki Prefecture is akin to an apocalypse; or, at least, that's the feeling you get from the media coverage.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 26, 2010
Lottery administrators get their comeuppance (so what?)
A government reform unit says money gathered from the lottery might be have been misused but should the Takurakuji itself take the blame?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 23, 2010
The Japan-Swiss EPA means nothing to cheese lovers
The euro has dropped and an agreement with Switzerland has been signed, so why does the price of cheese in Japan still do high?
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 23, 2010
Can celebs cut mustard in rough-and-tumble politics?
TAs the July 11 Upper House election draws near, the parties add more candidates to their slates and, predictably, many turn out to be athletes and showbiz personalities with no political experience. Celebrity candidates have been a fixture of Japanese elections as long as there have been Japanese elections,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 22, 2010
Tower of power: What's a view worth?
As the value of real estate in Aoyama, Azabu and Akasaka drops, a room with a view of Tokyo Sky Tree might be a worthy investment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 18, 2010
Why doesn't national health insurance pay for maternity care?
With high life expectancy and a declining birth rate, you'd think there would be more government money invested in maternity care.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 16, 2010
Sense of complacency links Japan to Greek crisis
There's nothing like a good financial meltdown to straighten out your priorities. When it happened in Greece more than a month ago, the Japanese press went over to see whether or not the country's situation had anything to teach Japan. After all, Japan's public debt is much worse than Greece's. In fact,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 14, 2010
Strawberry hothouses forever
We know we should eat what the season's harvest give us, but in the case of hothouse strawberries, that's almost year-round.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 10, 2010
Communal living: It isn't just for foreigners anymore
Renters are coming together for cheap, secure and fun communal living.
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
Japan finds a 'stealth' cure for zombie businesses: Let them fail
A worker at Sakai Seisakusyo prepares to transport metal rods at its factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on July 8.
Trump makes his grand RNC entrance with a bandaged ear and a VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday
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.
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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