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July 17, 2024
 

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Masami Ito

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Masami Ito
Masami is a staff writer for the Life and Culture Division at The Japan Times. She is in charge of the weekly Sunday Timeout, covering various issues related to Japan, from alcohol/drug addiction and juvenile crime to female sushi chefs and kendama. Over her 15-year career, she has written extensively on Japanese politics, foreign policy and social issues.
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2011
Embassy staffer nailed for stealing
The Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday that a local Japanese employee at the embassy in Colombia embezzled about ¥1.55 million from commission fees for issuing and renewing passports.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 18, 2011
Russian-held isles: So near, so far
On the morning of Nov. 1, Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian leader to set foot on one of the four islands off Hokkaido seized by the Soviets at the end of World War II that Japan has long wanted returned.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2011
Kitazawa, Gates to speed talks on SM-3
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa met with his U.S. counterpart, Robert Gates, Thursday in Tokyo, with the two agreeing to speed talks on the possibility of providing jointly developed sea-based missile-shield systems to other countries and the need to prevent North Korea from taking further provocative...
JAPAN
Jan 5, 2011
Maehara hopes 2011 yields North dialogue
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday he hopes to create an environment for direct dialogue between Japan and North Korea this year in an effort to resolve Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese and press the reclusive state to drop its nuclear and missile threats.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2011
Kan's foreign policy plate full, waiting to be attacked
...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2010
DPJ's diplomatic weakness all too evident
2010 was a tough year in foreign relations for Prime Minister Naoto Kan and the Democratic Party of Japan as they scrambled to deal with one problem after another, including territorial disputes with China and Russia.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2010
Ozawa agrees to give unsworn testimony
Bending to Prime Minister Naoto Kan's demands, former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa said Tuesday he will appear before the Lower House ethics committee to explain his political money scandal.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2010
Kan's bid to woo small party flops
The small opposition force Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party of Japan) on Monday snubbed Prime Minister Naoto Kan's overture to join the ruling bloc, undermining his administration's latest attempt to get past the divided Diet.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2010
Defense focus shifts from Russia to China
The administration endorsed a new defense guideline Friday that focuses on China's growing military activities instead of former Cold War foe Russia and paints North Korea as a regional security threat.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Dec 18, 2010
More muscular China made change necessary
The new defense guideline calling for a drastic shift to the southwest is a necessary and natural move for Japan amid China's growing military might and tougher diplomatic posture in the East China Sea, military analysts said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / RESETTLEMENT
Dec 16, 2010
Pilot resettlement program put to test with first Karens
This fall, five families from Myanmar arrived in Japan filled with hope and excitement for a new life.
Japan Times
JAPAN / RESETTLEMENT
Dec 16, 2010
Myanmar families take first steps
The air was filled with hope and warmth as the five families from Myanmar who are in Japan on the third-country resettlement program met with visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees chief Antonio Guterres last month in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2010
Host-nation support to stand at ¥188 billion until 2016
Japan agreed Tuesday to maintain its level of host-nation support for U.S. forces at an annual ¥188.1 billion for the next five years starting in fiscal 2011.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2010
Mullen urges China to rein in 'reckless,' provocative North
The highest-ranking U.S. military officer urged China on Thursday to do more to prevent North Korea from taking provocative actions.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2010
'Tree of Hope' lit up for refugees
The Christmas "Tree of Hope" was set aglow in Tokyo's Marunouchi district Tuesday by Princess Kiko and a group of schoolchildren to show support for refugee kids worldwide suffering in conflicts and hardship.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2010
Officials fear WikiLeaks' potential to harm U.S. ties
What's next? What disasters await in the pipeline?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2010
Sudan decision day looms: minister
The fate of Sudan will be decided in a referendum expected in January to let the strife-torn south determine whether to stay in the country or become independent.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2010
Aso's take on Wen, Hu in Beijing revealed by leaks
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was "very tired and seemed under a lot of pressure," in the eyes of former Prime Minister Taro Aso when they met in Beijing in April 2009, according to a classified cable exposed by WikiLeaks.
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2010
Kan, Hasina agree to bolster Bangladeshi ties
Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina agreed Monday in Tokyo to strengthen bilateral ties for the peace and prosperity of the international community and South Asia.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2010
Opposition: Kan lacks crisis-management ability
Opposition lawmakers spent Thursday badgering Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet for "lacking crisis-management ability" and "being late" in responding to news of North Korea's shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.
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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