Masami Ito - The Japan Times

December 23, 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 Times

JAPAN / EXPLAINER

Mar 24, 2009

Smokes here cheap, in state's interest

The World Health Organization calls smoking "one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced."

JAPAN / Q&A

Mar 20, 2009

Hand-wringing over fund scandal

The political fund scandal involving Nishimatsu Construction Co. has brought to light once again the unhealthy relationship between politics and money. This time, prosecutors went straight to the top by arresting the chief secretary of Ichiro Ozawa, president of the Democratic Party of Japan.

JAPAN

Mar 19, 2009

New Komeito rules out chance of forming DPJ-led coalition

New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota on Wednesday ruled out the option of forming a coalition with the Democratic Party of Japan should the leading opposition party win the next Lower House election.

JAPAN

Mar 14, 2009

Pending launch raises tension level in Tokyo

North Korea's imminent launch of what it claims is a rocket carrying a satellite raised the government's tension levels a notch Friday as Cabinet members warned the hermit state to steer clear of provocative actions.

JAPAN

Mar 14, 2009

Aso slams North launch plan but wary of sanctions

Prime Minister Taro Aso on Friday condemned North Korea's plan to send up a rocket that will cross Japan, but stopped short of calling on the United Nations to impose further sanctions on the country.

JAPAN

Mar 13, 2009

Don't lose momentum, abductees' kin tell Tokyo

Following Wednesday's emotional meeting with former North Korean agent Kim Hyon Hui, relatives of abductee Yaeko Taguchi urged top government officials Thursday to build on the momentum and press to learn the fate of Japanese abducted by Pyongyang's agents in the 1970s and '80s.

JAPAN

Mar 11, 2009

Cost of five Aso trips overseas — ¥658 million

Travel isn't cheap, and the fees rise even higher when it's the prime minister heading overseas.

JAPAN

Mar 10, 2009

Uruma recalls no off-record biased remark

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Iwao Uruma stressed Monday he does not recall saying the scandal over alleged illicit political donations from Nishimatsu Construction Co. would not implicate lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

JAPAN

Mar 7, 2009

LDP members to return Nishimatsu cash

Two ruling party lawmakers who received political funds from scandal-tainted Nishimatsu Construction Co. denied any wrongdoing Friday but said they have decided to return the money for ethical reasons.

JAPAN

Mar 6, 2009

Three in Cabinet tied to Nishimatsu

Three members of the Cabinet, including Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai, decided Thursday to return money donated to them by two political groups linked to scandal-tainted Nishimatsu Construction Co., the government's top spokesman said.

JAPAN

Mar 5, 2009

DPJ's way out is to pick new boss

The Tuesday arrest of Democratic Party of Japan leader Ichiro Ozawa's chief secretary was an unexpected blow for the largest opposition party but observers say the damage can still be contained ahead of a general election later this year — if Ozawa quits his post.

JAPAN

Mar 5, 2009

Ozawa says aide's arrest was an abuse

Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa on Wednesday flatly denied that his chief secretary knowingly accepted illicit donations from scandal-tainted Nishimatsu Construction Co. and accused prosecutors of "wrongful exercise of authority" in arresting the aide.

JAPAN / Q&A

Mar 5, 2009

Who gets the cash handouts, and how?

The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc rammed legislation related to the fiscal 2008 second extra budget through the Diet Wednesday amid strong protests from the opposition parties.

JAPAN

Mar 3, 2009

Aso decides he will take cash handout

After several months of equivocating, Prime Minister Taro Aso finally came out and declared Monday evening he will accept his portion of the controversial ¥2 trillion cash handout, contradicting his previous position that he wouldn't take the cash.

JAPAN

Feb 28, 2009

Lower House passes ¥88 trillion budget

The Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc passed the ¥88 trillion fiscal 2009 budget bill and related legislation Friday through the Lower House, paving the way for implementing the biggest initial budget ever by the March 31 end of the fiscal year.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Feb 28, 2009

Power of words eludes politicians

Japanese prime ministers aren't known for the impact they make with their words, or straight talk with the public.

JAPAN

Feb 28, 2009

Aso short of excuses for delaying election

Friday's passage of the fiscal 2009 budget and related bills through the Lower House was bittersweet for Prime Minister Taro Aso, who still faces the dilemma of when to call a general election.

JAPAN

Feb 27, 2009

Kato bets on August election if Aso can hang on

Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Koichi Kato said Thursday that if Prime Minister Taro Aso retains power, the Lower House general election will likely be held in August after the Group of Eight summit in July.

JAPAN

Feb 21, 2009

Kim Jong Il in good health, reports visiting Chinese official

Chinese Communist Party official Wang Jiarui said Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il appeared in good health during their meeting last month in Pyongyang, countering reports that Kim suffered a debilitating stroke last summer.

JAPAN

Feb 20, 2009

Aso accepts blame for Nakagawa

Prime Minister Taro Aso apologized Thursday over the abrupt exit in disgrace of Shoichi Nakagawa as finance minister and accepted responsibility for appointing him.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.

Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?

By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

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