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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
Sep 9, 2008
Fukuda comes out of hiding at last, speaks to reporters
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who refused to speak to reporters since suddenly announcing his resignation Sept. 1, finally came out of hiding Monday evening, claiming he has not been avoiding the media.
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2008
More candidates lining up for LDP presidential race
The field of possible candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election is growing, with various party members scrambling to collect the 20 recommendations needed from LDP lawmakers to run in the race to succeed the incumbent, departing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2008
Yosano, Ishihara eye run for LDP's helm
Two more names surfaced Thursday as candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election as economy minister Kaoru Yosano and former LDP policy chief Nobuteru Ishihara both indicated they were willing to run.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2008
Fukuda gives LDP apology for quick exit
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda told his fellow Liberal Democratic Party members in the Diet on Wednesday he was sorry about his surprise decision to step down earlier this week.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2008
Fukuda exit underscores New Komeito rift, may spur poll
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's sudden resignation Monday may set in motion a round of political upheaval, with his successor likely to dissolve the Lower House and call a snap election before year's end, critics say.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2008
Fukuda announces resignation
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda abruptly announced Monday night he will resign.
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2008
Ozawa to seek third DPJ term
Ichiro Ozawa of the Democratic Party of Japan announced Monday he will run for a third term as the party's president.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2008
Estimated 590,000 people take part in nationwide quake drills
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura kicked off a government-sponsored earthquake drill Monday by announcing that a hypothetical magnitude 8.6 temblor had struck off Wakayama Prefecture an hour earlier at 6:30 a.m.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2008
Ota discloses office expenditure
Farm minister Seiichi Ota disclosed details of his political support group's expenditures Friday in an attempt to clear his name after allegations of irregularities and once again expressed his intention to remain in his post.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2008
DPJ trio to form new party
Only two weeks from the start of the extraordinary Diet session, three Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers will leave the DPJ to form a new political party with two Upper House independent lawmakers, officials said.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2008
Slaying in Afghanistan will not deter Japan's antiterror mission
Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura voiced anger Thursday over the kidnapping and killing of aid worker Kazuya Ito in Afghanistan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2008
Ota downplays flap over funding
A political support group for agriculture minister Seiichi Ota declared more than ¥23 million in office fees in 2005 and 2006 in its annual political funding reports for an office registered at the Tokyo home of his ministerial secretary, even though no rent money was actually paid.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2008
Noda out; Ozawa set to keep DPJ helm
Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Yoshihiko Noda gave up his bid Friday to run in the party's presidential election in September, increasing the likelihood that current leader Ichiro Ozawa will be reinstalled unopposed.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2008
Fukuda looks to restart Diet next month
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda indicated Tuesday he is looking at a mid-September start for the extraordinary Diet session, during which the ruling bloc hopes to introduce emergency economic steps and continue Japan's contribution to antiterrorism efforts.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2008
Fukuda sticks to neutral venues
Speaking at the annual ceremony to commemorate Japan's war dead at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Friday touched on the country's wartime responsibility to its neighbors and renewed the nation's pledge to never again wage war.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 15, 2008
Don't trust North, abductees' kin warn
Relatives of Japanese abducted by North Korea voiced concern Thursday that the government was rushing into an fruitless agreement with Pyongyang to resolve the long-standing issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2008
Street players give hoops diplomacy a shot
On one sunny Sunday afternoon this spring, dozens of people of various ages and nationalities converged on the basketball courts at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Juking, dunking, shooting and scoring, they played with grit as their competitive juices flowed.
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2008
Panel begins process to rectify Ainu woes
The government panel on Ainu policies held its first meeting Monday, aiming to look into the lives and discrimination the indigenous group faces and come up with remedial action.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 8, 2008
Machimura steels himself for another Diet session
The key to getting bills and personnel appointments through the divided Diet is "patience," says Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2008
LDP election chief cool to near-term campaign
The Liberal Democratic Party needs more time to promote its policies before entertaining any idea of a Lower House election, the chairman of the LDP Election Strategy Council indicated Tuesday.
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

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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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