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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
Oct 20, 2010
Maehara says foreign missions will move or sell excessive wine supplies
It looks like the beginning of the end of wine heaven for officials in the foreign service, now that the Foreign Ministry has started taking measures to decrease massive stocks of wine at dozens of Japanese embassies and consulates.
JAPAN / U.S. FORCES IN JAPAN
Oct 14, 2010
Suddenly, U.S. alliance is back in vogue
Only a few months ago, the Japan-U.S. military alliance — considered by both nations as the "cornerstone" of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region — was in crisis.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2010
Maehara blames Senkaku run-in on trawler's 'malicious' skipper
A Chinese trawler's collisions last month with two Japan Coast Guard vessels near the Senkaku islets were "malicious" actions on the part of the fishing boat skipper, but Tokyo is willing to talk with Beijing to prevent similar incidents, Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara reiterated Tuesday.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2010
Parties unite in demanding Senkaku video
The ruling and opposition parties agreed Thursday to ask the government to submit video footage documenting last month's collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard cutters to the Diet.
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2010
China frees three Fujita employees
Three of the four Japanese construction employees being detained by Chinese authorities on suspicion of entering a restricted military zone were released Thursday in a sign that Sino-Japanese relations may be on the mend.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2010
Maehara hangs tough on Senkaku dispute
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara repeated Wednesday that the recent collision between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels occurred in Japanese territory and demanded China take measures to prevent a recurrence.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 30, 2010
Senkaku spat hurt Beijing as well
The weakness of Japanese diplomacy was exposed last week when Tokyo gave in to Beijing and released a Chinese trawler captain arrested earlier this month near the Senkaku Islands.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2010
Maehara again defends holding Chinese skipper
The arrest of a Chinese trawler captain involved in a collision with Japan Coast Guard patrol boats in disputed waters was appropriate, Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara firmly stated once again Tuesday.
JAPAN / Q&A
Sep 23, 2010
Japan-China island tensions rise
Tensions are growing daily over Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing boat captain following his ship's collision with Japan Coast Guard vessels in the East China Sea.
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2010
Maehara warns China on gas field
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara warned Beijing that Tokyo will respond if it begins drilling in an East China Sea gas field where both Japan and China have claimed exploration rights.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 18, 2010
Numerous diplomatic issues loom
Not known for his diplomatic skills, it's unclear how Prime Minister Naoto Kan will deal with pressing international issues, even with a major Cabinet reshuffle Friday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 17, 2010
Tensions escalating with Beijing
With each passing day, China's reaction over last week's incident between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels in the East China Sea appears to be escalating.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2010
Kan taps Okada for party's No. 2 post
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday tapped Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada as the party's secretary general, in what amounts to a test of whether Kan can achieve party unity after Tuesday's presidential election.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2010
Beijing testing Japan-U.S. relationship, Armitage warns
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Wednesday in Tokyo that China is testing Japan over the "chill" in its ties with the U.S. by creating mischief in the East China Sea, particularly last week's collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels.
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2010
Kan cruises to victory in DPJ election
After a fierce two-week campaign, Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Tuesday defeated Democratic Party of Japan bigwig Ichiro Ozawa in the ruling party's presidential election, securing his post and avoiding yet another leadership change.
JAPAN
Sep 14, 2010
Okada apologizes for U.S. POWs' treatment
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada officially apologized Monday to former U.S. prisoners of war for the "inhumane treatment" they suffered at the hands of the Imperial Army during World War II.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2010
Futenma's future may ride on DPJ leadership battle
Political analysts in Japan and the U.S. agree that the heated battle between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Ichiro Ozawa for control of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan could have a huge impact on the relocation of the U.S. Futenma air base.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2010
Japan good on HIV globally but not at home: U.N. exec
The head of the U.N. effort to deal with HIV and AIDS praises Japan for its commitment to the global battle against the pandemic but says domestic organizations need more support in raising awareness here.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2010
Trawler's collisions, JCG arrest of skipper near Senkakus protested
Japan-China diplomatic tensions threatened to boil over Wednesday over collisions between Japan Coast Guard patrol boats and a Chinese fishing vessel near the Senkaku Islands and the ensuing arrest of the trawler's captain.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2010
New Iran sanctions put freeze on assets
Tokyo announced additional sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programs Friday, including freezing assets of individuals and organizations related to the work, and suspending new Japanese investment in oil and gas development there.
Bankruptcies and suicides rise as Japanese struggle with mounting debt
Lawyers estimate that personal bankruptcies in Japan are on track to reach the highest since 2012 this year.
Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
A group of elephant keepers in Chiang Saen, Thailand, remove plastic waste from the Ruak River, a tributary of the Mekong River, as a pair of Asian elephants bathe behind them.
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.

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