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August 15, 2024
 

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Tomoko Otake

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Tomoko Otake
Tomoko Otake is a senior writer with a strong interest in health, medical and social issues. A native of Nara Prefecture, she obtained an M.A. in journalism from The University of Montana.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 21, 2015
Joso disaster prompts ministry rethink of flood control, prediction policies
On Dec. 11, the land ministry released a new policy vision for dealing with floods in response to September's typhoon-triggered breach of the Kinugawa River, which inundated residential areas of Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, stranding thousands for hours, and some for days.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2015
Dye factory under scrutiny after five workers contract rare bladder cancer
Five men in their 40s and 50s who worked for a chemical company handling dyes and pigments have developed bladder cancer, the health ministry said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 16, 2015
Plaintiffs express shock at bad precedent set by court's decision on shared surnames
Plaintiffs contesting family laws that require spouses to choose a single surname expressed shock and anger at Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, saying it sets a bad precedent and will force more women to suffer the misery of having to change their name upon marriage.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2015
Leafy designs for new National Stadium seen as posing security headaches
The greenery-rich design proposals for the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could pose security headaches, an expert said Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 11, 2015
State retirement communities, aimed at luring elderly from cities, take shape in Japan
Ten to 20 cities and towns will be named next year as sites for a state program to create new retirement communities for Japan's rapidly graying populace.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2015
Japan to ground hobbyist drones in urban areas, impose sweeping restrictions elsewhere
New regulations on the flights of drones and other unmanned aircraft will take effect on Thursday, despite concerns over the impact on hobbyists and fears that restrictions may hamper innovation in the emerging sector.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Dec 2, 2015
Media firm seeks to make prep schooling affordable, higher education reachable, via online lectures
Major media company Recruit Marketing Partners is waging a price war in a field of business that has thrived despite a dwindling pool of clients: preparing for entrance exams.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2015
'Bakugai,' 'toripuru suri' share top honors as year's most memorable buzzwords in Japan
This year's most memorable buzzwords in Japan were announced Tuesday, with the words bakugai (explosive shopping spree carried out by Chinese tourists) and toripuru suri ("Triple Three" achievements in baseball) jointly taking home the top honors.
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2015
Saitama school apologizes over student's racist tweets
A private high school in Urawa, Saitama Prefecture, has apologized for racist tweets targeting Gamba Osaka's black Brazilian striker Patric posted by a male student over the weekend.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2015
Public education spending in Japan lowest in OECD for sixth straight year
Japan's public spending on education as a percentage of GDP was the lowest among the OECD countries in 2012, marking the sixth consecutive year that the nation was saddled with the ignominy of being the stingiest spender, the group's latest report on education shows.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 24, 2015
Syphilis cases rise sharply in Japan, especially among young women
The number of syphilis patients is rising rapidly, especially among young women, according to new statistics from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
JAPAN
Nov 18, 2015
Japan sees record number of overseas tourists in October
A total of 1.82 million people arrived in Japan in October, a record high and up 43.8 percent from the same period a year ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2015
Japan piling probe to expand to entire industry as data falsification fears grow
The infrastructure ministry says it will expand its probe into data management for piling work to the entire industry, as fears of manipulation involving building foundation piles continue to grow.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Nov 16, 2015
'Proactive pacifism' makes Japan a target for Islamic terrorists: experts
The terrorist attacks Friday in Paris highlight the need for Japan to be on high alert as it prepares to host such high-profile events as next year's Group of Seven summit and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
JAPAN
Nov 13, 2015
Asahi Kasei piling scandal grows to at least 50 workers, 266 sites
The company at the center of Yokohama's tilting condominium reveals that over 50 employees falsified data on at least 266 piling projects over the past decade.
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2015
Nominees announced for year's top buzzwords
The Jiyukokuminsha publishing house on Tuesday announced 50 nominees for this year's top buzzwords, covering everything from the "bakugai" (explosive shopping spree) carried out by Chinese tourists to "Goromaru pozu," referring to rugby star Ayumu Goromaru's characteristic clasping of his hands before...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Nov 1, 2015
Entrepreneurial lawyer takes legal services into Internet age
Becoming a lawyer used to be the ultimate status symbol in Japan. Bar exams were extremely hard to pass, so hard that once they obtained the license, lawyers were pretty much guaranteed a successful life afterward.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2015
Piling scandal probe may expand to other firms, minister hints
The infrastructure minister lashes out at Asahi Kasei Construction Materials for falsifying the piling records of building foundations and hints a state probe might expand to snare other contractors.
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2015
Koto Ward office building eyed for children's 'English village' learning center
The idyllic-sounding "English village" planned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as a learning tool to help local children overcome their apprehension about speaking English may be erected in an office building in Koto Ward near the waterfront in 2018.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 23, 2015
Kono flags crackdown on expat 'welfare cheats'
The government considers toughening eligibility requirements for welfare benefits in a move that could affect a number of foreign residents.
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
Japan's tourism industry hit by cancellations after megaquake alert
A beach closed due to a megaquake alert in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Friday to Thursday.
Focus shifts to incoming typhoon as Tropical Storm Maria dissipates
Newly formed Tropical Storm Ampil, which is forecast to approach eastern Japan this weekend, is seen on the left side of this satellite image.
Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Publisher finds surprise audience after translating history textbooks
Yamakawa Shuppansha president Takeshi Nozawa holds the publisher's textbook on Japanese history — used in high schools across Japan — alongside the new English version in Tokyo on May 23.
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun
Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.
Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert. What does that mean?
Naoshi Hirata (center), chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
Japan fuels U.S. LNG boom even as climate targets and impacts loom
Flaring at the Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. Flaring, a common sight at LNG plants, is a controlled burning of gas for reasons ranging from depressurizing equipment to disposing of gas that can’t be used. The practice is a "waste of money" and negatively impacts climate change and human health, says the International Energy Agency.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’
By Thu-Huong Ha

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