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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
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jan 7, 2011
See stars at Roppongi Hills
Feel like gazing at the stars but not in the mood for withstanding cold temperatures for hours outside? Head for Roppongi Hills instead.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Dec 19, 2010
'Nitten' is no mere Braille library
Regular bookstores or libraries might not be much use to blind people, but there's one place in Tokyo where they can not only read and borrow books and meet others in similar situations, but also get advice on improving their quality of life — and even buy a range of everyday goods.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Dec 10, 2010
Spa gets into festive mood at aquarium
Spa resort The Luigans is organizing a Christmas show at an adjacent aquarium on Dec. 18, featuring live performances by a painter and various musicians.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Nov 30, 2010
Frenchwoman's passions realized with Japanese help
Florence Roca, 45, is a French mother of three married to a fellow countryman who has lived on and off in Japan for 10 years. Aside from family, she has a passion for painting porcelain and making jewelry.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Nov 26, 2010
Expo puts a shine on nail art
The nation's fast-growing nail service / goods industry will be on display this Sunday and Monday — showcasing everything from the latest trends and techniques to appearances by celebrities known for their nail art.
LIFE / WEEK 3
Nov 21, 2010
Those at the sharp end act out plight of their small firms
An old man storms into an office, looking furious. He spots a younger man in a pale-blue worker's uniform — actually, the new president of a small auto-parts factory in Tokyo's Ota Ward — and confronts him.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 19, 2010
Joan of Arc takes center stage
Though widely known in the West, St. Joan of Arc is an obscure historical figure for many people in Japan. Maki Horikita, who portrays the 15th-century French war heroine in the upcoming TBS stage production "Jeanne d'Arc," rises to the challenge of making Joan's tragic life story relevant for a Japanese...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Nov 7, 2010
Noriko Hama: Scholar brings economics to life
Clouds of gloom have been shrouding Japan and its economy for quite some time. The bursting of the asset- inflated economic bubble in the early 1990s, and the failures of banks, insurers and other big corporations later in that decade, has put a huge dent in Japan's collective self-confidence. That is...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Oct 22, 2010
A feast for the eyes
Florence Roca, a Tokyo-based porcelain painter, is collaborating with fellow French expat Olivier Oddos of Chez Olivier in presenting a special November menu at the popular French bistro in Ichigaya, Tokyo.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Oct 22, 2010
Locals dance off economy woes via theater
"A (micro) history of the world economics, danced," a unique collaboration of professional and amateur actors that caused an uproar when it was first staged in France in January, will be showcased at theaters in Shizuoka and Miyazaki, featuring locals there as cast members.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Oct 17, 2010
Homegrown swordplay hits the mark
With the sizzling summer heat replaced by cool breezes and mild temperatures recently, it's a great time to contemplate adding a new exercise to your weekly routine. If you are interested in a homegrown sport that is recreational and relieves stress, sports chanbara lets you kill two birds with one stone...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 15, 2010
Secret to work-life balance vital for Japan
While the phrase "work-life balance" has gained some currency in Japan recently, there is still a long way to go before people here can find the right mix between careers and personal life, due in part to cultural stereotypes about gender roles, participants at an international symposium in Tokyo said...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Oct 10, 2010
Creative battle for boost in regional tourism heads to Japan's big screen
In recent years, many regional governments in Japan have set up "film commissions" to help production crews shoot motion pictures and TV dramas in their neighborhoods, in the hopes of attracting tourists and revitalizing local communities.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Oct 1, 2010
Arabic calligraphy: Let ink make you think
Calligraphy has always been popular in Japan, but some people here are now attracted to an imported, yet equally profound, form of the traditional art: Arabic calligraphy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 23, 2010
Not seeing and yet still believing
In January 2008, Kakuho Aoe, a Buddhist monk at Ryokusenji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, began holding monthly "dark dinner" events, for which participants were blindfolded before being served their meals. Following the success of those events, he is now adding something a little different to the menu of...
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Sep 19, 2010
Thinking aloud
Few philosophers are compared to rock stars or TV celebrities, but that's the kind of popularity Michael Sandel enjoys in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 15, 2010
Petition project lets Web surfers make their mark
As of Tuesday, 84,512 people were united in their call for laws banning restrictions on manga / anime content, at least 8,984 people had endorsed same-sex marriage, and 1,609 individuals wanted Panasonic to keep a speech aid for the physically impaired on the market.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Sep 5, 2010
Masumi Kuwata: Pitching for change
Masumi Kuwata has spent most of his life in the spotlight of stardom and publicity.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 3, 2010
Get a taste of a monk's life at Buddhist cafe
Koya-san Cafe is an event that gives you a taste of what life is like at the Buddhist stronghold of Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 20, 2010
Workshop brings out your inner Buddha
A Tokyo-based artist is re-creating a modern-day version of the famed 1,000 Kannon Bodhisattva statues in the Sanjusangendo Hall of Kyoto's Rengehoin Temple — and you can be part of the process.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

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