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April 05, 2025
 

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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
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2016
'Pokemon Go'-like app allows living to plan missives from beyond the grave
Now that the explosive popularity of "Pokemon Go" has brought augmented reality technology within the reach of ordinary people, a tombstone company in Chiba Prefecture is taking it beyond the grave.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2016
In safety push, Nissan turns camera on hot car interiors
In a parked, unmanned car, the cap on a plastic soda bottle pops off and the cola fizzes out. A plastic toy puppy sags and topples over. A chocolate bar and gummy candies melt into slime.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 11, 2016
IBM big data used for rapid diagnosis of rare leukemia case in Japan
In a possible first in Japan, doctors have used artificial intelligence to diagnose a rare type of leukemia and identify life-saving therapy far faster than if they had examined the genetic data manually.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 10, 2016
A third of Japan unaware of Mountain Day as holiday makes its debut
Nearly a third of people have never heard of Mountain Day, according to a new survey, as the newest official public holiday is set to be celebrated for the first time on Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2016
Plan for new Korean school in Tokyo threatened by Koike election
Yuriko Koike could complicate already strained Japan-South Korea ties if she follows through with her promise to kill a plan to lease a property in Shinjuku Ward for use as a Korean school.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 27, 2016
Cervical cancer vaccine suit filed over side effects
Sixty-three women and girls who reported side effects from cervical cancer vaccines sued the government and drugmakers on Wednesday as a sharp divide remained over the risks the medicine poses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 27, 2016
Medical marijuana advocate dies of cancer while on trial
A liver cancer patient who was fighting drug possession charges dies after spending his last days in court lobbying for medical use of marijuana in Japan.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 26, 2016
Sagamihara killings reveal shortcomings in law to control knives
Tuesday's stabbing rampage in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, has highlighted the difficulty of reigning in crimes involving knives, despite a recent revision to the Firearm and Sword Control Law.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2016
Tokyo gamers get first taste of 'Pokemon Go' after weeks of waiting
People young and old rushed to try out "Pokemon Go" on Friday, snaring monsters on the streets of Tokyo and searching for them in trains and offices as the GPS-crossover game finally launched in Japan.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 22, 2016
Five-year survival rate for cancer patients improving, report shows
The five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with cancer from 2006 till 2008 was 62.1 percent, up 3.5 percentage points from the preceding three years, according to the latest statistics released by the National Cancer Center.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2016
Warnings issued ahead of Japan release of 'Pokemon Go'
Excitement for the imminent Japan launch of "Pokemon Go" has reached such fever pitch that government authorities and business executives are warning prospective gamers against accidents even before its release.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2016
In first, Tepco admits ice wall can't stop Fukushima No. 1 groundwater
The much-hyped ice wall at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant can't stop groundwater from entering its leaky, wrecked reactor buildings, Tokyo Electric admits.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 19, 2016
Plastic debris in oceans a growing hazard as toxins climb the food chain
Plastic is part of the fabric of everyday life, from bags to bottles to synthetic clothing. In 2014, global production amounted to 311 million tons, up from 225 million tons in 2004, according to manufacturers group Plastics Europe.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 19, 2016
Ex-JET teachers eyed to help improve English-language tourist information
Former Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme participants (JET program) could be tapped to improve English-language information at cultural landmarks under a proposal being considered by the Cultural Affairs Agency.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 15, 2016
Cancer diagnoses in 2016 expected to top 1 million for first time
A record 1.01 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, the first time the figure has topped the 1 million mark, the National Cancer Center said Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2016
Shinzato denies rape, says prejudging by public denies him 'fair trial' in Okinawa
An American man charged with raping and murdering a 20-year-old Okinawan woman says he did not intend to kill her.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2016
Japanese firms assess work prospects, staff safety in Bangladesh after attack
The terrorist attack in Dhaka has dampened prospects for Japanese firms that in recent years have grown more dependent on Bangladesh.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 1, 2016
In a first, genome-editing used to make immunodeficient marmosets for insight into human diseases
In a world's first, Japanese researchers produce immunodeficient marmosets via genome-editing technology to study maladies that more closely resemble human diseases.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 30, 2016
Landmark cancer study reveals huge regional gaps in incidence rates; lifestyle habits may be to blame
A landmark study of cancer diagnoses in Japan has revealed huge regional gaps in incidence rates in what one official said reflected notable differences in lifestyle habits across the country.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 26, 2016
Man in battle against cancer leads Japanese fight for medical use of marijuana
One afternoon earlier this month, Masamitsu Yamamoto showed up at the Tokyo District Court to attend a session of his criminal trial for an alleged violation of the Cannabis Control Law.
U.S. tourist arrested after bringing a handgun into Japan
Hyogo police believe the handgun a U.S. tourist inadvertently brought into Japan slipped through security procedures at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture.
3D printer used to construct train station building in Japan
A train station building (front) is assembled from parts printed using 3D printer technology, in Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, on Wednesday.
Japan’s leader didn’t read the job description
Prime Minister and ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba is facing a political funding scandal that has damaged his reputation and sparked speculation that internal efforts to remove him are underway.
Japan promises 'bold and speedy' response to Trump’s surprise 24% tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump unveils new U.S. tariffs at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
Tokyo’s KK Line to close for decadelong overhaul as public greenway
People enjoy running and yoga on Tokyo Expressway’s KK Line, a 2-kilometer elevated expressway cutting through the capital’s commercial Ginza district, when it was opened as a pedestrian space in May last year.
Tottori takes a bold leap forward in the arts
The city of Kurayoshi in Tottori Prefecture celebrated the opening of its public art museum with festivities such as a parade that drew 1,000 revelers.
Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments
Though Haruki Murakami's trademark whiff of offbeat existentialism is threaded throughout NHK's "After the Quake," the final episode — conceived as a sequel to the story "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo" — is the most stylized, featuring an anthropomorphic talking frog (voiced by Non) and his erstwhile associate Katagiri (Koichi Sato).
Nintendo to launch the Switch 2 on June 5
The controllers for the Switch 2 will attach to the console magnetically rather than sliding on rails as with the original device.
A new human trafficking trend emerges from Myanmar scam centers
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.

Podcast

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

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
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