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November 22, 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
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 Times
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2015
Asahi Kasei subsidiary worker linked to leaning Yokohama condo handled 41 projects over 10 years, firm reveals
An Asahi Kasei Construction Materials Corp. employee at the center of a tilting condo controversy oversaw 41 projects in nine prefectures over 10 years.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
The slow-burn success of ‘A Samurai in Time’
A 19th-century warrior gets struck by lightning and wakes to find himself in 21st-century Kyoto in Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time.”
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.

Podcast

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

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
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