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July 16, 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
May 19, 2015
Consumer rights group hits Rizap fitness chain over 'exaggerated' ad
A Kobe-based consumer rights group demands that the fast-growing Rizap fitness training chain remove the '30-day money-back guarantee' from its ads, saying the fine print states that refunds are made only when the company 'approves them.'
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 13, 2015
Japan zoo body polls members on use of Taiji dolphins
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums is asking zoos and aquariums across the country to vote on the continued procurement of dolphins from the town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, whose dolphin hunts and annual culls have riled activists worldwide.
JAPAN
May 10, 2015
Japan Today says it will retain foreign perspective despite acquisition by conglomerate Fuji Media
Recently acquired Japan Today will stick to its motto of presenting news 'through the perspectives of foreigners,' the Fuji Media Holdings group says.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
May 4, 2015
18 looms as new age of majority
Japan's youth will finally get a chance to have their voices heard in politics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 1, 2015
Cartoon poop-logging apps aim to guard against cancer
Cutesy, busty female characters in miniskirts and maid costumes are regular fixtures of Japanese anime and manga, but a doctor in Tokyo is trying to use their universal appeal to educate people on what they rarely talk about in public: poop.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 27, 2015
Unified elections help diversify representation in Tokyo
Liberal Democratic Party-backed candidates lose three of five key mayoral races in the final wave of unified elections as voter turnout sinks to another record low.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 21, 2015
Taco Bell returns to Japan with launch of Shibuya outlet
What's the same: that iconic bell sign, friendly and casual staff, and a range of crunchy and soft tacos and burritos.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Apr 19, 2015
For foreign caregivers, role remains ambiguous
Does Japan really want to accept foreign caregivers?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2015
Hotel group inks trial covering bathers' tattoos with stickers
The no-tattoos policy at many of Japan's public bathhouses might become a thing of the past if one hotel group's experiment with stickers to cover guests' body art gains traction.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2015
Okinawa activists establish fund to fight Futenma base move
Money matters in politics. This is something Okinawans locking horns with the central government over the plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corp Air Station Futenma seem to have cottoned on to, setting up a private-sector fund to promote their anti-base cause.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2015
Sandwiched between Yokota, Narita airspace, ever-busy Haneda looks to route some flights over metropolis
Faced with an urgent need to expand the capacity of Haneda airport ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the government is planning to break a longtime taboo: routing flights low over densely populated residential areas of the capital and its suburbs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 13, 2015
Math enthusiasts to mark once-in-a-century Pi Day
Saturday marks Pi Day, the day to commemorate the mathematical concept of pi — which refers to the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Many math scientists and students around the world celebrate pi every March 14, as its first three digits are 3, 1 and 4.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 17, 2015
Voiceless minority: People lacking family registry live on the outside, buried in red tape
Osaka native Haruko Kubota has waged a lifelong struggle to be "certified" as a living resident.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 1, 2015
Conflict-zone scribes fear fallout from intrepid journalist's death
The tragic death of Kenji Goto highlights a dilemma that the journalism community in Japan has long struggled with: how much of a risk reporters should take on when working in dangerous conflict zones.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 23, 2015
Journalists criticize Abe's response to hostage crisis
As the hostage drama continues over two Japanese held by the Islamic State group, journalists versed in Middle Eastern affairs are questioning how the Abe administration is handling the crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2015
Respected journalist Goto aims to tell world of Syrians' suffering
Kenji Goto is among a rare breed of journalists who, while reporting from conflict-ridden Syria, has never regarded himself as a war reporter. Instead, he has tried to capture the voices of ordinary citizens whose fates have been irreversibly changed by war.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / Q&A
Dec 9, 2014
'Right to be forgotten' on the Internet gains traction in Japan
The Internet has made fact-checking easy and people routinely use it for this end, for example, to Google client names and personal backgrounds before their first business meeting, or to take a quick glance at a potential new hire's reputation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2014
Ruling denying welfare for foreign residents finds homegrown, biased support
The landmark Supreme Court ruling in July that found permanent residents of Japan legally ineligible for public assistance is already having an impact. Moves are afoot both at the national and local levels to try to scale back or remove welfare payments to foreign residents.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Sep 17, 2014
No use fighting the tide of online journalism, experts say
Major news organizations in Japan have been somewhat insulated from the seismic shift taking place in online journalism around the world. Helped by their still strong, if waning, presence in print, Japan's five national newspaper companies, each boasting millions of copies in daily circulation, have...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / DEALING WITH DEMENTIA
Jul 2, 2014
Dementia burden weighing on more families
Despite government efforts to improve the lives of people with dementia, the illness takes a heavy toll on patients and those who care for them.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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