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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.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 23, 2013
The 'whole' brown-bread challenge in Japan
Whole-wheat and whole-grain products are hard to find in Japan, where most bakeries and supermarkets sell white bread products only.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 21, 2013
Internet NPO links kids worldwide
Earlier this month, when the nation's Olympic bid ambassador Christel Takigawa referred to "omotenashi" (the spirit of Japanese-style hospitality) in her speech to the International Olympic Committee, the term quickly turned into a buzzword in Japan.
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 19, 2013
Festival brings old films out of storage
Every year, nearly 100 of the films produced in Japan are said to "go into storage."
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Sep 14, 2013
Rescuing gadgets from the golden age of 'Made in Japan'
Piles of old electronic gadgetry, most of it out of order, clutter Junichi Matsuzaki's "studio" on the first floor of an aging public apartment building in Adachi Ward in northeastern Tokyo. To visitors the outdated technology may look like junk, but to the 53-year-old self-proclaimed consumer electronics...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Sep 10, 2013
Anatomy app gives users a better understanding of the human body
Back in highschool, I was in the middle of basketball practice, when I suddenly felt an acute pain in my knee. I had no idea what had happened to me. After visits to several different clinics, none of which could identify the problem, I finally found an orthopedist who accurately guessed the cause of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 9, 2013
Renovating business and hope in Onomichi
The city of Onomichi in the southeastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture, which looks out to the Seto Inland Sea, has a rich and long tradition as a hub of trade. During the Edo Period (1603-1867), it prospered as a key docking point for domestic ships peddling goods, and from the early 20th century it...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Sep 5, 2013
Pumpkins to go on show for Cinderella festival
It's more than a month before Halloween, but you can get in the spooky spirit at the Cinderella Yume Matsuri (Cinderella Dream Festival), where you'll get a rare chance to gawk at hundreds of pumpkins of various sizes and carved into different characters.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Aug 29, 2013
Asakusa gets ready to party Brazilian style
Tokyo's Asakusa neighborhood is one of the capital's top tourist destinations. Sensoji Temple and the shopping arcade nearby offer visitors a glimpse into traditional Japan. This coming weekend, though, the area will be full of Brazilian energy and the passionate rhythm and music of samba.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Aug 17, 2013
Image-flip for male rhythmic gymnasts
Smirks and snickering tend to greet any mention of "men's rhythmic gymnastics," as the phrase conjures up images of chaps in tights prancing around swinging ribbons or clutching squeezy balls to their chests like the sport's female exponents.
Japan Times
Events / Events In Tokyo
Aug 8, 2013
African group drums up a party
The African drumming theater is back, providing people with a fun and entertaining way of letting off some steam and experiencing a new culture.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 7, 2013
Koki Mitani adds comedy to bunraku
Koki Mitani is Japan's top comedy writer, having written a number of stage plays, TV dramas and films. He also loves working with puppets, and has put together a serialized puppet drama for public broadcaster NHK. Despite a love of puppets, however, it was only about 10 years ago when he first saw a...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
Aug 3, 2013
Toyohiro Akiyama: Cautionary tales from one not afraid to risk all
In December 1990, journalist Toyohiro Akiyama made headlines the world over when he blasted off aboard a Soviet rocket to become the very first "space correspondent" in history.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jul 25, 2013
Hentai animation night at YCAM
The word "hentai" has two meanings in Japanese, referring both to "metamorphosis" and "abnormality/perversion." On Saturday, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media will screen a series of 13 hentai films — covering the wackiest, weirdest animated shorts in which the characters also undergo various...
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WEEK 3
Jul 20, 2013
On the trail of bear hunters' heritage
Takashi Yoshikawa is no easy man to figure out. Trim and well tanned, the 63-year-old owns a small ryokan (traditional inn) nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Shirakami Mountains which straddle 130,000 hectares of Aomori and Akita prefectures, and whose 17,000 hectares of beech forests were listed...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 11, 2013
Experiments in the wild
Ten years ago, when a new cultural facility opened in the western Japan city of Yamaguchi, its founders sought to fulfill a role quite different from those museums in the countryside.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2013
Abe wants to gut public protections: expert
If the Liberal Democratic Party succeeds in rewriting the Constitution, it would severely scale back fundamental human rights and strip the public of various civil liberties, a prominent constitutional scholar warns.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 25, 2013
The neglected stars of Norwegian design
What do you think of as a typical example of Scandinavian design? The massively copied 1950s bentwood chair series "Seven Chairs" by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen? The vividly colored Unikko poppy patterns by the Finnish textile company Marimekko? Or the ready-to-assemble furniture available at the...
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 21, 2013
June blooms decorate Japan
While the ongoing rainy season means staying indoors to some people, for others, it is a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful tapestry of ajisai (hydrangeas), whose colors vary from white to blue to pink to purple — and all shades in between.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jun 16, 2013
Family-crest master fears he's one of a dying breed
Dressed in a black kimono and wearing a pair of eye-catching black, triple-framed spectacles, Shoryu Hatoba straightens his back as he sits on the tatami floor of his quaint studio in Ueno, central Tokyo, holding a pair of bamboo compasses fitted with a brush dipped in ink in place of a pencil.
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Jun 7, 2013
Yokohama to celebrate French culture
Interested in France? Head to Yokohama.
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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Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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