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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

LIFE / Style & Design

Jan 30, 2011

Art at your fingertips

One Sunday morning in late November, a throng of people, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, made long lines to get into a convention hall at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward. Many others were sitting on benches outside the hall, opening suitcases at their feet and examining tiny bottles, cotton swabs and...

Japan Times

LIFE / Style & Design

Jan 30, 2011

What drew you to Expo?

To find out what pointed people in the direction of Tokyo Nail Expo — and if they could put their finger on what nail art meant to them — we roamed Tokyo Big Sight in search of willing interviewees. The following people kindly offered their views.

Japan Times

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

Jan 28, 2011

Osaka to celebrate tower

Artists from across the Kansai area are holding a series of art workshops and performances to boost the profile of Tsutenkaku, a longtime landmark in Osaka, from Feb. 5 through Feb. 13.

Japan Times

LIFE / Style & Design / WEEK 3

Jan 16, 2011

Living in a house of longevity

When New York-based artist Shusaku Arakawa died in May 2010 at the age of 73, it caused a sensation — not only because of his influence on many creators, scientists and philosophers, but also because of the gaping contradiction his passing left behind.

Japan Times

Events / Events Outside Tokyo

Jan 14, 2011

Nara to set hill on fire for good harvest

Even though Nara's 1,300th birthday party is over, the action continues.

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

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...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

An ongoing shortage of rice has resulted in rising prices for Japan's main food staple.

Why Japan is running out of rice — and farmers to grow it

By Alex K.T. Martin

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