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April 03, 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.
New health minister Keizo Takemi is the son of Taro Takemi, a prominent physician who was dubbed “Emperor Takemi” due to the enormous and often dictatorial power he wielded over health care policy as president of the Japan Medical Association.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 15, 2023
Critics worry about new health minister's ties with lobby group
Keizo Takemi is the son of a former president of the Japan Medical Association, a political lobby mostly made up of doctors in private practice.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 8, 2023
New COVID variant detected in Japan amid wave of infections
While there’s no evidence so far that it causes more severe illness, experts say it may be more capable of infecting people who have been infected before.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 5, 2023
Why Tohoku University was picked as first beneficiary of new university fund
The fact it was picked as the sole recipient, and over two prestigious universities seen as front-runners, has shocked Japan's academic community.
Shinobu Yamanaka, a mom of three sons and director of a day care facility in Konan, Kochi Prefecture, serves up to eight "members" six days a week.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Aug 22, 2023
Kochi dementia care center aims to set new paradigm in Japan
A new generation of people with Alzheimer’s in Japan are trying to change not only dementia care but also social attitudes toward patients.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 21, 2023
Japanese ministry panel gives OK to Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab
The panel’s endorsement will be followed by official approval by the health minister in coming days.
Tourists walk along the road that leads to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 14, 2023
New coronavirus variant EG.5 gains momentum in Japan
The prevalence of EG.5, called Eris by health experts, nearly doubled in July to account for 22% of cases in Tokyo.
A popular dinosaur exhibit at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 9, 2023
Crowdfunding success at Japan science museum sends mixed message
While such initiatives provide much-needed cash, they are also a sign of limited government funding for science.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 1, 2023
Japan panel endorses first domestically developed COVID vaccine
The shot is based on the original strain of the coronavirus, making it unlikely that it will be used in Japan or elsewhere.
An apartment building construction site in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, on July 19. Officials at Daito Trust Construction, which oversees the building project, say heatstroke dangers are a top concern given their aging workforce.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Jul 30, 2023
In Japan, extreme heat and an aging population are a deadly mix
Heat waves combined with high humidity are weighing particularly heavily on the nation’s 36 million people age 65 and over, who are at much greater risk of severe illness and death.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 20, 2023
Soccer feeling the heat from Japan's scorching summer
Postponements of matches reflect the growing challenges facing amateur teams as they attempt to cope with Japan’s increasingly hostile summer months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2023
Rise in new COVID-19 cases in Japan shows little sign of abating
Experts predict the trend will continue amid high heat, declining population-level immunity and the start of the holiday season.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2023
Japan tries to turn page on eugenics policies, but related ideas persist
A 1,400-page report by parliament on forced sterilizations of people with disabilities sets out Japan's grim history with eugenics, but experts say the matter is far from closed.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2023
G7 urban ministers meet in Kagawa, agree to tackle global challenges
Group of Seven Urban ministers meeting in Japan agreed to work together with municipal governments to address global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jul 4, 2023
Expectations grow for Alzheimer's drug in Japan, but hurdles remain
Lecanemab could be approved in the country as early as fall, but more specialist doctors and a patient screening system would be needed for widespread use.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2023
COVID-19 cases continue to rise, straining health care system in Okinawa
The number of new cases per hospital was 39.48 in Okinawa Prefecture, up from 28.74 a week before and marking an increase for six consecutive weeks.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2023
Surge in children's summer colds in Japan prompts government warning
Officials say increased precautions due to COVID-19 kept cases of herpangina and RS virus low last year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 23, 2023
First fatal case of tick-borne Oz virus reported in Japan
A woman in her 70s who had suffered a tick bite died of myocarditis last year after being infected with the Oz virus, the health ministry said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 19, 2023
Japan to roll out COVID-19 booster targeting XBB subvariant in the fall
A vaccine subcommittee under the health ministry is aiming to prepare for another spike in infections possibly arriving in the winter.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2023
COVID wave looms in Japan after case numbers nearly double in a month
The average number of patients at each reporting facility was 5.11, up from 4.55 in the previous week and from 2.63 between May 8 and May 14.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 13, 2023
Japan braces for a more intense typhoon season this year
According to Weathernews, around 29 typhoons are expected to develop this year, slightly more than the 30-year average of 25.1 formed per year.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
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.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
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.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker
All eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he makes his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.

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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