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LIFE / REFUGEES AND JAPAN
Jul 8, 2007

Kleptocracy to 'freedom'?

Hla Aye Maung's nightmare began in the central Tokyo district of Nishi Nippori when he went shopping. A police car pulled up beside him and the officers found he was one of the more than 250,000 illegal aliens apparently working in Japan. They took him to a police station in nearby Ueno, from where he...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2006

China filmmaker finds wartime sex slaves

In 1995, Chinese filmmaker Ban Zhongyi set out to meet a woman in a remote part of central China to record her story of sexual enslavement by the Imperial Japanese Army.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jul 30, 2006

And in the Japanese corner is . . . Morita-san

Christina Morimoto is sitting in the office of the Tokyo modeling agency she works for, answering questions about her first acting job in the new movie "I Am Nipponjin."
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2006

Private surveillance cameras on the rise

Is it neighborhood watch or Big Brother?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Feb 25, 2006

Software aids communication in cultural context

Nils Plett, president and CEO of QE Tech, is tall. While angling my camera skyward to get his picture, walking alongside requires two steps to his every stride.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Sep 24, 2005

Cambodian envoy to Japan on three-point mission

"Hello, hello," Pou Sothirak greets warmly as he enters the reception room of the Cambodian Embassy in Akasaka, central Tokyo. Then as a staff member follows on behind, with a camera: "Now stand here with me for a photo. Right, we're done. We have to let him take these official pictures, otherwise he...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / CLOSE-UP
May 1, 2005

Sadako Ogata: Front-line fighter for a better world

Sadako Ogata, formerly United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is one of Japan's most prominent international figures.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2004

English classes all the rage at elementary schools

Teacher Hideo Iida holds up cards featuring simple images for his 17 second-graders to identify, getting them to name the animals, fruit and other items pictured.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2004

Chinese, South Koreans top Japanese in English skills

The average English communicative ability of Japanese high school students is below that of their Chinese and South Korean counterparts, according to the results of an international study released Monday in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Mar 6, 2004

'Tokyo Stories' wittily points up the expat scene

Two years ago, as a balance to researching and writing up projects for financial institutions in the U.S. and preparing reports for fund managers in Japan, Christine Cunanan-Miki began a novel -- a series of interrelated tales about expats in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Dec 14, 2002

Carol Iwanaga

Carol Iwanaga, an American woman married to a Japanese man, says the Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese is a helpful organization. "I think it is good for any woman engaged or married, or who has been married to a Japanese man, in order to get a better feeling of community while she is living here,"...
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2002

American brings kabuki to Japanese as well as foreigners

Mark Oshima never imagined he would appear on a kabuki stage when he first arrived in Japan in 1981, taking a year off from university to write his senior thesis on a theme that had nothing to do with the classical Japanese theater.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / PERSONALITY PROFILE
Jul 14, 2001

Patrick Carey

Patrick Carey thinks he may be the only non-Japanese to have walked the entire distance of the Old Tokaido, from Tokyo to Kyoto, and to have written about it.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2000

'New breed' of woman emerges in Japan

Two weeks after Sakae Sasaki decided to open a cake shop in Tokyo's Meguro Ward in 1996, she realized she was pregnant.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 1999

Syllabus for English classes under fire

MITO, Ibaraki Pref. -- The future of English education in Japan was the subject of a heated debate earlier this month as four panelists gathered at Mito College to trade their views. Panel coordinator Yukiko Amakawa, associate professor of Mito College, was joined by Gregory Clark, president of Tama...
JAPAN
Sep 29, 1998

Social tyranny keeps Japan far from U.N. rights ideals: expert

Staff writer
JAPAN
May 21, 1998

Local Indonesian students rejoice at Suharto's resignation

Students from Indonesia expressed surprise and hope for the reform of their country following President Suharto's announcement of his resignation Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 1997

NPA striving for new sex industry regulations

A National Police Agency panel met for the first time July 15 to study ways to regulate dating clubs, adult video home delivery services and other activities that are not currently covered by the adult entertainment business law.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
Jun 13, 2023

From Japan to the U.S. and back: Thriving as a woman in international finance

Chikako Matsumoto achieved her dream of joining the World Bank, and later returned to her home country and executive roles there.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 9, 2023

On security and diplomacy, Abe’s legacy to be felt far into the future

In the year since Abe's assassination, Japan has undergone a number of monumental shifts in its approach to security and foreign policy, cementing the late leader’s legacy.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 28, 2022

U.S. national killed in Saitama was a well-established businessman in Japan

William Bishop Jr. came to Japan in 1974 and eventually went on to start his own health care consultancy. He has been described as “dedicated, hard-working and a real leader.”
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Oct 31, 2022

A store is a ballet stage: LVMH Japan head

Norbert Leuret's career spans more than four decades and his passion for elevating the luxury brand retail experience is palpable. In his eyes, every aspect of a store is an integral part of the total package, from the window display and products to the music and temperature.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 13, 2022

Ukraine war highlights private sector’s role in conflict

Technological innovations are fueling wider involvement of corporations and citizens on the battlefield.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 4, 2022

How Germany’s historic shift on military spending could affect Japan’s defense plans

Berlin's about-face on its modest defense budget, which immediately followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has already begun to re-energize the issue of spending in Tokyo.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 27, 2021

Xenophobia spills into Japan’s COVID-era debate on immigration

Recent events raise concerns that the country is souring on immigration as it enters a third year of border closures and economic upheaval.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2021

A memorable Olympics, but for the right reasons?

A feat of organizational planning and execution in a pandemic left even gold medalists hurrying home from an atmosphere drained of pomp and full of anxiety.

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?