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Haruko Mera
For Haruko Mera's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 25, 2022
Japanese government steps up efforts to care for women who miscarry
Municipalities are promoting mental care programs and a handbook for use by local governments and medical institutions has been compiled by a research team of experts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Mar 13, 2016
Cafes employing staff with disabilities find taste trumps all
Walking into Sign with Me, a soup cafe in Tokyo, customers are greeted not by the typical irasshaimase shouts of welcome, but sign language and gestures from the courteous staff.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 18, 2016
Some Japanese firms offering easier shifts for mothers with young kids
Chihiro Nishijima's cellphone rang one evening last May when she was away from Tokyo on a business trip.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2014
Japan's PTAs struggle to adapt as more mothers enter workforce
An increase in the number of working mothers is prompting changes in the way parent-teacher associations operate.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 30, 2014
'Ending planners' lend funerals a personal touch
A pack of motorcyclists leading the hearse of a fellow bike enthusiast; a small boat carrying the coffin of a fishing buff: Unique funeral arrangements such as these are starting to crop up in Japan as bereaved families add a personal touch and a nod to their late loved ones' lifestyles and tastes.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2014
Moms may depend on apps but experts urge real interaction
Many of today's women appear to be depending on smartphone applications to prepare for pregnancy or the birth of a baby, and to take care of or even discipline their children.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2013
Halloween trick-or-treating makes for unlikely crime prevention tool
With a creative twist, the American practice of ringing doorbells on Halloween to ask for candy has become a crime prevention tool in some Japanese communities, where it helps to promote exchanges between kids, the elderly and others in the neighborhood.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2013
Clothing retailers boost large-size women's lineup
Department stores and other retailers are expanding their lineup of large-size clothes to meet growing demand among big women wishing to don fashionable apparel.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2010
Law gives dads time for parenting
Japan has taken another step to reverse its declining birthrate, as a law revision extending parental leave took effect last month with the hopes of encouraging fathers to play a larger role in raising children.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2009
Caregiver field now finds takers
There are emerging signs that the serious shortage in care assistants is abating, as statistics show the field's job offers-to-seekers ratio fell from 2.53 in December to 1.28 in June.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world