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Harumi Ozawa
For Harumi Ozawa's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima remains an iconic symbol of the destruction of the atomic bomb on that city.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 12, 2024
Hiroshima grapples with 'Oppenheimer' Oscars success
While locals would have liked to see more Japanese representation in the film, they are at least happy that some discussion is taking place.
Masaki Sato, who owns an 85-year-old property in the Akasaki district of Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, walks in the district on Saturday after a major earthquake struck the Noto region on New Year's Day.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 8, 2024
Still standing: Unique houses survive quake in Japanese village
Despite a magnitude 7.6 quake only kilometers away, one small fishing village stood strong thanks to decades-old smart architecture.
Sake master Daisuke Suzuki (right) and a staff member sort rice at his brewery in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, on Sept. 1.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 8, 2023
Fukushima sake brewer warms shattered fishing community
A local sake maker has returned to Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, years after disaster wiped out its brewery there.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2023
'More than words': The Japanese men joining Ukraine's fight
A handful have joined Ukrainians battling the Russian invasion, defying their government's warnings and bucking a decadeslong national principle of pacifism.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2023
Fukushima aiming to woo tourists with promise of snow
Officials hope winter holidays will become popular as they market the region's snow resorts and try to shed the stigma that lingers more than a decade after the 2011 nuclear disaster.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 21, 2023
Hot springs block Japan's geothermal potential
Geothermal is a renewable resource that harnesses heat from deep below the Earth's crust — a seemingly attractive option for energy resource-poor Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2023
New generation revives Okinawa's once-banned Indigenous body art
The traditionally hand-poked markings were once common on women of the Ryukyu, who lived throughout the southern islands of what is now Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2023
Japan's Indigenous peoples fight stigma to reclaim identities
Many people feel Japan's government has not done enough to support the Ainu and Ryukyu groups.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2023
Tackling taboos: Japanese university club teaches Ainu traditions
Students at Sapporo University are able to learn the Ainu language, dance, and crafts, as well as about traditional food and hunting culture.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2023
'Lucky tiger': Fukushima fishing industry pins hopes on blowfish
Tiger blowfish have brought local fisheries a lifeline through robust catches in recent months.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Feb 15, 2023
The controversial plan to release Fukushima nuclear plant's wastewater
Tepco says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements, and calls the release both safe and necessary, but there has been domestic and international opposition.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2022
Samurai spirit: Japan explodes with World Cup joy
Dressed in their team's blue jersey, the revelers mingled with commuters in suits on their way to work.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?