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Mari Saito
Reuters
For Mari Saito's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 4, 2023
How pro-Putin operatives in Germany work to turn Berlin against Ukraine
Several million Russian speakers live in Germany, a legacy of Soviet ties to Communist East Germany and decades of German dependency on Russian gas.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 30, 2022
Fear and suspicion as Ukraine hunts for traitors in the east
The sense of paranoia runs deepest in eastern Ukraine, where suspicions of treason committed by locals divide formerly occupied villages like Kutuzivka.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 6, 2022
Love letter and ID card point to Russian units that terrorized Bucha
Journalists interviewed more than 90 residents, reviewing photographic and video evidence these locals shared and examining documents left behind by the Russians.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 15, 2022
Ukraine's past and present intertwine as a war historian seeks refuge
She was one of the 10 million displaced Ukrainians whose lives have been upended by Russia's invasion. Her newfound status felt alien, something belonging to survivors of past wars.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2022
Dozens volunteer to fight for Ukraine in pacifist Japan
As of Tuesday, 70 Japanese men u2014 including 50 former members of the Self-Defense Forces and two veterans of the French Foreign Legion u2014 had applied to be volunteers, the report said.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 9, 2022
Mitsuki Ono in the hunt after snowboard halfpipe qualifiers in Beijing
Mitsuki Ono led the way behind only American Chloe Kim, scoring 83.75 points in her second run which was four points short of Kim.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 30, 2021
As China menaces Taiwan, the island's friends aid its secretive submarine project
Taipei has stealthily sourced technology, components and talent from at least seven nations to help it build a fleet with the potential to exact a heavy toll on any Chinese attack.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 10, 2021
Episode 85: Ishinomaki — A tsunami-ravaged city, 10 years on
Alex Martin and Mari Saito bring us two stories from Tohoku, a decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2021
Photo essay: Tsunami survivors call lost loves on the 'phone of the wind'
Thousands of visitors from across Japan have made trips to the phone, including people who have lost relatives to sickness and suicide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 9, 2021
'Nothing good will come from replacing him:' Tokyo Olympics chief finds high-level support
Some on the Tokyo organizing committee believe it is important for Mori to "quietly overcome" the crisis and for officials to do all they can to "protect" him from the public fallout.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2021
Suga faces mounting pressure over slow pandemic response
Support for the prime minister's Cabinet has dropped from 39% last month to 33%, with disapproval rising 10 percentage points to 45%, according to a poll by the Asahi newspaper.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2020
Ad behemoth faces claims of conflict of interest in Tokyo Olympic campaign
u201cAdult understandingu201d investigated as a potential conflict of interest for the Japanese advertising giant.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 28, 2020
Cushy coronavirus aid contract puts Japan ad giant Dentsu under spotlight
The ad giant has acquired the task of distributing a $20 billion package to help ailing businesses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2020
Peeling back the hospital curtain: One Japanese hospital's fight against COVID-19
As the country emerges from a state of emergency, hospitals like one in Yokohama face the prospect of operating in the shadow of a virus with no treatment or cure.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 22, 2020
On duty at Japan's 'last-chance' hospital for coronavirus
In the midst of a global pandemic, St. Marianna University Hospital has become synonymous with the virus.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 28, 2020
On Japan's stretched front line, doctors and nurses DIY a coronavirus response
Hospitals like St. Luke's in Tokyo are saving their limited ICU capacity for an increasing number of critically ill patients and improvising makeshift gear to protect front-line staff.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2020
Japanese hotels lose out on Olympic bet as coronavirus spreads
The Osaka Corona Hotel has been eerily quiet and empty the past few weeks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2020
Fukushima dreams: A young baseball star, a father and their shattered town
Kazuo Ouchi drives down a single-lane road through sheets of rain until he reaches a gravel driveway leading to a weathered farmhouse. Yellowing lace curtains are drawn tight over the windows, shutting out the weak winter light.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2020
Olympic torch relay faces cool welcome from nuclear evacuees in Fukushima No. 1 town
Dressed in protective plastic coveralls and white boots, Yuji Onuma stood in front of the row of derelict buildings that included his house, and sighed as he surveyed his old neighborhood.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 29, 2020
First love on the front lines: Coming of age in the Hong Kong protests
Many years from now, far from the spray of water cannons and the unmistakable smell of tear gas, they will look back on their season of protest and remember exactly how they felt.

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