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Mie Sakamoto
For Mie Sakamoto's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
"Tsushima: Fukushima Speaks Part 2" is directed by freelance journalist Toshikuni Doi, featuring the testimonies of people seeking the return of their hometown, which has been deemed uninhabitable for a century after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 12, 2024
Film poses moral questions about 2011 Fukushima disaster displacement
The 187-minute documentary focuses on the impact the accident had on the daily lives of people who are unable to return to their hometown.
Women in a cotton field at a welfare facility in Yamanashi Prefecture in the film "Fujiyama Cottonton." The film aims to show audiences the everyday lives of people with disabilities.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 20, 2024
New documentary offers a look at life with disabilities in Japan
"Fujiyama Cottonton" shows how people at a welfare facility live full lives by communicating and pursuing simple passions.
In some cases in Japan, parents are asked by hospitals to attend to their children's daily requirements, and are sometimes asked to take on jobs that are normally reserved for hospital staff, a recent survey has shown.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 1, 2023
Hospitals criticized for failing parents of young patients
While facilities in other countries incorporate parents and their needs into children's treatments, some hospitals in Japan use them as extra workers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 11, 2023
Calls grow for drastic steps to address Japan's sliding birthrate
The number of babies born in the country in 2022 dropped below 800,000 more than a decade sooner than the government had estimated.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 1, 2023
'On the Way Home': Documentary shines spotlight on death of disabled man during interaction with police
A documentary titled "On the Way Home" tells the story of Kenta Yasunaga and tries to start a conversation about how the Japanese legal system handles disability.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Nov 29, 2022
Japan faces long, difficult road to promote inclusive education
Some children with disabilities are required to go to school with an escort or guardian, while others must have a helper sit with them in classes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2022
Film explores innocent man's decadeslong imprisonment in Japan
Shoji Sakurai, 75, endured 29 years of imprisonment, starting with his arrest in 1967 before his eventual release.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Aug 16, 2022
Latest chapter of Agent Orange film series unmasks Vietnam's hidden pain
Masako Sakata's "Long Time Passing," to be released later this month in Tokyo, highlights how the interests of governments are put ahead of humanity in times of war.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 27, 2022
'Honoka' challenges assumptions about the lives of those with severe disabilities
Director Yugo Kunitomo hopes his documentary will get viewers to recognize underlying prejudices through a glimpse into the life of one family.
Japan Times
LIFE
Jan 4, 2022
Aichi chocolate-maker offers workers with disabilities inclusiveness and a better wage
Quon chocolate is hoping to go mainstream with its products, which are made with the help of people who have a range of physical and mental disabilities.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2021
Photographer seeks to show the joy children with disabilities can bring
Although most of her family photos are of subjects without disabilities, the images of disabled children smiling with their parents hold a special place in her heart.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 20, 2021
New Japan law lays bare hardships of children needing daily medical care
The number of children age under 20 who need daily medical care is estimated to total some 20,000, and getting places in education remains difficult.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 20, 2021
Hardships of children needing medical care in Japan laid bare by new law
A recently-enacted law in Japan to support children who need daily medical care and their families has laid bare the hardships such children face in entering the education system, including admission to nurseries and primary schools — something the rest of society often takes for granted.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS / Summer Paralympics
May 16, 2021
Para archery athlete still aiming for gold despite year of hardships
Aiko Okazaki, who picked up the sport years after being paralyzed in the 2005 Amagasaki train derailment, has struggled with restrictions to her training regimen as a result of the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 16, 2019
Nursery providing specialist care for disabled children helps Tokyo moms return to work
Three-year-old Asahi Watanabe, who was born with a genetic disease that requires the use of a feeding tube for hydration, receives care from nursery staff at his Tokyo home — an unusual arrangement in Japan where family members of children with disabilities are often called upon to provide all the attention they need.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS / Summer Paralympics
Sep 4, 2019
Survivor of Amagasaki train derailment aiming for bull's eye at 2020 Paralympics
Having overcome numerous challenges since suffering life-altering injuries in a deadly train derailment in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in 2005, Aiko Okazaki doesn't plan to go easy on herself when it comes to her latest test — competing in archery in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2017
Tourist clad in 'Mario Kart' costume crashes go-kart into parked car
A tourist driving a go-kart hit a parked car in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday afternoon, police said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 14, 2017
Cockroach longevity linked to female cohabitation
Female cockroaches living in groups with other females are more likely to have their unfertilized eggs hatch, a research team at Hokkaido University has found, providing a possible explanation for the reason the insect has managed to survive for hundreds of millions of years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2017
'Pokemon Go' deploys Snorlax to quake-hit Kyushu
The maker of "Pokemon Go" is now trying to draw visitors to quake-hit Kumamoto and Oita prefectures by increasing appearances made by a popular character in the hit smartphone game.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 28, 2017
Translated A-bomb book reminds us of the horrors of war
A recently released English translation of a Japanese book about 321 junior high school students killed by the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima is a poignant reminder of the inescapable suffering and militaristic indoctrination of youth at the time.

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