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Thomasina Larkin
For Thomasina Larkin's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Jan 26, 2008
Stray cats captivated by couple's efforts to help
For anyone who has wandered the streets of Japan, the sight of a woman carrying her designer-clad lapdog will be a familiar one.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Dec 15, 2007
Bringing books, schools to the world's children
Immediately after meeting John Wood and hearing the story of his Room to Read program, I was reminded of one of my favorite childhood books. Though he isn't prone to wearing green leotards or stealing from the rich, this modern-day Robin Hood acquires donations from the world's largest companies and distributes them to the poor in a form that will last many lifetimes.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Dec 1, 2007
Group helps volunteers get their hands on work
No matter how badly someone wants to put their good will to use, getting a handle on where to start is often the hardest thing to grasp. Realizing this difficulty, a group of U.S. volunteers in the late '80s got together to create New York Cares, an organization that helps link the ambitious aims of do-gooders with those in need.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Nov 17, 2007
No holds barred in fight for dolphins
Within minutes of meeting Allison Lance, one might start to wonder if she was a dolphin in a past life. Her enthusiasm and passion in her drive to protect her animal friends is so strong that it touches just about every area of her life.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Nov 3, 2007
International group helps shed light on shadows of injustice
Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, you can pretty much expect to find Akiko Mera in the second-floor Oxfam office in a gray, nondescript building in Ueno, Tokyo, surrounded by a half-dozen desks piled high with papers, pamphlets and books. It looks very much like many other decades-old offices, where the daily grind of chores seems to have seeped into the surroundings.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 31, 2007
Whole worlds inside the screen
With a population of Net-cafe refugees in Japan reported in August to be 5,400, and the recent demise of a 28-year-old South Korean, identified as Lee, who reportedly died after playing an online computer game for 50 hours straight, many are wondering what online virtual worlds are all about.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 30, 2007
Avoid the chemically impaired
Anyone who has cruised around a Japanese supermarket or the basement of a department store has no doubt feasted their eyes on the robust, red and super-shiny apples at about ¥1,000 a pop.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 24, 2007
Nova gets the Web talking
Ah, the wonderful world of blogging, where people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe find a forum to have their voices heard. This week, let's take a peek into the goings on of Nova, Japan's largest English school company, which has recently found itself in a big onsen tub of hot water.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Oct 13, 2007
Shining on after the darkness of death
In July 2005, Kim Forsythe lost her 2-year-old son, Tyler, to acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Even before that time, she had begun to realize how the emotions she was experiencing could be turned into something positive, something that could ease the pain of Tyler's passing while providing aid and comfort to others going through the same trauma.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Sep 29, 2007
Putting the red light on human trafficking
"Neary grew up in rural Cambodia. Her parents died when she was a child, and in an effort to give her a better life, her sister married her off when she was 17. Three months later, they went to visit a fishing village. Her husband rented a room in what Neary thought was a guest house. But when she woke the next morning, her husband was gone.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Sep 22, 2007
Children smile again thanks to art of healing
When you're just one person who wants to make a change in a world of 6 billion, effecting that change can be a little daunting. But for some people, waiting around for something to happen is a whole lot more worrisome.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Sep 18, 2007
What will Prime Minister Abe be remembered for?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Sep 11, 2007
What should people volunteer their time for?
Japan Times
Events / Events Outside Tokyo
Aug 31, 2007
Tokyo goes techno
Simply put, Wire is the most awesome techno event in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 28, 2007
What's the weirdest thing you've seen in Japan?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Aug 17, 2007
A cooling swim good enough to (almost) die for
It's hot. Sweltering hot. And humid. And it's not going to cool down any time soon.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Aug 14, 2007
What three things would you want to have if you were stranded on an island?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 31, 2007
What's the most important issue when it comes to voting?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 24, 2007
What's the difference between working in Japan and back home?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
Jul 10, 2007
What are your favorite summer hot spots in Japan?

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