Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Nov 24, 2002
Author tells how individuals sacrificed for the company
by Eriko Arita
Although Japan achieved high economic growth by increasing its industrial productivity, the group-oriented work system that formed the basis of that development effectively sacrificed the rights of the individual, according to freelance journalist Satoshi Kamata. Kamata, 64, claims that in order for Japan to ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Nov 17, 2002
Despite years of experience, nature still fascinates weaver
by Asako Murakami
KYOTO — Fukumi Shimura has been weaving kimono from naturally dyed thread for 47 years, but she is continually surprised by the mysteries of nature. The hues provided by plants, nuts and tree bark vary tremendously depending on the different conditions in which they ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Nov 10, 2002
Magazine muckrakes where major media won't make waves
by Hiroshi Matsubara
The Asahi Shimbun’s April 9, 1999, morning edition featured a front-page story by the monthly magazine Uwasa-no-shinso (The Truth Behind the Rumors) that sparked a scandal leading to the downfall of the then head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutor’s Office. The magazine had ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Nov 3, 2002
Writer draws on own experiences to overcome adversity
by Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
Up to his ears in debt and with absolutely no money, Ichiriki Yamamoto made a bold prediction to his wife. “From now on, I’ll write novels to support the family,” he said in 1994. Ichiriki, 54, and his wife Eriko, 38, had been involved ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Sep 29, 2002
'Kabukicho guide' offers punters a walk on the wild side
by Takuya Asakura
Sporting a pinstripe suit, a wiry figure hovers on the main street of Shinjuku Ward’s Kabukicho — Tokyo’s busiest and arguably seediest entertainment district. Every night for 14 years, Lee Xiaomu has approached foreign visitors roaming the neon-glittering streets and offered to escort them ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Sep 22, 2002
Wheelchair designer hopes to get more users on the streets
by Yosuke Naito
Etsumi Okigawa hopes to design as many wheelchairs as possible so their users can become everyday fixtures at schools, offices and street corners. Okigawa is a researcher at Kanagawa Rehabilitation Center, a third-sector medical institution in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. The 43-year-old is one of ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Sep 15, 2002
Singing helps mind expert ease stress she failed to diagnose
by Mari Koseki
Junko Umihara believes that self-expression is the key to a sound mind, but that’s not an unusual opinion among doctors treating patients for stress and other mental problems. What sets the 50-year-old apart from many others in her profession, however, is that she practices ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Sep 8, 2002
Radio icon pulls plug on show after world-record 45 years
by Kaoruko Aita
Her achievement is nothing special, she says. But the thing that has kept Chieko Akiyama going throughout her unprecedented career is the human energy radiating from the people she meets. “Akiyama Chieko no Danwa Shitsu” (“Chieko Akiyama’s Lounge”), the monologue radio program hosted for ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Sep 1, 2002
'Dialect broadcaster' leads revival of Okinawan tongue
by Mayumi Negishi
NAHA, Okinawa Pref. — Fumiko Ikari used to spend hours listening to Japanese radio, mimicking broadcasters’ inflections and trying to purge all traces of the Okinawa dialect from her speech. “I used to be so ashamed of my accent and the Okinawan phrases I ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Aug 25, 2002
Hamako fires from the lips at today's lackluster Diet ranks
by Kanako Takahara
There have been many politicians who were well-known for their outspokenness while still serving in the legislature. But Koichi Hamada, 73, better known as Hamako, may be one of the few who remain vocal, even nine years after his retirement from politics. “When I ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Aug 18, 2002
Veteran voyeur gives the skinny on Hibiya Park lovebirds
by Taiga Uranaka
In Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, just by the Hibiya gate entrance, couples can often be seen laying claim to benches surrounding a large fountain. As intimate as they look, however, their relationship is still in a nascent stage, explains Isoya Shinji, a self-styled expert on ...
National | WEEKEND WISDOM Aug 11, 2002
Bible scholar questions value of religion without substance
by Nao Shimoyachi
If something lacks substance, it is not to the taste of Bible scholar Michiko Ota. Thus, she contends, humans are better off without religion if that religion has lost its substance. The outspoken 70-year-old scholar pointed out that many Japanese wrongly interpret religion as ...