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May 03, 2024
 

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Sawako Obara
For Sawako Obara's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 27, 2014
Baby boomers becoming gray gang
As the last of Japan's baby boomers turn 65 this year and retire, many are taking low-paid or voluntary work to get them out of the house — a trend that could have broad-reaching effects.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2014
Senile seniors challenge Japan Inc.
As businesses grapple with the social changes being brought about by the rapidly graying population, dealing with senility has become a fact of life at shops and banks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2014
Japan's elderly reach for the joys of romance
On her first date with her stoop-shouldered "prince," Tae, a 77-year-old widow, felt her heart flutter in her chest as she gazed with him toward brightly lit Tokyo Tower.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2013
Elder care with a human touch
Humanitude, a caregiving method developed in France that emphasizes eye contact, touch and verbal communication to convey respect for the patient as a human being, is gaining attention in Japan for treating patients with dementia.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2013
Sexual minorities expand mutual support amid lack of legal backing
Sexual minorities are stepping up mutual support for when their partners die and their relationship is not legally recognized.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2013
Babies comfort the elderly, and moms benefit as well
The moment the babies, cradled in their mothers' arms, entered the room, a round of cheerful "oohs" and "aahs" gushed from the elderly whose faces until then had been expressionless.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2013
Schools now teach boys about home skills
For many young Japanese men, homemaking has become a necessary skill as they redefine their roles as husbands and fathers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2013
Elderly homeowners and needy lodgers could be a perfect match
The practice of young people becoming lodgers in the homes of elderly people is undergoing a revival, thanks to the rapid aging of the population.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2013
Firms find single moms make good managers
Raising a family as a single, working mother is a challenging task. But the qualities of determination and motivation that these mothers develop as they juggle family life and work have drawn the attention of many small and medium-size firms and foreign companies in Japan seeking candidates to fill management posts.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2011
Outlooks on work and life altered by quake
The March earthquake and tsunami devastated the landscape as well as the lives and livelihoods of people in the northeast.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2011
Post-3/11, women seek matrimonial bonds
In the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, some people scrambled to stock up on emergency supplies. Others flocked to buy energy-saving devices as power outages loomed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2011
More men turning to homemaking
As public perceptions of traditional gender roles shift, more Japanese men are willing to take on homemaking. Some opinion polls show most males in their 20s and 30s have no negative notions of men serving as househusbands.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2010
More firms let staff take leave to chase their dreams
While it is not uncommon for Japanese firms to let workers take leave to start a family or care for an ailing relative, a growing number of firms are instituting measures to assist employee efforts to pursue personal aspirations.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2010
Mayor champions paternity leave
Months before a legal change to promote paternity leave takes effect, one local authority stunned the public by taking about two weeks off work in April to look after his newborn son.
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2010
Abuse of elderly up, said often unintended
Abuse of elderly people has been increasing physically, psychologically, economically and in neglect of required nursing care.
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2008
Indonesia caregivers land contracts
The 205 Indonesian caregivers who arrived in Japan this month have contracted with 98 institutions, including hospitals and nursing facilities in 34 prefectures, and plan to begin work in January or February after undergoing six months of language training.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2003
Nonpayment of pension premiums puts agency in a bind
With the public pension system slated for revision next year, the Social Insurance Agency is desperate to restore people's trust in it.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2003
Welfare facilities creak under rising tide of abused kids
Facilities providing shelter to children unable to live at home are in crisis, with an influx of abused youngsters pushing occupancy rates to the limit and caregivers walking out due to the unbearable workload.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

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