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April 29, 2024
 

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Asako Murakami
For Asako Murakami's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMUNITY
May 20, 2001
Kansai dialect survives on CD
OSAKA -- The distinctions are clear, a Kansai native might tell you. To express, for example, "she's not coming" ("kanojo konai" in standard Japanese), Osaka people would say "kanojo kehen," Kyoto people "kanojo kihen" and Kobe people "kanojo kohen."
Events
May 15, 2001
Citizens' group keeps an eye on local politicians
AMAGASAKI, Hyogo Pref. -- The members of local assemblies may play a major role in formulating policies affecting the citizens they represent, but few people have a chance to follow their day-to-day activities.
Events
Apr 17, 2001
Makers won't throw in towel amid cheap import threat
KUMATORI, Osaka Pref. -- In a bid to survive fierce competition from foreign makers, some towel manufacturers and related firms here have joined forces to launch eco-friendly towels next month.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2001
Women stride toward parity in Shimamoto assembly poll
SHIMAMOTO, Osaka Pref. -- A small office near Minase Station on the Hankyu Line was filled with applauding women late Sunday night as eight female candidates triumphed in the Shimamoto Municipal Assembly election.
Events
Apr 3, 2001
Nursery provides multilingual learning
KOBE -- For 20-month-old Andrei Hirata, the nursery school was hell.
COMMUNITY
Mar 29, 2001
Relax to the sound of one door sliding
There's a sliding glass door inside Keiko Torigoe's new house in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, that rattles when opened, and it took a lot of time and energy to make it that way.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2001
Heir to reed traders promotes appreciation of the marsh grass
OMIHACHIMAN, Shiga Pref. -- When the wind blows, common reeds in front of Yoshihiro Nishikawa's house make a unique sound. Inside, the house is filled with all kinds of products made of the reeds. Nishikawa's head is also filled with reeds, or at least knowledge about them.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2001
Saving the forests through photos
KYOTO -- The blue mushrooms in the Australian state of Tasmania seemed like windows onto the soul of the forest to French photographer and environmentalist Jerome Hutin.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2001
NPO fosters solar power solution to fix transport problems for aged
KOBE -- The lack of interest in solar power among residents of Kobe's Uozaki district does not discourage Mana Enomoto from giving detailed explanations of the benefits of this clean energy source.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2001
CD-ROMs aid the visually impaired
KYOTO -- Yuko Shiomi, a professional narrator with the radio station KBS Kyoto, speaks into a microphone. Her role is that of "Kakuunsai," a fictional character depicting a distinguished calligrapher.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2001
CD-ROMs aid the visually impaired
KYOTO -- Yuko Shiomi, a professional narrator with the radio station KBS Kyoto, speaks into a microphone. Her role is that of "Kakuunsai," a fictional character depicting a distinguished calligrapher.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2001
Unconventional methods help get pregnant assembly member re-elected
IBARAKI, Osaka Pref. -- Mutsuko Katsura, the Ibaraki Municipal Assembly member who ran for re-election while 5 months pregnant, emerged victorious in the Jan. 28 poll.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2001
Pregnancy, critics won't sway Ibaraki woman's re-election bid
IBARAKI, Osaka Pref. -- For Mutsuko Katsura, a 32-year old Ibaraki Municipal Assembly member, seeking a second term in office came as naturally as her desire to have a baby.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2000
'Open source' forums search for new models in post-IT era
KYOTO -- "Open source," a now familiar term on the Internet, originates from a method of developing computer software that has enabled the creation and continuous improvement of the successful Linux system.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2000
Town's win against dam had a cost
KITO, Tokushima Pref. -- This remote village lies along the upper stream of the 125-km Naka River.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2000
Kagawa folks get to bottom of their 'udon' bowls in more ways than one
TAKAMATSU, Kagawa Pref. -- As a native of a prefecture famous for Sanuki "udon" (wheat noodles), Kazutoshi Tao thought udon was a simple component of daily life -- until he visited a place where customers whip up their own variety.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2000
Muroto taps nearby depths to get competitive edge
MUROTO, Kochi Pref. -- At first glance, it is hard to see what the following products have in common: bottled water, miso paste, bread, snacks and skin lotion.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2000
Efforts afoot to boost foreign students' career opportunities
KOBE -- In an ongoing effort to forge stronger ties between Japan and her home country of Myanmar, Kobe University graduate student Thin Aye Aye Ko has spent recent years working as a translator, interpreter and even tour guide.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2000
Town takes eco stride, refines used cooking oil for car fuel
NAGAHAMA, Shiga Pref. -- In an effort to generate business opportunities and improve the environment of this western Japan city, a group of small and medium-size businesses have launched a project to build equipment to refine used cooking oil for use in automobiles as an alternative fuel.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 2000
Money-strapped NPOs must learn to use Internet: expert
KYOTO -- The proliferation of the Internet is spurring many groups to aggressively try to keep up with sweeping changes, and nonprofit organizations are no exception.
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
In Japan, regional revitalization fails to halt population decline
Sakiyama elementary school in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, in March .Over the past decade, the government has directed efforts toward policies designed to give young people incentives to base themselves in rural areas.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Ukraine is far from doomed
When comparing Ukraine’s military situation in 2024 to Europe’s in 1941, Russia’s defeat seems entirely possible.
When will Japan intervene to support the yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has reiterated the government's readiness to take an appropriate action as the yen continues to slide against the U.S. dollar.
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.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Kyotographie's strong 12th edition shines light into the margins
Yassine Alaoui Ismaili, who goes by Yoriyas, turned to photography, shooting motion while in motion himself, after an injury forced him to give up his career as a professional breakdancer.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass
Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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