Sumiko Oshima - The Japan Times

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Sumiko Oshima

For Sumiko Oshima's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

May 13, 2001

The garden of good and herbal

Herbs have been used in Japan for hundreds of years, for both culinary and medicinal purposes, and a fun way to learn more about the rich heritage of Japanese folk remedies is to visit a herb garden.

COMMUNITY

May 13, 2001

Taking a leaf out of a traditional book

Eastern herbal remedies and traditional Chinese medicines are now more widely used than at any time in their long history. Thousands of people in the West, frustrated by perceived failures in Western medicine, or worried about the dangers of artificial drugs, are turning to herbal alternatives.

COMMUNITY

May 6, 2001

Better safe than sorry

With many people worried about becoming the country's next crime statistic, the demand for advanced home- and personal-security products is on the rise.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Apr 29, 2001

Pets in the big city

After a long, grueling day at the office, there's nothing better than returning home to a warm welcome. For some that means a freshly cooked meal, for others, a warm hug. For many, though, it's the excited bark of a dog and the affectionate nuzzle of a cat.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Apr 29, 2001

Seeing guide dogs through society's eyes

Chap can't help sniffing around the camera, while Ace and Yayoi are eager to play.

COMMUNITY

Apr 15, 2001

Where the reading's free and easy

As England was once called a nation of shopkeepers, Japan could be called a nation of readers.

COMMUNITY

Apr 15, 2001

Put your cafe surfing on someone else's tab

Racking up huge phone bills accessing the Internet from home? Eagle-eyed boss preventing you from writing e-mail at work?

COMMUNITY

Apr 8, 2001

How to escape the urban grind

After a grueling week at the office, we naturally look forward to getting outand about on the weekend. For diversions, Japan's major cities have it all, from art exhibitions and the latest movies to shopping and sporting events. Problem is, who wants to fight thesame workday-commute crowds at museums, theaters and other venues?

LIFE / Travel

Apr 8, 2001

How to find your climbing inner child

"We enjoyed climbing trees as kids, but it's difficult to keep on doing that as an adult. Rock climbing is good because you can become a kid again and climb as much as you like," says Makoto Kitayama, president of the Japan Freeclimbing Association.

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 1, 2001

Takoyaki wars shift to Tokyo

There was a time when takoyaki (octopus dumplings) were dismissed by Tokyoites as festival fare or a snack for kids. In recent years, though, takoyaki has found fans outside its birthplace of Osaka and joined the ranks of other Kansai-Kanto crossovers such as okonomiyaki and Yoshimoto-style comedy (think Downtown or London Boots).

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 1, 2001

The word on the street is croquettes are hot

In Harajuku, the holy land of Tokyo's young people, the "king of street cuisine" has long been the crepe. Rolled around a filling of whipped cream, fruits, chocolate and/or other sweets, the thin pancake is a favorite among suburban girls who flock to the area to shop and be seen among the trendsetting crowds.

LIFE / Digital

Feb 22, 2001

Internet auctions boom

Kazutoshi Kitazawa, a 37-year-old university professor, has been bidding and selling in online auctions for two years. When he feels like upgrading his computer, he browses through Yahoo! Japan's auction Web site to buy memory cards and other computer components at bargain prices. When he decides the time has come to replace his PC with a new model, Kitazawa sells the old one online.

COMMUNITY

Feb 19, 2001

Beneath the sheen lurk the blues

Long life, in itself, is not enough. What is important is living a healthy life. That was the message sent by the World Health Organization last year when it announced a new method of reviewing life expectancy.

COMMUNITY

Jan 15, 2001

New miracles from the 'first miracle drug'

Aspirin for people in Western countries is something more than Seirogan, the most popular household digestive medicine in Japan.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Dec 28, 2000

Down's diagnoses defied

Hope was not in the prognosis that doctors gave to Chie Myo, after examining her first son, Shunsuke, at the age of 3 months. They diagnosed the baby as having been born with Mongolism, a derogatory term previously used for Down syndrome, and predicted that he would not live long, saying a mere cold could take his life. Even if he survived, they said, he would suffer severe mental retardation and never live a "normal" life.

COMMUNITY

Dec 13, 2000

Stopping the biological clock

As people develop wrinkles and spots on their skin with age, invisible and subtle changes also occur deep in their bodies. Researchers now agree that the aging of women's eggs is an important factor in many reproductive problems, including infertility, miscarriage and birth defects.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 9, 2000

Smoke gets in your eyes

A scar on her arm reminds Kyoko Saito (not her real name) of an unpleasant experience she had a month ago. The Tokyo office worker was hurrying home one night after working three hours overtime, when she overtook three men chatting as they sauntered along the crowded sidewalk to the nearby station.

COMMUNITY

Nov 8, 2000

More than just a nice cuppa tea

Having succeeded in convincing consumers of the health benefits of green tea, Japanese tea manufacturers are now aiming to expand into a new market: the production of pharmaceuticals containing green-tea extracts for use in the prevention of cancer.

COMMUNITY

Oct 12, 2000

Till bedtime do us part

At midnight every night, Shoko Ohara, a 39-year-old construction company employee, drives to the station to pick up her hard-working husband Takeshi, an engineer. The two chat during the 10-minute ride to their suburban home, and while Takeshi takes a bath, Shoko warms up his dinner in the kitchen. She then goes upstairs to their roomy bedroom and falls asleep in a comfortable double bed -- where she spends the night alone.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Sep 19, 2000

Urban life's high cost in health

The bright lights of the city are drawing a record number of people in search of careers and excitement. But city life comes at a price. Recent studies have found that Japan's city dwellers are jeopardizing their lives and their offspring.

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

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

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

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