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April 30, 2024
 

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Shinya Ajima
For Shinya Ajima's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2009
APEC offers Japan chance to display leadership
speak with a consultant about how to deal with the swine flu pandemic at its headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 7. KYODO PHOTO
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 15, 2009
Japan-Swiss FTA may offset lack of EU accord
The free-trade agreement that recently took effect between Japan and Switzerland is expected to help Tokyo ease any unfavorable impact from the lengthy time it has spent trying to conclude a similar accord with the European Union, Swiss Vice President Doris Leuthard said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 15, 2009
Legal barriers loom for fuel-cell auto technology
The recent buzz over hybrids and electric cars has overshadowed the massive investments global auto giants are making in fuel-cell vehicles — another near-reality dream car that some believe promises an ultimate zero-emissions society.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2009
Nuke power gets another look, but concerns persist
With Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama having set a more ambitious emissions reduction target than that pledged by former rival Taro Aso, nuclear power is emerging as one of the most effective potential solutions.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2009
Regardless of DPJ aspirations, FTA with U.S. would be tall order
The media have lashed out at the Democratic Party of Japan over its apparent backpedaling on wanting a free-trade agreement between Japan and the United States.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 10, 2009
Restart raising questions
Saturday's restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture is likely to revive public concerns about safety but relieve political concerns harbored by the government and the power industry.
BUSINESS
Dec 3, 2008
BOJ finds that manipulating rates is packing little punch
The Bank of Japan's move Tuesday to support corporate finance may stem from its concern that extremely low interest rates are not stimulating the economy amid the financial crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2008
Shirakawa's BOJ finally joins coordinated action
When the subprime crisis ran riot and U.S. and European central banks launched a series of coordinated assaults earlier this year, Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa stood aside and merely released statements hailing his peers' efforts.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2008
Banks overconfident on subprime appraisals
While modesty has long been seen as a virtue in Japan, the nation's major banks appeared to break free of the cultural constraint recently as they claimed that the worst of the subprime mortgage crisis is almost over — at least for them.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2008
Shirakawa quick to dive into the deep end at G7
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) No toasts were raised, no flowers were handed out. Only the challenge of hard work awaited Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa as he made his debut at a meeting of financial leaders from the Group of Seven major economies over the weekend in Washington.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2008
Japan wants IMF to monitor sovereign wealth funds
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Japan expressed hope Saturday that the International Monetary Fund will play a more active role in monitoring the movements of sovereign wealth funds because such an involvement of the international body would help minimize "protectionism" in countries receiving their investment.
BUSINESS
Oct 11, 2007
Grain importers told to prepare for worst
With grain markets growing increasingly tight amid declining crops in major exporting countries, import-dependent countries like Japan need a firm grasp of market trends and must brace themselves for the worst, according to the head of an intergovernmental market watcher.
BUSINESS
Oct 2, 2007
Privatization ends postal savings safe haven
Will there be any changes in services at post offices under the just-started 10-year process of privatizing the postal system?
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2007
World must try harder to save tuna, U.N. says
KOBE (Kyodo) The international community must do a better job fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing of tuna, a senior U.N. food agency official said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2006
TSE under pressure from global consolidation
The Tokyo Stock Exchange has been saying for some time that investors and listed companies could be the biggest winners in a global realignment of the world's major stock exchanges, a shakeup that has been gathering pace, as seen in the TSE's tieup talks with bourses in New York and London.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 9, 2006
Ex-banker's novels help simplify investor jargon
On a recent trip to the bookshop, two books with rather flashy jackets catch your eye. They appear to be out of place, perhaps abandoned in the best-seller area by a fickle customer.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2006
Markets show mixed reaction to Cabinet, press for reform
Financial markets want the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to keep pushing the reforms promoted by Junichiro Koizumi, analysts say, but some fear the negative impacts of expected tax hikes and a deterioration in the government's relations with the Bank of Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2006
Pet businesses going to the dogs -- to their owners' delight
Two-year-old Melon slept on a small bed at one of the many beauty salons in Tokyo's Daikanyama shopping district, under a mist of negatively charged ions that reputedly reduces stress.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2005
Imperial succession proposals in conflict
The government's interim report on Imperial succession Tuesday offers two conflicting proposals, despite its earlier enthusiasm to make history by backing the idea of a reigning female monarch.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2005
Imperial succession proposals in conflict
The government's interim report on Imperial succession Tuesday offers two conflicting proposals, despite its earlier enthusiasm to make history by backing the idea of a reigning female monarch.
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.
'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.
Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
Yen rebounds strongly after first slide past ¥160 since 1990
The yen dropped to ¥160.245 per dollar on Monday before heading into the other direction to ¥155.01 amid speculation of an intervention by Japanese currency authorities.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
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.
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.

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

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

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