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April 29, 2024
 

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Masako Tsubuku
For Masako Tsubuku's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 24, 2016
Without concerted effort from Japan's industry players, online scalping looks unstoppable
Until all the various players in the industry work together for a solution, internet concert ticket resellers will continue doing a roaring trade.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 10, 2016
Pricing system offers scant protection as Amazon Japan hacks away at bookstores' benefits
Japan's saihan seido system may not be enough to save the country's remaining bookstores, whose advantages Amazon.jp has systematically worked to nullify over the years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Sep 3, 2016
For elderly residents, city life doesn't get old
The government in Japan is facing an immediate demographic crisis with regards to seniors, whose numbers relative to the general population are increasing rapidly. One of the main problems is where they are going to live out their lives.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 27, 2016
Single mothers courted to plug Japan's local labor gaps
While some employers are unsympathetic to the circumstances of single parents, others see them as a solution rather than a problem.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 13, 2016
Expensive new drugs put strain on Japan's health system
Expensive drugs like Opdivo, a lung cancer treatment that costs a whopping ¥1.33 million a dose, are asking difficult questions of Japan's health insurance system.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Aug 6, 2016
Resort condos: an option for home buyers
As everyone in Japan now knows, there are millions of vacant houses and apartments throughout the country, many of which are on sale for a song. The money and effort needed to renovate these properties, however, often isn't worth it given how inexpensive new houses can be. That, of course, is the main reason why there are so many vacant homes in the first place. With the Airbnb boom, people may think they can buy some of these cheap residences, fix them up and make a killing by renting them out to tourists. However, 75 percent of the Airbnb listings in Japan are in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, cities where property remains expensive, and 70 percent of all listings are apartments and condos.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 23, 2016
Beyond the spiel, outlook for 4K TV is cloudy
The market credo that says consumers are always interested in upgrading whatever they already have may no longer apply to televisions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 9, 2016
Complex funding rules keep electioneering in Japan risky and expensive
Considering how complicated electoral funding regulations are, it's no surprise that stories of candidates violating campaign rules are so common.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jul 2, 2016
A rise in vacancies won't mean drops in rent
According to the June 11 issue of Nikkan Gendai, the vacancy rate for rental properties in the 23 wards of Tokyo is currently 33.7 percent, while in surrounding prefectures, it's even higher: 35.5 percent in Kanagawa and 34.1 percent in Chiba.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 25, 2016
Restaurants slash prices and frills as living standard in Japan drops
What the falling standard of living in Japan means is that anyone who can sell food more cheaply is enjoying a larger pool of dedicated customers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 11, 2016
Fuel-efficiency scandal could end up hitting car buyers in the pocket
The entire auto industry has had its image damaged in the mileage scandal, which means the transport ministry will likely require all carmakers to carry out stricter testing that will cost much more money.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jun 4, 2016
There's no hiding in Japan's toilets
When it comes to toilets, Japan presents several paradoxes. On the one hand, public toilets are ubiquitous, easy to access and, for the most part, quite clean. On the other hand, they can also be primitive, or at least to a Western sensibility.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 21, 2016
Whither the taxi in a withering Japan?
Taxi revenues have been dropping steadily in recent years mainly due to demographic changes, but their main problem is handling moment-to-moment supply and demand.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
May 7, 2016
Tokyo's governor is in a high-spending league of his own
The more the media digs, the more it is uncovering about Tokyo Gov. Yoichi Masuzoe's profligate ways.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Apr 30, 2016
Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well
Tama, in western Tokyo, is currently trying to find a way to rehabilitate Parthenon Tama, the city's public cultural complex. During headier times, Parthenon hosted world-famous classical musicians and theater companies, and in addition to a large auditorium and a small auditorium, it contains a museum, a gallery and numerous conference rooms. According to the Asahi Shimbun, the 30-year-old facility is now in need of more than ¥7 billion worth of renovations that the local government says it can't afford. As it stands, it spends ¥400 million a year just to maintain the facility, and if it doesn't act soon, the complex may become unusable.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 23, 2016
The changing values behind school uniforms
Japan and China depend on each other economically, but not necessarily in an equal way. Sometimes slight changes in commercial prospects in China can have a profound effect on Japan, or, at least, more of an effect that people realize.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 9, 2016
Japan's ever-increasing 'temporary' road tolls are here to stay
The nation's expressway system remains by far the most expensive in the world, for a number of reasons.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Apr 2, 2016
Low interest rates cause spike in refinancing
It has been more than a month since the Bank of Japan introduced negative interest rates in its bid to revitalize the economy. For consumers, the rate change is a mixed blessing. Obviously, interest on deposits will not go up any time soon, but anyone thinking of buying a house or condominium can get cheaper loans.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 26, 2016
In Japan, all other fruits bow to the top banana
Everything you wanted to know about Japan's lingering love affair with bananas but were afraid to ask.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Mar 12, 2016
Japanese tourists' longing for Hawaii is still worth banking on
Airlines, travel agents and the Hawaiian tourist industry are betting big that the postwar Japanese love affair with Hawaii will endure.
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
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.
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.
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.
Putin’s war will soon reach Russians’ tax bills
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting in St. Petersburg on Friday.
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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