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May 16, 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
Feb 2, 2015
Hair-care industry has anxious consumers coming and going
An underground health movement says over-shampooing leads to hair loss.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 26, 2015
Where's the milk? School lunches no longer sacred cows
The cost of a school lunch is now higher than the average salaryman's lunch.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 19, 2015
More convenience stores adopting restaurant functions, and vice versa
Consumers are adopting a more casual attitude toward eating out.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 13, 2015
Cheap smokes finally going up in price
Until the tobacco prices went up in 2010, third-class cigarette sales were very low.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 5, 2015
Show me the money: Who paid for what in the Lower House election
The government spent u00a563 billion on the recent Lower House election
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Jan 2, 2015
Property borders: Where to draw the line
Some years ago we lived in western Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, in a neighborhood that clung to the contours of a hilly terrain. Many of the streets were just dirt and gravel, even though the area was fully developed. Neighbors told us that they had been trying to get the local government to pave these roads, but the work never proceeded because the authorities claimed they couldn't gain permission from the owners of some of the adjacent plots. Any roadwork ran the risk of intruding on private property, so nothing was ever done.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 29, 2014
Consumer stimulus is not the same as welfare, though the purpose is the same
There may still be time to apply for the government's one-time welfare handout.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 22, 2014
Annals of cheap: Narita express buses
Narita Airport is still inconvenient for Tokyoites, but now getting there is less expensive.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 15, 2014
Deflation Watch: bean sprouts
Bean sprout producers are demanding retailers pay higher prices than the retailers are willing to pay.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 8, 2014
Cosmetics market shifts up in age
The cosmetics industry is looking at potentially booming business.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Dec 5, 2014
What's really behind the drop in home sales?
Thanks to the upcoming snap election, which is being called a referendum for the government's economic policies, everyone is aware that Japan's GDP has worsened since the consumption tax was raised last April. A large portion of this drop is being attributed to declining sales of new houses and condominiums.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Dec 1, 2014
Attitudes about money continue to affect marriage prospects
Unmarried men still don't expect their future spouses to contribute much financially to a household.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 24, 2014
Local governments finally getting around to public toilets
There will soon be many more Western-style toilets in Chiba Prefecture's public rest rooms
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 17, 2014
Are Japan's public school teachers paid too much?
Japanese teachers make more money than the world average, but they also work many more hours.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 11, 2014
Megabanks start to feel the heat from upstarts
Retailers and IT companies give new meaning to 'full service banking'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 4, 2014
The case for a higher consumption tax
If there has to be a tax, the consumption tax may be the fairest.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Oct 31, 2014
Homeowners resume debate on renewables
In September, Kyushu Electric Power announced it would stop buying energy from solar-power suppliers due to over-supply and a lack of transmission capacity, setting off a debate about Japan's dedication to renewable energy. While the decision to halt purchases of solar energy from any supplier whose capacity is more than 50kW doesn't affect home solar systems, homeowners will be affected sooner or later.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 14, 2014
How employer transportation allowances helped create commuter hell
Why don't more people live closer to their jobs?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 6, 2014
Foreign tourists expected to take up (some of) the slack in consumption
Food and beverages have been added to the duty-free list.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / HOME TRUTHS
Oct 3, 2014
Inheritance tax in Japan may not be the burden you imagined
With the government cutting corporate tax, it needs even more revenue to make up for its already alarming fiscal shortfall. So far the media has fixated on consumption tax, which tends to be more punishingly felt by the average person than any other sort of tax.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
In Japan, 68,000 people over 65 projected to die alone at home this year
As Japan grapples with its population's rapid aging, supporting people who live and age alone is looming larger on the policy agenda.
Japan’s carmakers look to China tech to claw back market share
Toyota CEO Koji Sato says the company plans to expand AI-related investments, and this year will focus on building a strong foundation for software-defined vehicles.
Ishin struggles to set itself apart from other parties
Nippon Ishin no Kai Secretary-General Fumitake Fujita (right) speaks beside Yui Kanazawa, the party's candidate in the Tokyo 15th district by-election on April 28. Nippon Ishin lost in this by-election as well as another in Nagasaki held on the same day.
Is Modi’s party heading for a stunning election loss?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tactics have escalated, including anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering, reflecting his ruling party's desperation.
New Taiwan president to set tone for ties with China at inauguration
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te arrives at the CyberSec 2024 Exhibition in Taipei on Wednesday.
Ishin struggles to set itself apart from other parties
Nippon Ishin no Kai Secretary-General Fumitake Fujita (right) speaks beside Yui Kanazawa, the party's candidate in the Tokyo 15th district by-election on April 28. Nippon Ishin lost in this by-election as well as another in Nagasaki held on the same day.
In Japan, 68,000 people over 65 projected to die alone at home this year
As Japan grapples with its population's rapid aging, supporting people who live and age alone is looming larger on the policy agenda.
In a rare event, the Northern Lights show up in Hokkaido
The Northern Lights in Nayoro, Hokkaido, on Saturday
Is black the new green for Japan’s flagging tea farmers?
George Guttridge-Smith brews tea at Kyoto Obubu Tea Farm in Wazuka, Kyoto Prefecture, where he serves as head of international development.

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

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

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