Mariko Kato - The Japan Times

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Mariko Kato

For Mariko Kato's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

BUSINESS

Nov 7, 2009

Dongguan official invites direct investment

A vice mayor of the Chinese industrial city of Dongguan urged Japanese manufacturers Friday to expand on its turf and exploit its domestic market to help the city recover from the global economic crisis and fall in exports.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 1, 2009

Vienna looks to alter staid image by design

Mozart, Freud, Klimt. Those who came to Vienna in centuries gone by to join the heart of European activity are now the very attractions that draw crowds of tourists to the Austrian capital today.

JAPAN

Oct 29, 2009

'Comfort women' bill gets new life

The new administration must ensure the Diet passes a bill recognizing the women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military during the war if it is to form the East Asian Community proposed by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, nine ruling party lawmakers said Wednesday.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Q&A

Oct 23, 2009

Lowdown on H1N1 vaccinations

With swine flu inoculations now under way for medical workers, other people may be anxious about when it will be their turn. As cooler weather sets in, and with it higher risks of contracting the new H1N1 virus, the government is administering vaccinations on a priority basis, with healthy working-age adults getting their shots probably in the first few months of next year.

JAPAN

Oct 23, 2009

N.Y., London, Paris still beat Tokyo

Factoring together culture, environment, economy and accessibility, Tokyo ranks fourth out of 35 major cities worldwide and only, but still, lags behind leader New York, No. 2 London and third-place Paris, but it has the potential to go higher, a report released Thursday by an urban development research center says.

JAPAN / EXPLAINER

Oct 20, 2009

Abortion still key birth control

People may be surprised to know abortion has been legal in Japan since 1949, more than a decade earlier than in other industrialized countries.

Japan Times

Events / WHERE IT'S AT

Oct 20, 2009

Chiba's Highland Games offer true flavor of Scotland

Idle dog-walkers and shoppers around JR Makuhari Station were met with an unusual spectacle one sunny Sunday morning earlier this month. A large-framed blond man in a kilt sauntered past the shopping complex; then a group of Japanese women adorned in checked sashes came skipping along the intersection. The breeze brought a faint smell of haggis, followed by the unmistakable sound of bagpipes.

JAPAN

Oct 16, 2009

Fukuoka cops free American who tried to get kids back

An American man who was arrested in Fukuoka for allegedly abducting his children in order to regain custody has been released from jail, police said Thursday.

Japan Times

JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW

Oct 9, 2009

Education chief takes liberal path

New education minister Tatsuo Kawabata says he will give more control of schools to local governments and increase practical learning, indicating a turn away from the conservative policies of previous administrations.

JAPAN

Oct 7, 2009

Japan hit over child porn

The head of UNICEF on Tuesday condemned Japan's laws on child pornography, saying the country is falling behind global standards and is guilty of spreading illegal material abroad.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 4, 2009

Lack of vision, flair sank bid: experts

As Tokyo lost the race to host the 2016 Olympic Games to Rio de Janeiro early Saturday, experts, while praising the bid's promises of secure funding and safety, criticized it as lacking vision and panache.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 24, 2009

Etiquette 101 seminars a hit

How to enter a room with bamboo mats, where to place chopsticks, what not to wear — these are just some of the essential rules of etiquette young professionals are learning from Michiko Noguchi, a veteran restaurant mistress whose seminars on table manners are growing in popularity.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 19, 2009

JRP grads bridge cultures

A group of young foreigners who visited Japan as part of a study program and mastered the language announced their favorite Japanese words Tuesday to an admiring domestic crowd.

JAPAN

Sep 17, 2009

Voters want end to pork-barrel politics

As the Democratic Party of Japan formed one of the most hotly anticipated Cabinets in decades, many voters voiced hope the new administration will put a stop to wasteful spending while others remained skeptical it will be able to deliver on its key campaign promises.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 10, 2009

Women lack confidence, ambition for Diet: experts

Although last month's election brought an unprecedented number of women into the Lower House, female lawmakers both at home and abroad are still subject to double standards and lack the ambition to take the stage in national politics, experts said at a recent symposium.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 1, 2009

Interest high among foreign media in 'historic' election

The Democratic Party of Japan's landslide victory election has stirred interest among foreign media, who generally view the ousting of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled almost without interruption for 54 years, as a positive sign of change.

JAPAN

Aug 31, 2009

Voters, fed up with LDP, say it's time for change

As the Democratic Party of Japan's stunning victory and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's resounding defeat was reported Sunday night, many voters on the streets of Tokyo said they savored their chance to vote for change.

JAPAN / ELECTION 2009

Aug 27, 2009

Political shift gives hope to gays

The possible power shift in Sunday's general election signals change for many, and one minority interest group is daring to hope it will bring about the biggest change yet.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Aug 22, 2009

Japan's H1N1 cases at flu epidemic stage

On the basis of substantially increased hospitalizations, the H1N1 swine flu outbreak was declared an epidemic by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases on Friday.

Japan Times

JAPAN / ELECTION 2009

Aug 13, 2009

Parties wave flag for child-rearing

Child-rearing support is a focal issue in the campaign for the Aug. 30 election as the two main parties fight to woo parents, especially those who both work or have young children.

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

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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