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May 03, 2024
 

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Mami Maruko
Staff writer Mami Maruko writes stories about the international community in Japan, including profiles of Tokyo-based ambassadors and international marriages. She received education in Japan, England and the U.S. She graduated from Goldsmiths College, University of London, with a masters degree in Theater Arts.
For Mami Maruko's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Feb 15, 2015
LGBT students may be ready to come out, but are Japan's schools ready to accept them?
When university student Osamu Inoue, 19, came out openly in high school two years ago and admitted he was gay, he had hoped that at least his school would have adopted a more positive attitude toward sexual minorities.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 4, 2015
Malware targets users seeking info on Islamic State group
Sophisticated computer malware has been infecting computers when users visit certain blogs that discuss the Islamic State militant group.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2015
Venerable Children's Castle in Tokyo set to close after 30 years
After 30 years, Kodomo-no-shiro (National Children's Castle), the venerable children's arts and sports complex in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, is set to shut its doors.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2015
Japanese at higher risk of kidnap, analyst says
As the latest Islamic State deadline ticked closer on Thursday, one analyst said the Abe administration's response to the hostage crisis may leave other Japanese at risk of being kidnapped as political extremists and profiteers now see them as easy prey.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2015
Doubts grow over voice, image differences in Yukawa death video
The government says Saturday's video containing what appears to be the corpse of hostage Haruna Yukawa is probably authentic, but less certain is whether the same can be said of the voice on the recording claiming in English to be Kenji Goto.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 26, 2015
Tokyo's hydrogen mission starts now
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is setting up a ¥40 billion fund to promote the use of hydrogen energy and promote Japan's ecological technologies ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 23, 2015
Activist says Uganda documentary may aid LGBT cause
Japan has developed a more favorable view of sexual minorities in recent years, but activist Mameta Endo wants to raise awareness of the issue further by encouraging people to take in a documentary that captures the hatred, harassment, and risk of prison time such people face in Uganda.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2015
Lecturer resigns after stripping on campus for student lover
A 55-year-old part-time computer science lecturer resigned from Taisho University in Tokyo on Thursday after being found naked in a corridor.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2014
Autistic people find independence at unique facility in Saitama
Due to a dearth of job opportunities in Japan for autistic people, mainly deriving from a lack of understanding toward the disorder, it is often difficult for them to lead independent lives after they attain adulthood.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2014
Exploited working students starting to fight 'burakku arubaito' system
The 22-year-old university student was in his fifth day working part time at a Sukiya beef bowl outlet in Tokyo when his boss suddenly told him to run the shop from midnight to 9 a.m. all by himself.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2014
Vexed Riken halts Obokata's bid to prove stem cell discovery
Discredited scientist Haruko Obokata's quest to prove her stem cell discovery comes to an end as Riken halts a monthslong attempt to verify the “STAP cell” phenomena.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 12, 2014
Ishikawa aims to become first openly gay member of Lower House
Openly gay politician Taiga Ishikawa says that winning a Diet seat in Sunday's election would empower him to change politics and help Japanese society recognize its diversity.
JAPAN / Society / DECISION 2014
Dec 9, 2014
Most political parties falling short on child poverty pledges, NPO says
Only two political parties this election are pledging to take full action on child poverty, according to a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2014
Kanze Nohgaku Theater moves back to Ginza
The Kanze Nohgaku Theater in Tokyo's Shibuya district plans to close in March and reopen in Ginza in November 2016, according to the head of the country's largest school of noh.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 24, 2014
With ethics classes receiving upgrade in 2018, worries of nationalism rise
Starting in the 2018 academic year, so-called "dotoku" (moral education) will be part of the regular curriculum in elementary and junior high schools, instead of its current status as an "activity outside the set subjects."
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2014
Shimomura wants to make English classes mandatory for fifth- and sixth-graders
Education minister Hakubun Shimomura proposes a root-and-branch overhaul of the elementary, junior high and high school curricula.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2014
Heritage listing a wake-up call for taking charge of Mount Fuji cleanup
Alpinist Ken Noguchi was devastated by Mount Fuji's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site last year because the mountain's problems, including its excessive garbage and the irresponsible people who climb and manage it, had not been resolved.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2014
Japan and U.S. accused of failing Okinawa residents and veterans sickened by Agent Orange
A journalist who has documented the alleged existence of Agent Orange on Okinawa has accused Tokyo and Washington of side-stepping their responsibilities to local residents and military personnel who may have been exposed to the toxic defoliant.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2014
Confidence key to female success, say panelists at Tokyo forum
Women's advances in society are now a "must" in Japan, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration pledging to make every woman shine. But many still find it difficult to break the glass ceiling in a male-dominated society —mainly due to their lack of self-confidence, speakers at a recent Tokyo forum on gender diversity said.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2014
Australia accepts Eiken certificate as proof of English ability
Holders of an Eiken English language certificate can now apply for admission to hundreds of high schools across Australia.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'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.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
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.

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