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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 / Society / ABE'S PROMISES
Jun 18, 2013
Yokohama day care centers scramble to keep kids off waiting lists
In the shadow of an imposing highway bypass in Yokohama, laughter and excited voices mingle in the small playground of a day care center attended by 52 children no older than 5.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Jun 18, 2013
Finnish diplomat pushes child-rearing for dads
For Finnish diplomat Mikko Koivumaa, being an ikumen (men who take an active role in ikuji, or child rearing) comes naturally.
COMMUNITY
Jun 1, 2013
ASIJ student helping women rebuild community
Sophia Slater, 17, felt she couldn't just sit back and do nothing when the monster earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. So she tried to find a way a teenager like her could help, apart from giving money or donating supplies for Tohoku.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 31, 2013
Africa fair spices up TICAD venue
Garments and baskets woven in bright colors, spicy cuisine and energetic music played on traditional instruments are livening up the vast Pacifico Yokohama convention center in Yokohama.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
May 14, 2013
Czech promoter sings way to cultural identity
For singer Eva Miklas Takamine, who also has been head of the Czech Center in Tokyo since March, singing both Czech and Japanese songs is a way of expressing her identity.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 2, 2013
'Chocolate project' teaches kids volunteerism
Most Japanese teens have little exposure to issues of worldwide poverty or the volunteerism that seeks to end it.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Apr 9, 2013
British ambassador laments his two 'lost decades'
Tim Hitchens, the new British ambassador to Japan, has observed with his own eyes the country's economic transition since he first visited here as a teenager back in the 1970s.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Apr 2, 2013
'Green growth' tops Costa Rican envoy's agenda
Costa Rican Ambassador Alvaro Cedeno Molinari says his mission here is to deliver his country's message on green growth and renewable energy — and to develop what he describes as a green growth agenda between his country and Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / MIXED MATCHES
Mar 19, 2013
Couple find happiness, plan to settle for life
Joerg Schnackenberg, 51, from Germany, and his wife, Teruka, 59, met in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, in 1995. Joerg, a biochemist who came to Japan right after finishing his Ph.D. at a German university, had been working at a private marine technology institute in Kamaishi for three years. Teruka, a nihonga (traditional Japanese painting) artist from Tokyo, was living in the coastal city with her husband and three children.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2013
Unable to return, Futaba residents fear becoming lost tribe
Makiyasu Matsumoto, 82, worries he may never be able to return to his hometown of Futaba, which was rendered uninhabitable by the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 power plant.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2013
Vets help out foreigners with ill pets
Foreigners with low Japanese-language ability who live in Tokyo and have pets often worry about finding proper care for their animals and medical professionals who can communicate the necessary diagnostic and treatment information.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Feb 26, 2013
Romania envoy hopes cultural affinity boosts ties
Romanian Ambassador Radu Serban is a veteran diplomat with a mission to promote economic ties with Japan. But the envoy, 61, has another agenda — promoting cultural and educational exchanges, which ties into his personal love of Japanese literature, especially haiku.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Feb 19, 2013
Journey to Kenya turns writer's life on its head, spurs Africa fascination
It was a single visit to Kenya in 1972 that completely changed Michio Hiraiwa's philosophy on life. He fell in love with the country, and visited there 150 times over the past 40 years. Once a workaholic, Hiraiwa says he now leads a stress-free and relaxed life, visiting Kenya and Tanzania four times a year with his daughter, Masayo.
Japan Times
Events
Jan 29, 2013
Preparing the foreign community for Japan's next big natural disaster
For newcomers to Japan, especially those who come from countries that don't experience frequent earthquakes, preparing for natural disasters like the megaquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku region on March 11, 2011, may not come so easily.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Jan 14, 2013
Canadian has English-language rakugo dream
Katsura Sunshine wants to spread the world of rakugo (traditional comic storytelling) to people all over the world, including his home country Canada, by delivering English-translated versions.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHO'S WHO
Jan 8, 2013
Online English studies benefit Japanese, Filipinos
Mohammad Moin tries to realize what he calls "intellectual fair trade" through his operation of an online English conversation school for Japanese — all taught by Filipino teachers.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Dec 25, 2012
Finns eagerly embracing things Japanese: envoy
Santa Claus, Moomin, contemporary design and saunas may be the things that come to mind when Japanese think of Finland. What may be less widely known is that the two countries have been strengthening cultural and educational ties in recent years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Dec 22, 2012
Dutchman keeps paper-making traditions alive at his Shikoku studio
Rogier Uitenboogaart, who has been charmed by the world of washi (traditional Japanese paper) for the past three decades — especially its deep relationship with nature and people's everyday lives — is trying to help preserve both nature and the traditional craft in this country.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2012
Bolster energy, security ties: top French envoy
Japan and France can have a solid role to play in today's globalized world if the two countries share a common goal and pursue further cooperation, French Ambassador Christian Masset said recently in Tokyo.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / OUR MAN IN TOKYO
Dec 4, 2012
Envoy puts focus on people-to-people ties
To serve as the United States ambassador to Japan is obviously not an easy task — not by any stretch of the imagination. That's the position John Roos was assigned in August 2009 even though he didn't have previous diplomatic experience or hold a political office.
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.
Harajuku strives to reclaim its former glory — and surpass it
Laforet Harajuku, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last year, has been a witness to the district's evolution over the years.
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.
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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Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
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