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 Alex K.T. Martin

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Alex K.T. Martin
Alex K.T. Martin is a Tokyo-based journalist and senior writer at The Japan Times, primarily focusing on feature stories. Previously he was a Tokyo correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2011
Sendai's jazz festival keeps the beat
For the past 20 years, the streets of Sendai have resonated with live music during the annual two-day Jozenji Streetjazz Festival, gathering crowds of hundreds and thousands from across the nation in what has become a staple mid-September feature in the city of 1 million.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2011
Maehara's overture to Ozawa
Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, a leading candidate in Monday's Democratic Party of Japan presidential poll, made the rounds Wednesday seeking support from party lawmakers, including kingpin Ichiro Ozawa.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2011
Maher denies making disparaging remarks
Kevin Maher, a former senior U.S. diplomat sacked in March after allegedly making derogatory remarks about Okinawans, on Wednesday denied ever making the comments and accused the reporter who broke the story of breaching journalistic standards.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 18, 2011
Sidelined by quake, Libyans here still seek Gadhafi ouster
Japan's tiny Libyan community found itself in a tight spot when radiation scares swept the nation following the Tohoku triple disaster and foreigners fled the country en masse.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 17, 2011
Famed Miyagi temple's visitors vanishing
Entsuin, also known as the rose temple for its unique Western-style rose garden, has long been a tourist fixture in the bay town of Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 17, 2011
Tsunami spared Matsushima but swept away bay's tourists
Matsuo Basho, arguably Japan's most famous haiku poet, is said to have been at a loss for words when he first saw the hundreds of pine-clad islets scattered around Matsushima Bay during a 17th-century journey to the Tohoku region.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2011
On day of past defeat, Kan urges recovery
Prime Minister Naoto Kan pledged Monday on the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II that the nation would recover from the March 11 triple disaster, likening the hardship to postwar reconstruction.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2011
Disaster prep key for companies, APEC affirms
A three-day meeting on disaster preparedness by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum economies wrapped up Wednesday with attendees reaffirming the necessity to formulate and promote business continuity plans to improve risk-management in the private sector.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2011
APEC workshop focuses on disaster preparedness
A gathering on disaster preparedness by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members officially kicked off Tuesday, featuring case studies on how businesses overcame the damage inflicted by the March 11 catastrophe that wiped out many of their footholds in the Tohoku region.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 26, 2011
TV: Analog out, digital in, with rivals Net, satellite, cable
Sunday marked a nationwide transition to digital terrestrial television broadcasting, bringing to an end over five decades of analog transmissions in Japan.
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2011
Response to crisis shows deepening ties, Seoul's new ambassador says
Cooperation between Japan and South Korea in the aftermath of the Tohoku triple disaster proved that ties between the two nations have never been stronger, Seoul's new envoy to Tokyo said Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2011
Foreign policy short on rights focus: HRW chief
Japan needs to make greater efforts to incorporate human rights as an element of its foreign policy, according to the executive director of Human Rights Watch.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2011
UNHCR exec lauds refugee strides, urges more
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees is grateful for the support Japan has given to the organization's work over the years, and hopes the government's refugee resettlement program proves successful and continues to expand, the agency's deputy high commissioner said in a recent interview.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2011
ASDF F-15 and pilot missing in the East China Sea
An Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter from the Naha Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture apparently went down Tuesday morning in the East China Sea during a training flight and the pilot is listed as missing, Defense Ministry officials in Tokyo said.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2011
First overseas military base since WWII to open in Djibouti
The Maritime Self-Defense Force will hold an inauguration ceremony Tuesday in Djibouti for Japan's first overseas military base since World War II, a move that Ahmed Araita Ali, Djibouti's ambassador to Japan, describes as an opportunity for Tokyo to play a larger international role in peacekeeping and...
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2011
Reconstruction HQ holds first meet
The government's reconstruction headquarters held its first meeting Tuesday, with Prime Minister Naoto Kan calling for concrete measures to be drawn up to help the devastated northeast recover from the quake and tsunami.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2011
Red Cross: More Libya aid needed
Four months since a violent uprising swept Libya and split the nation in a civil war, fighting continues between forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi and the opposition seeking to drive him from power.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 23, 2011
Japan, U.S. can't manage to shake Futenma headache
High-level security talks between Japan and the United States held Tuesday in Washington canceled the 2014 deadline to move the contentious Futenma air base in Okinawa and highlighted the main issue that is likely to continue complicating the bilateral relationship.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2011
Don't count Ozawa out until he is
Over the decades he's been dubbed the "shadow shogun," "the destroyer" and "the backroom fixer" for his powerful influence in the political arena and penchant for shaking up governments with his "strong hand."
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2011
Peru trade minister applauds Japan EPA
The recent signing of the Japan-Peru free-trade agreement is beneficial for both nations in boosting trade and opening up investment opportunities, Peru's trade minister said Wednesday.

Longform

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