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July 27, 2024
 

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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
OLYMPICS / Longform
Jul 5, 2021
Twists and turns: Retracing Tokyo’s tumultuous path to the Olympics
Games organizers have been forced to confront ballooning costs, accusations of plagiarism and bribery, and — to top it all off — a crippling global pandemic.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Jun 14, 2021
Rethinking housing priorities in Japan in the wake of COVID-19
With remote work likely to remain as one of the pandemic's lasting legacies, developers are coming up with innovative new ways of meeting people's expectations toward accommodation and living spaces.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 7, 2021
'Nihonbashi Valley': Tokyo’s old trade quarters transforming into a startup hub
The financial district home to the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Bank of Japan is undergoing a makeover, luring dozens of life science and space technology startups.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 26, 2021
Japanese firms double down on online sales in China amid tourism halt
Demand for Japanese cosmetics is rising as Chinese consumers unable to travel abroad accelerate purchases on e-commerce platforms.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
May 24, 2021
How COVID-19 is altering consumer behavior in Japan
The coronavirus has changed the way we all shop, but which habits are likely to stay with us when the pandemic subsides?
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 13, 2021
As Olympics near, Tokyo flagged as among most disaster-vulnerable cities
When looking solely at natural disasters and the impact of earthquakes and typhoons on economies, populations and infrastructure, Tokyo and Osaka were listed as high-risk.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 12, 2021
Japanese hotels and travel agencies struggle as virus hits bookings
According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey, more than 40% of respondents in the hotel business said reservations dropped by over 70% between January and May this year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / Longform
May 3, 2021
New frontier: The future of tourism in Japan
Japan's travel industry has introduced new ways of attracting visitors amid COVID-19, but will any of these initiatives stick?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2021
Hit by restaurant closures, Japan's beer-makers double down on canned beer
With the state of emergency dealing a further blow to on-site sales, tapping into the growing market of home drinkers and health-conscious consumers has become essential.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2021
Fishing and boating lure more enthusiasts in pandemic-hit Japan
Sales of fishing gear and used boats are up, and 2020 saw an increase in the number of Japanese people obtaining boating licenses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 10, 2021
The changing face of medical care for Japan's older residents amid COVID-19
The prolonged state of social isolation amid the ongoing pandemic is deteriorating the mental and physical health of Japan's seniors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Mar 20, 2021
Leap of faith: Japan’s religious institutions get innovative in pandemic
Temples and shrines nationwide are experimenting with new ways of meeting the spiritual and emotional needs of parishioners.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Remembering 3/11
Mar 11, 2021
Olympic torchbearer aiming to remind the world of 2011 disaster
Kenichi Kurosawa survived the earthquake and tsunami, and has been constantly encouraging his neighbors to stay strong ever since.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 10, 2021
Episode 85: Ishinomaki — A tsunami-ravaged city, 10 years on
Alex Martin and Mari Saito bring us two stories from Tohoku, a decade after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Remembering 3/11
Mar 6, 2021
A decade on, real challenges lie ahead for communities devastated by March 2011 disaster
With the government poised to significantly reduce the subsidies handed out to areas recovering from the catastrophe, will the city of Ishinomaki be able to stand on its own?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 7, 2021
Suicides in Japan dropped for a decade. Then the pandemic hit.
Economic insecurity, social isolation and the lingering dread that those you love can suddenly fall victim to the pathogen have stirred a toxic mix of stress and anxiety.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Jan 30, 2021
Japan’s hospitality sector creaks under the weight of a second state of emergency
Restaurants, bars and karaoke parlors are bearing the brunt of restrictions placed on their operations, a move that could have a long-lasting impact on the nation's culinary landscape.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Jan 9, 2021
Insects: The future of food?
A thriving industry looks promising if consumer aversion can be overcome.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2020
Shut that window! Open that window! Coronavirus in winter presents new challenge
The dry and often freezing climate is proving to be challenging as restaurants, shops and other facilities scramble to keep their facilities safe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 12, 2020
Escaping COVID-19: When you can’t see the virus for the trees
Individuals are replacing forestry companies and large corporations in efforts to buy plots of affordable forestland — but for a very different reason.
Japan's population continues to fall even as foreign resident count rises
The number of residents in Tokyo as of Jan. 1 rose by 0.03% from a year before, data shows, marking a year-on-year increase for the first time in three years, while the country's other 46 prefectures saw their populations continue to decline.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
One dead, three missing as heavy rain batters Tohoku
Camera footage shows the Mogami River bursting its banks in Tozawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Friday morning.
Yen melt-up nudges Japanese stocks into correction territory
Japanese stocks are down 10% from their July peak as the yen strengthens.
Yen rally could help end crushing wage decay in Japan
Some economists say a sticky weak yen trend would have a negative impact on Japan's real wage growth.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
Japan loses top spot on strongest passport list to Singapore
Japan had the strongest passport for six years running from 2018, before being dethroned by Singapore on the 2024 list.
Why Japan's mysterious stash of classified funds escapes scrutiny
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) during a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Terunofuji, as he tends to do, returns to stamp his authority on sumo pretenders
Terunofuji (left) throws down Kirishima on Tuesday to build on his perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japanese startups advised to internationalize to get some global mojo
Entrepreneurs who participated in the Beyond Japan Zero to X program last year share their experiences in the United States during a meeting in May in Tokyo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals
By Alex K.T. Martin

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mission sustainability vol.11 : Sekisui House Ltd.World’s top homebuilder acts on its responsibility
mission sustainability vol.11 : Sekisui House Ltd.World’s top homebuilder acts on its responsibility

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