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May 20, 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.
For Alex K.T. Martin's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 19, 2019
Food for the soul: Traditional gyōza makers and eaters in Utsunomiya try to keep the dumplings rolling
Albert Kuwano Bakonyvari beckons me inside his factory's steam chamber, where hundreds of plump, white, crescent-shaped gyōza dumplings are neatly lined on stacks of trays fitted in steel racks, waiting to be sent to the freezer.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 6, 2019
The white rose that blossoms in the rain
White Rose Co. invented the plastic umbrella in the 1950s when Mitsuo Sudo was inspired by vinyl tablecloths brought to Japan by occupation forces. Now it's just one of few makers weathering the storm of cheap, mass-produced imports.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 15, 2019
The hot topic of Western saunas in Japan
Onsen hot spring baths may reign in Japan, but the Western sauna could be the next health and wellness trend.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 14, 2019
In the shadow of giants: Are high-rise condominiums in Japan destroying local communities?
Tsukishima is among many districts being gentrified by giant condominium projects popping up in the most populous city in the world.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Sep 13, 2019
Debate over Japan's extinct wolf grows
An unidentified animal howl recorded in the Okuchichibu mountains bears a strong resemblance to a wolf howl, according to an analysis of audio samples provided by Hiroshi Yagi, an independent researcher who has been working to prove the existence of the officially extinct Japanese wolf.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Sep 7, 2019
Death notes: Traditional rituals associated with curses persist in 21st-century Japan
It's a scorching summer afternoon with temperatures crawling toward 37 degrees Celsius. Kadota Inari Shrine is empty except for a chorus of screeching cicadas and the smooth stone statues of foxes guarding its entrance.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Aug 4, 2019
Spectral sightings at Zenshoan Temple
Tokyo's Yanaka district ghosts are back to haunt the public via rakugo storyteller Sanyutei Encho's collection of spooky paintings.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Aug 3, 2019
Chindonya: The beat goes on
Once a dying profession, chindonya troupes are passing their knowledge on to the next generation
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 11, 2019
Viral Momo Challenge hoax, based on sculpture by Japanese artist, being turned into Hollywood horror film
Momo, the goggle-eyed creature created by a Japanese artist that triggered a viral social-media hoax terrifying children and parents alike, is receiving a Hollywood makeover.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2019
One year after deadly flooding in western Japan, disaster resonates for vulnerable areas of Tokyo
In the worst-case scenario, 2.5 million residents will be affected as five low-lying wards are submerged in water over 10 meters deep.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2019
Blue-collar clothier Workman shakes up Japan's stagnant apparel market
It's a weekday morning and a steady stream of customers is entering a Workman store in Tokyo's industrial Ota Ward, mostly blue-collar workers looking for ¥99 rubber gloves, ¥3,500 safety shoes and other gear they need before heading to construction sites.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jun 26, 2019
Episode 18: Is the Japanese wolf really extinct?
The last confirmed sighting of the Japanese wolf was in 1905, but is it really extinct? The Japan Times' Alex Martin talks to Oscar Boyd about chasing down the story.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 14, 2019
With diagnosis and treatment lacking, nonprofit strives to raise awareness of OCD in Japan
A peer-inspired dieting competition triggered the unhealthy lifestyle, but it wasn't only an eating disorder that haunted Sayaka Hashiba's late sister.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 8, 2019
Stranger things: Weird ways to get festive in Japan
Men in straw capes wearing ferocious horned masks with gleaming eyes and long, pointed fangs stare down at a group of reporters. Others donning masks of a devil, monkey and a long-nosed tengu birdman squat as they pose for photographs during a news conference on Nov. 30 — the day after UNESCO added...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 1, 2019
Cibi: A 'little' store bridging the Japan-Australia gap in a big way
From coffee and pastries to discerningly curated Japanese-designed products, Cibi bridges a gap between Australia and Japan.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
May 25, 2019
In search of Japan's extinct wolves: Sightings of a mysterious canine in Chichibu have been captivating animal enthusiasts
It was around 3 p.m. on a chilly day in December. The sky was overcast and the scent of rain hung in the air when Rina Kambayashi happened upon a creature she had never seen before. Opening the front door to her family's gracefully weathered 150-year-old traditional wooden house, Kambayashi stepped out...
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 20, 2019
Downsized dwellings: Inside Tokyo's tiny living spaces
Twenty-five-year-old Sotaro Ito lives in a 9.46-square-meter apartment with a loft in the capital's retro-hip Koenji district.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 18, 2019
Japan's nōkanshi traditional morticians give dearly departed a final farewell
Yuko Nakajima says her job isn't as pretty as portrayed in "Departures," director Yojiro Takita's Oscar-winning 2008 film about Japanese ritual morticians.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Mar 30, 2019
Defining the Heisei Era: Japan deals with death, disasters and a feeling of insecurity
Post-disaster Tohoku has been rife with supernatural sightings.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 23, 2019
Flower power: A Tokyo florist's decision to close his shop amid a shrinking market affects a wider community
It's 2:30 a.m. and dark outside. Tsuyoshi Hirasawa can see his breath in the February chill as he turns the key in the ignition of his white Honda minivan. The large hands gripping the steering wheel are rough and leathery from years of working with water, soil and the stems and branches of plants he...
America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them
A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
Rare sequel to 'My Neighbor Totoro' to play at Cannes
A screening of "Mei and the Baby Cat Bus," which is being billed as a "mini-sequel" to the Studio Ghibli classic "My Neighbor Totoro," is set to take place at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last July.
Japan survey finds 30% of student interns experience sexual harassment
The proportion of recent graduates in Japan who have worked as interns have experienced sexual harassment during their internship was 30.1%, according to a labor ministry survey, up 4.6 percentage points from the previous survey in fiscal 2020.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
The politicians moving Japan forward on climate
While not the most outspoken politician on the issue, digital minister Taro Kono has a track record of being serious in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Seoul's eclectic Art OnO shines light on Japan's artists and galleries
Art OnO, which took place from April 19 to 21 in Seoul, featured a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries.
Want to be a voice actor? Stay 'true to the character'
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.
Local theater in Japan is more than a hobby — it’s a community
Japan Times contributor Laura Pollacco (front right) was offered the role of one of her all-time favorite heroines, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet, in the Tokyo International Players’ production of “Pride and Prejudice.”

Podcast

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

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

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