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May 02, 2024
 

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Mark Schreiber

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Mark Schreiber
Mark Schreiber worked as a salaryman in travel, consumer electronics, computer software, advertising and market research before turning to translation and writing full time. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he has lived in Tokyo since 1966.
For Mark Schreiber's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 10, 2021
For Japanese men, perhaps money really can buy happiness?
A survey shows that men paid higher salaries (surprise, surprise) have felt less lonely during the pandemic, while a new film group plans to revisit Japan's samurai past.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 27, 2021
There's more to hanami than cherry blossoms
Plum blossoms, azaleas and chrysanthemums are also celebrated nationwide during their seasonal appearance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 13, 2021
Understanding why Japan's prime ministers tend to avoid staying in the official residency
The four-story structure has a somewhat dark history, with former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reportedly arranging for a Shinto priest to come to the residence and perform an exorcism.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 27, 2021
Corporate selloffs reflect tough times in Japan amid pandemic
Leading Japanese companies are considering selling off prestigious headquarters in central Tokyo as COVID-19 continues to reshape business operations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Feb 13, 2021
Japan juggles power struggles, hotel woes and what to do with repurposed ATM spaces
The unusually cold winter this year is putting a strain on power utilities nationwide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 30, 2021
Japanese news outlets report from the besieged citadel of American democracy
The initial reactions in the Japanese media, which focused on the flamboyant garb of a certain individual that was part of the unruly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 29, 2021
Casting the demons out with some fiendish Japanese idioms
Setsubun comes before the arrival of spring and it's marked by efforts to cast demons out of your home. However, we can't get the demons out of the Japanese language.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 16, 2021
Stories that cater to the soul, the intellect and the stomach
Examining the challenges facing Soka Gakkai, a new teen comic book hero and coffee franchises nationwide amid the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 31, 2020
Crime prevention tips for seniors among highlights of new year publications
From looking at the contents, you'd never have guessed what a crazy year 2020 has been.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 19, 2020
Dissecting Japan's hit products of 2020
While many popular items in 2020 were related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a few surprises attracted attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 5, 2020
Japan's portrait studios are adjusting services to cater to COVID-19 landscape
Revenue this year is expected to plunge by as much as 20% from 2019.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 21, 2020
Japanese media weigh in on the U.S. election
'Biden may have been elected, but it won't be easy to repair the rifts that have widened over the past four years.'
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Nov 7, 2020
Pandemic spurs idle workers in Japan to engage in moonlighting
An oft-cited passage from the Gospel of Matthew (6:24) goes: "No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 24, 2020
Pandemic pushes Japan's wealthy to spend like there's no tomorrow
Since overseas travel has become virtually impossible, some people have been diverting more of their disposable income into luxury items such as new cars.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Oct 10, 2020
U.S. election coverage falls flat in Japan
Japan's mainstream media might be taking their cue from the new administration of Yoshihide Suga
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 26, 2020
Telltale signs that a business in Japan may be teetering on the edge of financial ruin
One reliable way to discern if the corporate ship is listing severely is to scrutinize the behavior of its president.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Sep 12, 2020
Japan is caught in the crossfire of a U.S.-China culture war
'China is trying to hijack the networks and communications infrastructure of other countries,' a data analyst warns.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 30, 2020
The COVID-19 diet appeals to the omnivores among us
Instant noodles were one of the most sought-after consumer items in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 15, 2020
The popularity of jeans in Japan begins to fray
According to industry data, total sales of jeans of all types reached 78 million pairs in 2002. The current annual figure is believed to have fallen below 40 million.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Aug 1, 2020
Kabukicho host clubs under fire for spreading coronavirus
Some media outlets are weighing the pros and cons of mounting an actual 'blockade' of Tokyo's well-known entertainment district.
'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.
Did Japan intervene to prop up the yen? Analysts think it did.
A man walks past an electronic board displaying the exchange rate for the yen against the U.S. dollar (right) in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
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.
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.

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

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

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