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May 03, 2024
 

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Masami Ito

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Masami Ito
Masami is a staff writer for the Life and Culture Division at The Japan Times. She is in charge of the weekly Sunday Timeout, covering various issues related to Japan, from alcohol/drug addiction and juvenile crime to female sushi chefs and kendama. Over her 15-year career, she has written extensively on Japanese politics, foreign policy and social issues.
For Masami Ito's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 12, 2017
Food for thought: Government agencies are joining private initiatives to tackle the growing problem of food waste in Japan
Consumers, retailers and businesses nationwide throw away millions of tons of food each year, with waste ultimately affecting profit levels and keeping officials up at night.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 12, 2017
Even discarded crusts can go a long way in feeding the needy
It all began with bread crusts — lots and lots of bread crusts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 22, 2017
How not to create a stink at the office
More domestic companies are taking the issue of unpleasant odors in the workplace seriously.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jul 30, 2016
Commuters fight back against groping
Takako Tonooka's life at high school did not start out the way she had anticipated. On the very first day she attended class, she was groped on the train — and that was only the beginning of her nightmare. For a year and a half, she was the victim of persistent groping attacks during her commute to and from school.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 14, 2016
True colors: Seeking equality in the way we see the world
Steps are being taken to assist people with color vision deficiency navigate life more easily. As we find out, however, not everyone agrees with the approach.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 30, 2016
Heel! A ruff guide to Japan's top dogs
Behind the scenes of the country's largest dog show.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 23, 2016
Making hay while the sun shines: Should Japan adopt daylight saving time in summer?
How many times have you been jolted awake in summer at 4:30 a.m. by rays of sunlight streaming through your flimsy curtains? Conversely, how many sunsets have you missed because you've been stuck in an office until it's officially time to go home?
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 2, 2016
The scourge of binge drinking on youth
As the new academic year begins, Masami Ito looks at efforts that are being made to prevent young people from drinking heavily in group settings.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Feb 27, 2016
Learning to embrace the halal industry
With an increasing number of Muslims residing in and visiting Japan, local governments and businesses in the private sector are eyeing ways to target the potentially lucrative market
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 13, 2016
Give me chocolate: Japan's growing obsession with the 'food of the gods'
People with a sweet tooth can get a glimpse of how Charlie Bucket felt when he first stepped into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory in Roald Dahl's popular 1964 tale by popping into Musee du Chocolat Theobroma in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 23, 2016
Can farmed tuna save the bluefin from extinction?
Conservationists have long warned that bluefin tuna stocks are declining. While the development of aquaculture may offer an alternative, it doesn't come without a few headaches of its own.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 2, 2016
House of cards: Can traditional New Year’s greetings survive in modern times?
On Jan. 1, legions of Japan Post Co. employees delivered millions of nengajō (New Year's cards) to homes nationwide.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 2, 2016
Postal workers nationwide do whatever it takes to deliver New Year's greetings on time
Waking up on Jan. 1 is a little like waking up on Christmas morning — there's a palpable sense of excitement in the air as you reach into your post box to discover who has (and who hasn't) sent you a New Year's card.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 26, 2015
'Ōsōji': ways to keep your home spick and span
Three experts discuss their philosophy on the New Year's chore that everybody loves — cleaning.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 14, 2015
Shibuya's redevelopment to create a futuristic railway station fit for the 21st century
Looking down from the 11th floor of Tokyo's Hikarie skyscraper, the seemingly endless ebb and flow of people using Shibuya Station is hypnotic to watch.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 7, 2015
Heart of darkness: Nostalgic Tokyo disappearing amid construction boom
The Shinagawa neighborhood of Musashi-Koyama — a vibrant maze of tiny alleyways that once housed dozens of small eateries, tapas restaurants and bars — is now a virtual ghost town.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 4, 2015
Supreme Court to examine marriage rules dubbed unfair, unconstitutional
The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a case arguing that forcing married couples to choose one surname, and prohibiting women from remarrying for six months after a divorce, are unconstitutional.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 31, 2015
Tsukiji countdown: clock ticking on famed fish market
With a year to go until the wholesale fish market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward closes its doors for good, operators in the market prepare to say their last goodbyes to the landmark attraction.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 17, 2015
What's in a name? Japan debates whether to allow spouses to adopt separate surnames
Upper House lawmaker Mizuho Fukushima and her partner, Yuichi Kaido, have been together for about 40 years. They don't celebrate any kind of anniversary, however, because they've never been officially married.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 3, 2015
Women of Japan unite: Examining the contemporary state of feminism
On Oct. 21, 1970, hundreds of women marched through the streets of Tokyo, an occasion that is often referred to as the birth of the women's liberation movement in Japan.
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.

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