Masami Ito - The Japan Times

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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:

CULTURE / Art

Apr 17, 2002

As time goes by

From cityscapes to country roads, Edward Levinson captures even the smallest movements of nature through the eye of his pinhole camera.

COMMUNITY

Apr 7, 2002

Ishihara gambles on casinos

"Building a casino will create employment for 10,000 people."

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Mar 17, 2002

The Steiff of teddy-bear legend

Cute. In Japan, there's cuteness wherever you look -- Hello Kitty, Tare Panda, The Dog, etc., etc. But from next month to September 2003, Japanese people will be able to glimpse the creativity behind the cuteness of that cuddliest of all cuddlies -- the teddy bear -- when Germany-based Margarete Steiff GmbH celebrates the 100th birthday of its first teddy with an exhibition opening in Tokyo then touring the nation.

COMMUNITY

Mar 10, 2002

One nation under a hip-hop groove

Downtown West Shinjuku. The company workers have all gone home, leaving the streets quiet except for the sound of traffic.

COMMUNITY

Feb 24, 2002

'Technostress': Rage against the machine

Satoru Kobayashi, a 25-year-old computer programmer, had made smooth progress through life, with good grades from good schools. He had always been an introvert, though, with few friends, so his job as a programmer at a foreign-affiliated software manufacturing company suited him well.

COMMUNITY

Feb 17, 2002

Waseda and Keio: rivals to the core

It was Oct. 22, 1933, at the Jingu Baseball Stadium. The winner of the day's So-Kei (Waseda vs. Keio) match would lift the trophy for the year.

COMMUNITY

Jan 27, 2002

Eating disorders claiming ever younger victims

Aya Omiya was only 12 years old when she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. She was 17 when she died.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 23, 2002

He's got the white stuff

A DVD exhibition by Japanese video artist Atsushi Ogata is running till Feb. 7 at Ishizaka Art in Tokyo's Toranomon.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Jan 16, 2002

Getting to work with words

Installations by Suzumi Noda that integrate everyday words into the fabric of everyday items are on show till Feb. 12 at Tepco Art Gallery in Ginza.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 26, 2001

Borderless beauty of ink art

An exhibition of sumi art (ink art), a style combining calligraphy and painting, by Byakko Kashiwagi is running from today to Jan. 14 at Gallery ef in Tokyo's Asakusa.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 19, 2001

Capturing the moving image

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is holding an exhibition of photographs of the homeless, running till Jan. 27 at the Tokyo Photographic Culture Centre.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 12, 2001

Sculpting the lights fantastic

At the Morioka Crystal Gallery in Iwate Prefecture, Kate Thomson's brilliant collection of marble sculptures are on display till Dec. 29.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Dec 5, 2001

Paper-cutting artists breathe new life into an ancient craft

You can get a glimpse of the beauty of kiri-e (cut-paper pictures) created by members of the Zenkoku Kiri-e Dokokai (National Association of Kiri-e) at an exhibition running till Dec. 8 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 28, 2001

Distinctive and delicate art

China painting is a popular hobby in the United States and Europe, and is gradually gaining followers over here as well. A characteristic of porcelain art is the paints used -- made by mixing powdered minerals such as iron, copper, uranium and so on.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 25, 2001

Keeping up appearances -- not prices

"Recession." "Nikkei Average plunges below 10,000." "Unemployment tops 5%." Depressing economic trends of the past few years, reflected in headlines like these, have had a profound impact on consumer spending. But now, with less cash to splash out on extravagances, do we have to forego being fashionable?

COMMUNITY

Nov 18, 2001

Charting a route through the obstacle course

Whoever said "It's a jungle out there" must have been talking about Tokyo. Or perhaps it's more of a gigantic maze, with buildings squashed together, and stations with stairs and escalators going in every direction -- all filled with crowds of irritated people.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 14, 2001

Scenes of Istanbul life

Glimpse the beautiful city of Istanbul in a display of oil paintings by Turkish artist Acar Baskut, on display Nov. 16-18 at the Turkish Embassy in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Nov 11, 2001

Prodigies in a flash -- but maybe much too soon

"My daughter can solve algebraic differentiation and integration." "My son reads the Nikkei Shimbun every morning." "My child has read 'War and Peace.' "

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 7, 2001

Iberian artist's intuition

An exhibition of silk-screen prints by Portuguese artist Jose de Guimaraes is showing till Nov. 22 at the Portuguese Embassy in Kojimachi.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Art

Nov 7, 2001

Prints make an impression

"The International Print Triennial in Kanagawa 2001" is running till Nov. 25 at the Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery in Yokohama's Kannai district.

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

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

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