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 Louise George Kittaka

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Louise George Kittaka
Originally from New Zealand, Louise George Kittaka is a bilingual writer based in Tokyo. She contributes to a wide range of news and information media, as well as Japan’s educational publishing sector. When she isn’t at her computer, Louise loves exploring waterfalls, going to cake buffets and collecting anything related to the Aliens movie franchise.
For Louise George Kittaka's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Nov 2, 2014
Closing a bank account from outside Japan; a new way to pay NHK
Advice on closing a bank account from abroad, and how you could lump your NHK fees together with cable TV payments.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 19, 2014
DeafJapan opens up the world to the hearing-impaired
DeafJapan provides opportunities for hearing-impaired people in Japan to enjoy activities in English while also linking them up with the global community.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 6, 2014
Range of services rush to fill gaps in Japan's after-school care market
As the government moves to widen access for older children, the private sector offers flexibility and a focus on areas such as English and sports.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 5, 2014
Families run into twin 'walls' as they seek after-school care
The gulf between day care for preschoolers and after-school care for elementary school students can come as a major shock to the system for parents and children alike.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Sep 14, 2014
KidArt seeks to coax out Japanese students' neglected creativity
Disappointed at the lack of creativity in the English curriculum in Japanese schools, Jonathan Genji Abbott founded KidArt International in 2012.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Sep 8, 2014
Mind the 'geb': Little word is a big problem for Japan's German residents
Inflexible residence card system leaves married Germans with ridiculously long names on their IDs — along with an annoying little extra word.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Sep 7, 2014
Yoko and author's other furry friends help kids cope with childhood challenges
Rosemary Wells' stories — including a series about a Japanese kitten's experience at an American school — have been delighting children and adults alike around the world for over 40 years.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Aug 24, 2014
New buildings can take the sunshine out of life
As residents of Japan, most of us probably expect that our right to sunlight is protected by law. However, as reader Y found, that isn't really the case.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 27, 2014
Dependents, know your limit: ¥1,030,000, to be exact
This week's question comes from the non-Japanese parents of a teenager who wants to work part-time to save for university.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jul 13, 2014
Shifting from the SOFA to permanent residency
An American civilian worker on a U.S. military base who has plans to retire here with his older Japanese wife wonders what will happen to his visa status if she predeceases him.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jul 7, 2014
Foreign women also face 'maternity harassment'
Non-Japanese women discuss their experiences of mata-hara, or 'maternity harassment' — discrimination in the workplace against women who are pregnant, on child-care leave or have returned to work after giving birth.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Jun 29, 2014
British School runners hit historic Nakasendo trade trail
A team of students, staff and parents sets out to run the Nakasendo, the ancient route linking Kyoto and Tokyo, to raise money to build a school in Cambodia.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jun 22, 2014
All-consuming school clubs worry foreign parents
School club activities — something that most Japanese parents accept as a normal and desirable rite of passage in their child's development — can leave foreign parents quaking in their boots at what lies ahead.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 2, 2014
Japan urged to make its cosmetics 'cruelty-free'
While Japanese consumers clamor for items that will make their skin smoother or their hair shinier, relatively few people are aware of the horror behind the products in their cosmetics cases.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 19, 2014
From Fukushima to Syria, CWAJ supports scholars
The College Women's Association of Japan awards a variety of annual scholarships in higher education, backing, among others, women from abroad studying in Japan and Japanese women getting an education overseas.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / VIEWS FROM THE STREET
May 7, 2014
Iwate: Do you think the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will have any positive effect on Tohoku?
Interviewees in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, are divided on the whether any of the promised 2020 Tokyo Olympic feelgood factor will touch Tohoku.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
May 5, 2014
English morris dancing hits Japan, with all the bells and whistles
The English form of folk dancing known as morris dates back to the Middle Ages and involves costumed groups of dancers stepping in time to music. Barely seen in Japan before, this traditional art can now be experienced in the most unexpected of locations: Shikoku.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Apr 6, 2014
Read up on ways that can help us learn English
Public libraries are important community resources across Japan, but while English is taught from fifth grade, those hoping to find a ready stash of English-language reading material may be disappointed.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 23, 2014
Hiroshima International School and Think Global School students mix it up in Multiculturalism 101
With the weak economy resulting in fewer families coming to Japan, international schools here are exploring new ways to attract students.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Mar 16, 2014
Tone it down, don't upstage the graduate
Spring is just around the corner, and for teachers and parents with kids who are moving on to the next stage in the Japanese education system, that means graduation season.

Longform

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