William Lang - The Japan Times

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William Lang

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

May 22, 2023

Filling in the cracks: Japan’s shifting perspective on disability employment

The Valuable 500's Crosby Cromwell discusses best practice regarding disability in business in Japan, and she is optimistic about the direction we are heading in.

Japan Times

LIFE / Travel

Dec 3, 2022

Tokyo named among the world's best destinations for disabled travelers

Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Paris and Tokyo were all among the most accessible cities according to a recent report, but there's still more work to be done.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Aug 29, 2022

Autumn nights are all right for romance

While some may interpret the 'fresh start' of spring as a more romantic part of the year, a case should be made for the grace of autumn as being a true opportunity for a relationship.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jan 24, 2022

A shinkansen to space (and other news found beneath the sofa)

While you may have done a 'big clean' around your house at New Year's, there are still a few news stories that our writer would like to tidy up.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Oct 18, 2021

It’s hard to get your voice heard in a Japanese election

Ten years ago, a British resident grabbed the mic from a Japanese politician. What would you say if you had that moment in the spotlight?

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Sep 27, 2021

18 months upon the rock: Perseverance amid the pandemic

With vaccinations increasing, it's time for us to get out from under our rocks and look at what life will be like in these post-pandemic times.

PARALYMPICS

Aug 23, 2021

2020 Tokyo Paralympics offer an opportunity for everyone to find their inner sportsperson

If the Olympics are typically celebrated for their athletic achievements, the Paralympics are no less deserving when it comes to the inspirational performances on display.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jun 28, 2021

Osaka: The world’s ‘second city’ … but by whose metrics?

The Economist Intelligence Unit has declared Osaka the second most livable city in the world. Does a former resident remember it being so wonderful?

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

May 10, 2021

Some people may not mind a scaled-back Olympics

Nobody likes a pandemic, but some people may be a little relieved that they won't have to deal with larger crowds come the Olympics.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Mar 29, 2021

So long, bus No. 99 from Shinagawa. Thanks for the memories.

As Japan prepares to make immigration services available online, our writer waxes nostalgic on the positives of making the trip out to the physical space itself.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Feb 1, 2021

You can't get anything past the neighborhood watchers

The eyes of the nation are upon you, and they are making sure that you put the trash out correctly.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jan 18, 2021

Perhaps it's time to un-discover some of 2020

We discovered a vaccine for COVID-19 in record time, but there are a few things that writer William Lang would like to un-discover about the pandemic if possible.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Dec 24, 2020

Making way for a new kind of Christmas

Writer William Lang's previous Christmases were all about excess — the more presents and food, the better. But this year, he's celebrating the holidays with a minimalist approach.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Oct 19, 2020

My bicultural child is starting to reveal his two faces

When my son switches from speaking English to Japanese, it seems like his personality changes as well.

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Sep 28, 2020

Masks, noisy TVs and the lessons my students have learned from Corona-san

With language lessons on hold for many English teachers due to the pandemic, William Lang catches up with some of his own Japanese students.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jul 19, 2020

Appreciating Japan’s little details in a time of restricted travel

The travelers among us may want to get into an old state of mind to satisfy their wanderlust.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE

Mar 23, 2020

The way of the toddler: Sōranbushi and sumo

April is approaching and with it comes the start of the new school year. Ordinarily, this would be a time for ceremonies replete with tears and smartphone-captured sentimentality. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, however, even such small-scale public gatherings are less visible.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Feb 27, 2020

One day he was teaching English in Japan, and the next day, he was blind

'If you start to feel disoriented, you're getting it,' is how one writer describes the process of losing his sight at the age of 29. And after the disorientation comes the process of rebuilding a life in a foreign country.

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA

Jan 13, 2020

How my local Japanese supermarket killed 'Methuselah'

We all try to do our part for the environment, William Lang's contribution was 'Methuselah,' his trusty (and banged up) reusable shopping bag.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Books / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW

Nov 23, 2019

Let us put an end to Haruki Murakami's decade-long Nobel Prize pilgrimage

The 2010s have flown by and still there is no end in sight for Haruki Murakami's Nobel Prize drought. William Lang offers tips to end this sorry state of affairs.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.

Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.

By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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