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July 05, 2025
 

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Tomoko Otake

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Tomoko Otake
Tomoko Otake is a senior writer with a strong interest in health, medical and social issues. A native of Nara Prefecture, she obtained an M.A. in journalism from The University of Montana.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 22, 2016
Tokyo lawmaker says being gay is matter of 'personal taste,' does not merit taxpayer support
A member of the Suginami Municipal Assembly in Tokyo is drawing flak from the LGBT community for saying gay, lesbian and bisexual people refer to themselves so out of “personal taste” and thus are not worthy of support by municipal governments.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 19, 2016
Japanese team finds new way to create, research Parkinson's stem cells
Researchers from Juntendo and Keio universities have come up with a quicker and easier way to generate iPS cells from people with Parkinson's disease, a discovery they claim will go a long way in developing a cure for the neurological disease.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 17, 2016
How Japan is tweaking the cost of health care
The price of health care is changing.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2016
Tokyo's Ota Ward approves first short-term, Airbnb-style home rentals
An online travel service provider gets government accreditation to start renting out private homes on the model popularized by Airbnb.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2016
Ministry tests smartphone app to navigate underground stations
The land ministry on Thursday started testing a smartphone app that provides detailed navigation services in underground areas around Tokyo Station.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 3, 2016
Exhibition showcases quest to pair patients with novel search for cure
People with obscure, degenerative nerve disorders with no known cures. A biologist exploring the use of fruit flies as an alternative to mice to test drug compounds. A designer who makes his own laser cutter. All of them have collaborated for a unique exhibition that could one day change the way new...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 1, 2016
Japanese team invents movable tongue prosthesis to enable speech for cancer victims
Dentistry researchers at Okayama University have come up with what could be the world's first movable tongue prosthesis to help oral cancer patients who have partially lost the ability to speak.
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2016
Obokata breaks silence, suggests colleague bears blame for STAP debacle
A former star scientist with the Riken research institute who was accused of fraud in 2014 tells her side of the story.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2016
Toshima Ward survey finds a fifth of residents willing to be resettled in Saitama
The Tokyo ward is accelerating moves to promote the resettlement of healthy seniors in Chichibu, where plans to create a retirement community are underway.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2016
Minato Ward to protect few remaining views of Tokyo Tower
The area that houses the Tokyo Tower takes steps to ensure that high-rises do not obliterate the few remaining views of it.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2016
Visitors to Japan surge to record 19.73 million, spend all-time high ¥3.48 trillion
A record 19.73 million people visited Japan in 2015, marking the first time in 45 years that the number of incoming travelers surpassed the outbound figure.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2016
Japan's labor ministry to investigate why 2 million workers are on wrong pension program
The labor minister pledges to look into why around 2 million firm employees are members of a pension program for the self-employed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2016
Japan revamps map symbols that baffle tourists
The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has released a set of new standard symbols for foreign-language maps after criticism that some of its current pictograms are hard to understand or are even offensive.
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2016
Bad management to blame for Yokohama piling scandal, interim report says
A third-party panel probing the Asahi Kasei Construction Materials piling scandal concludes sloppy management encouraged data manipulation but avoids stating whether workers engaged in a coverup.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2016
'Zainichi' Koreans say North Korean nuclear test may fuel discrimination in Japan
Korean residents in Japan expressed anger and disappointment at North Korea, saying its test could fuel anti-Korean sentiment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society / DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES
Jan 3, 2016
Options available to mitigate dangers of living alone with dementia
At first glance, it's hard to tell what's wrong with Keiko Sawada. As casual exchanges continue, however, it becomes increasingly clear the former bar hostess has serious memory problems.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 23, 2015
Tattooist's legal challenge could lift industry in Japan or send it underground
Tattooist Taiki Masuda is challenging a law that makes him a criminal for practicing what he considers a form of art.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 21, 2015
Joso disaster prompts ministry rethink of flood control, prediction policies
On Dec. 11, the land ministry released a new policy vision for dealing with floods in response to September's typhoon-triggered breach of the Kinugawa River, which inundated residential areas of Joso, Ibaraki Prefecture, stranding thousands for hours, and some for days.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2015
Dye factory under scrutiny after five workers contract rare bladder cancer
Five men in their 40s and 50s who worked for a chemical company handling dyes and pigments have developed bladder cancer, the health ministry said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 16, 2015
Plaintiffs express shock at bad precedent set by court's decision on shared surnames
Plaintiffs contesting family laws that require spouses to choose a single surname expressed shock and anger at Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, saying it sets a bad precedent and will force more women to suffer the misery of having to change their name upon marriage.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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