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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

May 5, 2004

Chinese here feel sting of prejudice

Huang Tianshu came to Japan from China five years ago, hoping to learn more about the language and culture of her peers at a China subsidiary of a Kobe-based car navigation system manufacturer, where she worked for six years after graduating from college.

Japan Times

JAPAN

May 5, 2004

Language schools fight image war

Students at the Japanese-language school Tokyo Nichigo Gakuin are encouraged to speak their minds, and to do so as fluently as possible.

JAPAN / TALKING SHOP

Apr 26, 2004

Diagrams help equity investment pro when words get jumbled

Where there is a diagram, there is a way.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Apr 1, 2004

Death prompts revolving-door closures, safety inspections

Building owners in major cities around the nation are suspending use of revolving doors and checking them for safety following the death last week of a 6-year-old boy at the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo and revelations that 32 similar accidents have taken place at the site since it opened last April....

Japan Times

JAPAN

Mar 27, 2004

Hemophiliac targets hepatitis C blunders

A hemophiliac who achieved fame through his dogged fight to make the government accountable for the use of HIV-tainted blood products is picking a fight again, this time over Tokyo's handling of hepatitis C.

JAPAN

Mar 27, 2004

Tension mounts before MLB hits Tokyo Dome

It was business as usual Friday afternoon at Tokyo Dome -- high school boys checking out baseball memorabilia at a store, mother-toddler pairs munching away at a fast food joint near the stadium gates.

BUSINESS

Mar 27, 2004

Listed firms try to keep faith of investors by bearing gifts

The rationale is simple: If you want investors to hold on to your company's shares, send them gifts.

JAPAN

Mar 12, 2004

Chinese being frozen out of student visa process

Things are looking pretty grim for Chinese students who have their sights set on pursuing their Japanese language studies here.

JAPAN / TALKING SHOP

Mar 1, 2004

Top adman follows foreign peers' lead in speaking off the cuff

Take notes. Lots of them. Every night for years, Koichiro Naganuma, president of Asatsu-DK Inc., the nation's third-largest advertising agency, has written memos on newspaper articles. The nightly routine helps him a great deal -- especially when asked for comments by foreigners.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Feb 17, 2004

New college dedicated to education on parenting

Need parenting tips? Go to college.

JAPAN / LABOR PAINS

Feb 13, 2004

Medical sector faces hard choice amid aging society

As Japan gropes for solutions to the imminent labor shortage amid the rapidly graying population, the failure of a private-sector project to import nurses is a bitter reminder of the hurdles involved in attracting and keeping foreign professionals here.

JAPAN

Feb 13, 2004

Open door sought for foreign caregivers

Should doctors, nurses and masseurs accredited by one country be allowed to practice in another after a bilateral free-trade agreement has been reached?

JAPAN

Feb 12, 2004

Visaless foreigners to be denied national health cover

After the Supreme Court ruled last month that it is illegal to bar visaless foreigners from the national health insurance scheme, the health ministry is mulling the creation of an ordinance to do just that.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Feb 10, 2004

Russian chocolatier steeped in tradition

St. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and chocolate is occupying the thoughts of many people across the nation.

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Jan 22, 2004

Online matchmakers hand ailing truckers a lifeline

Yasunori Fujikura knows the nuts and bolts of the trucking business -- as well as the pain of being behind the wheel in these tough times.

BUSINESS

Jan 15, 2004

Koizumi defends reform efforts

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi went on the defensive Wednesday, denying charges that his administration has been slow to bring about promised economic reforms.

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Jan 7, 2004

Workplace nurseries finding fledgling footing

Decor fit for a trendy beauty salon. A breathtaking view of autumn leaves in a sprawling city park.

BUSINESS

Dec 25, 2003

Relief eyed for small firms set to go bust

Help may be on the way at last for small business owners who fear being stripped to nothing if their firms go bust.

JAPAN

Dec 17, 2003

Kasyanov sees pipeline merits but remains noncommital

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov agreed Tuesday that a pipeline project linking East Siberia and Nakhodka, a port in Russia's Far East, would benefit both countries.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Dec 13, 2003

Japan, ASEAN look to future

The summit between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations closed here Friday with leaders signing a "special relationship" declaration.

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

Fujitsu crafts sustainable innovation for itself, society

Fujitsu crafts sustainable innovation for itself, society

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