author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 05, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@sakmurakami

Sakura Murakami
Reuters
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2019
Women Political Leaders summit opens ahead of G20 as Abe pushes to improve gender parity
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe renewed his commitment to empower women and improve gender parity around the globe at the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Summit 2019 in Tokyo on Wednesday, ahead of the Group of 20 summit due to start Friday in Osaka.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2019
In symbolic first, Abe and Trump jointly address military personnel aboard Japan's Kaga carrier
Peppered with pomp and decorum, Trump's four-day visit to Japan ended with a gesture highlighting the long-standing military ties between the two countries.
JAPAN
May 24, 2019
Meet, greet, but don't talk politics: How foreign dignitaries should act when visiting a Japanese emperor
What should you do when you meet the emperor?
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 23, 2019
Double Japanese general election looks more realistic as unpopular tax hike approaches
For the ruling coalition, a snap election would be a major gamble because it would put its current supermajority in both chambers at risk.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 10, 2019
Japan struggles to ditch 'vaccine backwater' image due to policy gaps
Earlier this year, a quiet outbreak of rubella began to sweep Japan.
JAPAN / Politics
May 3, 2019
On Constitution Day, Abe again vows to revise Japan's top law, aiming for enactment in 2020
The prime minister's lifelong drive to rewrite pacifist Article 9 will hinge on the Upper House election in July, political observers say.
JAPAN
May 1, 2019
In first speech, Japan's new emperor vows to emulate father and fulfill duties as 'symbol of the state'
Delivering his first speech since ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne, Japan's new emperor vowed to “act according to the Constitution” and fulfill his role as the symbol of the state.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2019
Emperor Akihito: A unifying figure who carved out a role as Japan's 'symbol of the state'
He and Empress Michiko have spent the last three decades comforting disaster victims and mourning the war dead, Japanese and non-Japanese alike.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 22, 2019
Cosplaying eccentric Mac Akasaka of the Smile Party snags seat in Tokyo ward assembly
He clambers out from under the table, wearing a pink Hooter's tank top while sporting fluffy angel wings and a halo, before bowing deeply toward the camera and taking a seat.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 17, 2019
Episode 12: Out with the old Emperor, in with the new
With Emperor Akihito's son, Crown Prince Naruhito, set to become the country's 126th emperor, Deep Dive asks: What does it mean to be emperor, and what can we expect from the next one?
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 1, 2019
Reiwa: Japan reveals name of new era ahead of Emperor's abdication
In a much-awaited moment that heralded the approach of a new chapter in Japan's history, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Monday that the new Imperial era will be named Reiwa, in one of the final steps toward initiating the nation's first Imperial succession in three decades.
JAPAN / Help Wanted?
Mar 31, 2019
Bumpy ride feared in Japan as new visa types issued to ease labor crunch
Japan will open its doors wider to workers from abroad when the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act takes effect. However, with it comes a host of other issues.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2019
WAW/W20 talks close with a call for men to be more involved in women's issues
Key to empowering women is changing people's mindsets and involving men in dealing more with women's issues, participants at the joint World Assembly for Women and Women 20 summit hear.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2019
At Tokyo summit, Malala Yousafzai urges world leaders to expand educational opportunities for women
At a Tokyo summit, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai urges world leaders to further promote the empowerment of women through education and financial support.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2019
Malala urges Abe to take up education for young women at G20 summit this summer
Malala Yousafzai, an advocate for women's education and the youngest person to become a Nobel Laureate, urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday to take the initiative in expanding educational opportunities for female youth at the Group of 20 summit this summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2019
Journalists get tour of Japan's Izumo amid debate over equipping ship with aircraft carrier capabilities
Journalists on Wednesday were given a guided tour of the Izumo — Japan's largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — for the first time since the Defense Ministry revealed a controversial plan late last year to convert it so that it could handle fixed-wing aircraft — which critics and some opposition...
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 25, 2019
Japan's Ainu recognition bill: What does it mean for Hokkaido's indigenous people?
In a first for Japan, a bill to legally recognize the Ainu as the indigenous people of Japan is about to be submitted to the Diet.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
Feb 22, 2019
Crown Princess Masako: A symbol of Japanese women's struggles in a male-dominated society
When Rika Kayama attended a violin concert at a Tokyo music hall in February last year, she was stunned to find a certain famous face in the crowd.
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2019
Japan's opposition parties lay into ministry officials for extensive role in wage scandal probe
Lawmakers question the neutrality of the government's special “independent” probe into the wage data scandal after learning that bureaucrats, not outside experts, interviewed 25 of the 37 officials involved.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 27, 2019
Cabinet to keep Diet bills to a minimum with apparent eye on July Upper House election
Facing a critical Upper House election this summer, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears to be laying the groundwork for a controversy-free five-month Diet session, which starts Monday.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER