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May 02, 2024
 

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Sakura Murakami
Reuters
For Sakura Murakami's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 18, 2018
Non-Japanese speakers turned to employers for help in aftermath of west Japan flooding disaster
With basic necessities interrupted, homes evacuated and infrastructure badly in need of repair, surviving a disaster is challenging enough, but for non-Japanese speakers there is the added worry of getting important information in a language they can understand.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2018
Tokyo to provide free housing for those displaced by floods in western Japan
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has said it will provide free public housing for victims of the torrential rains and floods that recently inundated western Japan, and will start accepting applications from prospective residents Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jul 9, 2018
Real estate for the people: One man's mission turning vacant houses into homes for everyone
Hideki Kawakita doesn't look like your average real estate agent.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2018
Aum Shinrikyo guru Shoko Asahara and six other cult members hanged for mass murders
Shoko Asahara, founder of the doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo and mastermind behind the deadly 1995 nerve gas attack in the Tokyo subway system is executed.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 5, 2018
Tokyo court defies Justice Ministry in ordering asylum for Sri Lankan man
The 58-year-old plaintiff, who is a member of the ethnic Tamil minority, applied for refugee status in October 2006 during civil war in Sri Lanka.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2018
In wake of World Cup loss to Belgium, Japanese fans look back on unexpected run
Fans of the national soccer team were reflective on Tuesday after Japan's loss to Belgium in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, with many looking back fondly on their better-than-expected performance in Russia.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2018
Japan's interest in World Cup spikes after Samurai Blue's surprise win over Colombia
Japanese fans were reveling in victory Wednesday, a day after their team's surprise win against Colombia in its first match in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 18, 2018
Japan's criminal justice reforms aim to enhance transparency of interrogations — are they working?
The National Police Agency said in early June that interrogations of crime suspects were fully recorded in 81.9 percent of all the 3,197 cases tried by lay judges in fiscal 2017, up from 72.8 percent the year before.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2018
High court rejects decision to reopen 1966 Hakamada quadruple murder case
The Tokyo High Court on Monday overturned the Shizuoka District Court's decision to reopen the 1966 murder case involving former professional boxer Iwao Hakamada, who was convicted of killing four people, despite recent DNA evidence that undermined his prosecution.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2018
Tokyo District Court holds first hearing on expats' right to vote on Supreme Court justices
Five Japanese living abroad claimed at the Tokyo District Court on Monday that their inability to participate in national reviews of Supreme Court justices was unconstitutional.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 4, 2018
Web service allows Japan's harassment victims to send anonymous warnings to alleged perpetrators
In the wake of high-profile sexual harassment cases involving a top Finance Ministry bureaucrat and a mayor in west Tokyo, a website was launched last week to allow victims of harassment to send anonymous warnings to the perpetrators.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2018
Tokyo opens free 24-hour multilingual call center to help tourists get around language barrier
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government opened a call center Friday for foreign visitors to improve communication with businesses and other organizations of interest.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 31, 2018
Japanese-style plea bargaining debuts but authorities fear spread of false testimony
Japan on Friday introduced a bargaining system as part of an overhaul of its criminal investigation and trial systems, while battling concerns the new practice could encourage suspects or defendants to make false statements that lead to miscarriages of justice.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 25, 2018
Nihon University president Kichibe Otsuka offers apology for dirty tackle scandal
Kichibe Otsuka, president of Nihon University, addressed reporters at a news conference held in Tokyo on Friday, saying that he felt "responsibility" regarding Nihon University's handling of the dirty tackle scandal, and that he "couldn't apologize enough" to the victim.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 18, 2018
Tokyo High Court upholds ruling calling city of Saitama's refusal to publish pacifist haiku 'unfair'
The Tokyo High Court on Friday upheld a district court ruling that called "unfair" the city of Saitama's refusal to publish a haiku which referred to the Constitution and carried a pacifist message in its local newsletter .
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 8, 2018
Heatstroke campaign looks to raise awareness among foreign tourists and residents
Every year the Japan Weather Association stages a public campaign aimed at reducing heatstroke victims during the hot, humid summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 4, 2018
Tokyo-based startups look to link consumers with restaurants to curb food waste
In affluent Japan millions of tons of still-edible food waste are thrown away each year, evoking a sense of guilt for many. According to the agriculture ministry, 6.46 million tons of untouched food were discarded in 2015.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 1, 2018
Japan's retailers hope to boost sales by capitalizing on Cool Biz
With temperatures soaring higher than average this year, retailers are hoping to boost sales of apparel by capitalizing on the government's annual Cool Biz campaign, which started Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Deep Dive
Apr 19, 2018
Dual citizenship in Japan: A 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy leaves many in the dark
Do you have to renounce citizenship? Do you switch passports at the airport? Has anyone ever been punished? Dual nationals tell their stories.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2018
New definition of beer gives Japanese breweries license to change
Japan will change its legal definition of beer on Sunday, allowing its lager-laden breweries to finally diversify and reinvigorate the stale market.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Did Japan intervene to prop up the yen? Analysts think it did.
A man walks past an electronic board displaying the exchange rate for the yen against the U.S. dollar (right) in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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