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May 02, 2024
 

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@sakmurakami

Sakura Murakami
Reuters
For Sakura Murakami's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2018
Peak season + tourism boom = long lines at Narita airport
Japanese airports are known for their cleanliness and clockwork efficiency, but the surge in tourists and foreign students entering the country has been creating hourlong lines at Narita airport's border control.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2018
Lawsuit challenges Japan's ban on dual citizenship
Plaintiffs sue Japan over its ban on dual nationalities, claiming they were unconstitutionally deprived of their Japanese citizenship upon becoming citizens of foreign countries.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2018
Japan fails to shine in annual report on women's participation in politics
As the world marks International Women's Day on Thursday, an annual report shows again that Japan lags far behind other countries for women's participation in politics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2018
Futuristic, traditionally attired superheroes selected as Tokyo 2020 mascots
Tokyo 2020 organizers unveiled Wednesday the official mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, based on a futuristic vision of the world with the two characters decked out in traditional blue-checkered and a pink cherry-blossom-theme attire, respectively.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 25, 2018
Sports expo spotlights high-tech ways to better train athletes ahead of 2020
With Japan riding high after its best showing ever in a Winter Olympics, a recent trade show drew attention to state-of-the-art technologies that could one day help train future Olympians.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2018
Japan's discretionary labor system: What you need to know
As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and government officials clash with opposition lawmakers over a proposal to expand an overtime work system called the discretionary labor system, here's a look at how the system works.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2018
Japan lags in fact-checking initiatives, media watchers say
Japan lags behind other countries in fact-checking initiatives and still has low awareness of their importance, according to FactCheck Initiative Japan (FIJ), a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that encourages fact-verifying activities.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 11, 2018
NHK World updates app to issue disaster alerts in English
Tourists and residents in Japan who don't speak Japanese no longer need to be concerned about missing out on earthquake and tsunami alerts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 29, 2018
Tokyo's internet cafe 'refugees' number 4,000, survey says
People without a stable residence are finding succor in the hundreds of net cafes across the capital that stay open 24 hours a day.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2018
Tokyo Metro to trial playing classical music on Hibiya Line
Starting Monday, Tokyo Metro Co. will experiment with playing background music on their trains in a bid to provide a more comfortable travel experience for passengers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2018
Tokyo Metro trains vandalized for third time in seven days
In the early hours of Thursday, Tokyo Metro Co. discovered one of its trains had been vandalized overnight with graffiti while parked near Nakano Station, the subway operator said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2018
Mori Building Co. holds disaster drill with local Roppongi Hills international community in mind
In a bid to improve emergency readiness with the local foreign community, Mori Building Co., a Tokyo real estate developer, held a disaster drill in Roppongi Hills Wednesday in coordination with neighboring embassies, an international school and volunteers from a disaster relief organization.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2018
Japan's trains always on time? Report highlights frequency of rush-hour delays in Tokyo
Japan's railway system is well-known globally for its punctuality, but a recently released transport ministry report points to frequent delays during Tokyo's rush hour.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2018
Hachioji group leads charge to redo Coming-of-Age Day for women ambushed by kimono firm's failure
Some of the new adults who were deprived of kimono for Coming-of-Age Day when a debt-ridden rental firm folded on Monday will get another chance to celebrate the event in style next month with help from volunteers, it was learned Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 11, 2018
After 12-year wait, Sony relaunches robot dog Aibo to much fanfare
Sony Corp. relaunched the Aibo on Thursday, with fans expressing excitement at the second unleashing of the robot dog.
'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

Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there
Vol. 35: Travel in time — and stay there

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