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May 01, 2024
 

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Shoko Oda
For Shoko Oda's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2023
Nuclear power revival reaches Japan, home of the last meltdown
Faced with rising heating bills this winter after a sweltering summer spent worrying about blackouts, more people are now reappraising the benefits of cheaper and more stable energy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 24, 2023
Ski resorts in Japan another victim of surging energy costs
While Japan has so far escaped a significant falloff in snow, rising costs mean many of the country’s smaller resorts are walking an economic tightrope.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2023
Power conservation may lead to higher mortality risk, study claims
Researchers estimated that about 7,710 people died prematurely in Japan each year during energy savings campaigns in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2023
Samurai swords and ancient scrolls hit by global energy crisis
The Tokyo National Museum expects utility costs to more than double the budget allocated for this year ending in March.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 16, 2022
Coal’s surge won’t stop Idemitsu selling Australian mine stake
The firm is in talks with several entities interested in acquiring its 85% stake in the Ensham mine in Queensland, said President Shunichi Kito.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2022
Energy-poor Japan could set up liquefied natural gas reserve
The government will propose a plan to secure a so-called strategic buffer LNG, with authorities supporting local companies to buy excess supply for energy security.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2022
Global LNG supplies are ‘sold out’ for years, Japan ministry warns
Countries around the world are scrambling to secure shipments of the power plant and heating fuel from major exporters like Qatar and the United States.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022
Investors wary of greenwashing in Japan’s $140 billion bond plan
The ambiguous name and a lack of details over what the proceeds would be used for are sparking concerns among investors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2022
Japan’s top refiner is gearing up for the oil industry’s decline
Eneos Holdings has an outline for fusing operations but is still discussing which of its refineries to shutter when, the firm's president has said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2022
Energy crunch pushes Japan into era of uncharted coal power
Electricity supply is expected to remain tight this winter and experts say extreme weather like this summer's heatwave is becoming more common.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 9, 2022
Tokyo taxi fares set for rare hike as inflation pressures mount
The hikes are needed in order to improve the wages and working environment of drivers, as well as to cover for rising fuel costs, the transport ministry said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 12, 2022
Japan may ask people to cut back on natural gas next
The discussion comes after recent moves by Russia to transfer the rights to the Sakhalin-2 natural gas project to a new company, which could threaten foreign owners including Japanese firms.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 5, 2022
Energy crisis slams Japan as weak yen sends import costs surging
Japan imports about 90% of its energy, mostly priced in dollars, and costs were already soaring from a jump in global oil, gas and coal prices, even before the yen fell.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 23, 2022
Consumers are racking up rewards in Japan by buying green
People can use points earned at certain shops toward things like online purchases, airline mileage points or even, in some cases, investments.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2022
Japan’s discarded kimonos get new life as redesigned casual wear
Now designers are repurposing high-quality fabric from cast off kimonos to make contemporary outfits more suited to today's sensibilities and fashion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 25, 2022
Japan’s new ‘green economy’ bond may fund nuclear projects
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week proposed a 'green economy transformation bond” to raise as much as u00a520 trillion to help meet climate goals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 21, 2022
Electric farms in Japan are using solar power to grow profits and crops
In many respects, Takeshi Magami's farm is like any other in Japan. But one major difference sets it apart from its neighbors: the 2,826 solar panels perched above the crops.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 11, 2022
Investors push Japan’s J-Power to accelerate climate action
Shareholder proposals call on the electricity producer to set new short- and medium-term emissions reduction targets and to disclose details on how to meet those goals.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2022
Kishida says nuclear power should be reconsidered as energy costs soar
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country must consider using more nuclear power, as the import-dependent nation grapples with rising fuel prices and a weak yen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2022
An activist fund manager takes aim at Japan’s revolving door
The founder of Strategic Capital is targeting a Tokyo-based provider of loans and securities lending services that he says has a history of appointing former BOJ officials to top positions.
'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.
Yen rebounds strongly after first slide past ¥160 since 1990
The yen dropped to ¥160.245 per dollar on Monday before heading into the other direction to ¥155.01 amid speculation of an intervention by Japanese currency authorities.
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.
JAL cancels international flight after captain gets drunk at Dallas hotel
A Japan Airlines' flight from Dallas to Tokyo was canceled last week after its captain got drunk at a local hotel.
Golden Week crowds greeted with high temperatures as holiday period kicks off
The departure lobby for domestic flights is crowded with travelers at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Saturday, the first day of this year's Golden Week holidays.
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.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
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.

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

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