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Natsuko Fukue

JAPAN

Dec 19, 2009

Zoo pool too cool, so pudgy penguins hoof it

The penguins at Asahiyama Zoological Park in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, have gained weight lately, for good reason.

JAPAN

Dec 4, 2009

Farm households could get some relief

, agrees that direct payments to full-time farmers would at least give them a minimum wage. "Their income is rapidly decreasing" because of declining food prices, he said. The average annual income from farm products for full-time rice farmers was ¥3.37 million per household in 2007, according to the...

JAPAN

Dec 3, 2009

No-tuition plan fails poor students

don't even have the right to live," she said, adding she wants society to become more supportive of impoverished single-parent households. The NPO surveyed 385 single mothers and 433 high school students in single-parent households.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 13, 2009

Young unemployed taste life in corporate fast lane

A group of unemployed young people participated Thursday in a one-day job-hunt support program in Tokyo organized by JPMorgan and Sodateage-Net, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization.

BUSINESS

Nov 11, 2009

Japanese women still hitting a glass and bamboo ceiling in the boardroom

Japan ranks 31st out of 35 countries in terms of the percentage of female board of directors, falling below Jordan, Oman and Kuwait, a U.S.-based nonprofit group said Tuesday.

JAPAN

Nov 10, 2009

Flu vaccines scarce, get divvied up

Vaccinations for swine flu started Nov. 2 for pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses in some prefectures, but many medical institutions are still struggling to keep ample stocks to inoculate their staff, who are the most prone to be exposed to the H1N1 virus.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 4, 2009

Slow Food founder pushes fair fare

Carlo Petrini, a 60-year-old Italian, is on a mission: He wants cheap, mass produced foods laced chemical fertilizers and artificial flavors to be replaced by safer, high-quality, and higher-priced, fare.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 30, 2009

Need a massage? Try a stretch

Like the professionals at Thai massage and shiatsu salons, sports trainers are turning the practice of muscle-stretching into a business.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 24, 2009

Yokohama farm event sprouts to spread Slow Food in Japan

YOKOHAMA — A food exhibition featuring local produce and the farmers who grew it opened Friday in Yokohama's Naka Ward to promote the Slow Food movement in Japan.

JAPAN

Oct 21, 2009

First ever poverty rate released by ministry stands at relatively high 15.7%

The national poverty rate stood at 15.7 percent in 2006, according to first-ever figures released Tuesday by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, a fairly high rate for a developed country.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 17, 2009

Brouhaha stirs over Belgian brew

Belgian beer, rich in fragrance, flavor and potency, is not like other brews in Japan.

Japan Times

JAPAN / EXPLAINER

Oct 6, 2009

Rice — a staple of unstable future, funds?

Rice is an indispensable staple in Japan, but the people who grow it have an average age of 60 and their offspring increasingly are looking to other, more lucrative fields.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Oct 2, 2009

Some taxi firms go that extra mile

Aya Ito takes a taxi every day to bring her twin 1-year-old boys to a nursery at her workplace thanks to a cab company that is friendly to mothers and the elderly.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 18, 2009

NPO's used suits give young job seekers hope

A decent suit is one thing you'll definitely need if you intend to find a job, but many people are discovering they can't even afford this basic tool.

JAPAN

Sep 17, 2009

Voters want end to pork-barrel politics

As the Democratic Party of Japan formed one of the most hotly anticipated Cabinets in decades, many voters voiced hope the new administration will put a stop to wasteful spending while others remained skeptical it will be able to deliver on its key campaign promises.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Sep 16, 2009

Birkin seeks Myanmar sanctions

British singer and actress Jane Birkin held a news conference Tuesday in Tokyo to urge the incoming government to pressure Myanmar's military junta to promote democracy.

Japan Times

Reference / Special Presentations / WITNESS TO WAR

Sep 5, 2009

Ex-army cadet, 81, recalls war mind-set

25th in a series

JAPAN

Sep 1, 2009

Interest high among foreign media in 'historic' election

The Democratic Party of Japan's landslide victory election has stirred interest among foreign media, who generally view the ousting of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled almost without interruption for 54 years, as a positive sign of change.

JAPAN

Aug 31, 2009

Voters, fed up with LDP, say it's time for change

As the Democratic Party of Japan's stunning victory and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's resounding defeat was reported Sunday night, many voters on the streets of Tokyo said they savored their chance to vote for change.

JAPAN

Aug 26, 2009

Rural areas fear DPJ bid to ax big projects

AGATSUMA, Gunma Pref. — As media speculation mounts that the Democratic Party of Japan will win big in Sunday's Lower House election, Akiyoshi Toyoda, 44, is spending sleepless nights worrying about what may happen to his business if the opposition camp takes power.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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

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