May Masangkay - The Japan Times

Today's print edition

Subscribe for more access

Meta

May Masangkay

For May Masangkay's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Aug 25, 2009

Netbook craze sparks rethink by PC makers

Smaller and low-cost notebook personal computers with limited functions, now known as netbooks, are fast becoming a favorite among users worldwide who simply want a low-cost lightweight PC to browse the Web and handle e-mail.

JAPAN

Aug 18, 2009

Violinist shirks off her tragic image

Diana Yukawa first grabbed the limelight in Japan as a 14-year-old playing the violin at a memorial service, struggling with the loss of her father in the 1985 Japan Airlines crash that killed 520 people onboard.

JAPAN

Jul 17, 2009

Mighty Seven-Eleven racing toward a cliff?

Like many people in Japan, Erwin Dwight Paler visits convenience stores for a variety of reasons — to buy coffee perhaps, or to withdraw money from an ATM, or just to pick up snacks and various daily necessities.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jun 22, 2009

Apprentice Danish chef gets taste of Japan

When Philip von Arenstorff, a young Dane training to be a chef, set foot in Japan for the first time this month, he had only a vague idea of the country's food culture.

BUSINESS

May 3, 2009

Chrysler's failure stirs concern over parts makers

Chrysler LLC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing has ended the guessing game on the future of the Big Three automaker, but Japan's automakers are now wondering how badly the event will impact their parts makers.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 12, 2008

Philippine isle tries cashing in on war link

Kojiro Hayashi vividly recalls the image of swaying palm trees, crystal-clear blue seas and a sense of peace when he first visited Lubang, a small island in the western Philippines, in May 1996.

JAPAN

Sep 10, 2007

APEC summit takes up North Korea nuke issue, Abe seeks speedier efforts

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum took up the North Korean nuclear issue on Sunday, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explaining his nation's policy of working with other countries to speed up efforts to achieve the North's denuclearization and to find a resolution of the abduction issue. Abe told his APEC counterparts on the final day of the two-day summit that a resolution of the North Korean nuclear and missile issues is indispensable for regional peace and stability, Japanese officials said.

JAPAN

Sep 10, 2007

Abe stakes his job on extension of refueling mission

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated Sunday that he is ready to resign if he fails to get Parliament to extend Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for U.S.-led antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan, stressing that its extension has become an "international commitment" he needs to fulfill by "all possible" means. "I have no intention of clinging to my duties" as prime minister if the mission is not extended beyond the Nov. 1 legal deadline, Abe said in a news conference after the weekend summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Sydney.

JAPAN

May 10, 2007

Japan looks to ramp up effort to resolve isle row with Russia

With more high-level talks with Moscow in the offing, Japan is hoping to seize the opportunity to crack the long-standing territorial dispute over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.

JAPAN

Jan 3, 2007

History, North Korea set to test Japan-China ties

will be a crucial year for Sino-Japanese ties as the two nations will see if their relations can really be on a good track and determine if they can indeed elevate their ties into a relationship of shared strategic interest," said China expert Tomoyuki Kojima. "The situation however is volatile and depends on certain variables," Kojima, a political science professor at Keio University in Tokyo, said, referring to the dispute over Yasukuni Shrine and public sensitivity in China that may arise due to the anniversary of the 1937 massacre in Nanjing.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jul 27, 2005

Novel on hibakusha reprinted

A 1985 book depicting the life of a survivor of the Aug. 9, 1945, atomic bombing of Nagasaki is being reissued in Japanese, thanks to efforts by individuals who raised the money to have it reprinted.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Aug 24, 2004

Once sign of rigid conformity, girls' sailor suits now a fashion statement

For Japanese schoolgirls, the school uniform has gone from being a glaring reminder of rules and regulations to a trendy fashion statement.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Jan 9, 2003

Opera in Manila to showcase famed Christian daimyo's life

A celebrated daimyo stands immortal in the middle of a plaza in the busy Paco district of Manila.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Apr 24, 2002

Tiffany's art shimmers in tranquil Matsue

Known for its old-world charms as a castle town during the Edo Period, Matsue would seem an unlikely host for a Tiffany art museum, but it pulls this off with an Asian flair that leaves its simplicity unspoiled.

JAPAN

Dec 22, 2001

Youth activists issue challenge to Japan

John Lennon captivated millions when he sang "Imagine" in an appeal against war, poverty and hunger. April Rose Chiong and Metodio "John" Maraguinot are not John Lennon, but they sang their hearts out about what they "imagine" for the future of children -- a world safe from abuse, violence and exploitation.

JAPAN

Dec 15, 2001

Japan to cohost global conference on child sexual exploitation

Japan will cohost an international conference in Yokohama next week to reconfirm an international commitment to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children, according to the Foreign Ministry.

JAPAN

Dec 20, 2000

Jazz singer's choir beats holiday blues

Like strangers, they eye each other cautiously at first -- perhaps even with a trace of suspicion. But the music begins, and instantly the room is transformed into a hall housing a choir of angels. A thunderous applause ensues, some tears fall -- and finally the smiles materialize.

JAPAN

Oct 7, 2000

Better links to Pyongyang seen if Tokyo and Seoul get closer

One of the winners of this year's Japan Foundation Award said he hopes promoting closer ties between South Korea and Japan will also lead to stronger links between Tokyo and Pyongyang.

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

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

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

international-reports