For Liane Wakabayashi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
When Binyomin Edery, the chief rabbi of Japan, was a child growing up in the farming village of Kfar Chabad in Israel, the nine-pronged menorah could be seen everywhere during the winter Hanukkah festival. So when he arrived in Japan during Hanukkah 18 years ago, ...
Forced to abandon his life's work, the 72-year-old creator of a renowned rose garden in Fukushima wants Tepco to compensate him and allow him to start over.
Tokyo fashion industry insiders push the message that what we choose to buy and wear has consequences.
Passengers at Tokyo Station en route to Tohoku offer their opinions on recovery efforts since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of exactly three years ago.
Male model Dean Newcombe runs what surely must be the most photogenic all-volunteer organization around. And although some of the volunteers are indeed fashion models, the "model" in Intrepid Model Adventures refers to role models as well as the catwalk variety.
Ramsey King Montana's funky fashion sense might be a bit overwhelming for some parents who sign their children up for his family music classes. He wears checkered pantaloons, a fierce studded leather belt, a pierced earring that belonged to his mother (a Blackfoot Indian) ...
What is the secret of lifelong friendships that form in elementary school? I would never have thought to ask myself that question until my father-in-law announced he wouldn't be home for Sunday's family dinner because he was attending a party. Though he put it ...
The first thing you notice about the students at Musashino Higashi Secondary Vocational School is their uniforms. No matter the subject -- be it gymnastics or computer science -- the learning is done in a light-blue tracksuit. That a healthy mind can only exist ...
As my daughter stepped out onto the ice, I held my breath. Her steps were small. She moved slowly, with focus and balance and seeming assuredness. One -- two -- one -- two. Mirai was taking the children's lessons offered by Meiji Jingu Skating Rink, ...
Human rights activist Dr. Masaki Tada leads a double life. He has just returned from Peshawar, Pakistan, where he struggled to save the lives of Afghan refugees with the meager resources at his disposal. In Japan, he plays a very different role -- as ...
