Environment | Longform Jan 17, 2022

Beneath the surface: Are Japan’s iconic hot-spring resources sustainable?

The public and private use of hot springs is leaving a significant imprint on the environment.

DEEP DIVE Dec 15, 2021

Episode 109: Are Japan's onsen sustainable?

Japan Times contributor Mara Budgen takes a look at the history of onsen in Japan and asks whether Japan's iconic hot-spring resources are sustainable.

Social Issues | Longform Aug 30, 2021

Behind the push to improve universal access in Japan

Steps have been taken to create barrier-free facilities ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Games. But now that the Paralympics have begun, who is going to ensure such groundbreaking efforts continue?

National / Social Issues | Longform Jun 21, 2021

Pandemic magnifies household gender roles in Japan

Latest figures show that women earn on average 44% less than men while also spending five times more time on housework and child care.

National Mar 12, 2021

A slow return to agriculture in Fukushima’s evacuated areas

Ten years on from the triple disaster of 2011, farming in the region is tentatively getting back on its feet. But can this growth be sustained?

Food & Drink | Food Sustainability in Japan Mar 7, 2021

Your dinner has an origin story and blockchain tech can help you find it

Tracing the journey of how your food gets to your table is becoming easier with the help of apps that allow shoppers to make more informed decisions.

Environment | Longform Feb 21, 2021

Can Japan embrace an alternative approach to plastic?

Japanese companies are rethinking how we make, use and dispose of products by creating substitutes to fossil fuel-based plastics.

DEEP DIVE Nov 11, 2020

Episode 72: Preserving the endangered Ainu language

The Ainu language has been declared critically endangered by UNESCO, with few people left alive today who speak it. The Ainu are Japan's indigenous population and Japan Times contributor Mara Budgen has been meeting with them to better understand their remaining culture, the difficulties they ...

National / Social Issues Oct 25, 2020

The Ainu language and the global movement for indigenous rights

With the Ainu language considered to be on the brink of extinction, global connections are breathing new life into revitalization efforts.