For Mari Koseki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
FUKUOKA -- It was Mahatma Gandhi who said friendship that insists upon agreement on all matters is not worth the name. Journalists from Asia and Europe who took part in a recent symposium here probably walked away sharing this view after four days of discussions ...
When woodblock print master Ando Hiroshige created his famed "One Hundred Views of Edo," the eastern part of the capital was a bustling commercial and cultural hub. Seeing those districts now, nearly 150 years since he worked on his masterpiece, however, requires a vivid imagination ...
For much of Japan, the end of the rainy season signifies that summer has shifted into high gear. And the sweltering months are never quite complete without the bursts of color and sonic booms of fireworks festivals. But while many people believe fireworks are a ...
Junko Umihara believes that self-expression is the key to a sound mind, but that's not an unusual opinion among doctors treating patients for stress and other mental problems. What sets the 50-year-old apart from many others in her profession, however, is that she practices what ...
Masayuki Okano is living proof that building a better mousetrap gets the world to beat a path to your door. The successful 69-year-old is hounded to speak at gatherings and seminars nationwide, which he does in the limited time he is willing to spare from ...
From its dialect to its cuisine, many may think that Okinawa Prefecture is one of the most distinctive places in Japan. But for elfin Okinawan actress Tomi Taira, the core of human satisfaction is universal -- the desire to be part of a happy ...
A free ride to the Middle East on an oil tanker may not be the flashiest start to a career. But for Waseda University professor Sakuji Yoshimura, the voyage he organized to Egypt in 1966 was the first step in what has become 35 ...
Just when the doors of the Yamanote line train are about to close at Uguisudani Station during morning rush hour, alert passengers will hear the distinctive chirp of the "uguisu," or bush warbler. Although the bird is traditionally regarded as a harbinger of spring, at ...
When Ikebukuro Station opened on the Yamanote Line in 1903, the area around it was little more than pasture and vegetable fields. That all changed after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, when those left homeless in the temblor moved west as they found this ...
Once again the time has come for the mass-release of Japan Inc.'s annual earnings reports. While the stock market is showing signs of rumbling back to life after nearly a decade of dormancy, significant changes to Japan's financial landscape are forcing players to make ...
