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April 24, 2024
 

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Mike Ives
For Mike Ives's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Jin-Oh Hyun searches for wild king cherry trees and their relatives on Geoje Island, off the coast of South Korea, on March 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 30, 2024
Wanted in South Korea: imperialism-free cherry blossoms
Activists want to replace a variety of cherry tree associated with the Japanese colonial era with one they say is Korean. The science is messy.
The Gunung Padang pyramid site in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, on Dec. 22. A study that concluded it may be "the oldest pyramid in the world” is under investigation by its publisher after fueling debate over the age of the partially excavated site and the ethics of archaeology.
WORLD / Society
Jan 7, 2024
‘World’s oldest pyramid’ in Indonesia? A study draws skepticism
Some have suggested that the site may have been built far earlier by an as-yet-undiscovered ancient civilization.
Yemeni coast guard members on patrol in the Red Sea on Tuesday amid heightened tension over drone and missile assaults by Houthi militia.
WORLD
Dec 17, 2023
Tensions spilling over from Gaza to Red Sea escalate
The shipping industry is bracing for potential economic fallout as the vital sea lane is increasingly drawn into regional unrest.
A worker uses a vacuum cleaner inside a bullet train at Suseo Station in Seoul on Nov. 13. South Korea is launching a four-week campaign against bedbugs after multiple reports of infestations sparked widespread public anxiety.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Nov 19, 2023
Bedbug anxiety comes for Asia, and the pest killers are here for it
Outbreaks in France and South Korea have people across Asia on high alert for bedbugs. Exterminators in the region say business is booming.
Flavorless (?) Candy spurred debate over what the "taste of nothingness" tastes like, if anything.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 10, 2023
Sucking on Japan's flavorless candy for a 'state of nothingness'
The candy was developed for people who wanted to moisten mouths that had gone dry from all-day mask wearing but without a sugar rush.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 19, 2023
‘Thailand is not ready to change’: Prime minister vote puts coalition at risk
The progressive Move Forward Party has failed to form a government, leaving members of the liberal opposition scrambling to find alternatives.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 1, 2023
Cambodian ruler’s Facebook account goes dark after spat with Meta
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has recommended that he be suspended from the platform for threatening political opponents with violence.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2023
That mystery orb on a Japanese beach? It was just a buoy.
A giant metal ball that washed up on a Japanese beach this week drew suspicion from authorities and wonder from the public. But the truth was rather mundane.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2022
Weed is now legal in Thailand. How long will the high times last?
Cannabis shops have multiplied since the drug was decriminalized, with caveats, in June. But some lawmakers are pushing for tighter regulation.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
Oct 10, 2022
Why strict but inconsistent gun laws did not keep Thailand safe
The murder of two dozen small children — committed during nap time in colorful classrooms — has horrified the nation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 14, 2022
Rushdie attack recalls 1991 killing of his Japanese translator
Hitoshi Igarashi was stabbed to death at Tsukuba University, where he taught comparative Islamic culture — the crime remains unsolved.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 23, 2022
‘Not in this for the money’: Why some families sue North Korea
Their civil litigation — often over physical mistreatment and abductions at the hands of North Korean authorities — is part of a quiet, yearslong search for justice.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 23, 2022
Devastating Afghanistan earthquake leaves more than 1,000 dead
The quake — the deadliest in the country in two decades — hit about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, a provincial capital in the country's southeast.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 22, 2022
Hong Kong’s floating restaurant sinks at sea, laden with memories
The 260-foot, three-story eatery capsized and sank as it was being towed through deep water over the weekend, its owner said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 14, 2022
Food export bans in Asia prompt fears of more protectionism
The bans risk hurting farmers and producers, and one concern is that the current cycle of protectionism could lead to restrictions on other food exports — including rice
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 2, 2022
At 119, she was a symbol of how to live with wit and vitality
Kane Tanaka, who died in Japan last month, survived two world wars, the 1918 influenza outbreak, paratyphoid and two rounds of cancer.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 25, 2022
Coronavirus rules are swiftly falling away in Asia, with a big caveat
Many Asian-Pacific countries are dismantling thickets of COVID-19 rules at bewildering speeds, even though the omicron variant of the coronavirus is still raging in parts of the region.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2022
A ‘killing stone’ broke in Japan. Is a demon on the loose?
The rock appears in a famous legend starring a nine-tailed fox spirit. The question now is whether the fracture was a good or bad omen.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 11, 2022
‘Contactless’ humanitarian aid has its perks, and pitfalls
COVID-era travel restrictions have mostly prevented expatriate aid workers from flying into Pacific island nations after natural disasters. The results have been mixed.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 4, 2022
The end of ‘Fight Club’ was cut in China. The pattern goes back decades.
The 1999 cult classic starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton is not the only foreign film to be altered for audiences in mainland China.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Japan’s cannabis market growing rapidly amid regulatory shift
The legality of products that contain cannabinoids, a group of substances derived from the cannabis plant, has been somewhat murky in Japan.
An AI star seeks to bring self-driving cars to Japan by 2030
Japanese startup Turing plans to unveil a self-driving car with at least 30 minutes’ driving range next year and develop a fully autonomous car by 2030.
Tokyo issues strong warning on yen intervention as currency dips further
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on the sidelines of IMF and G20 meetings in Washington last week.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Tsukiji 2030s: A stadium, culinary center and transportation hub
A computer-generated image shows redevelopment plans for the former site of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
Hearing the impact of climate change in Okinawa, one bird call at a time
Toshihiro Kinjo (center), a research support technician at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, inspects an audio recording device in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on April 3 as Masako Ogasawara, a research support specialist at OIST, looks on.

Podcast

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

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa
A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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