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Satoko Kawasaki
For Satoko Kawasaki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jul 21, 2018
Kawagoe: From Edo standout to tourist draw
Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, is less than an hour's train ride from central Tokyo. But in this city full of history, one would feel a sense of nostalgia in the streets thanks to a number of traditional Japanese kura warehouse buildings from the Edo Period (1603-1868).
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Dec 30, 2017
Bustling Haneda shines as a New Year's traveler hub
Every New Year's, the nation's airports are jammed with travelers heading to their hometowns or overseas to spend the holidays — and Tokyo's Haneda is the busiest one.
Japan Times
MULTIMEDIA
Aug 8, 2017
Airport automation
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 29, 2017
Enoshima: An island in the spotlight
Enoshima, a small land-tied island in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a major tourist destination that welcomes 7 million visitors a year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Feb 28, 2017
Tokyo's Shiodome area celebrates the old and new, the high and low
It's an area where the old and the new stand right next to each other. That's what the Shiodome district, which stretches from Minato to Chuo wards along Tokyo Bay, looks like.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 5, 2017
A new year, a new prayer, and hopefully luck
New Year's Day is not just the first day of the year in this country — it has a special meaning.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Nov 1, 2016
Tokyo's last streetcar line still rolling strong, after 105 years in operation
In all of Tokyo, the Toden Arakawa Line is the last remaining streetcar. The single-car train covers a 12-km route between Minowa in Arakawa Ward and Waseda in Shinjuku Ward, a leisurely ride that takes 50 minutes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Sep 7, 2016
Todai's traditions reflected in Hongo neighborhood
Hongo, an area in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, is synonymous with Japan's top academic institution, the University of Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jul 5, 2016
Tokyo's Jinbocho a must-visit for lovers of antiquarian books
Jinbocho, in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, is one of the world's biggest centers for browsing used books, with around 160 stores selling volumes that range from the musty and dusty to antiquarian.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
May 3, 2016
Kamakura boasts ancient history, hip beaches
Kamakura, an ancient capital city during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), may not be as popular as Kyoto, but it is one of the few places near Tokyo where visitors can explore the nation's ancient history.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Mar 1, 2016
Tokyo Tower, an enduring tourist landmark
Tokyo Tower may no longer be the tallest structure in Japan, nor a full-fledged broadcasting tower, as Tokyo Skytree now holds that joint title. But it is still one of the most popular places for tourists to visit and an icon of the capital, attracting about 2 million visitors annually.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 5, 2016
Japan's public baths hope foreign tourists will help keep the taps running
Japan's public baths, known as sento, represent an institution with hundreds of years of history. They provided an important public service in the days before homes had their own hot-water bathtubs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Oct 6, 2015
Tokyo's Imperial Palace grounds are peaceful oasis amid concrete jungle
Adjacent to modern high-rises in the Otemachi business district, just a 10-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station, visitors can step into nature, peace and beauty in the grounds of the historic Imperial Palace. The area is a fine place to stretch out on the grass and enjoy a picnic or simply breathe in the autumn air.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Aug 4, 2015
Escape Tokyo's baking heat with a cool trek up Mount Takao
Mount Takao, located in Hachioji about an hour west of central Tokyo by train, is a popular destination for day-tripping hikers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jun 2, 2015
Shibamata offers a step back into a Tora-san time warp
Tokyo's Shibamata district has preserved much of its townscape, which is reminiscent of old downtown Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Mar 1, 2015
From bars and cherry blossoms to Totoro, Kichijoji has it all
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 1, 2015
Islamic State hostage Kenji Goto mourned by family and friends
A video posted online early Sunday morning that shows what appears to be the beheaded corpse of Islamic State group hostage Kenji Goto has left his family and friends speechless and in anguish.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2015
Families, acquaintances dismayed by latest video of Japanese hostage
Shock and confusion overwhelms the families and friends of the two Japanese men held captive in Syria by the Islamic State group.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 4, 2015
Ginza: Tokyo's beacon of prosperity
Ginza, Tokyo's posh shopping and entertainment district, has delighted visitors for over a century with high-end shops selling everything from jewelry and clothing to sweets and stationery.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Nov 2, 2014
Tokyo Station's iconic brick building, witness to war, stands test of time
Approaching its 100th anniversary in December, the red brick building of JR Tokyo Station in the Marunouchi business district is a symbol of the capital that continues to defy the high-rises around it with its classical architecture and stately appearance.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on