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Marika Katanuma
For Marika Katanuma's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Gold prices in Japan are hovering around a record high of ¥10,000 per gram — up around 18% since January.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 12, 2023
Gold bugs in Japan reaping rewards as yen weakness persists
Domestic prices for the precious metal are now hovering around a record high of ¥10,000 per gram — up around 18% since January.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2023
Beer factory leak turns the sea red in Japanese resort city
Residents in city of Nago on the island of Okinawa awoke to find an area of usually clear blue water had turned a gruesome shade of red.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 11, 2023
‘Forest’ of carbon dioxide-sucking vending machines planned in Japan
Starting with about 30 units in the Kanto and Kansai area, the experiment is part of plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 12, 2023
Twitter company ‘no longer exists’ and is now part of Elon Musk’s X Corp.
It’s unclear what the change means. In the past, Musk suggested that buying Twitter would be an 'accelerant” for creating X — which he dubbed an 'everything app.”
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 30, 2023
Japan to face 11 million worker shortfall by 2040, study finds
The working age population is expected to rapidly decline from 2027, according to the study by independent think tank Recruit Works Institute.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2023
Fears of societal collapse prompt new push for babies in Japan
Ideas like compulsory paternity leave, canceling student debt for people who have a baby, and ¥10 million ($76,445) payouts for a third child have been thrown around in recent weeks.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 15, 2023
Tokyo startup tells new hires they need to know ChatGPT for a job
As concerns grow over how the AI tool will affect businesses, LayerX is making it compulsory for new recruits to use the technology and even testing them on it.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2023
Anger among Japan's opposition over plan to clear student debt for having babies
On social media, opposition politicians and others said the proposal discriminated against those who don’t — or can’t — have children.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 25, 2023
Japan tries to fix a child custody system under fire from all sides
In Japan, child welfare in divorce often turns on single-parent custody, where one parent can be largely excluded from a child’s life.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2022
Japan set to drop archaic paternity rule for divorced women
The bill will also end a ban on pregnant women remarrying within 100 days of divorce, ostensibly imposed to avoid disputes over paternity.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2022
Missile-alert panic triggers calls to ramp up Japan's defenses
By the time many people were aware of the alert on Tuesday, North Korea's missile had already splashed down in the Pacific Ocean more than 3,000 kilometers away.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2022
Japan, in need of more babies, is helping pay for costly IVF
As part of a new policy, public health insurance will reimburse 70% of the costs of advanced fertility treatments.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 26, 2021
The world’s oldest monarchy is running out of royals
There were 67 members of Japan's royal family after World War II. After Princess Mako leaves, there will be just 17, and only three heirs to the throne among them.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 26, 2021
‘Cascade of calamities’ plagues Tokyo’s Olympic ambitions
While polls show a majority of Japan's citizens want the Olympics postponed or canceled, so far there's no indication Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will call them off.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 10, 2021
Clubhouse tops Japan chart as CEOs and celebrities embrace chat app
The invite-only drop-in conversation app, currently only on iPhones, topped the country's download charts with more than 440,000 new installs last week.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2021
Japan’s old politicians struggle to convince young people to stay home
Students and young professionals say government communication has failed to be empathetic to their situation and is unconvincing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 9, 2020
Suicide spike in Japan shows mental health toll of COVID-19
The numbers hint at what may be going on around the world as countries grapple with the fallout from mass unemployment and social isolation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 12, 2020
Japan urges urbanites to tour country, sparking fear of virus's spread in countryside
A central government campaign to spur domestic tourism has drawn both enthusiasm and ire, with some social media users telling urbanites to stay away from rural areas.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 28, 2020
Japan seeing fewer deaths than last year despite coronavirus, ministry data shows
Deaths across the nation fell 0.7 percent in the first three months of 2020 compared with an average of the period over the past five years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 25, 2020
Children of nurses in Japan excluded from day care over virus fears
The Education Ministry earlier this month urged schools to battle such prejudice, saying it could weaken the health care system.

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