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April 25, 2024
 

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William Lang
For William Lang's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 22, 2023
Filling in the cracks: Japan’s shifting perspective on disability employment
The Valuable 500's Crosby Cromwell discusses best practice regarding disability in business in Japan, and she is optimistic about the direction we are heading in.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Dec 3, 2022
Tokyo named among the world's best destinations for disabled travelers
Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Paris and Tokyo were all among the most accessible cities according to a recent report, but there's still more work to be done.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Aug 29, 2022
Autumn nights are all right for romance
While some may interpret the 'fresh start' of spring as a more romantic part of the year, a case should be made for the grace of autumn as being a true opportunity for a relationship.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 24, 2022
A shinkansen to space (and other news found beneath the sofa)
While you may have done a 'big clean' around your house at New Year's, there are still a few news stories that our writer would like to tidy up.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 18, 2021
It’s hard to get your voice heard in a Japanese election
Ten years ago, a British resident grabbed the mic from a Japanese politician. What would you say if you had that moment in the spotlight?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Sep 27, 2021
18 months upon the rock: Perseverance amid the pandemic
With vaccinations increasing, it's time for us to get out from under our rocks and look at what life will be like in these post-pandemic times.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS / Summer Paralympics
Aug 23, 2021
2020 Tokyo Paralympics offer an opportunity for everyone to find their inner sportsperson
If the Olympics are typically celebrated for their athletic achievements, the Paralympics are no less deserving when it comes to the inspirational performances on display.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 28, 2021
Osaka: The world’s ‘second city’ … but by whose metrics?
The Economist Intelligence Unit has declared Osaka the second most livable city in the world. Does a former resident remember it being so wonderful?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
May 10, 2021
Some people may not mind a scaled-back Olympics
Nobody likes a pandemic, but some people may be a little relieved that they won't have to deal with larger crowds come the Olympics.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Mar 29, 2021
So long, bus No. 99 from Shinagawa. Thanks for the memories.
As Japan prepares to make immigration services available online, our writer waxes nostalgic on the positives of making the trip out to the physical space itself.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 1, 2021
You can't get anything past the neighborhood watchers
The eyes of the nation are upon you, and they are making sure that you put the trash out correctly.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 18, 2021
Perhaps it's time to un-discover some of 2020
We discovered a vaccine for COVID-19 in record time, but there are a few things that writer William Lang would like to un-discover about the pandemic if possible.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 24, 2020
Making way for a new kind of Christmas
Writer William Lang's previous Christmases were all about excess — the more presents and food, the better. But this year, he's celebrating the holidays with a minimalist approach.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 19, 2020
My bicultural child is starting to reveal his two faces
When my son switches from speaking English to Japanese, it seems like his personality changes as well.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Sep 28, 2020
Masks, noisy TVs and the lessons my students have learned from Corona-san
With language lessons on hold for many English teachers due to the pandemic, William Lang catches up with some of his own Japanese students.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 19, 2020
Appreciating Japan’s little details in a time of restricted travel
The travelers among us may want to get into an old state of mind to satisfy their wanderlust.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 23, 2020
The way of the toddler: Sōranbushi and sumo
April is approaching and with it comes the start of the new school year. Ordinarily, this would be a time for ceremonies replete with tears and smartphone-captured sentimentality. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, however, even such small-scale public gatherings are less visible.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 27, 2020
One day he was teaching English in Japan, and the next day, he was blind
'If you start to feel disoriented, you're getting it,' is how one writer describes the process of losing his sight at the age of 29. And after the disorientation comes the process of rebuilding a life in a foreign country.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 13, 2020
How my local Japanese supermarket killed 'Methuselah'
We all try to do our part for the environment, William Lang's contribution was 'Methuselah,' his trusty (and banged up) reusable shopping bag.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Nov 23, 2019
Let us put an end to Haruki Murakami's decade-long Nobel Prize pilgrimage
The 2010s have flown by and still there is no end in sight for Haruki Murakami's Nobel Prize drought. William Lang offers tips to end this sorry state of affairs.
'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.
Over 40% of Japan's municipalities at risk of vanishing, study finds
Of 1,729 local municipalities nationwide, 744 have been identified as being at risk of disappearing.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
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.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
LDP veteran Nikai's youngest son expected to succeed him in Wakayama
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
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.

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

Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability
Vol. 34: Tokyo, a vanguard city for sustainability

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