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July 12, 2026
 

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Alex K.T. Martin

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Alex K.T. Martin
Alex K.T. Martin is a Tokyo-based journalist and senior writer at The Japan Times. He was previously a reporter at The Wall Street Journal’s Tokyo bureau. He has earned honors from the Society of Publishers in Asia and the World Association of News Publishers for stories on the Japanese wolf and the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on wildlife.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2008
‘Educational’ package tour of U.S. jury system falls flat
A travel package featuring an educational tour of the jury system in the United States has so far failed to attract enough applicants to actually take off, a Japan Airlines Corp. spokesman said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / MIXED MATCHES
Nov 29, 2008
Cultural differences a common bond for Japanese-Korean pair
Takashi Yasuda and Kim Hye Gyong met three years ago while both were living in an international guesthouse in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 28, 2008
Kurosawa’s ‘Rashomon’ revisited
Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 masterpiece “Rashomon” has undergone a makeover.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2008
Most video parlors in violation of building, fire laws
According to a national survey conducted in response to the arson fire that killed 16 people at a video parlor in Osaka in October, a majority of such establishments were in violation of fire protection laws and building codes.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2008
Japan lags U.S. in using Net to mobilize voters
When Tadamasa Kimura says he is envious of Barack Obama’s victorious campaign to become president of the United States, it’s not because he’s an unsuccessful aspirant to political office.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 18, 2008
‘Enka’ still strikes nostalgic nerve
A windy night, the whistle of the midnight train, and a bad breakup.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2008
A doctor in the house? Do you feel lucky?
After being turned away by eight Tokyo hospitals last month, a 36-year-old woman died of brain hemorrhage after giving premature birth by Caesarian section. A month before, a 32-year-old pregnant stroke victim was bounced among six hospitals before one finally accepted her for treatment. She is currently...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2008
Escapee gives glimpse of North prison camps
Shin Dong Hyuk had just turned 14 when he was forced to watch the executions of his mother and older brother for trying to escape from North Korea’s “total control” prison camp No. 14, a Stalinist gulag for political prisoners. His mother was hanged; his brother was shot nine times.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2008
Dalai Lama admits his approach to Tibet greater autonomy has failed
The Dalai Lama said Monday that his approach to Tibet’s greater autonomy has so far failed, and that Tibetans should decide for themselves the future direction the region should take.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2008
‘Trash houses’ tough to tidy up
A middle-aged man walks through the Tokyo neighborhood of Higashi-Nippori at dawn, dropping bits of food for crows and cats to feed on, ensuring in the process that a mess is left in his wake.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2008
Film seeks to right Africans’ image here
In Japan’s “homogenous” society, foreigners who stand out tend to be vilified, easily associated with crime or other undesirable behavior, according to Nigerian film director Udyfrank.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2008
Elderly offenders on rise
In August, a 79-year-old woman went on a slashing spree in Tokyo’s bustling shopping and entertainment district of Shibuya, wounding two female passersby before being arrested by police.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2008
Experts grope for vision for Japan
Nine leading experts from various fields held a symposium Wednesday in Tokyo to call for a comprehensive vision for Japan’s future amid a world of uncertainty.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2008
N. Korea, viewed from the inside
North Koreans are aware of Kim Jong Il’s reported illness and anticipating an end to his dictatorship, said a Japanese journalist who recently returned from the China-North Korea border.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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