Alex K.T. Martin

15 years after the Tohoku quake, the road home remains uncertain for many In once-abandoned communities, life is cautiously returning as policymakers confront the staggering price of future recoveries.

I covered the 2011 Tohoku quake and nuclear disaster when it happened. 15 years later, I visited communities still shaped by displacement — from the still-sparsely populated town of Futaba to a new inland neighborhood built for tsunami survivors. My story: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03...

『年末/年始のカメラメンテナンス』 1月初めの某日が本年最初のカメラメンテナンスでした。参加者は会員のYo1氏/Yo2氏/Sa氏/と私の４名/＋/元朝日新聞山岳専門記者ｋo氏/ニホンオオカミ体験…

ameblo.jp/canisyagi/en...

What keeps Japan’s 1,000-year-old companies alive? Across religion, hospitality and the arts, the country’s oldest institutions show how craft and continuity can endure.

A Japanese temple builder founded in 578 is still operating today. So is a 1,300-year-old hot spring inn, along with Japan’s largest school of ikebana. How have these institutions survived wars, disasters and social change for over a millennium? My story: www.japantimes.co.jp/business/202...

What happens when the pandas leave Ueno? The return of Ueno Zoo’s last giant pandas underscores how an animal became a diplomatic symbol — and what happens when that symbol is withdrawn.

From cuddly crowd-pleasers to symbols of international ties — my latest on Ueno’s pandas and what their goodbye means for Japan and China🐼 www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01...

Japan is safe. Why do the Japanese feel unsafe? Crime is low but anxiety is rising, fueled by demographics, social media and perception gaps shaping how safety is felt.

Despite long-term declines in crime, “taikan chian” (体感治安) — the public’s perceived sense of safety — is worsening in Japan. I explored the gap between data and sentiment. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01...

Wishing everyone a peaceful and healthy 2026🙏
今年もありがとうございました。
皆さまが安心して過ごせる2026年になりますように🎍

On to 2050: Life in a shrinking Japan By 2050, Japan’s youth will inherit a transformed country, reshaped by population decline, longer lives and unprecedented demographic imbalance.

For my final story of 2025, I looked ahead to the next quarter century for Japan — and the society today’s young adults may inherit as demographic decline accelerates. Thanks for reading this year, and a Happy New Year to all! 良いお年をお迎えください！🎍 www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12...

🕳️🐾🐾🐾🐀🏠🐾🐾🐾🐀🗑️🐾🐾🐾🐀🍙🐾🐾🐾🐀🏮🐾🐾🐾🐀🌃🐾🐾🐾🐀🛝🐾🐾🐾🐀🥪🐾🐾🐾🐀🏙️🐾🐾🐾🐀🗼🐾🐾🐾🕳️
I wrote about 🐀in Tokyo: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12...

The second life of Japan's net cafes Once symbols of urban solitude, these spaces are finding new purpose as coworking hubs for a changing, wired generation.

Back in the 2000s I’d sometimes stop by internet cafes in Tokyo — to read manga or grab a quick nap. They seemed to be everywhere back then. That got me wondering: what happened to the once-ubiquitous business? Here’s what I found out: www.japantimes.co.jp/business/202...

The image of Japan’s net cafes used to be all smoky rooms and sketchy behavior. Not anymore. Today’s spaces are sleek, clean — and affordable. 👉 ebx.sh/iOj6Mt

That’s great! I’ve heard about similar experiences from folks who used the station before it was closed - wish I could’ve experienced it myself ☺️

Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell A sealed 1930s subway platform beneath Shimbashi Station still holds traces of what the capital looked like before the war.

Tokyo’s so-called “phantom” stations no longer serve passengers and are often closed to the public👻 I explored a few of them — weathered, industrial traces of how the city has expanded, reconfigured and adapted to a growing metropolis🎃 www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10...

死者の霊呼ぶ巫女の「イタコ数珠」、絶滅動物の骨を使用か　奥州市えさし郷土文化館長調査 | 岩手日報ONLINE 奥州市江刺のえさし郷土文化館長の高橋憲太郎さんは、県内各地に伝わる「イタコ数珠」の調査に取り組んでいる。死者の霊を呼ぶ口寄せなどを行う巫女（みこ）の持ち物で、クマやシカ、キツネなど動物の体の一部が使われている。高橋さんは特に、絶滅したニホ…

www.iwate-np.co.jp/article/2025...

Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’ Young Japanese are saying no to booze — and yes to mocktails, gaming and sober nights out. Breweries are pivoting to meet them.

I very much enjoy my booze, but stats show Japan’s 20-somethings aren’t drinking like we did. Breweries are pivoting hard to low- and no-alcohol drinks. Big culture shift underway. My story: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09...

『クマのお話』 毎日の様にクマのニュースが流れる今日この頃。北海道の羅臼岳山中で登山中の若者が襲われ命を失った事件は大々的に報道され、親クマと2頭の子クマが駆除されました。知…

ameblo.jp/canisyagi/en...

The Great Kanto Earthquake: A wall of fire, a picture of hell On Sept. 1, 1923, a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture. It came to be defined by fire and vigilantism.

102 years ago today, the Great Kanto Earthquake flattened Tokyo and killed more than 100,000 people. I looked back on the catastrophe for its 100th anniversary in 2023:
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/08...

From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past One man’s experience traces the capital's arc from wartime devastation to modern megacity in a story of resilience and reinvention.

I traced how Tokyo rose from the ashes of the 1945 firebombing and became today’s megacity, through the eyes of a survivor who lived through black-market stalls, postwar nightlife and the Olympic-era build-up. "But that hardship still lingers," he says. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08...

🙏

The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan AI chatbots are becoming stand-ins for pets and partners — offering comfort, connection and raising new concerns.

Loneliness and social isolation are growing concerns in aging, shrinking Japan, and AI is being explored as a source of companionship and emotional support. Questions remain, however, about how effective or healthy these interactions really are. My story: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji Mount Fuji’s deadliest weekend still echoes today. Luckily, area rescue squads have leveled up their game.

With Mount Fuji’s official climbing season starting today, I spoke with police and other mountain rescue experts about the dangers of hiking Japan’s highest and most iconic peak. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06...

#このホラーがすごい

暑すぎる。Too damn hot today💦

I’ve been there! Gorgeous place. But unfortunately didn’t have space to cover it in this story😢

Haha, you need to take me there next time!

Revitalizing the space under Tokyo’s train tracks Rail underpasses in big cities are being transformed into vibrant spaces for artisans, foodies and travelers — without erasing their past.

Many of my favorite watering holes in Tokyo are tucked away beneath elevated railway tracks, known as ガード下. But on a recent tour, I discovered there’s much more to these hidden urban spaces. My story: www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/06...

How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic Labor shortages and shifting mindsets are driving younger Japanese workers to challenge the country’s traditional office culture.

“Back then, resignation services probably still had a somewhat shady image, but now they’re everywhere — like bubble tea shops.” My story on how Japan’s younger employees are reshaping the country’s work culture: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06...

That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb A tragic accident in Saitama shows how aging pipes, soft soil and climate threats are straining the country’s infrastructure.

“Basically, it’s a race between the advancement of inspection technology and the rapid progression of sinkholes.” I explored the deteriorating state of Japan’s sewer systems: www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/05...

If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami Last year the government issued its first 'megaquake' advisory. Ever since, those living in the areas it's expected to hit have been preparing for the worst.

Shimoda could face a 31-meter-high tsunami if a Nankai Trough megaquake strikes, according to the government's latest projections. I visited the coastal community in the south of the Izu Peninsula to learn how residents are preparing for the worst-case scenario. www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/...

The Return of the Dire Wolf Colossal Biosciences has genetically engineered the first dire wolf to live in over 10,000 years. Here's what that means for other extinct species.

time.com/7274542/colo...

Why Japan is running out of rice — and farmers to grow it Outdated government policy, changing diets and even an earthquake scare have had an impact on the national food staple.

Here’s my take on Japan’s ongoing rice crisis: www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/04...