{}

Tomodachi Menu

  • Top
  • Previous Issues
  • Topic
  • Country/Region

Close

Vol.07

Winter 2015

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe playing with children at an elementary school completed in August 2014 in Miyagi Prefecture. He stopped by the school during his visit to Miyagi Prefecture to see firsthand the progress of reconstruction efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake (October 2014).

  • PDF
Feature

Advanced Waste Disposal Technology Makes Tokyo the Cleanest City

Look at the photograph of the building at the top of the next page. Can you tell what it is for? This building with a sophisticated modern design is actually a center for waste disposal. It’s the key that helps maintain cleanliness in the Japanese capital, one of the leading cities in the world and also highly regarded for its efforts to preserve the environment.

Fighting against Ebola

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is a threat to international peace and security. As a responsible member of global society, Japan is making every effort to fight against Ebola, including offering financial assistance, dispatching medical experts, and providing protective equipment, ambulances, beds, and other supplies.

“Have an Image of Success!”
Dr. Hiroshi Amano, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics

Dr. Hiroshi Amano learned the wonderful news that he had won the Nobel Prize while he was overseas on business; when he returned to Japan, he was surrounded by his students, who gave him a surprise celebration. This scene was widely broadcasted on television, and images of Dr. Amano sharing with his students the joy of receiving the prize conveyed his unassuming character.

Global Infectious Diseases Expert on the Frontlines in the Fight against Ebola

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is running rampant in West Africa. In May and August 2014, Dr. Yasuyuki Kato (chief physician at the Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine) joined the WHO mission to provide medical aid to Liberia, the worst-hit country in the Ebola outbreak. Dr. Kato risked his life on the frontlines to treat and prevent Ebola infection.

Moments of Prime Minister Abe Autumn/Winter2014

Leaders posing for a group photo at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (November 2014). (©Kyodo News)

Struggling With Trash on the Beach of Singing Sands

Japanese refer to picturesque beaches with white sand and verdant pine trees as hakushaseisho (literally, “white sand, green pines”) and have cherished them since ancient times.

Japanese People Contributing Worldwide

Battling on the Frontlines of AIDS

When AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States 33 years ago, it was an untreatable and deadly disease.

Japanese People Contributing Worldwide

Helping to Expand Indonesia’s Sewerage Network

Against a backdrop of steady economic growth of five to six percent per year, Indonesia’s cities continue to expand. The skyscraper-studded capital, Jakarta, is now home to some 9.6 million people, and the constant influx of migrant workers from provincial areas shows no sign of slowing.

The Road to Revival

Friends Forever

When the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 struck, the U.S. Navy was one of the first organizations to partner with Japan.

Japan’s Regional Power

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet set a high priority on encouraging foreign companies to invest in Japan. We are taking a look at what the governors and mayors are doing as “top sales-people” for their own prefectures/cities, which are actively engaged in soliciting investment from outside Japan.

Kotohogu

賀 kotohogu
According to one theory, the character 賀 originally meant a ceremony in which farmers prayed for a good harvest. Over time, it evolved to take on the meaning of kotohogu—“to celebrate,” “to congratulate,” or “to express best wishes.”

Winterscapes of Japan

In the long chain of islands that form the Japanese archipelago, the winter scenery varies from one region to another. One of the most spectacular is the snowscape, in which everything is blanketed in dazzling white.

Friends of Japan
Chasing Dreams, Building Bridges

When Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan was a little boy, he admired his father—a football player. 

Friends of Japan
Rakugo —The Art of Making People Smile

In 1990, Diane was traveling around the world. A friend recommended that she visit Japan. “Japan is safe,” her friend said. Following this advice, Diane traveled to Osaka. “I didn’t speak any Japanese, but that was not a problem,” Diane said.

The JET Programme:
A Great Way to Experience Japan
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Participating in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme was a dream come true for me, for I had long wanted to visit Japan.
 
 
{}