@AlexktMartin profile picture
Alex K.T. Martin @AlexktMartin

Tokyo-based journalist.

Joined March 2009
  • Tweets 2,056
  • Following 1,449
  • Followers 2,656
230 Photos and videos
犬のさんぽ中にキツネが撮れました！ こんな感じでオオカミが撮れれば…。😁
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I spoke with the daughter of a man whose disappearance sheds light on a little-seen consequence of Japan’s aging society: the rising number of elderly people with dementia who go missing each year. japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/0…

He told his wife he was ‘coming home.’ Then he disappeared.

One family’s search reveals Japan’s growing crisis of dementia-related disappearances.

japantimes.co.jp
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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
May 25
As Japan's population ages, thousands of people with dementia are reported missing every year — and some are never found. One daughter turned her search for her father into advocacy. 👉 ebx.sh/C3LIyh
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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
May 24
He left home for an evening walk around 4 p.m. and never came back. As Japan's population ages, thousands of people with dementia are reported missing every year — and some are never found. One daughter turned her search for her father into advocacy. ebx.sh/jwGjWE

He told his wife he was ‘coming home.’ Then he disappeared.

One family's search reveals Japan's growing crisis of dementia-related disappearances.

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AI is beginning to enter temples and shrines in Japan, raising questions about what can — and can’t — be replicated when it comes to ritual, belief and human presence. My story: japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/0…

Can AI replace a priest? Japan’s temples and shrines are testing the limits.

Japan’s temples experiment with artificial intelligence as questions of faith, presence and care grow more urgent.

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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Apr 12
Monks are building chatbots. Robots are entering rituals. But something essential may be missing. What happens when AI starts to sound like the Buddha? ebx.sh/usOMyv

Can AI replace a priest? Japan’s temples are testing the limits.

Japan's temples experiment with artificial intelligence as questions of faith, presence and care grow more urgent.

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Japan’s hay fever problem is the legacy of a postwar reforestation campaign. My story: japantimes.co.jp/environment…

The human-made roots of Japan’s hay fever crisis

Efforts to thin forests and breed low-pollen cedar advance, even as labor gaps and neglected land complicate the work.

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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: japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/0…

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.

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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Mar 9
Recovery following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis has been uneven across northern Japan. What do those efforts reveal about reconstruction as the country prepares for the next megaquake? 👉 ebx.sh/jDeAO1
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ameblo.jp/canisyagi/entry-12…

H.Yagi：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…

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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: japantimes.co.jp/business/20…

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.

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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Feb 9
Japan’s reputation for longevity extends beyond its people. Some of its oldest companies — from temple builders to hot spring inns — offer clues to how craft and continuity can outlast centuries of change. ebx.sh/vX4rDk

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.

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From cuddly crowd-pleasers to symbols of international ties — my latest on Ueno’s pandas and what their goodbye means for Japan and China🐼 japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/0…

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.

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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Jan 24
When Ueno Zoo’s last pandas leave this month, the loss won’t just be emotional. Economists estimate the absence of pandas could cost the area ¥15 billion a year — a reminder that pandas are serious business. 👉 ebx.sh/vrq89J
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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Jan 23
In tomorrow's edition of The Japan Times Weekend: What happens when the pandas leave Ueno?
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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. japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/0…

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.

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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
Jan 12
Japan is one of the world’s safest countries. So why do so many people feel uneasy? This week, @AlexktMartin takes a look at crime, perception and the growing gap between data and fear. 👉 ebx.sh/7lZW4C
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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🎍
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Alex K.T. Martin retweeted
The Japan Times
@japantimes
29 Dec 2025
Japan is the fastest aging nation in the world. Now that we're closer to 2050 than 2000, how will that affect the generation now coming of age? 👉 ebx.sh/RiOmGQ
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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！🎍japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/1…

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.

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