Mark Thompson
@markthompson.japantimes.co.jp
đ€ 1231
đ„ 544
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Managing editor @ The Japan Times
https://japantimes.co.jp
Usual disclaimers Long-term Tokyoite
reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
9 months ago
Eating disorders affect athletes at rates two to three times higher than nonathletes. In Japan, two champions share what it takes to recover â and why the silence around the issue remains so dangerous. đ
ebx.sh/Ww4CFR
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Mark Thompson
Will Craft
9 months ago
The Guardian US is releasing a new tool today, a tracker tallying the arrests, detentions, and deportations since the start of the second Trump admin. We are going to continue to update as the admin releases new data:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
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By the numbers: the latest Ice and CBP data on arrests, detentions and deportations in the US
The Guardian US reviewed figures from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection since Trumpâs inauguration
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/aug/29/trump-immigration-ice-cbp-data
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The courage of these parents should be applauded. I hope they inspire more to come forward. And kudos to Mai Yoshikawa for her thoughtful interviews and well-told story. A must-read.
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9 months ago
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Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
10 months ago
It has been 80 years, but Hideo Shimizu still remembers the 4œ months he spent with Unit 731, the biological and chemical warfare unit of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army, like they were yesterday.
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The indelible memory of being a part of Unit 731
For 95-year-old Hideo Shimizu, the 4œ months he spent with the biological and chemical warfare unit of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army were just like yesterday.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/history/japan-wwii-unit-731/
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
10 months ago
If you need an extra reason to visit Toyama, then Himawari Shokudo 2, The Japan Timesâ 2025 Destination Restaurant of the Year, should fit the bill.
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At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama's status as a dining destination.
https://ebx.sh/oeeGQi
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Mark Thompson
The Guardian
about 1 year ago
Venezuelan detainees at Texas center spell out SOS with their bodies
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Venezuelan detainees at Texas center spell out SOS with their bodies
Men at Bluebonnet fear deportation to El Salvador under wartime law despite maintaining they do not have gang ties
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/30/venezuelans-sos-texas?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=bsky_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Bluesky#Echobox=1746070553
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The New Yorker
about 1 year ago
Todayâs Daily Cartoon, by Lisa Rothstein.
#NewYorkerCartoons
nyer.cm/QAnwGsj
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Totally fine. Totally chill.
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over 1 year ago
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Flash debut. Donât worry. Sheâs just chilling.
over 1 year ago
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âIn the four years to June 2024, Russia accounted for more than 60% of takedown requests.â
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over 1 year ago
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In livestreamed chat between Sam Altman and Masayoshi Son, ChatGPT's top investor reassured the world that there is nothing to fear about AI developing emotions, explaining that protein isn't AI's source of energy. Altman tries to lighten the mood: "So AI won't eat humans. Confirmed." đ§
over 1 year ago
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âThe public should wake up to the fact that this is not a one-off accident.â
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over 1 year ago
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He will be missed but his unique brand of surreality will live on every time we describe things to be Lynchian.
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over 1 year ago
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
over 1 year ago
The probability that a Nankai Trough megaquake will occur in the next 30 years in Japan has risen to âaround 80%,â according to new research released by a government expert panel.
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Possibility of Nankai Trough megaquake now 80%, government panel reports
Last year, the likelihood of an earthquake in the zone had been projected at âbetween 70% to 80%.â
https://buff.ly/3CerL41
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Many good pull-quotes in this one. One of my faves: ... unlike many retired athletes, Hanyu didnât experience an existential crisis when he ended his competitive career. âMaybe because I didnât retire into the broadcast booth like many athletes do,â he says. âThe butterflies are still there.â đŠ
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over 1 year ago
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
over 1 year ago
According to cookbook author Sonoko Sakai, adding a touch of Japanese style to your daily favorites should be as natural as reaching for the salt and pepper.
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The case for Japan-ifying everything you cook
âWafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes with Japanese Styleâ coins the term âwafuingâ â shorthand for bringing Japanese flavors into anything and everything.
https://buff.ly/4gKgB66
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
Charlie Warzel
over 1 year ago
Zuckerberg holds a majority of voting power in his company. That he should see it as âout of touchâ isnât a criticism of woke Dems. Itâs a criticism of the way he himself capitulates and blows with the political winds. He's at war with himself. Has been for years.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
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Weâre All Trying to Find the Guy Who Did This
Mark Zuckerberg is at war with himself.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/01/mark-zuckerberg-free-expression/681238/?gift=bQgJMMVzeo8RHHcE1_KM0TqumxlpQCLtkp1lbvmjr9I&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
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It's getting hot in here
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over 1 year ago
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The Great North calls ...
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over 1 year ago
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I ain't particularly afraid of no ghosts.
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over 1 year ago
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This warning was part of the fact-filled lecture I sat through when I recently renewed my driver's license in Tokyo. The lecturer also said they were predicting fewer traffic accidents as cars get smarter .... and, I assume, better at detecting sleeping obstacles.
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over 1 year ago
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
Mondo Mascots
over 1 year ago
Matsudo-san, the bouncy businessman mascot of Matsudo City, pulls a rickshaw.
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Mark Thompson
Rowan Hooper
over 1 year ago
It's a New Scientist Weekly holiday special đ @rowhoop and team discuss the best of New Scientist in 2024: âïžThe quest for gold hydrogen â ïžHow neanderthals died out đWhy the universe might vanish at any moment đ§ Reanimating dead brains
www.newscientist.com/podcasts/wee...
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Weekly: The Best of New Scientist in 2024: From Volcanic Diamonds to Immortal Brains
Episode 282Looking back at some of the best stories New Scientist has published in 2024, this episode is a treasure trove of knowledge that will serve you well over the holiday season. Rowan Hooper ho...
https://www.newscientist.com/podcasts/weekly-the-best-of-new-scientist-in-2024-from-volcanic-diamonds-to-immortal-brains/
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Mark Thompson
Patrick Macias
over 1 year ago
ANN News in
#Japan
has released this artist depiction of the bear found under a kotatsu at a home in Fukushima yesterday
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Me (groggy at 5 am, wearing dental night guard): Alexa, what time is it? Alexa: "Ick" is an expression of distaste. Example: "Alexa's farts give me the ick." True story.
over 1 year ago
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"It's not only the numbers. It's also the mindset, the culture. We have to go global."
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over 1 year ago
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Walked out of Shibuyaâs Food Show, one of Tokyoâs best depachika, with unintentional echoes of headlines: a Middle Eastern/Korean dinner. And it was gooood. Also had picked up a few weird brews.
over 1 year ago
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Japan Times
over 1 year ago
People of Bluesky đŠ! We'd love some feedback. Can you spare 5 minutes? đ
forms.gle/E5mGrnDuXQRM...
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20 Questions for comedian Yurie Collins: "I don't have the same set of jokes in the two languages. There's a couple of jokes that work for me in both, but overall I just have a different sense of humor in English and Japanese."
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Yurie Collins: âEveryone seems sedated, fed-up ⊠thatâs why they turn to comedyâ
Yurie Collins is a bicultural stand-up comedian who has opened for comedian Atsuko Okatsuka and the upcoming Iliza Shlesinger show in Tokyo.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2024/12/10/our-lives/comedian-yurie-collins-roast/
over 1 year ago
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"... In this case, we are not asking to take black and call it white. I am innocent from the start." What's really tragic is that it takes minutes to scroll through a depiction of decades lost to a coerced confession.
www.asahi.com/special/haka...
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Letters from Death Row Iwao Hakamada [Premium A special] : The Asahi Shimbun
Iwao Hakamada, who was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-serving death row inmate, continued to write letters to his family even after his death sentence was finalized. W...
https://www.asahi.com/special/hakamadaletters/en/
over 1 year ago
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Mayor wanted. No experience necessary. Must be able to relocate.
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over 1 year ago
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
The Guardian
over 1 year ago
Cotton-and-squid-bone sponge can soak up 99.9% of microplastics, scientists say
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Cotton-and-squid-bone sponge can soak up 99.9% of microplastics, scientists say
Filter performs well in removing plastic pollution from water and Chinese researchers say it appears to be scalable A sponge made of cotton and squid bone that has absorbed about 99.9% of microplastics in water samples in China could provide an elusiveâŠ
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/10/microplastics-pollution-sponge-cotton-squid-bone?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
Chris Morran
over 1 year ago
In securities filings, Trump Media strangely claims it doesn't track the number of active users. That's like a TV network not tracking viewers. But
@ProPublica.org
found that the Truth Social company DOES track these numbers â and the active user count is a tiny fraction of its competitorsâ.
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Donald Trump Controls a Publicly Traded Company. Now He Will Pick Its Regulator.
There have been internal concerns that Trump Media could be misleading investors, a source said. But with its largest shareholder about to be president, experts doubt the SEC is up to the job of inves...
https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-media-truth-social-sec-securities-exchange-commission?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=propublica-bsky
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
Alexander Verbeek
over 1 year ago
Syrians just opened up Assadâs presidential garage. This is what the Baâath Partyâs Arab Socialism looks like.
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My weapon of choice in the battle against blandness. It has never ever failed me.
#yuzulove
over 1 year ago
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theeeeeyâre heeeeere
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Who is Creating The Non-Human Army
YouTube video by hankschannel
https://youtu.be/rpOkrxxpTcE?si=kAcMJULIjrqJvw60
over 1 year ago
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Kanpai to that! đ¶
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over 1 year ago
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Mark Thompson
Christopher Miller
over 1 year ago
A London-based man won a $24m Ukrainian state contract for a project meant to defend Dnipro power plant from Russian attacks while secretly helping Moscowâs spy services to launder money and evade sanctions. Wild scoop w/ my colleague Miles Johnson
@financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/57a3...
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Money launderer for Russian spies won deal to help defend Ukraine power plant
Sanctioned âentrepreneurâ awarded sensitive state contract to provide parts for Dnipro hydroelectric station damaged by Russian missiles
https://www.ft.com/content/57a3fef0-64aa-4dd5-a1dd-6c31c1386de7
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reposted by
Mark Thompson
Mike Bird
over 1 year ago
It's fascinating to me that Japan's reputation as the paragon of very low birth rates has survived in pop culture - it's had a higher birth rate than almost anywhere else in developed East Asia for two full decades, and a higher one than China for several years!
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A (slightly hammered) witness to history. Good stuff.
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over 1 year ago
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Mark Thompson
Benjamin A. Engel
over 1 year ago
So hereâs my morning after immediate analysis of why Yoon Suk Yeolâs self coup of December 3-4, 2024 failed. Iâll try to highlight 5 things, but they are not mutually exclusive. 1/
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It's exciting to get live coverage/commentary on Bluesky, especially these sharp "scattered thoughts" as the surreal events unfold in Seoul.
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over 1 year ago
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Mark Thompson
Michelle Ye Hee Lee
over 1 year ago
It took only ~2.5 hrs for the National Assembly to gather a majority of members (190 of 300) and generate a unanimous vote (190 of 190) to vote down the emergency martial law. The law says the president "shall comply" with parliament's vote, but doesn't specify a time frame.
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Fresh updates to a rapidly developing story in Seoul.
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South Korean President Yoon declares martial law
In an unannounced late-night address that sent shock waves through the nation, Yoon claimed he would eradicate 'shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.'
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/04/asia-pacific/politics/yoon-martial-law/
over 1 year ago
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Great presentation, worth 5 min of your time.
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over 1 year ago
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âUragane mondai,â âkasuharaâ and âtokuryĆ«â were in the headlines more, but maybe âMĆ Ä deshĆâ? Subjectively, in terms of interesting coinages, Iâd vote for âsofuto rĆgai.â And whatâs not to love about âneko mÄ«muâ?
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over 1 year ago
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Mark Thompson
Adam Sharp
over 1 year ago
First rule of Polite Club: Please donât talk about Polite Club. Many thanks in advance and enjoy the rest of your day.
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Read the book?
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'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
Ko Shinjoâs novel, a bold exploration of the twisted psyches of criminals, is best appreciated as a companion work to the recent Netflix series of the same title.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/mjk/eJwVzMsKwjAQQNFfKVlrx8Zaa5eC4tLXxmWMAdNMm9BJiEX8d5nl4cL9iiS6QrxjDNQB5JzLXgU1RjsYKrUv-wA6YUyTAbmSNVQVyAqe3juC6N3sl5Tt-EIzEYhFIQbe3by2CpnE3GMy5Gb2h321wZ_l8XRB16oDPu4j9hy14rre7tp608haNuL3ByvQMHs=
over 1 year ago
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Mark Thompson
derek guy
over 1 year ago
Why is Tokyo so fashionable? Some theories. đ§”
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âWhether it succeeds in the long run really depends on whether it gets baked into Japanese culture.â
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over 1 year ago
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