During the years of rapid economic growth, the government built transport links west of Tokyo, to Osaka and beyond.

ECONOMIST: The first of an occasional series on Japan��s economic pains

They say Naoko Kikuchi, a 40-year-old ex-member of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, was picked up in Sagamihara, west of Tokyo, on Sunday.

BBC: Japan 'doomsday cult member' held

Last week I was in Hakone, Japan, a small city an hour west of Tokyo where all of the masters in this craft originated.

FORBES: Japanese Secret Boxes: The Coolest Security Puzzles for Kids and Adults