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July 11, 2026
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 2, 2022
Ukraine war pushes revision of Japan’s Constitution into the spotlight
With more LDP lawmakers calling for changes and the public taking a greater interest in the issue, Kishida has been forced to address the topic ahead of July’s Upper House election.
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2022
In emotional news conference, tour boat operator apologizes for Hokkaido tragedy
The cause of the accident remains unclear, but investigators plan to build a criminal case against the boat’s operator.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2022
Hokkaido boat accident highlights the risks of nature tourism
Firms offering boat tours of the Shiretoko Peninsula have agreed not to operate during Golden Week, and officials are worried that the incident will keep tourists away from Hokkaido.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2022
End of Wakayama bid leaves only Osaka and Nagasaki in race for Japan’s first casinos
The prefecture’s withdrawal due to unclear financing for the project undermines a major initiative by the central government to revitalize local economies.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2022
Russia-Ukraine crisis far away for most in Japan, but not in Hokkaido
More visible demonstrations of Moscow’s military power on and around Russian-held, Japanese-claimed islands off Hokkaido are generating concerns among residents.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 11, 2022
Lower House redistricting threatens clash of titans within LDP
With a single-seat district to be cut in Yamaguchi, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could end up fighting for the remaining seats and resulting influence.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 5, 2022
Three months before Upper House poll, Kishida holds party rivals at bay
Strong approval ratings and the Ukraine crisis have given the prime minister the edge over his rival Shinzo Abe within the LDP.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2022
The Dubai Expo is over. Next stop: Osaka
Due to the Dubai event’s one-year postponement, Japanese organizers have just three years, instead of the usual four, to finalize preparations.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2022
Highest wheat price rise in 14 years has Japan consumers bracing for more expensive bread
The price hike for wheat the government sells to private milling companies comes amid growing concerns about poor harvests in supply countries and the effect of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2022
Opposition CDP submits bill granting more rights to refugees in Japan
The proposal would allow those from Ukraine and other countries to obtain a special residence status that gives them permission to work for one year from the date they arrive.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 22, 2022
Ukraine invasion and climate change drive concerns over Japan’s food security
Long-term issues such as global warming and an aging population could harm the nation’s self-sufficiency and its ability to secure adequate food imports.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2022
Japan to discuss creating new police unit to guard nuclear plants
The issue of defending the nation’s nuclear plants has come into the spotlight following Russia’s attack on the Zaporizhzhia facility in Ukraine.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 9, 2022
How Russia quietly built up its military presence in Asia
Japan and its neighbors are pondering what further cooperation between Russia and China could mean for the region.
BUSINESS / EXPLAINER
Mar 3, 2022
Japan’s oil stockpiles come into spotlight following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The IAE, of which Japan is a member, decided to release 60 million barrels of oil reserves as a step toward stabilizing global oil markets, which have been rattled by the war in Ukraine.
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 1, 2022
As tensions in East Asia mount, Japan looks to beef up Okinawa defense
Due to China’s growing regional assertiveness, momentum behind the deployment of SDF forces to the Nansei Islands, and Ishigaki in particular, has grown.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2022
Following Ukraine invasion, Japan takes much tougher line on Russia
Sanctions announced by Kishida contrast with Tokyo’s approach after Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, when negotiations over contested islands off Hokkaido were a top priority.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 24, 2022
Kishida at odds with other LDP members over COVID-19 and foreign policy
With media polls showing Kishida’s support rate is declining, questions about who is in charge — the prime minister or his party — are growing.
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2022
Osaka holds off on emergency request amid signs cases are peaking
The central government is expected to extend the prefecture’s quasi-emergency, but a state of emergency request will only be issued if cases go up in the future.
JAPAN
Feb 10, 2022
Calls for Japan to relax COVID-19 entry restrictions intensify
Foreign business groups and students have weighed in on the issue, warning of international damage to the country’s reputation.
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2022
Japan to send LNG to Europe amid Ukraine tensions
Following a request from the U.S., the government has said that it will offer surplus supplies to Europe.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Trump says ‘Japan’ instead of Iran at meeting in Ankara
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference during a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
World’s first fully sealed vertical-farming facility opens in Tokyo
Fully sealed units are stacked on top of each other at Plantx's vertical-farming facility in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Wednesday.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
Takashi Nishihara, the director of "Now and Then," in Tokyo on Wednesday. The director has spent 10 years traversing politically charged terrain while exploring youth-driven grassroots political movements that scrutinize the status quo.
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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