Japan to ban new entries from the U.K. amid fears over new virus strain

National

Japan to ban new entries from the U.K. amid fears over new virus strain

by Satoshi Sugiyama

The government said it will temporarily ban most arrivals from the U.K., though Japanese nationals and foreign nationals with valid residence permits will be exempt.

National / Social Issues

In Japan, children of sperm donors want to know their ancestry

by Tomohiro Osaki

Donor-conceived offspring are increasingly taking issue with the anonymity conferred on donors by medical institutions, citing a global trend toward giving access to information.
Japan opposed sanctions against China on day of Tiananmen crackdown

National

Japan opposed sanctions against China on day of Tiananmen crackdown

Japanese leaders were apparently concerned about isolating China internationally and the risk of worsening bilateral ties.

National

Yahoo Japan to delete hateful posts with AI to tackle cyberbullying

The move comes following the suicide in May of Hana Kimura, a cast member of the popular reality show "Terrace House."
A boy sits on decorations for the New Year’s holiday period at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday. Japan has one of the lowest rates of vaccine confidence in the world, according to a Lancet study, which found that fewer than 30% of people strongly agreed that vaccines were safe.

National

Japan's bitter vaccine history creates hurdle in COVID-19 fight

by Lisa Du and Grace Huang

Japan has one of the lowest rates of vaccine confidence in the world, according to a Lancet study, which found that fewer than 30% of people strongly agreed that vaccines were safe.

EDITORS' PICKS

Need to get a PCR test? Here’s what to expect from Japan’s new low-cost testing facilities

Lifestyle

Need to get a PCR test? Here’s what to expect from Japan’s new low-cost testing facilities

by Louise George Kittaka
Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power

Asia Pacific / Crime & Legal | FOCUS

Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power

by Iain Marlow, Kari Lindberg and Natalie Lung
Ad agency chief Sasaki gets creative control of Tokyo Games ceremonies

National

Ad agency chief Sasaki gets creative control of Tokyo Games ceremonies

Reysol's Michael Olunga named J. League MVP; Frontale packs Best XI with nine selections

J. League

Reysol's Michael Olunga named J. League MVP; Frontale packs Best XI with nine selections

by Dan Orlowitz
Final budget of ¥1.64 trillion unveiled for Tokyo Olympics

National

Final budget of ¥1.64 trillion unveiled for Tokyo Olympics

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NATIONAL

Japan residents urged to wear masks at home as cases soar
Japan residents urged to wear masks at home as cases soar

National

Japan residents urged to wear masks at home as cases soar

by Masumi Suga

Koike and other prefectural leaders have urged older people and people with underlying health issues — and those living with them — to don masks at home during the New Year break.

BUSINESS

Biden camp adds pressure on EU to hit brakes on China deal
Biden camp adds pressure on EU to hit brakes on China deal

Economy

Biden camp adds pressure on EU to hit brakes on China deal

The European Union came under mounting pressure to slow down its push for a major investment deal with China, as opposition grew to any agreement with Beijing that fails to tackle forced labor.

SPONSORED CONTENT

WORLD

Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power
Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power

Asia Pacific / Crime & Legal | FOCUS

Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power

by Iain Marlow, Kari Lindberg and Natalie Lung

The courts are on the front lines of a clash between two very different legal systems.

MULTIMEDIA

SPORTS

Hidden gems await fans who dig deep into sumo's lower divisions
Hidden gems await fans who dig deep into sumo's lower divisions

Sumo | INSIDE SUMO

Hidden gems await fans who dig deep into sumo's lower divisions

by John Gunning

The sport's second and third ranks offer a chance to see both rising stars and wily veterans engaged in the sort of exciting bouts that are sometimes rare in the top level.

COMMUNITY

A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan
A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan

Our Lives

A summer of solidarity: Looking back on the Black Lives Matter marches in Japan

by Naché Buie

COVID-19 wasn't the only story of 2020. In May, footage of the murder of George Floyd was posted online and resulted in a month of protest in the U.S. and in Japan.

LIFE

Need to get a PCR test? Here’s what to expect from Japan’s new low-cost testing facilities
Need to get a PCR test? Here’s what to expect from Japan’s new low-cost testing facilities

Lifestyle

Need to get a PCR test? Here’s what to expect from Japan’s new low-cost testing facilities

by Louise George Kittaka

With COVID-19 entrenched in daily life, people are more open about testing and the private sector is stepping in to expand testing options.

SPONSORED CONTENT

CULTURE

Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020
Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020

Books | 2020 in review

Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020

by Kris Kosaka, Eric Margolis, Florentyna Leow, Nicolas Gattig, Claire Williamson and Stephen Mansfield

As 2021 approaches, six Japan Times book reviewers look back on their top reads released in English this year.

OPINION

Editorials

Government in a muddle over suspended travel campaign

Researchers found that people who participated in the government's Go To Travel campaign were as much as twice as likely to have COVID-19 symptoms than those who did not.

Editorials

Hayabusa2's successful mission may help us reclaim our own past

Science now allows us to pluck pieces of our history from asteroids as they whiz by.

Christmas is canceled for Boris Johnson

The situation on Britain’s borders is clearly serious, but will it wound Johnson fatally? That all depends on how many Britons are inclined to blame the virus for the chaos.

2020 in hindsight: Asia’s bad to good in the year that was

The Asian Development Bank projects COVID-19 could push 160 million more into poverty in Asia. The region’s poverty rate will increase for the first time in 20 years, says the World Bank.