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JAPAN

Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020
Abe urges vigilance to avoid COVID-19 spike and vows extraordinary steps to aid economy
The prime minister said the virus battle would be a long one, especially if people drop their guard, but pledged economic relief surpassing that for the 2008 financial crisis.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020
Flying low: The battle over Tokyo’s airspace
Haneda Airport's new flight paths commence despite concerns from aviation experts and public opposition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 28, 2020
Winning the media battle against COVID-19
On March 12, the Sankei Shimbun ran an editorial urging the media to refrain from criticizing the government for its handling of the coronavirus emergency. The Sankei Shimbun was elaborating on a complaint made by former TV announcer Yoshiko Sakurai that the press was not properly instilling in the public...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020
Face masks can foster a false sense of security
What’s happening in Japan is written all over our faces — our blank, expressionless, masked faces. Never before, it seems safe to say, have so many people gone about masked.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 28, 2020
Postponement of 2020 Olympics sends social media into a frenzy
It was only a matter of time before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to change tack. After months of speculation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Tuesday night that the games would be postponed until 2021.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2020
Japan rejecting foreign suitors in favor of homegrown stealth jet, sources say
Japan wants to develop a stealth fighter domestically, rejecting designs from Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. in the United States and Britain's BAE Systems PLC, three sources with knowledge of the program said.
Japan Times
Okinawa sees fall in foreign visitors amid pandemic
Senagajima Umikaji Terrace, a Mediterranean-esque shopping mall located near the west coast of Senaga Island in Okinawa Prefecture, usually sees crowds of tourists and lines of buses and rentals cars. Starting in around mid-February this year, however, the number of tour group from overseas has sharply...

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 28, 2020
China's Wuhan, where the new coronavirus emerged, begins to lift its lockdown
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak first emerged, began lifting a two-month lockdown on Saturday by restarting some metro services and reopening borders, allowing some semblance of normality to return and families to reunite.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 28, 2020
China reports no local virus transmissions as foreigners barred
China on Saturday reported no locally transmitted coronavirus infections for the previous day and a small reduction in new cases involving travellers from overseas, as new restrictions on the entry of foreigners kicked in.

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Mar 28, 2020
U.K. has no clear plan if 'Team Johnson' is incapacitated by coronavirus
What would happen if British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's case of coronavirus — so far he has "mild symptoms" — were to become more serious or even incapacitate him and his team? Under Britain's uncodified constitution, the answer is unclear.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 28, 2020
SpaceX wins NASA award to supply lunar space station
NASA on Friday picked a new space capsule from Elon Musk's SpaceX to ferry cargo and supplies to the agency's planned lunar space station, a crucial building block to its goals to build a permanent post on the moon and mount future missions to Mars.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 28, 2020
Vaping could compound health risks tied to new coronavirus, U.S. FDA says
Vaping may leave users with underlying health conditions at higher risk of serious complications if they contract the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 28, 2020
Four die on Holland America cruise ship as COVID-19 detected on board
Carnival Corp.'s Holland America Line said four passengers died on its Zaandam ship, which has had an outbreak of flulike symptoms on board, including at least two confirmed cases of COVID-19.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2020
Fed brings the global financial system back from the abyss
Sitting calmly in front of a bookshelf filled with thick volumes of the "Federal Reserve Bulletin," Jerome Powell this week set out to offer a simple explanation for the complicated steps the U.S. central bank is taking to relieve dire stresses in the global financial system.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2020
Budget in hand, Abe shifts focus to pandemic response as economy reels
Prime Minister Abe's team is working on steps to save jobs and spark a v-shaped recovery, but is money all it takes?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2020
11 flyers amid a sea of seats: Airlines' woes dwarf U.S. aid
Miguel Diaz's JetBlue flight from New York to Orlando cost just $79 with a checked bag and was nearly empty. The 11 passengers each had a row of seats to themselves, spaced at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart to maintain social distancing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2020
Toyota retools idled U.S. factories for face shield and mask production
Toyota Motor Corp.'s idled manufacturing facilities in the U.S. will make much-needed face shields and masks, and the auto giant is also closing in on deals with makers of medical devices to help them boost production.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2020
Nomura's new CEO faces tough initiation juggling overhaul and virus
It was supposed to be a smooth transition for Nomura Holdings Inc.'s new boss. Then the coronavirus struck.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 28, 2020
French court cancels fine on Google over right to be forgotten
Google won a battle over the right to be forgotten after France's top administrative court canceled a fine of €100,000 ($111,000) for failing to remove contentious search results globally.
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2020
GM will pay $120 million over faulty ignition switches
General Motors Co. has agreed to a $120 million settlement over faulty ignition switches that allegedly caused cars to stall and air bags to deploy, in some cases triggering fatal accidents.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2020
Almost 1 in 4 Americans lost job or were furloughed because of coronavirus, poll shows
Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults said they have been laid off or furloughed during the coronavirus outbreak, yet a bipartisan majority of Americans wants businesses to remain closed to slow the spread of the deadly virus despite its impact on the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Opinion

Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2020
COVID-19 transmission: What we know
There is not yet an ironclad scientific consensus on exactly how the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is spreading, but experts are getting a pretty good sense of it. That understanding needs to be central to our strategy of combatting the virus with minimal collateral damage.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2020
Why nobody mentions universal basic income
When you lock the people down (to save their lives), you inevitably close down a lot of the economy as well. And the lockdown will definitely have to last in most countries until May or June. U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise of a “beautiful timeline” to reopening the American economy just...

Sports

Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Mar 28, 2020
Players react to cancellation of season's final weeks due to COVID-19 pandemic
After the B. League announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign due to the COVID-19 outbreak on Friday, some players shared their mixed emotions about this season, which ended abruptly.

LIFE

Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / NATURE'S PANTRY
Mar 28, 2020
Japanese mountain vegetables are the epitome of spring
As the snow melts and spring approaches, sansai (mountain vegetables) start to flourish. These greens are the true harbingers of Japanese spring, offering a refreshingly bitter counterpart to the typically mild vegetality of other spring vegetables such as peas and asparagus. Without exception, when...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 28, 2020
Shiho Sakamoto: Designing wagashi for the 21st century
Wagashi designer Shiho Sakamoto is embracing technology, using Instagram, video and even 3D printing to introduce wagashi sweets to new generations around the world.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 28, 2020
Chocolate, chips and coffee: The ideal snack combination?
Chocolate-covered potato chips aren’t a new idea. It’s a tried-and-true combination that has proven to be a delight over the years. How do you improve on that?
Japan Times
Tokyo revealed: Atmospheric, open-air antique markets
Oedo Antique Market
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 28, 2020
Find solitude on Mount Kuju, central Kyushu’s highest peak
Part of Aso-Kuju National Park, Mount Kuju comprises a number of lofty peaks. But at 1,791 meters, Nakadake is the highest, and a worthwhile spot for any hiking enthusiast. It is also a must for those seeking the unusual and the unique.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Mar 28, 2020
If you must go out, keep your distance in a quiet green space
With the current upheaval caused by COVID-19, Tokyoites have been advised from going outside to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But Tokyo apartments are cramped and constricting, and a solo sojourn in nature can do wonders to alleviate the anxiety the virus is causing. Tokyo has plenty up its sleeve that means you can bypass popular spots like Ueno Park for a moment of quiet all to yourself.

CULTURE

CULTURE / Books
Mar 28, 2020
The seemingly perfect world of author Clarissa Goenawan
Set in Japan, Clarissa Goenawan's eagerly anticipated second novel, 'The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida,' has a winsome tone, harkening to the early works of Banana Yoshimoto.
'Grit, Grace, and Gold' review: The Olympics are postponed, but this book's a winner
On the surface, sports and haiku are an incongruous mix but, as Nagamura notes in the introduction, 'Writing good haiku involves the same attention to grace, balance, strength, bravery, restraint and observation that propels athletes to their peak.'
'The Salaryman' review: Spilling the secrets of Japan's everyman
Alongside its humor, Michael Thuresson's recent memoir, "The Salaryman," provides an insightful look at Japan's corporate workforce. In 2008, Thuresson was a 32-year-old product manager at a small LA software startup who suddenly landed a high-paying job with a Japanese corporation of over 50,000 employees....

COMMUNITY

Mitsukuni Baba: Japanese culture blossoms in the Windy City
As executive director of the Japan America Society of Chicago (JASC), Mitsukuni Baba plays an integral role in introducing Japan to the people of Chicago in terms of business, politics, education and culture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Mar 28, 2020
Joseph Everett: Learn to make your own healthy decisions
Joseph Everett shares what he's learned as a YouTuber
COMMUNITY / Voices / OVERHEARD
Mar 28, 2020
Easing the coronavirus tensions
'The cherry blossoms are nice. Seeing them in full bloom helps to take away all of our worries.'
Japan Times
Dealing with anxiety during a global pandemic
As coronavirus news floods our social feeds, it's important to take care of our mental well-being as well as our physical conditions.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji