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April 2020
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JAPAN

Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 1, 2020
Amid shutdowns elsewhere, government plans to continue Diet business as usual
By Satoshi Sugiyama
While Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has urged residents in the capital to work from home, and the nation appears to be inching toward declaring a state of emergency over rapid spread of COVID-19, the government seems set to maintain business as usual — at least for now.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Apr 1, 2020
Stranded tourists flock to Tokyo immigration bureau already overwhelmed by seasonal rush
By Masumi Koizumi
Scores of foreign nationals queued up at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau on Wednesday, as tourists unable to return home — after international flights from Japan were suspended due to COVID-19 — added to the typical numbers attending the bureau.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Apr 1, 2020
Are Tokyo's hospitals and health care system ready for a COVID-19 storm?
By Ryusei Takahashi
With the number of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo having nearly quadrupled in 10 days, it seems no longer a question of whether Japan will declare a national emergency, but when and how.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2020
Cardboard and plastic: Tottori Prefecture goes low-tech to protect officials from COVID-19
By Tomohiro Osaki
In a nation famed for its cutting-edge robots and toilets, one prefecture is going defiantly low-tech in its effort to defend its officials against COVID-19.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2020
Tokyo to keep city-run schools closed through May 6
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will keep city-operated schools closed through May 6 and ask wards and other cities in the metropolis to follow suit, a day after coronavirus infections in the capital hit a daily record of 78.

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 1, 2020
China starts to report asymptomatic coronavirus cases
Chinese health authorities began on Wednesday reporting on asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected with it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 1, 2020
U.S. and South Korea near tentative troop-funding deal, report says
The U.S. and South Korea have tentatively reached a military cost-sharing agreement, the Yonhap news agency reported, potentially ending months of bickering over demands from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump for a massive increase.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 1, 2020
In China, a young diplomat rises as aggressive foreign policy takes root
Diplomats returning from overseas postings don't usually receive special attention at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a vast government bureaucracy with thousands of staff.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 1, 2020
In scrappy Cambodian casino town, Chinese plan future beyond coronavirus
By Clare Baldwin
When casino owner Kang Qiang looks out the window of his 20th floor office in this city on the remote Cambodian coast, he sees construction cranes sitting idle.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 1, 2020
How a gulf prince charmed Indonesia's Jokowi and poured money into the country
During a visit last summer where he strolled through the tropical gardens next to Indonesia’s summer Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince offered to build a grand mosque for his host, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. If that seemed like a generous gesture, the two men struck a bigger bargain within...

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 1, 2020
Over half of Americans are postponing their weddings as industry reels
By Matt Gross
One of the last weddings performed in public in Las Vegas was on St. Patrick’s Day. The groom wore a dark suit. The bride wore a rockabilly-style black halter dress. The minister was Slash from Guns N’ Roses — or, rather, a licensed officiant performing as the shaggy-maned, top-hatted guitarist....
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 1, 2020
Mass disinfections to combat coronavirus pose another health hazard
A drone dispersed clouds of disinfectant in the sky above Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya on Tuesday, a response to the coronavirus pandemic which is catching on around the world despite warnings from health experts.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 1, 2020
With U.S. 2020 race all but halted over coronavirus, Joe Biden quietly widens lead over Trump
Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden has quietly expanded his lead over President Donald Trump among registered voters, even as the rapidly spreading coronavirus has all but sidelined the former vice president's campaign, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 1, 2020
Health experts call pandemic a window into future climate threats
The coronavirus pandemic is a preview of the types of global health threats that will emerge as the planet becomes hotter, and how it is tackled has implications for dealing with climate threats as well, health experts said on Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 1, 2020
The mask middlemen: How pop-up brokers seek big paydays in a frenzied pandemic market
By Josh Horwitz and Joseph Tanfani
Brian Kolfage, a Florida military veteran, recently convinced Americans to donate millions of dollars for a privately built wall on the U.S. southern border. Now he has jumped into a new venture: hawking millions of protective face masks that are in critically short supply during the coronavirus pandemic....
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 1, 2020
U.S. health officials eye face mask recommendation amid shortages
U.S. health officials said on Tuesday they are discussing whether to recommend the general public wear face masks as a way to prevent transmission of the new coronavirus, but that it was too soon to take that step.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2020
How Tesla fought to keep its U.S. plant open despite lockdown order
Tesla Inc.’s lone U.S. assembly plant posed a risk to public health by staying open for days in spite of San Francisco Bay area shelter-in-place orders, according to documents obtained through a California public records request.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2020
Oil worker at BP's Alaska facility tests positive for new coronavirus
A worker at BP Plc's operation in Alaska's North Slope has tested positive for the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 42,000 people worldwide, the company confirmed Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2020
Singapore planning penalties for companies that don't follow social distancing rules
Singapore is working on potential penalties for companies that don’t follow regulations on social distancing and telecommuting during the coronavirus crisis, the country’s manpower minister said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2020
U.S. delivery drivers exposed on frontlines of COVID-19 pandemic
In the new COVID-19 economy that divides labor into essential and nonessential, truckers and parcel delivery drivers have become some of the most indispensable — and most exposed — workers as shut-in Americans rely more on online shopping.

Opinion

Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 1, 2020
NSC change prepares Japan for new global realities
By Brad Glosserman
Japan is moving toward a wiser decision-making process when it comes to key security questions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 1, 2020
The Battle of Okinawa: Could more civilians have been saved?
By Robert D. Eldridge
The true lesson of the Battle of Okinawa may be that civilian deaths in war can and should be kept to the absolute minimum.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 1, 2020
Better ties with China: Japan’s coronavirus silver lining?
By Elliot Silverberg
COVID-19 has caused surprisingly little damage to Japan-China relations. In fact, ties may emerge stronger in unexpected ways.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2020
Wannabe autocrats love the COVID-19 pandemic
By Andreas Kluth
In Hungary and Poland — as in Israel and elsewhere — liberty suddenly seems cheap. Even in a pandemic, it shouldn't be.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2020
Four priorities for a global pandemic strategy
By Josep Borrell
The world initially met the COVID-19 crisis in an uncoordinated fashion, with too many countries ignoring the warning signs and going it alone. It is now clear that the only way out of it is together.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2020
China’s global influence operation goes way beyond the WHO
By Hal Brands
The U.S. hoped bringing Beijing into international organizations would change it for the better, but the opposite is happening.

Sports

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 1, 2020
Free movement of young wrestlers could help sumo build stronger base
By John Gunning
Two significant changes in status took place after the Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Apr 1, 2020
Brave Thunders players regret early end to stellar season
By Kaz Nagatsuka
There was no one to blame, but it was certainly a disappointing way to end the season for the Kawasaki Brave Thunders.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Apr 1, 2020
Sports streaming service DAZN to stop paying rights fees to leagues: source
Streaming service DAZN has told sports leagues it will not pay rights fees for any suspended or canceled games amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Apr 1, 2020
Olympic flame passed to Fukushima in low-key ceremony
Tokyo 2020 organizers left the Olympic flame in the hands of Fukushima Prefecture on Wednesday, where it will be on display in a lantern for the next month after the games were postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

CULTURE

Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
Apr 1, 2020
Ep. 37 'Another Terrace!!'
By Alyssa I. Smith
Most weeks, watching “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” is a fun indulgence that lets viewers bask in the low-stakes drama of six 20-somethings (and an occasional 30-something) pursuing crushes, following their dreams, going on dates and cooking meals. But Episode 37 was different because when it comes...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Apr 1, 2020
Meet the expat comedians who keep Tokyo smiling
By Elina Davydova
Probably the biggest paradox of stand-up comedy is that while there are no schools of humor — no Bachelor of Laughs degree, not even a “funny” skill on Linkedin to endorse your friend for — stand-up comedians are out there in good numbers. Even in Tokyo, where speaking English can be a struggle,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Apr 1, 2020
Japan’s art institutions struggle to cope with the COVID-19 crisis
By John L. Tran
Since the quarantine of the Diamond Princess, Japan has gone from being one of the world’s most at-risk countries to lucky outlier, to being again fearful of COVID-19 getting out of control.

COMMUNITY

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Apr 1, 2020
Does Japan’s culture explain its low COVID-19 numbers?
By Rochelle Kopp
With the West now taking another look at widespread use of face masks to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, it's worth noting another aspect of Japanese culture that might be keeping the number of infections down: shame.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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