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JAPAN

JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 2, 2020
With suicide note and lawsuit, Moritomo scandal back to haunt Abe
With the publication of a suicide note by a former Finance Ministry official and subsequent lawsuit by his widow, the Moritomo Gakuen scandal has returned to haunt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But with Abe saying the issue has been settled and Japan finding itself in the midst of the coronavirus crisis,...
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2020
Abenomask? Prime minister's 'two masks per household' policy spawns memes on social media
Social media has expressed shock at what they see as a tone-deaf policy.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2020
Japan education officials divided on reopening schools amid COVID-19 outbreaks
A panel composed of infectious disease experts said that extending school closures in areas particularly hard-hit by COVID-19 could be an option.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 2, 2020
Japan sees record 4,300 cannabis offenders in 2019
A record 4,321 individuals were involved in cannabis cases in Japan last year, up 743 from the previous year for the sixth consecutive year of increases, with abuse of the drug by young people showing a marked rise, police said Thursday.

WORLD

WORLD / Politics
Apr 2, 2020
Finland is told its welfare state can’t cope with virus fallout
One of the world’s best-funded welfare states is starting to crack as the fallout of the coronavirus triggers mass unemployment.

BUSINESS

BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2020
Financial stimulus in rich countries could worsen fates of poorer economies
A massive exodus of capital from emerging economies has left many in a Catch-22 position, where adopting the kinds of monetary and fiscal stimulus measures the rich world is deploying could perversely make things worse.
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2020
Britons to receive 'stop-gap' loan relief to weather pandemic
British consumers will get a three-month freeze on loan and credit card payments to weather the COVID-19 epidemic, under plans outlined by the country's financial regulator on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2020
Coronavirus casts shadow over Japan's timeline for casino resorts
With the Diet focused on responding to the worsening spread of COVID-19, the timeline for the central government to approve the nation’s first casino resorts has been thrown into doubt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2020
Demand for health gadgets soars amid lockdowns
Fitness-tracking gadgets are selling out, home exercise classes have never been more popular and robotics crews are pivoting to making sanitation robots. The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a seismic wave of health awareness and anxiety, which is energizing a new category of virus-fighting tech.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 2, 2020
SoftBank abandons $3 billion WeWork share purchase deal
SoftBank Group Corp. is scrapping an agreement to spend $3 billion (¥322 billion) to buy WeWork stock from former CEO Adam Neumann and other shareholders, despite threats of legal action from some members of the company’s board.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 2, 2020
All bets are off: Casino capitals Macao and Las Vegas slammed by virus
The vast, glitzy gaming halls of Macao are open, but thousands of baccarat tables are empty. The world's biggest gambling hub has barred entry to most travelers and hotels are being used to isolate new arrivals in case they have been infected by coronavirus.

Opinion

Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Apr 2, 2020
Is the nation ready for a long battle against COVID-19?
Many major cities around the globe have implemented lockdowns, but Japan’s big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have not yet followed suit. Because of that, a sense of crisis about the coronavirus pandemic among the public seems relatively low. In New York, a ban on eating in restaurants and cafes was...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 2, 2020
Policy goal: How to get from good to great
As Japanese and global policymakers are rushing to design policies to counter the looming economic depression, advice from one of my favorite economists, Jean-Baptiste Say, comes to mind. In 1803 he wrote: “In policy as well as in morality, the grand secret is not to constrain the actions, but to awaken...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 2, 2020
Japan must take stronger measures
The government has come in for some well-earned criticism for its initial response to COVID-19. It must do better.

Sports

Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League
Apr 2, 2020
Evessa player tests positive for COVID-19 in B. League first
A member of the Osaka Evessa has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, while several other players, club and arena staff have complained of sickness, the team announced on Thursday.

CULTURE

Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 2, 2020
The unstoppable rise of Regal Lily
Regal Lily is supposed to be on tour at the moment. But instead of enjoying what the band’s members like about touring — eating hotel breakfasts, trying local dishes or simply exploring new towns — they’re staying put. There will be no early April show at Mynavi Blitz Akasaka, Tokyo, wrapping...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 2, 2020
'Step': Parenthood drama that tugs at the heartstrings
By now there are many films about single fathers, but for me the eye-opener was 1979’s “Kramer vs. Kramer.” In it, Dustin Hoffman plays a workaholic adman who struggles to raise his young son after being abandoned by his wife (Meryl Streep), but resists giving up the boy when she returns to claim...

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