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JAPAN

JAPAN
Apr 23, 2020
Japan's 'Abenomask' drive tainted by gripes over mold, stains and bugs
Government's 'two masks for every household' policy faces renewed criticism as social media spreads stories of poor quality control.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2020
Defiant pachinko parlors show limits of Japan’s shutdown request
As pachinko parlors continue to operate, disregarding appeals to shutter amid the coronavirus pandemic, local governments look to shame them into cooperation.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2020
Nagasaki reports 14 more coronavirus cases on Italian cruise ship
Fourteen more coronavirus infections have been confirmed on the Italian cruise ship Costa Atlantica docked for repairs in Nagasaki, a local official said on Thursday, bringing the total to at least 48.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2020
Japanese asked to hunker down through Golden Week as virus numbers grow
Officials worry that travel during holiday could create clusters in rural areas where the health care system is relatively fragile.

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
Spoiling rice in Vietnam ports show perils of food protectionism
The owner of one of Vietnam’s biggest rice exporters, Nguyen Quang Hoa, can only watch as 500 containers of sticky rice stranded in a port container yard for a month slowly degrades.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 23, 2020
North Korea’s Kim dynasty has a long history of health scares
Two constant threads that have run through the history of North Korea: Rule by the Kim dynasty and speculation about the health of its secretive leaders.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 23, 2020
Navy ship outbreak threatens to spoil Taiwan's virus success story
A coronavirus outbreak on one of Taiwan’s navy ships has raised concerns that a re-infection could threaten one of the world’s success stories in the fight against the pandemic.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 23, 2020
American quandary: How to secure weapons-grade minerals without China
The United States wants to curb its reliance on China for specialized minerals used to make weapons and high-tech equipment, but it faces a Catch-22.

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 23, 2020
From Peru coca farmers to Paris pushers, coronavirus upends drug trade
Countries around the world have spent billions of dollars bailing out firms affected by COVID-19. Peru's coca farmers, who grow the bushy plant used to make cocaine, say they want help, too.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 23, 2020
Google says state-backed hackers are increasing coronavirus phishing attacks
Security experts at Alphabet Inc.'s Google have identified more than a dozen government-backed hacking groups using the coronavirus pandemic as cover for phishing and malware attempts.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2020
Official says he was ousted for urging caution on Trump-touted virus drug
The ousted director of a key U.S. agency charged with developing drugs to fight the COVID-19 pandemic said Wednesday he was dismissed because he called for careful vetting of a treatment frequently touted by President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Apr 23, 2020
In New York, homeless feel safer in subway stations than in shelters
The lights still scream for attention, but on this night Times Square has the feel of an abandoned Hollywood film set. Gone are the hordes of tourists shooting selfies with Elmo and Wonder Woman. Instead, a lone SUV glides by and a passenger's phone glows as she records the scene from the safety of the...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 23, 2020
Far-right social media groups helps stir protests over U.S. quarantines
Small bands of protesters have staged demonstrations over the government-ordered lockdowns in the otherwise empty streets of a number of Democratic-led U.S. states, driven by the social-media tactics of a coalition of gun-rights activists and far-right groups.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2020
Trump order limits U.S. immigration during coronavirus crisis
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a temporary block on some foreigners from permanent residence in the United States, saying he wanted to protect American workers and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2020
'Cloud brightening' experiment may help cool Great Barrier Reef
Researchers trying to save the Great Barrier Reef are attempting to cool the unusually warm sea temperatures using ‘cloud brightening,’ a geoengineering technique designed to reflect more of the sun’s rays away from the Earth. The researchers are spraying microscopic sea water droplets into the...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2020
Time to tackle two crises at once, activist Greta Thunberg says on Earth Day
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joined calls for a combined effort to tackle coronavirus and the climate crisis, saying the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on Wednesday was the time to choose a "new way forward."
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2020
Spain extends lockdown as coronavirus cases rise again in Europe
Italy, France and Spain continued to grapple with some of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks as discussions in Germany and within the European Union focused on how to mitigate the economic fallout.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2020
U.S. coronavirus deaths top 47,000 after near-record increase on previous day
U.S. coronavirus deaths topped 47,000 on Wednesday after rising by a near-record single-day number the previous day, according to a Reuters tally.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2020
Trump: If Iranian ships get too close 'we'll shoot them out of the water'
U.S. Navy ships will shoot Iranian gunboats that get too close "out of the water," President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, after 11 vessels from Iran's elite fighting force came dangerously close to American ships in the Gulf.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2020
Regional governor pledges support for Toyota suppliers as production dips
As Toyota prepares to nearly halve production at Japanese factories, a regional governor said Thursday he would offer ¥400 billion ($3.72 billion) in emergency loans for small and midsize companies including Toyota's suppliers.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 23, 2020
Web-conferencing biz booming as pandemic sends Japan's workers online
Japan’s biggest power producer, Jera Co., holds executive and other important meetings on the internet and, except for power plant personnel, about 1,300 of the 1,700 employees at its headquarters and branch offices worked from home last week in response to the government’s call to curb social interaction...
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 23, 2020
Pandemic spurs forex trading surge among Japan’s teleworking salarymen
The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling a surge in currency trading by retail investors, who are discovering that working from home means they can moonlight in the market during the daytime.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 23, 2020
Apple iPhones and iPads vulnerable to hackers by flaws in mail app
Apple Inc. plans to release a patch after the cybersecurity company ZecOps Inc. found vulnerabilities that may have allowed hackers to exploit iPhones, devices used by hundreds of millions of people.

Opinion

Japan Times
EDITORIALS
Apr 23, 2020
Government assistance is vital in pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis is testing how well Japan protects the people and businesses in an emergency. The government need to sustain its assistance as steadily as possible while making sure the most needy are not left behind.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 23, 2020
Resetting the political calendar after COVID-19
Politics are still politics even in the COVID-19 pandemic, and they will still go on, albeit with a new calendar in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2020
Oil: The perfect storm
The collapse of production and investment in the oil industry is hard on the millions of people who make their livings from it, but the writing has been on the wall for some time.

Sports

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 23, 2020
Long layoffs could prove detrimental to amateur and pro rikishi
The cancellations caused by the coronavirus will likely have an adverse effect on the sumo world.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 23, 2020
NPB and J. League noncommittal on return to action after virus task force meeting
NPB and J. League officials are consulting with medical experts as they try to get their teams back on the field of play

LIFE

Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
Apr 23, 2020
Get work done in style in quality rooms
For a productive and peaceful teleworking experience, people need to look no further than the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, where offers focused on working remotely include Half Day (three-hour) and Full Day (nine-hour) plans. The plans are available until June 30 and see up to two persons ensconsed in...

CULTURE

Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 23, 2020
'Zero': Practicing kindness in life and in love
In Japan, people with mental illnesses have long been stigmatized, marginalized and isolated from broader society. In 2009, documentary filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda released “Mental,” a film about Masatomo Yamamoto, an elderly psychiatrist in Okayama Prefecture who respected his patients as individuals...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 23, 2020
Recent ambient releases create sonic sanctuaries
In stressful times, it’s natural to seek comfort in the familiar. But even for people still inclined to hunt for new music, some genres can feel more welcoming than others. Thankfully, the current vogue for ambient, drone and music on the new age spectrum means there’s never any shortage of fresh...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 23, 2020
Not even a global pandemic can keep jazz musician Haruka Kikuchi from her trombone
Japanese jazz trombonist Haruka Kikuchi is coping with COVID-19 restrictions by streaming live performances from her home in New Orleans.

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