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May 21, 2024
 

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Jesse Johnson
For Jesse Johnson's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
People evacuated from Israel arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the South Korean capital, late Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 15, 2023
Japan evacuates eight citizens from Israel as 51 others arrive in Seoul
An SDF aircraft will remain on standby in Djibouti for the possibility of airlifting additional Japanese nationals.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping walks past then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang (front left) and defense chief Li Shangfu (front right) as he arrives for the closing session of the National People's Congress at Beijing's Great Hall of the People in March.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 13, 2023
With purges of top officials, is China’s Xi in trouble? Hardly.
The well-known opacity in Beijing may have clouded assessments of how the turbulence is affecting Xi’s grip on power
A China Coast Guard ship blocks the direction of a Philippine Coast Guard ship conducting a resupply mission for Filipino troops stationed at a grounded warship in the South China Sea on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 7, 2023
Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships come within meter of colliding
The close call came Wednesday near Second Thomas Shoal, about 200 kilometers off the Philippine coast, as Manila was carrying out a resupply mission.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Nusa Dua, Indonesia, last November.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 7, 2023
Biden says meeting with Xi in November is a 'possibility'
Washington and Beijing are edging closer to setting up a Biden-Xi meeting on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco from Nov. 16-17.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Defense Minister Minoru Kihara to the Pentagon in Washington on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2023
Japan expedites purchase of Tomahawks as security concerns grow
In light of the increasingly challenging Asian security environment, Japan will acquire the cruise missiles a year earlier than initially planned.
A man walks past a television showing a news broadcast featuring a photo of U.S. soldier Travis King, who ran across the border into North Korea while part of a tour group visiting the Demilitarized Zone on South Korea's border, in Seoul, on Aug. 16.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 28, 2023
U.S. soldier in American custody after release from North Korea
U.S. Army soldier Travis King was released by Pyongyang more than two months after he sprinted across the border from the South in July.
A Philippine Coast Guard member cuts a rope connecting a floating barrier that was installed near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, in this undated photo released late Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 26, 2023
Philippines removes floating barrier in South China Sea
Manila said Tuesday said it had conducted “a special operation” to remove a 300-meter floating barrier installed by China.
Anti-war demonstrators mark the 78th anniversary of the United States' 1945 atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima with a march and protest in New York's Times Square on Aug. 6.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 26, 2023
Nuclear specter rises as world marks day for eliminating weapons
The goal of ridding the world of nukes appears more distant than ever as the U.S., Russia and China ramp up activity at their test sites.
China Coast Guard and other vessels install a floating barrier in a flash point area of the contested South China Sea, just 230 kilometers from the Philippine coast on Friday, in this image posted to X on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 24, 2023
Philippines condemns Beijing's 'floating barrier' in South China Sea
Manila has condemned the China Coast Guard’s move to install a floating barrier in a flash point area just 230 kilometers from the Philippine coast.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Monday in New York.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 19, 2023
Japan’s new top diplomat makes international debut
On the sidelines to the U.N. General Assembly sidelines, new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa gets off to a quick start.
A Taiwanese pilot runs toward an F-16V fighter jet for an evening take off as part of a combat readiness mission at the airbase in Hualien, Taiwan, in August last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 18, 2023
Taiwan detects 'recent high' 103 Chinese warplanes near island
The incident happened hours after China's top envoy told the U.S. national security adviser that Taiwan is "the first red line that must not be crossed."
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 18, 2023
Top Biden official and Chinese diplomat hold 'constructive' talks
The talks come ahead of an anticipated November meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at an APEC summit.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after receiving a gift at their luncheon during Kim's visit to the port of Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
North Korea's Kim talks up defense ties as Russia trip concludes
Both countries hinted at the “strategic importance” of bilateral ties during Kim's visit — despite U.S. warnings against any arms deals.
Minoru Kihara
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
New Japan defense chief 'very concerned' about Chinese military moves
Minoru Kihara called trilateral cooperation with South Korea and the U.S. “the cornerstone” of Tokyo’s response to the regional security concerns.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials, inspects a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile put on display at the Knevichi aerodrome near Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 16, 2023
North Korea's Kim gets close-up look at Russian hypersonic missiles
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was given a close-up look at Russia's powerful Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and a tour of one of its a warships.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu (far left) attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 15, 2023
Missing Chinese defense chief signals turmoil in Xi's government
Washington has reportedly concluded that Li Shangfu, who took up his post in March, has been stripped of his responsibilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur region on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
At talks, Putin tells Kim Russia could help North Korea build satellites
Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin amid warnings by the U.S. against a possible arms deal that the two leaders were reportedly seeking.
New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is seen in formal attire to attend an attestation ceremony after a Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
In Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, two changes stand out
It will be the first time in 20 years that a woman has been foreign minister, while the new defense chief arrives amid dramatic shifts in defense posture.
Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile, at the main railway station in Seoul in July.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
North Korea fires off two ballistic missiles as Kim visits Russia
Both missiles appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its coast.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he departs by train from Pyongyang for a visit to Russia in this image released Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 12, 2023
North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia for talks with Putin
Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia aboard his luxury armored train Tuesday, with a possible arms deal likely at the top of the meeting's agenda.
Rare sequel to 'My Neighbor Totoro' to play at Cannes
A screening of "Mei and the Baby Cat Bus," which is being billed as a "mini-sequel" to the Studio Ghibli classic "My Neighbor Totoro," is set to take place at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them
A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
Why half of Japan's cities are at risk of disappearing in 100 years
A couple looks out onto the Fukuoka nightscape. Due to its distance from Tokyo and its close proximity to South Korea and China, professor Tomoya Mori believes that Fukuoka is one of the few metropolitan regions of Japan that will see some form of growth in the decades to come.
Japan concerned over U.S. officials' remarks on atomic bombings
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters during a news conference in Washington on Thursday.
Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
The politicians moving Japan forward on climate
While not the most outspoken politician on the issue, digital minister Taro Kono has a track record of being serious in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
Seoul's eclectic Art OnO shines light on Japan's artists and galleries
Art OnO, which took place from April 19 to 21 in Seoul, featured a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries.
Want to be a voice actor? Stay 'true to the character'
SungWon Cho is a veteran with more than 10 years of experience portraying characters in anime, cartoons and video games.
Local theater in Japan is more than a hobby — it’s a community
Japan Times contributor Laura Pollacco (front right) was offered the role of one of her all-time favorite heroines, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet, in the Tokyo International Players’ production of “Pride and Prejudice.”

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

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Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan
By Mai Yoshikawa

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