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April 29, 2025
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
Events
Apr 17, 2001
Kansai leaders brainstorm on ways to kick-start the region
OSAKA -- Since the end of the bubble era, the Kansai region's economy has fared worse than many other parts of Japan.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2001
USJ attacked over disclosure stance
OSAKA -- Only a month into its grand opening, the management of Universal Studios Japan is under fire from citizens groups and the local media for refusing to divulge information about the park's operations.
Events
Apr 3, 2001
Osaka a tale of two 'Americatowns'
OSAKA -- Many cities in Japan, Europe and the United States have a Chinatown. But Osaka now finds itself with two "Americatowns" that, although not competitors, are keeping an eye on each other.
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2001
Universal Studios opens in Osaka
OSAKA -- The power of Hollywood arrived in Osaka on Saturday as the Universal Studios Japan theme park opened its doors to the public.
JAPAN
Mar 22, 2001
Kobe Declaration a thorn in the side of diplomacy
Staff writer OSAKA -- Last year, Robert Ludan, U.S. consul general for the Osaka-Kobe region, began pursuing an issue that had lain dormant for 25 years: U.S. naval visits to Kobe.
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2001
Kansai mulls ways to attract U.S. cash
OSAKA -- Discussion on America's relationship with the Kansai region generally centers on business investment or the lack thereof.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2001
Osaka to emphasize dangers of lighting up
OSAKA -- Forget the bid for the 2008 Olympic Games or the opening of Universal Studios Japan. For those Osaka residents who have long suffered in the presence of cigarette smokers, a recent announcement by the city came as some of the best news in years.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2001
Residents fear Olympic bid will be mired in politics
OSAKA -- Osaka residents are voicing hope that their city will be viewed favorably by a group of International Olympic Committee officials visiting this week.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2001
IOC inspectors arrive in Osaka
OSAKA -- Members of the International Olympic Committee's bid-city evaluation committee arrived in Osaka on Sunday evening to begin a four-day inspection tour of sports and other facilities.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2001
IOC inspectors arrive in Osaka
OSAKA -- Members of the International Olympic Committee's bid-city evaluation committee arrived in Osaka on Sunday evening to begin a four-day inspection tour of sports and other facilities.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2001
Osaka leaders' talk fest serves up more than usual platitudes
KYOTO -- When the Kansai region's leaders gather here every year for a two-day seminar to discuss the regional economy, corporate heads, economists and local government officials pontificate on issues ranging from information technology to employment.
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2001
Public incentives urged to help Kansai economy
KYOTO -- Kansai region business leaders on Thursday called for increased local government involvement in business promotion, strengthened relations with Asia and better understanding of the security arrangement with the U.S. during their annual seminar here.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2001
Osaka prepares for visit from IOC
OSAKA -- In a few weeks, International Olympic Committee officials will visit Osaka to assess the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2001
Osaka prepares for visit from IOC
OSAKA -- In a few weeks, International Olympic Committee officials will visit Osaka to assess the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2001
Osaka homeless find they must help selves
OSAKA -- Visit Yoshisune Nagamine at his office beside Osaka Castle and you're in for a surprise.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2001
Kobe remembers '95 quake, but focus shifts to moving on
KOBE -- This city marked the sixth anniversary of the earthquake that resulted in the loss of 6,432 lives with prayers and remembrance services Wednesday, but also with a sense that the temblor is fading into history and that the recovery is almost complete.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2001
Ex-mob boss, cop critic sue police, claim freedom of speech violations
OTSU, Shiga Pref. -- In what may be the first case of its kind in Japan, a retired yakuza boss and a vocal police critic are suing Shiga Prefectural Police for what they consider a violation of their constitutional rights.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2000
Kobe man says he was a spy for Pyongyang for 20 years
KOBE -- For nearly 20 years, Cho Ryu Un, a Korean resident of Japan born and raised in Kobe, lived a double life. To friends and business partners, he was a normal businessman, albeit connected with the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon).
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2000
Osaka's Olympic slogan in English won't be winning any gold medals
OSAKA -- The English-language slogan that the city of Osaka will use to promote its 2008 Olympic bid is silly, meaningless and unnatural.
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2000
Monju touts safety campaign in restart bid
TSURUGA, Fukui Pref. -- Five years after a sodium leak and fire shut down the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor here, the battle over whether it should be put back into operation still rages.
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
California says it overtakes Japan to become world’s No. 4 economy
Vehicles travel along the 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. California's GDP has overtaken Japan's to become the world's fourth largest economy, according to the U.S. state.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
U.S. secretary of the navy weighs ‘dual-use’ shipbuilding with Japan
John Phelan at a Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. secretary of the navy in Washington in February
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.

Podcast

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

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones
Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

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