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October 30, 2025
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Sep 8, 2020
Let's discuss Shinzo Abe's resignation
A Japan Times article looks back on Shinzo Abe's time as prime minister of Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Sep 7, 2020
Efforts to decentralize Japan have a long history
Moves to address the nation's obsession with Tokyo have long seemed futile, but recently the capital's population shrunk for the first time since 1956.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 5, 2020
Nippon Ishin no Kai sees an ally in Suga in LDP leadership race
Close ties are likely to bode well for Osaka's efforts to ensure central government financing in next year's fiscal budget for the 2025 Expo.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 30, 2020
75 years on, legacy of the U.S.-led Occupation of Japan still resonates
While Japan blossomed as an economic powerhouse in the second half of the century, some argue the Occupation created problems that lingered long after it ended.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 28, 2020
Abe to resign over health, ending era of political stability
The race to replace the prime minister is intensifying, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba in the frame.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 23, 2020
Abe faces hurdles to ambitions despite latest milestone
With criticism over his coronavirus response and questions about his health, Abe faces questions about what he might still be able to accomplish before his term ends.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 22, 2020
'The Iconoclast' tackles Shinzo Abe’s political legacy
Tobias Harris' sweeping new biography serves as a definitive work on Japan's longest-serving prime minister.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 20, 2020
Biden expected to push teamwork with Japan and Asian allies if he wins
An administration under the Democratic candidate would stress cooperation and coordination on defense, trade and other regional issues, experts say.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 19, 2020
New political party set to become Japan’s largest opposition force
The new group, likely to count around 150 lawmakers as members, could pose a serious challenge to the ruling coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.
JAPAN / Politics / View from Osaka
Aug 15, 2020
Under cloud of pandemic, Osaka referendum remains a key issue for Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura
More in Osaka are asking whether the vote should be postponed until after the coronavirus crisis has passed.
JAPAN / History
Aug 14, 2020
After 75 years of peace in Japan, wartime issues remain unresolved
Japan has struggled to move on from its World War II history, yet remains tied to events that happened in the aftermath.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 12, 2020
Japan to fight ruling recognizing Hiroshima 'black rain' victims
The central government and Hiroshima local governments appealed Wednesday a landmark ruling last month by the Hiroshima District Court that had recognized more victims of radioactive “black rain,” caused by fallout from the atomic bombing of the city, as eligible for support.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2020
U.S. ambassador nominee wants Japan to play bigger alliance role
As ambassador, Kenneth Weinstein said he would encourage Japan to further bolster its defense capabilities and take greater responsibility within the U.S.-Japan alliance.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 2, 2020
South Korea ruling on wartime labor to have major implications for Seoul-Tokyo ties
Bilateral ties will almost certainly worsen if the Nippon Steel shares are sold to compensate laborers from the war, with tariffs eyed as potential retaliation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 2, 2020
Autumn snap election speculation recedes amid Japan's coronavirus resurgence
An election win this fall could help Abe pick a successor or extend his term past 2021, but it would also prove highly unpopular in the middle of a pandemic.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2020
Osaka questions arbitrary ban on five-person outings amid virus resurgence
Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura admits that the request was a political decision with no clear scientific rationale.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2020
Osaka governor spearheads national effort to enforce business shutdowns over coronavirus
As COVID-19 numbers surge amid murky data disclosure, Hirofumi Yoshimura is gaining support for legal power to inspect and punish entertainment firms.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2020
Japan's controversial Go To Travel campaign kicks off as criticism and concerns grow
The plan, which has faced a barrage of criticism over the government's rollout, comes amid growing fears it could lead to increased coronavirus infections outside Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2020
In second Go To Travel reversal, government changes course on cancellation fees
The decision comes just four days after officials said they were not considering reimbursing the cost of canceled Tokyo trips under the troubled discount campaign.
JAPAN / Politics / View from Osaka
Jul 18, 2020
Unlike Tokyo's Koike, Osaka Gov. Yoshimura enjoys freer hand in coronavirus fight
Osaka's leaders understand very well that their counterparts in Kanto face unique challenges that they do not.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
At first summit with Trump, Takaichi pledges 'new golden age' for alliance
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of U.S. Navy personnel on board the U.S. Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the American naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
Abe shooting suspect Yamagami pleads guilty to murder
Members of the media gather outside the Nara District Court in the city of Nara on Tuesday hours before the start of the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.
Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during a visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JPYC, world’s first yen stablecoin, is issued
Noritaka Okabe, head of Japanese startup JPYC, at a news conference for the first yen stablecoin in Tokyo on Monday
Oasis returns to Tokyo: Rain, rapture and rock
Fans wait to get into the Oasis show at Tokyo Dome on Saturday. While lining up in the rain, some broke into impromptu versions of the British rock group's hits.
Kyushu banzuke sets the stage to cement 2025’s sumo narratives
Onosato ahead of his bout against Aonishiki at The Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Oct. 18
Tokyo Film Festival opens with global stars and a spotlight on Asian storytelling
Director Junji Sakamoto (left) walked the Tokyo International Film Festival red carpet with Sayuri Yoshinaga (center) and Non (right), who both play mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, in the biopic "Climbing for Life."
Spanish artist and Japanese writer duos diversify the manga talent pool in Japan
"Menheim” is a dark fantasy manga with a story that centers on a girl’s quest to find a cure for her ill brother.
Japan’s youth are apathetic toward the climate crisis. Could anime change that?
“Future Kid Takara,” a series of anime shorts to be aired on NHK Educational TV in November, attempts to educate children about climate change.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
By Alex K.T. Martin

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Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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