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October 30, 2025
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jul 17, 2020
Will barring Tokyo help contain virus or just blunt Japan travel campaign?
With Tokyo, which has the largest population of all prefectures, excluded from the plan for the time being, it is unclear how much ripple effect it will have.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 16, 2020
Japan's new coronavirus panel aims for more clarity and balance
The subcommittee on the novel coronavirus faces the challenge of finding the right balance between protecting health and the economy.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 10, 2020
Japan's coal closure plan a historic milestone, but what’s next?
The nation will still face pressure to further reduce reliance on the fossil fuel, both domestically and abroad.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 9, 2020
Cash and politics may stymie any push for strike capabilities in Japan
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is discussing the issue and is expected to put forward its conclusions later this month.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 5, 2020
Powerful Japanese medical group has history of political prescriptions
Here's a closer look at the group, its political connections and what the recent change in its leadership might mean for the Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jul 1, 2020
Japan's new plastic bag charge: What it means for consumers and the environment
The new rule is aimed at reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the country's rivers, forests, streams and, ultimately, surrounding oceans.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 26, 2020
Japan Black Lives Matter marches reflect shared sense of justice, U.S. envoy says
'Perhaps some people feel that it's important to hold the ideal America up in the mirror and hold it to account,' says Osaka-Kobe Consul General Karen Kelley.
JAPAN / History / EXPLAINER
Jun 23, 2020
The Battle of Okinawa: Fierce fighting at the end of World War II
By the end of the battle, around 100,000 Japanese soldiers had died, either killed in combat or by suicide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Jun 21, 2020
Defense Ministry blunders and local opposition ruin Japan's Aegis Ashore plans
The controversial project was long troubled by doubts about whether it was even needed, and by whom.
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Jun 21, 2020
Has Black Lives Matter’s Osaka march inspired new generation of rights activists in Japan?
The vast majority of participants at a Black Lives Matter march on June 7 appeared to be under 40 — with many likely in their teens and 20s.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 21, 2020
Tokyo and Osaka governors vie for national attention
As Yuriko Koike gears up for re-election in the Tokyo gubernatorial race, comparisons are being drawn between her and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 20, 2020
Osaka's second merger push faces pitfalls from pandemic, Abe's poll woes
Osaka voters will once again face a referendum on merging the city's 24 wards following a decision on a plan that would create four large, semiautonomous wards.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 16, 2020
Former South Korean 'comfort women' support group hit by criticism and probe
The lawmaker who previously led the group faces calls to step down after being accused of misusing funds.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 11, 2020
The North Korean abduction issue in Japan: When will the waiting end?
The Japanese government officially claims 17 Japanese nationals were abducted, but adds that there could be more than 800 others.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2020
As George Floyd marches loom, do's and don'ts for protesting in Japan
Compared with many parts of the world, Japanese protest rallies are quite orderly and peaceful.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 4, 2020
Japan's smart cities: Technological dreams or 'Big Brother' nightmares?
Late last month, the Diet passed a revised bill paving the way for so-called “super cities” or “smart cities.” Supporters tout them as high-tech marvels where artificial intelligence and big data are to be used to provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions to social problems, especially...
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2020
Osaka introduces QR contact tracing system as bars and restaurants reopen
Users who scan the code at establishments will be notified if another patron is later found to have become infected.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 2, 2020
Japan's new space squadron takes a giant leap forward
The realization of Japan's first space squadron marks a large step forward for the nation's space ambitions at a time when, due to an increased number of satellite launches, the Earth's near space is more crowded than ever.
JAPAN / Society / EXPLAINER
May 31, 2020
Aomori's Rokkasho nuclear plant gets green light but hurdles remain
Construction on the massive facility, which began in 1993, has been plagued by delays over the years.
JAPAN
May 23, 2020
Aichi and Mie governors urge continued restraint on cross-prefectural travel
“I want everyone to be strict about refraining from unnecessary travel back and forth to other prefectures,” Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura said.
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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