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Isabel Reynolds
For Isabel Reynolds's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 14, 2023
Japan weighs defense exports as it shows off fighter jet plans
The Global Combat Air Program is the country’s first major military development plan with partners other than the U.S. since World War II.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2023
Japan says no decision yet on chip export restrictions
Many U.S. allies are struggling to balance Washington’s concerns about China’s access to leading-edge technology with their reliance on the world’s biggest manufacturer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 28, 2023
Japan’s top diplomat set to skip G20 meeting, snubbing India
Move criticized as a lost opportunity to show leadership ahead of G7 summit in May, which Japan will host.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2023
Xi told Abe that he wouldn’t be a communist if born in the U.S., book claims
The book, based on interviews with Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, relates details of his interactions with other global leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 7, 2023
LDP flips on LGBTQ bill after gaffe by Kishida aide
The party will prepare to submit a bill encouraging understanding of LGBTQ issues, seeking to repair the damage from the former aide's discriminatory comments.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2023
Kishida apologizes for aide’s anti-LGBTQ comments
Masayoshi Arai, a secretary to the prime minister, was dismissed from his post over the weekend for telling reporters that he didn’t want to have same-sex couples live next door to him.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 16, 2023
Japan looks beyond U.S. alliance for help to deter China military
Yet Japan's deepening unease about the dangers in its neighborhood has prompted a fresh push to build a bulwark of other partnerships.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2022
Kishida says election to come before tax hike for defense
Kishida has unveiled plans for a 60% increase in defense spending over five years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2022
Japanese panel approves return to nuclear power as disaster memories fade
Japan's move to extend nuclear reactor lifespans reflects a shift in public opinion as the country struggles with the threat of blackouts amid Russia's war in Ukraine and extreme weather.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 19, 2022
U.S. won’t help fund China’s chip ambitions, Rahm Emanuel says
Over the past two months, the U.S. has taken its strongest steps yet to prevent China from buying or making leading-edge semiconductors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 12, 2022
Kishida aide says Masayoshi Amamiya and Hiroshi Nakaso among candidates for BOJ chief
The selection of the next BOJ head is a key decision for Kishida in 2023 and may become one of the most important calls of his tenure.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 20, 2022
Sinking in polls, Kishida renews unorthodox inflation bet
Support for the prime minister's year-old Cabinet has slumped to below 30%, roughly half of what it was six months ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2022
Japan set to drop archaic paternity rule for divorced women
The bill will also end a ban on pregnant women remarrying within 100 days of divorce, ostensibly imposed to avoid disputes over paternity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2022
Tokyo begins accepting applications under same-sex partnership system
The system does not offer the legal benefits of marriage for same-sex couples but has been welcomed by LGBTQ rights groups as a small step forward.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 5, 2022
Ruling LDP looks to continue aid to struggling Japan firms as pandemic loans end
The party will draw up new support proposals for firms at risk of default, aiming to reflect them in the government's economic package that will be put together by the end of the month.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2022
Why young Japanese are more likely to back Abe’s state funeral
For many voters in their 20s, Abe's name is synonymous with a soaring Nikkei stock average and almost full employment under his Abenomics program.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 29, 2022
Low food self-sufficiency could cripple Japan in Taiwan crisis
Any major blockade or disruption to sea lanes around China and the Taiwan Strait could have bigger implications than just price inflation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2022
Tokyo seeks to take lead as green ‘transition’ finance hub
Transition finance is the concept of investing in companies to help them cut emissions, something the government is pursuing on the way to its target of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 11, 2022
Japan’s new male minister for birthrate tried ‘pregnancy belly’
Following Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, former Bank of Japan official Masanobu Ogura has taken over the post from ruling party veteran Seiko Noda, a mother of one.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 25, 2022
Former Japan economy minister calls for talks on big extra budget in fall
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he will think about another budget depending on the circumstances.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores