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Isabel Reynolds
For Isabel Reynolds's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2021
Japan seeks mid-February Pfizer vaccine approval, minister says
'We need to do it as fast as possible,” health minister Norihisa Tamura said Friday. 'If all goes well, I would like to see the approval in about mid-February.”
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2020
Support for Suga slides as latest virus wave worsens
Public approval could play into when he'll call the next election, which must be held in less than a year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2020
U.S. will need Japan more as China tensions rise, Suga aide says
Suga must tread a fine line with Japan's only formal security ally, the U.S., and its biggest trade partner, China.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2020
Japan voters want virus tamed, not a snap poll, says Komeito chief
Komeito, backed by a lay Buddhist group and led by Natsuo Yamaguchi, provides vital local support for the ruling LDP in elections.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 12, 2020
Abe lays groundwork for strike capability, but leaves decision to Japan’s next leader
In his last full week on the job, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the groundwork for a plan to allow preemptive strikes on enemy bases.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 23, 2020
Japan, India and Australia eye 'supply chain pact' to counter China
The intensifying U.S.-China conflict and worsening diplomatic relations across Asia are forcing companies to rethink their prospects in China.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2020
Japan’s #FreeAgnes campaign shows support for Hong Kong activist
The activist's arrest was front page news in local papers Tuesday and the hashtag #FreeAgnes trended on Japanese Twitter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2020
Japan looks to lure Hong Kong’s finance workers following security law
The LDP has begun debating ways to make Tokyo more attractive to international firms, but issues of taxation and the language barrier stand in the way.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2020
Japan braces for perfect storm of COVID-19 spreading at flood shelters
The nation's usual approach leaves little room for social distancing, with each person allotted space for one straw tatami mat — about 1.6 square meters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 28, 2020
Masks helped keep Japan's COVID-19 death toll low, says expert panel
The nation still needs to prevent a second wave, and that will involve testing and urging people to avoid risky situations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 25, 2020
Even as virus eases, the worst may be yet to come for Abe
Japan's coronavirus emergency was coming to an end, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's political troubles may be just beginning.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 12, 2020
Abe follows Trump's example, approving drugs quickly after criticism
Japanese regulators are usually known for taking a year to approve new drugs, but authorized remdesivir just three days after receiving the application.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 25, 2020
Children of nurses in Japan excluded from day care over virus fears
The Education Ministry earlier this month urged schools to battle such prejudice, saying it could weaken the health care system.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 18, 2020
Hard-to-trace coronavirus cases put pressure on Japan’s hostess bars
In the fantasy world conjured up by Japan's hostess clubs, the coronavirus pandemic has delivered an unwelcome dose of reality.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 11, 2020
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike scores win against Abe over business closures
The closure of businesses under the capital's own emergency virus measures represents a partial victory after the central government sought to put off such a move.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 17, 2020
Abe turns vague on timing as coronavirus leaves Tokyo Olympics in doubt
The comments come after a poll showed almost two-thirds of Japanese voters thought the Olympics should be postponed due to the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 11, 2020
Japan plays COVID-19 catch-up with rushed state-of-emergency bill
Two months after the nation's first coronavirus confirmation, the prime minister is finally setting up a legal framework to let him declare a state of emergency if the outbreak worsens.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 2, 2020
Burden of viral outbreak threatens Abe's government and his legacy
On the road to becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe has overcome countless political perils. He may have met his match with COVID-19.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2020
Limited virus testing in Japan masks true scale of infection
Japan is becoming a center of concern as the coronavirus spreads globally, with the country's official infection tally suspected to be the tip of the iceberg of a much wider outbreak.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 21, 2020
Spread of COVID-19 in Japan could hurt Abe's bid to rebuild China ties
Prime Minister Abe's softer reaction to China's handling of the virus has won praise in Beijing, but what will he say when those problems are exposed?

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