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May 03, 2024
 

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Rocky Swift
For Rocky Swift's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2022
Uyghur leader urges Japan to join call for U.N. debate on alleged abuses in China
Japan's motions and statements on the issue are an 'empty promise, not enough to stop the ongoing genocide,' Dolkun Isa told reporters.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 5, 2022
Suntory eyes U.S. canned cocktail push as young Japanese shun booze
Expanding overseas is a matter of survival for Japanese drinks companies facing an aging market at home and a shift away from alcohol among younger people.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 2, 2022
Uniqlo shines amid U.S. retail gloom after pandemic-triggered revamp
The flagship brand of Fast Retailing says it's poised to book its first annual profit in North America — after 17 years of trying.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2022
Work stoppages and no chatting at lunch: Japan Inc. grapples with COVID
Relief for Japan's companies and the wider economy could be in sight as health experts project this wave of infection to peak early this month.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jun 17, 2022
Takeda and Nintendo among Japanese firms quietly celebrating weak yen
For Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's biggest drugmaker, a weaker yen helps because 80% of its sales are overseas, said the firm's CFO.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2022
Uniqlo owner expecting big drop in China profit due to COVID restrictions
Fast Retailing is a bellwether for how major global retailers are being impacted by pandemic-related shutdowns in China, one of the biggest growth markets for many Western brands.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2022
How is Japan's government connected with Russia's biggest cigarette maker?
The company said it would suspend some operations but continue manufacturing unless 'unprecedented' challenges force it to stop.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2022
Toshiba faces unclear future after shareholders knock back two rival proposals
The result of the extraordinary general meeting appears to leave Toshiba with no immediate clear direction.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 23, 2022
With sumo flag sponsorship deal, COVID vaccine-maker Moderna reveals Japan ambition
The U.S. firm is seeking to build on its newfound renown in COVID-19 vaccines and wrestle market share from compatriot Pfizer Inc.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2022
As COVID-19 infections surge in Japan, so does risk of pandemic fatigue
Studies of cell phone traffic, train usage and other mobility data suggest levels of compliance by the Japanese public on anti-COVID-19 measures have steadily decreased.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 23, 2021
Lick it up: Japanese professor creates 'tele-taste' TV screen
The device, called Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a carousel of 10 flavor canisters that spray in combination to create the taste of a particular food.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2021
Japanese criticize vaccine passport app for lack of maiden name support
The smartphone app, downloaded more than 250,000 times since its launch on Monday by Japan's Digital Agency, works only for those who have received the so-called MyNumber identity cards.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Oct 19, 2021
Lack of unified vaccination passport and testing threaten Japan's reopening
If botched, the reopening could also prove costly for new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who faces an election in under two weeks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2021
Japan's dip in COVID-19 cases baffles experts as winter 'nightmare' remains a risk
Japan's COVID-19 case numbers have plummeted to the lowest in nearly a year just as other parts of Asia are struggling with surging infections, leaving health experts perplexed.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2021
Japan's Takeda says 'human error' caused contamination of Moderna vaccines
Japanese authorities in August suspended the use of three batches of Moderna shots containing 1.63 million doses after being notified of the contamination.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2021
Japan to ramp up COVID-19 tests as it battles delta-driven surge
The current wave's speed and severity are overtaking the strategy of targeted cluster tracing Japan has favored over the mass testing used by many nations.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 11, 2021
City in Fukushima uses lessons learned from tsunami to boost COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Soma's nimble, homegrown approach eschews the reservation systems and fragmented efforts common across Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 28, 2021
Japan to consider sharing COVID-19 vaccines amid calls to help Taiwan
Japan approved AstraZeneca's vaccine last week, but there are no immediate plans to use the shots in the country amid lingering concerns over rare blood clots.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 27, 2021
Japan doctors union warns games could lead to 'Tokyo Olympic' virus strain
IOC member John Coates has said the Olympics could be held even under a COVID-19 state of emergency, an opinion the union's leader said was infuriating.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 19, 2021
Most Japanese medical workers still not fully vaccinated as Olympics loom
Cabinet figures released this week showed that three months into the nation's COVID-19 vaccination push, less than 40% of all medical workers in the country were fully inoculated.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree
By Alex K.T. Martin

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