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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
May 14, 2021
Vaccine chief blames Japan's slow inoculation drive on drug approval system
Japan's COVID-19 vaccine chief has blamed a rigid drug approval system for a slow inoculation campaign that is relying on only one approved shot, as a fourth wave of infections raises worries amid preparations for the Summer Olympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 12, 2021
Japan's coronavirus vaccine booking system crashes
Technical problems derailed Japan's coronavirus vaccination booking system on Wednesday, compounding frustration over the government's handling of its inoculation drive.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 8, 2021
Unused COVID-19 shots piling up in Japan amid slow rollout
Japan imported 28 million doses of Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine through late April, but has so far used only 15% of the stockpile, with the remaining 24 million doses sitting in freezers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2021
Japan's unused 14 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines point to logistical hurdles
Japan's unused shots suggest its inoculation push is failing to gain steam, even as inbound vaccine shipments triple over the next two months.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2021
Tokyo Olympics chief commits to games as infections surge, amid fresh calls to cancel
Japan has exhibited 'poor performance' in containing transmission, along with limited testing capacity and a slow vaccination rollout, health experts wrote in the British Medical Journal
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2021
Vaccine minister says inoculation pace to accelerate in May
Taro Kono said he expected to be able to get 10 million doses of vaccines each week in May but that the Olympics are not a factor in his scheduling.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2021
Vending machines help ease access to COVID-19 tests in Japan
Seven machines, each holding about 60 PCR testing kits have been set up around the greater Tokyo area.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 9, 2021
Japan outpaced by South Korea on COVID-19 vaccinations
Hampered by a lack of supply and a shortage of specialty syringes, the health ministry is said to be taking a cautious approach after past criticism.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2021
Japan urged to link up private and public testing to better grasp pandemic's extent
The recommendation, included in a health ministry report, calls for the government to vet testing companies and merge their figures with those compiled by public clinics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2021
Dry ice, containers and staff shortages: Japan's vaccine rollout hurdles
Already the last major industrial country to start mass vaccinations, Japan is likely to be hampered by a lack of equipment and difficulties in recruiting medical workers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2021
Japan likely to hit COVID-19 herd immunity months after Olympics
Japan has arranged to buy 314 million doses, but problems seen in vaccine rollouts elsewhere have stirred doubt that Japan will get those supplies on time.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 7, 2021
Japanese approval of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine unlikely before May
Tokyo is facing a major regulatory bottleneck due to requirements for local clinical trials before requesting approval for coronavirus shots.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2020
In Japan's frozen north, a city's coronavirus crisis maps out winter vulnerability
The city of Asahikawa was hit by outbreaks at two major hospitals, exacerbated by subzero temperatures and restricted ventilation that can promote the virus's spread.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Nov 25, 2020
Messy reversal on Go To Travel campaign may dent Suga’s prospects
Critics say his re-evaluation was too little, too late, and risked leaving the image of a leader both stubborn and indecisive, without due care for public health.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 29, 2020
Japan's Shionogi readies COVID-19 vaccine for December trial
The firm plans to put its vaccine candidate into Phase 1 clinical trials in December and shift into Phase 2 by January.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 24, 2020
Wanted: More COVID-19 patients in Japan ... for clinical trials
Japan has become a victim of its own success as slowing new infections have led to a shortage of patients to enroll in trials for treatments and vaccines.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 11, 2020
Japan's AnGes speeds toward 2021 rollout in coronavirus 'vaccine war'
The Osaka-based firm got a headstart in the vaccine development by repurposing its hypertension vaccine, which had already passed various safety hurdles.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
May 13, 2020
A tale of two Japanese drugs in tests to fight COVID-19
Avigan and camostat are undergoing trials as they may be effective in treating illnesses brought on by coronavirus.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Mar 17, 2020
In Nagoya, scramble for hospital beds highlights coronavirus challenge for aging Japan
To free up beds, patients requiring nonurgent surgery will likely be asked to wait, and others may be discharged earlier than usual, experts said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 26, 2009
Japanese whiskey talk of town
Toru Itakura sipped whiskey from plastic cups as showgirls cavorted, bagpipes played and a little bit of Scotland came to Tokyo at a sampling for connoisseurs.
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.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
'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.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
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.

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

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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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