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Adam Minter
For Adam Minter's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 3, 2020
COVID-19 is a risk to the Olympics, in 2020 and beyond
Maybe a pandemic will spark much needed reforms to shrink the ever-expanding games.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2020
Virus quarantine has serious side effects
China will have to deal with the stresses of isolation and the mental-health burdens on doctors and nurses for years to come.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 22, 2020
WHO should demand more of China
The coronavirus poses a global health risk that's more important than appeasing a major donor to the agency.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 22, 2020
Japan can't run out the clock on coronavirus
Next month the Olympic torch will arrive in Japan for a four-month relay to launch the opening ceremonies for the Tokyo summer games. But rather than anticipating the sight of Olympic torchbearers, much of Japan is fixated on a different relay: hundreds of masked passengers grimly walking off the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama. The ship has been home to more than 630 COVID-19 infections, the largest cluster in the world outside of Wuhan. Departing passengers all test negative for the virus before release, but public health experts fear the virus is hitching rides with individuals who only show symptoms later.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 16, 2020
How to stop the next global outbreak of disease at its source
China's appetite for wildlife needs to be treated as a public health threat.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2020
Species' extinction could be a new beginning
Beijing is well-positioned to help other developing nations avoid the mistakes it's made in protecting biodiversity.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 16, 2020
Volcano tests Philippines' disaster plans
New focus on preparedness instead of hasty recovery could be a model for the region.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2020
What happens when an airline opens a restaurant?
AirAsia's plan to diversify by setting up a fast food business might not end well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2019
In 'Star Wars' economy, one thing doesn't pay
Junkyards and scavengers are everywhere in the series. So why do they waste so much valuable scrap?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 26, 2019
Sports are feeling heat from climate change
Thanks to deadly heat waves, the Olympic marathon is moving from Tokyo to Sapporo next year. It's a sign of things to come.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 19, 2019
Southeast Asia has a weight problem
With obesity rates soaring, countries like Singapore and Malaysia are weighing aggressive interventions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 15, 2019
Your next vacation may be virtual
Airlines are investing in virtual reality because the global tourism boom is unsustainable.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 8, 2019
Komodo dragons versus ecotourists
The fierce lizards are in decline on their native island and an influx of visitors hasn't helped.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 4, 2019
Ecotourism boom seen as threat to Indonesia's Komodo dragons
There is nothing cuddly about the 5,000 or so Komodo dragons that still roam the wild. They are aggressive, venomous predators that can reach 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh more than 150 pounds (70 kg). They have been known to occasionally attack humans, sometimes fatally.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2019
Fix Asia's megacities, don't move them
Shifting bureaucrats to Borneo won't solve the problems faced by millions in Jakarta.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 24, 2019
China's lame Twitter meddling in Hong Kong
Beijing's efforts to manipulate online opinion in Hong Kong and abroad have a long way to go.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 6, 2019
Big Tech needs to save the deep seas
Companies should slow the rush to mine the ocean floor until environmental costs are much better understood.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 27, 2019
Flight shaming won't work in Asia
Governments and budget carriers are going to have to find other ways to mitigate the environmental impact of booming air travel.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 8, 2019
Southeast Asia should want the world's junk
Forcing rich countries to keep and process all of their own recycling isn't the best way to protect the environment.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2019
Everest's deadly toll has a commercial solution
Letting the private sector manage the world's highest mountain would reduce overcrowding and improve safety.

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