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April 19, 2024
 

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Blake Schmidt
For Blake Schmidt's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
An Israeli soldier gestures from a tank, near a border area with Gaza, in southern Israel, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 19, 2023
Is Israel’s military strategy to eradicate Hamas working?
Israel is making progress in ground control of Gaza, but it has not vanquished Hamas or freed most of the hostages as global condemnation grows.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2022
To reduce traffic, this company wants cargo e-bikes to replace delivery vans
URB-E, which started out as a company that made mini e-scooters, is pivoting to monetize the demand from companies that need their own low-emissions delivery systems.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 4, 2022
Seizing assets of Russia’s elite is far trickier than sanctions
Elites might transfer assets to relatives or, in the case of superyachts and private jets, park them in out-of-reach jurisdictions. Cryptocurrencies further complicate the global hunt.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2021
Ties strained for Evergrande founder as poker pal he relied on reduces stake
Whenever trouble struck, Hui Ka Yan could count on the deep pockets of a small group of property billionaires who regularly played card games together — but not this time.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jul 12, 2021
China's crackdown on its ultrarich set to reshape its most profitable sectors
With an age of unfettered gains now coming to an abrupt end, investors are likely to be more cautious.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 18, 2020
The publishing empire helping China silence dissent in Hong Kong
When Hong Kong’s richest tycoons declared their support for the city’s national security law in June, it wasn’t what they said that stood out as much as how they said it.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2020
Jack Ma’s rival saw his wealth surge by $25 billion. Then he quit
Colin Huang, who has overseen the firm as its American depositary receipts have more than quadrupled in less than two years, has stepped down as chief executive officer.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Nov 13, 2019
Worsening Hong Kong violence could embolden hawks in Xi's China
For two nights last weekend, Hong Kong lawmaker Lam Cheuk-Ting slept on a fold-out mattress on the floor of his office in the Legislative Council and ate congee delivered by his staff.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 23, 2019
Hong Kong police have AI facial recognition tech — are they using it against protesters?
Hong Kong law enforcement authorities have access to artificial intelligence software that can match faces from video footage to police databases, but people familiar with the matter say it is unclear if the technology is being used to quell the pro-democracy protests.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Sep 10, 2019
In Hong Kong's leaderless movement, officials don't know who to negotiate with
As a top adviser to Hong Kong's government, Bernard Chan is searching for any protester who can strike a deal to end more than three months of unrest.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 14, 2019
How encrypted messages and car 'crashes' helped Hong Kong protesters
Thousands of black-clad demonstrators braved tear gas and rain for 79 days in Hong Kong's 2014 "Umbrella Movement." The lessons of that agitation appear to have made the city's protesters swifter and better prepared in some of their latest attempts to weather police action.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2018
Asia's megarich took a $137 billion hit in the pocketbook in 2018
The world's fastest growing source of megawealth hit a speed bump this year.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 10, 2018
Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei survived a famine. Can he weather Trump?
At the sprawling Huawei Technologies Co. campus in Shenzhen, the food court's walls are emblazoned with quotes from the company's billionaire founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei. Then there's the research lab that resembles the White House in Washington. Perhaps the most curious thing, though, are three black swans paddling around a lake.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2018
Amazon helps Shenzhen entrepreneur turn mom's money into a billion dollars
After Steven Yang left his coveted job at Google, he asked his mother whether he should take venture capital money to fund his business idea.
No link to Nankai Trough quake seen after temblor in Shikoku
Satoshi Harada from the Meteorological Agency explains about the magnitude 6.6 earthquake during a news conference early Thursday.
Thousands evacuated as Indonesia volcano erupts
Indonesia's Mount Ruang spews hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
Why hasn't Japan moved to prop up the weak yen?
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Snake on a train: Discovery of serpent delays Tokyo-Nagoya shinkansen
A Tokaido shinkansen. It is unclear whether the snake was venomous or how it ended up on the train, and there was no injury or panic among passengers.
Sex differences could be key to the successful treatment of long COVID
A new study has found that women with long COVID had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection.
'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
Benefits and risks: AUKUS looks to take gamble on Japan
U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British leader Rishi Sunak deliver remarks on the AUKUS partnership, after a trilateral meeting, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego in March last year.
Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
U.S. deploys midrange missile system in Indo-Pacific for first time
A U.S. Army Mid-Range Capability (MRC) Launcher arrives as part of the capability’s first deployment into theater on Northern Luzon, Philippines, April 8.
Unpacking the chaotic by-election in a scandal-hit Tokyo district
People listen to a campaign speech in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Tuesday.

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

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on
By Lance Henderstein

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa
A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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