For Eric Johnston's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Destinations such as Niseko in Hokkaido are gearing up for "revenge travel" by domestic and foreign tourists, but caution over COVID-19 limits the expected rise in numbers.
While Kyoto and Hiroshima are likely be the go-to choices for many first-time visitors to Japan, Hokkaido could be a tempting travel experience for those visiting again.
Past cooperation with each other — and with the LDP — is weighing on the two opposition parties ahead of the Upper House election on July 10.
Seven months after a disastrous Lower House election, the largest opposition party finds itself with low poll numbers and questions swirling about what will happen if it again loses seats.
While the outcome was never in doubt, the votes may indicate a larger split between the opposition parties.
CDP leader Kenta Izumi has lambasted Lower House speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda over sexual harassment allegations and targeted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s response to price hikes.
The Shimane nuclear power plant's No. 2 reactor could face a legal challenge from residents over safety issues similar to the one that halted a restart in Hokkaido.
Heading into the election, the Labor Party platform emphasized that its defense and foreign policy would start with increased cooperation with the Pacific islands.
American businesses continue to look on jealously at an existing major Asia-Pacific trade pact, which they say offers greater precision and economic impact.
The IPEF is an attempt by the U.S. to reassert its economic leadership in the region after it withdrew from a major Asia-Pacific trade pact in 2017 under Donald Trump.
