National Sep 14, 2020

Aging and empty: Suga's hometown highlights Japan's challenges

Yuzawa in Akita Prefecture has seen a decline in its fortunes in recent years, with a low birth rate and high death rate.

Business / Tech Aug 20, 2020

Changing TikTok Japan ownership could address security concerns, ruling party lawmaker says

Norihiro Nakayama said his LDP group was unlikely to seek a ban on TikTok and other apps but would push for measures to ensure protection of user data.

National / Science & Health May 28, 2020

As Japan reopens, coronavirus testing slowed by red tape and staff shortages

Health ministry technocrats wanted to maintain a tight grip on information rather than cooperate with private institutions, critics say.

National / Science & Health Apr 14, 2020

Paris accord under threat if virus trumps climate change, Koizumi says

Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi warned Monday that the Paris climate accord could face "death" if steps to fight global warming are put on the back burner to facilitate the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Many economists and policymakers are forecasting a steep global recession ...

National Mar 9, 2020

Olympic torch relay faces cool welcome from nuclear evacuees in Fukushima No. 1 town

Dressed in protective plastic coveralls and white boots, Yuji Onuma stood in front of the row of derelict buildings that included his house, and sighed as he surveyed his old neighborhood. On the once-bustling main street, reddish weeds poked out of cracked pavement in front ...

National / Politics Jul 31, 2019

Actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto aims for real-life starring role as future Japan PM

Actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto is angling for a new real-life role in which he leads his novice party and allies to victory, ousts long-ruling conservatives and takes over as prime minister within the next few years. Whether or not he can achieve that ambitious target, Yamamoto ...

National Nov 26, 2018

Austere Japan detention quarters contrast starkly with Carlos Ghosn's globe-trotting lifestyle

Prosecutors have confirmed that Nissan's arrested chairman, Carlos Ghosn, is being held in the spartan Tokyo Detention House in Katsushika Ward — its many rules and restrictions making for a stark contrast with his comfortable, globe-trotting lifestyle. Ghosn is most probably being held in a ...

National Jul 11, 2018

Aging Japan: Akita Prefecture provides glimpse of country's graying future

On a recent weekday morning, a group of men in their 70s and 80s gathered for baseball practice just down the road from a junior high school where students were arriving to start the day. At full strength, the Shimohama Club baseball team's 33 players ...

National Jun 19, 2018

Japan's demand for foreign workers may soften immigration policy, albeit slowly

Shinichiro Tsukada says his small plastering company in Tokyo wouldn't survive without the 22 Chinese and Vietnamese workers who make up half his payroll. "They're treasures, real treasures," he said. "Workers are disappearing as our population ages. Buildings cannot be built because there aren't enough ...

National / Politics Oct 18, 2017

Japan's oldest village by age sees LDP leadership as key for survival

Chikara Imai, 73, is quick to dismiss the new parties in Sunday's national election, saying old ties with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party is what the country's most elderly village needs for survival. Nanmoku, 107 km (67 miles) northwest of Tokyo, is at ...