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Linda Sieg
For Linda Sieg's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2021
Prefectures near Tokyo to seek COVID-19 state of emergency
Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures are currently under looser quasi-emergency restrictions but are seeing infections spike like in the capital.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 16, 2021
Suga in danger of becoming another of Japan's revolving-door prime ministers
The 72-year-old has seen his support rate sink to just over 30% from around 70% when he took office last September.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Remembering 3/11
Mar 11, 2021
Japan remembers 'man-made' Fukushima nuclear disaster, 10 years on
Areas around the Fukushima plant remain off-limits, worries about radiation levels linger and many who left have settled elsewhere.
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
Nov 10, 2020
Japan should brace for 'leaderless era' as U.S. turns inward, Suga adviser says
Concerns about America's inward turn have simmered in Japan for years, intensifying in the face of China's growing military and economic assertiveness.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 24, 2020
How possible successors stack up if Abe resigns
The prime minister visited a Tokyo hospital on Monday as concerns grew over his ability to continue in his post.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jun 12, 2020
Women bear brunt of Japan's recession as pandemic unravels Abe's 'Womenomics'
Many women lack the job security of male workers, with more than half holding vulnerable part-time, contract or temporary jobs.
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 / Politics
Feb 26, 2020
Critics ask 'Where's Abe?' as coronavirus spreads in Japan
As Japan struggles to stem the spread of a coronavirus within its borders, critics are asking, "Where's Abe?"
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 1, 2020
Ghosn's escape may see Japan impose stronger bail conditions on defendants
Carlos Ghosn's daring flight from Japan, where he was awaiting trial on charges of financial wrongdoing, has revived global criticism of the nation's "hostage justice" system, but in Japan it is prompting talk of reversing more lenient curbs on defendants.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Nov 20, 2019
Japan's aging 'Hidden Christians' fear they may be their religion's last generation
His face weathered from years at sea, kimono-clad fisherman Masaichi Kawasaki kneels before an altar adorned with images of the Virgin Mary, crossing himself as he softly intones chants handed down through centuries.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2019
Mission unaccomplished — Abe's drive to revise pacifist Constitution
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surged back to power seven years ago, pledging to bolster the nation's defenses in response to a growing threat from China and aiming to amend the pacifist Constitution.
Japan Times
Rugby
Oct 31, 2019
Japanese fans deal with 'rugby loss' after team's quarterfinal exit from World Cup
Japanese captivated by their Brave Blossoms' historic run to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals are suffering a new form of bereavement — "rugby loss" — after their team fell to South Africa.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2019
Future of Japan's imperial dynasty rests on shoulders of 13-year-old Prince Hisahito
When Prince Hisahito, Japan's youngest prince, visited Bhutan in August on his first overseas trip, just months after his uncle, Emperor Naruhito, ascended to the throne, the visit was regarded as the debut of a future monarch on the world stage.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 10, 2019
Japan needs to improve medical care for detainees, immigration chief says
There is a need to improve medical care at immigration detention centers, the head of the country's recently created Immigration Services Agency has said, following widespread criticism of the care available to detainees.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 11, 2019
In generational shift, Japan stands firm in feud with South Korea
When Yohei Kono made a landmark 1993 apology to the wartime "comfort women," the chief Cabinet secretary was speaking for a moderate conservative mainstream seeking to reconcile with its Asian neighbors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 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.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 18, 2019
Path to the Diet still strewn with high hurdles for Japan's women
When anti-nuclear activist Junko Isogai ran for office in Niigata, her campaign had an awkward dimension: not just speeches and chats with constituents, but efforts to entertain potential backers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 12, 2019
Rape acquittals spark calls to fix law in Japan, where prosecutors must prove victim 'incapable of resistance'
Miyako Shirakawa was a 19-year-old college student when she was raped by an older man. She said that when the attack started, her mind went blank and she froze up.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2019
Japan's peaceful Heisei Era leaves legacy of change, growth and tragedy
Emperor Akihito's abdication Tuesday will end the three-decade Heisei Era that began on Jan. 8, 1989, a day after he inherited the throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Showa.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world