National Oct 20, 2020

Ad behemoth faces claims of conflict of interest in Tokyo Olympic campaign

“Adult understanding” investigated as a potential conflict of interest for the Japanese advertising giant.

National | FOCUS Jul 28, 2020

Cushy coronavirus aid contract puts Japan ad giant Dentsu under spotlight

The ad giant has acquired the task of distributing a $20 billion package to help ailing businesses.

National | FOCUS Jul 1, 2020

Peeling back the hospital curtain: One Japanese hospital's fight against COVID-19

As the country emerges from a state of emergency, hospitals like one in Yokohama face the prospect of operating in the shadow of a virus with no treatment or cure.

National May 22, 2020

On duty at Japan's 'last-chance' hospital for coronavirus

In the midst of a global pandemic, St. Marianna University Hospital has become synonymous with the virus.

National / Science & Health | FOCUS Apr 28, 2020

On Japan's stretched front line, doctors and nurses DIY a coronavirus response

Hospitals like St. Luke's in Tokyo are saving their limited ICU capacity for an increasing number of critically ill patients and improvising makeshift gear to protect front-line staff.

Business Mar 29, 2020

Japanese hotels lose out on Olympic bet as coronavirus spreads

The Osaka Corona Hotel has been eerily quiet and empty the past few weeks. “Our name is extremely regrettable,” Kohei Fujii, the hotel’s sales director, said with a sigh as he sat in an empty cafe in the lobby. A sign advertising discounted bottles of ...

National Mar 12, 2020

Fukushima dreams: A young baseball star, a father and their shattered town

Kazuo Ouchi drives down a single-lane road through sheets of rain until he reaches a gravel driveway leading to a weathered farmhouse. Yellowing lace curtains are drawn tight over the windows, shutting out the weak winter light. "Sorry about the dark," Ouchi says, stepping over ...

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 ...

Asia Pacific Jan 29, 2020

First love on the front lines: Coming of age in the Hong Kong protests

Many years from now, far from the spray of water cannons and the unmistakable smell of tear gas, they will look back on their season of protest and remember exactly how they felt. On this winter day, the march was called off early by police. ...

National Dec 16, 2019

On Nagano's Lake Suwa, climate change unravels 600 years of history held dear

Kiyoshi Miyasaka climbs the stone steps of his shrine, autumn leaves crunching under his feet. The Shinto priest, dressed in white, aims an orange leaf blower at a row of cobblestones and clears the path of fallen leaves. "I know people would rather see a ...