National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jan 23, 2021

Former SMAP stars test broadcast television’s relevance

Rival talent agencies move into the void left by Japan's former J-pop kings.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jan 16, 2021

The political folly of dodging responsibility in Japan

Politicians caught violating COVID-19 restrictions leave news organizations in a bind

Culture Jan 10, 2021

How COVID-19 has changed live events in Japan

While some live events have resumed, the arrival of artists and participants from overseas still may be a ways off.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jan 9, 2021

Japan's attempts to promote home ownership leave renters in cold

People are moving out of Tokyo into the suburbs and countryside in response to COVID-19.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jan 3, 2021

Uncertainty hijacked media coverage in 2020

Sorting through the media highlights of a year overshadowed by a global pandemic

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Dec 26, 2020

Should older people pay a larger share of their health care costs?

The government has approved a proposal that would require those aged over 74 to pay 20% of health care costs out of pocket, thus doubling the portion they currently pay.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Dec 19, 2020

The public and private concerns of a princess in Japan

News outlets exploit the imperial family for their own ends without ever discussing the real meaning of the imperial system.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Dec 12, 2020

How hostile design keeps Japan's homeless at arm's length

In the early morning hours of Nov. 16, a 46-year-old man allegedly struck a 64-year-old woman sitting in a Tokyo bus shelter in the head with a bag of rocks, killing her. On Nov. 21, the man, accompanied by his mother, turned himself in ...

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Dec 5, 2020

Japan's celebrities juggle private lives with public expectation

A U.S. survey has found 69% of Japanese respondents believe extramarital affairs are unforgivable.

National / Media | MEDIA MIX Nov 28, 2020

News outlets clash over tone of COVID-19 coverage

The government's COVID-19 subcommittee held a news conference on Nov. 9 to discuss nationwide increases in infections this winter. The government itself seems hesitant to call this sudden spike the "third wave," a term that has become normalized in the media, but the subcommittee ...