For Ryotaro Nakamaru's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The prime minister has put the issue front and center in his messaging to the public over the past month as the "decisive factor" for bringing the pandemic under control.
The frontrunners include LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
The comment by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi comes amid strong opposition from local fishermen and neighboring South Korea to the plan to the release the radioactive water.
Recent signs that Japan and South Korea are making subtle overtures to each other have raised hopes that they are moving toward de-escalating their diplomatic feud. But while their foreign ministers agreed Wednesday to continue dialogue, it remains unclear what a compromise that would satisfy ...
Iran's foreign minister says he is not interested in negotiating with the United States after it pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal and reinstated stifling economic sanctions on Tehran. "No, there is no possibility for negotiations," Mohammad Javad Zarif said when asked in an ...
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will likely be eager to take advantage of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Japan to flaunt his diplomatic clout, especially in an election year. But Abe will need to play a careful balancing act between cozying up to China ...
A recent spate of warning signs that the economy is headed for a downturn means the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may need to take corrective action sooner rather than later. Worsening conditions — and upcoming elections — could push Abe to beef up ...
More and more women in Japan are abandoning the tradition of giving obligatory chocolates to male coworkers on Valentine's Day, instead using the occasion to treat themselves. The trend reflects shifting societal norms and consumer attitudes in the country, creating new opportunities and challenges for ...
The trick will be to keep household spending steady.
It's a familiar scene on the evening news: A wild boar ventures out of the woods looking for food and wreaks havoc on a countryside town, spurring local authorities to arm themselves with nets to catch the rogue animal. Boar populations in the country have ...
