DEEP DIVE Mar 31, 2021

Episode 88: Japan's plan to clamp down on asylum seekers

A bill is working its way through the Diet that will make it even harder for asylum seekers to attain refugee status in Japan. Japan is a country that is good at many things, but accepting refugees is not one of them. In 2019, just ...

National Apr 16, 2020

COVID-19 a threat and opportunity for Japan’s environmental activists

As COVID-19 cases rise in Japan and the world favors cleanliness over sustainability, the budding environmental movement is being forced to adapt. While activists are coming up with innovative ways to continue spreading their message, they worry about how the nation will be shaped by ...

National Apr 15, 2020

Cardboard boxes replace hotel rooms at Narita as Japan struggles with returnees

Travel restrictions are keeping Narita Airport — Japan’s gateway to the world — eerily quiet. Over the past week or so, the usual bustle from international travelers has been replaced with something else: cardboard beds. At a glance, it looks like an evacuation shelter. The ...