For Sakura Murakami's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
![[Rebroadcast] What's the secret to Shinzo Abe's longevity?](https://cdn.japantimes.2xx.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-08-28T092621Z_1732912790_RC2XMI9EPRK5_RTRMADP_5_JAPAN-POLI-scaled-200x200.jpg)
This episode was originally recorded in December 2019, in a world that had not yet gone through the trials of the coronavirus, and when Japan was looking ahead to hosting the Olympics this summer.
Lured by higher wages but often burdened by debt to recruiters, Vietnamese are the fastest-growing group of foreign nationals in Japan.
Authorities have been warning local officials for months to include virus measures in disaster preparations.
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 ...
On southwestern Miyajima island, Hiroshima Prefecture, a short walk from one of the country's most famous ancient temple sites, there's a brand new attraction for tourists — a state-of-the art public toilet block nearly as big as a tennis court. The 183-square-meter facility — created ...
If you look at Japan's 2020 political calendar now, it will look like it is going to be a relatively quiet one. The one event looming large on the horizon is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. With the global spectacle taking center stage, it's ...
What has allowed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stay in office for such a long time?
During the course of the session two ministers resigned, a plan for reforming college English-language tests was withdrawn and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was accused of breaching election campaign laws.
The opposition camp’s boycotts over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s handling of the campaign violation affair is putting the ruling bloc under pressure as the extra Diet session comes to a close.
Since reshuffling his Cabinet in September, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has seen two ministers resign in close succession amid scandal, the thwarting of an educational reform plan at the Diet, and debate about a referendum law key to constitutional revision grind to a halt. To ...
