For Sakura Murakami's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan plans to release more than 1 million tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima No. 1 plant into the sea from 2023 as part of an effort to clean up the site.
Debate over whether to restart more reactors in Japan is highly charged, with 40% of the population opposing the move.
Of the four candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party leadership, Taro Kono and Seiko Noda have supported gay marriage. Within Asia, same-sex marriage is currently only legal in Taiwan.
Kono has long championed renewables for Japan and has promised an economic stimulus package focused on them if he wins.
Kristof Rasovszky of Hungary took silver and Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy claimed bronze.
Japan took just under a week to earn a national record 17 golds at the Tokyo Olympics, topping the total won at the 1964 Tokyo Games and 2004 Athens Games.
Paul Noritaka Tange has paid tribute to Kenzo Tange's 1964 venue with his design for the 2020 Tokyo Aquatics Center.
Mostly produced by media and sponsors and given to their staff, the rarest badges can fetch hundreds of dollars on auction websites.
Japan and South Korea have long been at odds over the name of the body of water between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
The prime minister was grilled by opposition lawmakers Wednesday over whether he made inaccurate claims at the Diet last year about a potential breach of laws on gift-giving.
