Commentary / Japan Jul 6, 2020

Japan should continue to speak up on China's human rights abuses

Taking a tough, meaningful stand against Beijing is not easy, but Tokyo must continue to demonstrate the depth of its commitments to human rights.

Commentary / Japan Aug 25, 2019

Japan continues to help Myanmar whitewash the Rohingya crisis

Irresponsible investment will only embolden the Myanmar government and military to further whitewash the heinous acts committed against the Rohingya.

Commentary / Japan Jun 27, 2019

Japan's cold-blooded approach to the Rohingya crisis

As the new leader of the liberal order in Asia, Japan has a responsibility to promote human rights in its foreign policy.

Commentary / Japan Mar 27, 2019

Japan shouldn't act like China in Cambodia

Tokyo is fighting a losing battle for Hun Sen's support and selling out its own legacy in the democratization of Cambodia.

Commentary / Japan Dec 19, 2018

Tokyo's 'values-free' diplomacy and the Rohingya crisis

It's time for Japan to rediscover its values and pressure Myanmar to find justice for the Rohingya

Commentary / Japan Aug 10, 2018

Much needs to be done before women can truly 'shine' in Japan

The government has done little to make it feasible for women to be both parents and workers and corporate Japan has repeatedly reinforced the glass ceiling.

National Mar 12, 2017

Wild boars pose fresh challenge to returnees of radiation-hit Fukushima towns

Beyond radiation risks, an unexpected nuisance looms for people returning to towns vacated after the Fukushima nuclear crisis six years ago — wild boars. Hundreds of animals, which have been known to attack people when enraged, descended from surrounding hills and forests into towns left ...

Art Jan 28, 2017

Japanese graffiti artist 281_Anti Nuke takes aim at Trump

Japanese graffiti artist 281_Anti Nuke says his politically charged placards plastered around central Tokyo are meant to serve as a warning to the dangers of new U.S. President Donald Trump. Amid the bustling night life of Shibuya, a major shopping and entertainment hub in Tokyo, ...

National Nov 15, 2015

For father of slain Yukawa, closure remains elusive after killing of 'Jihadi John'

The apparent death of the man known as "Jihadi John," the public face of the self-styled Islamic State, may represent a kind of karma but it doesn't bring closure for the father of one Japanese hostage beheaded nearly a year ago. "It's not to say ...

National / Politics | FOCUS Aug 29, 2015

SEALDs student group reinvigorates Japan's anti-war protest movement

Wearing shorts and a baggy T-shirt and clutching a microphone, Aki Okuda stands before a crowd, the pyramid-shaped roof of the Diet building lit up against the night sky behind him. "No War," "Protect the Constitution," "Abe — Quit!," he chants in a hip-hop rhythm, ...