
National / Media | MEDIA MIX Jan 16, 2021
The political folly of dodging responsibility in Japan
by Philip Brasor
Politicians caught violating COVID-19 restrictions leave news organizations in a bind
The political folly of dodging responsibility in Japan
Politicians caught violating COVID-19 restrictions leave news organizations in a bind
Japan's attempts to promote home ownership leave renters in cold
People are moving out of Tokyo into the suburbs and countryside in response to COVID-19.
Uncertainty hijacked media coverage in 2020
Sorting through the media highlights of a year overshadowed by a global pandemic
Should older people pay a larger share of their health care costs?
The government has approved a proposal that would require those aged over 74 to pay 20% of health care costs out of pocket, thus doubling the portion they currently pay.
The public and private concerns of a princess in Japan
News outlets exploit the imperial family for their own ends without ever discussing the real meaning of the imperial system.
How hostile design keeps Japan's homeless at arm's length
In the early morning hours of Nov. 16, a 46-year-old man allegedly struck a 64-year-old woman sitting in a Tokyo bus shelter in the head with a bag of rocks, killing her. On Nov. 21, the man, accompanied by his mother, turned himself in ...
Japan's celebrities juggle private lives with public expectation
A U.S. survey has found 69% of Japanese respondents believe extramarital affairs are unforgivable.
News outlets clash over tone of COVID-19 coverage
The government's COVID-19 subcommittee held a news conference on Nov. 9 to discuss nationwide increases in infections this winter. The government itself seems hesitant to call this sudden spike the "third wave," a term that has become normalized in the media, but the subcommittee ...
A frank conversation is needed on euthanasia
In October, New Zealand voters approved a referendum proposal to legalize medically assisted suicide, thus joining a small group of countries and territories that allow euthanasia under specific circumstances. The proposal sprang from a lawsuit brought by a lawyer dying from a brain tumor, ...
Subsidizing fertility treatment leaves Japanese gynecologists in a bind
Fertility treatments are not covered by national health insurance because, in most cases, infertility is not defined as an ailment.
Does protecting food products protect Japan’s farmers?
The government wants to revise a law to protect new plant varieties, but domestic farmers could be prohibited from making their own seeds from registered crops.
The background behind Suga’s rejection of top science panel nominees
Council members fail to oppose prime minister's move collectively, casting doubt on how they view their role