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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 21, 2020

Kim Jong Un’s unfinished hospital shows North Korea sanctions are biting

Kim Jong Un’s latest appearance, in which he dressed down officials building a showcase hospital, illustrates why the North Korean leader can’t afford to languish under sanctions forever if he wants to fix his economy.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jul 21, 2020

China begins to dismantle democratic Taiwan’s toehold in Hong Kong

For decades, Hong Kong served as a bridge between China and Taiwan. Now, that appears to be just one more thing that’s changing in the former British colony.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2020

'#Handball Strive' digs into the pitfalls of performing for the 'likes'

Daigo Matsui's comedy is about a fake handball team that chases Instagram fame and falls victim to online perils.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 5, 2020

Japan’s netizens make up for traditional media outlets' shortcomings in addressing Black Lives Matter

Social media users have offered a broader perspective of commentary on protests against systemic racism happening abroad.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2020

Modi’s resolute China policy

It takes courage to wage war, but it takes even greater courage to wage peace while protecting national interests.
Reader Mail
Jun 12, 2020

Bellicose claims won’t help Senkaku situation

As for Tetsuo Kotani's June 2 commentary "China steps up its offensive against the Senkaku Islands," Kotani intimates that the fishing boat was not actually engaged in fishing but probably trying to bait Chinese ships to take it.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / BLACK EYE
Jun 10, 2020

'No justice, no peace': The sentiment that resonates in America, Japan and all over the world

The mainstream Japanese media continues to mess up on issues of race. It's time for a new generation of talking heads.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 8, 2020

HSBC’s tightrope act opens up internal fault lines in Hong Kong turmoil

HSBC Holdings PLC’s endorsement of a proposed Chinese security law in Hong Kong has begun to widen fault lines over the British institution’s relationship to the city’s masters in Beijing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 4, 2020

Okamoto's: Rock, rap and the road less traveled

The four-piece band marks 10 years of bucking expectations and musical risk-taking.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2020

China approves Hong Kong security legislation, defying Trump

The National People's Congress burst into prolonged applause when the tally showed 2,878 votes to one in favor of moving forward with legislation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
May 22, 2020

Ep. 42 ‘Woman Who Makes Everyone Dream’

I enjoy a good cliffhanger as much as the next person, but I wasn’t eager to see how Toshiyuki and Yume’s night in Sapporo would unfold. When we last saw these two, they were sitting close to each other in a dark bar. Toshiyuki was urging Yume to drink more alcohol as he mustered the courage to express...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 22, 2020

‘This is the end’: Hong Kong opposition decries China power grab

China will improve national security in Hong Kong, Premier Li Keqiang said Friday, a day after Beijing announced dramatic plans to rein in dissent by writing a new law into the city’s charter.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 22, 2020

Daiki Tsuneta: From the top of the charts to the great unknown

King Gnu frontman, Daiki Tsuneta, heads for further glory as he pushes forward with his side project, Millennium Parade.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 17, 2020

Chinese media blasts 'lawless' Hong Kong schools over Japan history question

Chinese state media said Hong Kong schools have become "lawless" as controversy builds over a history question in a school exam, rekindling tensions over academic freedoms in the semiautonomous city.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
May 16, 2020

Ep. 41 'Life-Threatening Date'

After announcing that production on “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” was going on hiatus and then going quiet on us for a few weeks, Netflix released a brand new episode like a gift from the television gods offering some small relief from the current pandemic.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2020

Reports of Kim's death were greatly exaggerated

Japan, the U.S. and South Korea should consider establishing a joint center to coordinate their response to a post-Kim scenario.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 11, 2020

Remembering Yukio Okamoto

Japan has lost a true patriot who always did his best for his nation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps
May 10, 2020

It’s time to talk about 'Terrace House' and consent

The behavior of some of the housemates is only part of the problem, however.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
May 6, 2020

Taiwan to allow baseball fans back into stands this week

The island's low rate of infection has allowed its professional baseball league to reopen stadiums to the public.
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2020

Where is the local news about COVID-19?

There's a paucity of accurate, practical community-level information about the pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 1, 2020

Musicians and DJs fight against COVID-19 closures and learn to live it up online

With gigs off and venues closed, Japanese artists are getting more creative in staging shows for fans staying at home.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2020

Why China’s propaganda efforts so often backfire

An obsession with finding enemies and uniting the front makes it difficult to 'tell China's story well.”
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2020

COVID-19 has taken us from FOMO to ROMO

With everyone at home, the fear of missing out turns into the reality of missing out. That's some relief.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 22, 2020

Debunking the myth of ‘helicopter money’

What does Modern Monetary Theory actually say about financing government borrowing and spending?
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Apr 22, 2020

J. League offers clubhouses as PCR testing sites

The J. League isn’t just doing everything it can to help players and fans stay safe when professional soccer returns to Japan — it’s also stepping up to help the country’s efforts against the coronavirus.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2020

Grim truth of the ‘Swedish model’

The lack of a lockdown has led to one of the world's highest COVID-19 death rates.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 20, 2020

Why science won’t ace its COVID-19 test

In normal times, the decentralization of research works remarkably well. In a crisis, the usual process is inadequate.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past