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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 30, 2020

Mike Pompeo says no sight of Kim but a real risk of famine in North Korea

The United States has caught no sight of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is watching reports about his health, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday, adding there was a real risk of famine in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 29, 2020

Xi’s annual political pageant to start in late May after virus-caused delay

China’s plan to resume annual parliamentary sessions delayed by the coronavirus outbreak next month could be seen as a statement of the country’s commitment to get back to normal. The actual gathering may end up showing how much has changed.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2020

We really weren’t ready to work from home

There's much more to working remotely than videoconferencing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 26, 2020

U.S. reels toward meat shortages and the world may be next

Plant shutdowns are leaving the U.S. dangerously close to meat shortages as coronavirus outbreaks now spread to suppliers across the Americas.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 26, 2020

Train belonging to North Korea's Kim Jong Un spotted in resort town as health rumors persist

The report said the train's presence doesn't prove the whereabouts of Kim or indicate anything about his health but it does lend weight to reports that he is staying on the country's eastern coast.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2020

Human wisdom is needed to defeat the pandemic

The pandemic will come to an end. How we minimize the sacrifice is up to the wisdom of humankind.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 24, 2020

U.S. states test safety of reopening as pandemic pushes jobless higher

An array of merchants in Georgia and other states prepared on Thursday to reopen for the first time in a month under newly relaxed coronavirus restrictions, as another week of massive unemployment claims highlighted the grim economic toll of the pandemic.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Apr 23, 2020

Spoiling rice in Vietnam ports show perils of food protectionism

The owner of one of Vietnam’s biggest rice exporters, Nguyen Quang Hoa, can only watch as 500 containers of sticky rice stranded in a port container yard for a month slowly degrades.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 20, 2020

In Modi's India, coronavirus fallout inflames divisions between Muslims and Hindus

The purple ink stamped on Iqbal Hussain Siddiqui's hand by Indian health workers was supposed to ensure he stayed home under quarantine.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 19, 2020

Komeito cash handout demand highlights Abe's fading power amid outbreak

The turnabout marked an extraordinary moment in the over seven-year-long reign of Abe, providing a glimpse of the ruling coalition's mounting exasperation with his administration.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2020

With Japan-wide emergency, Abe highlights sense of crisis over virus

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday evening pressed for cooperation from all citizens in the fight against the spreading coronavirus following his decision to expand the state of emergency nationwide.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 17, 2020

'Lofi hip-hop — beats to study to' genre also provides an escape from coronavirus mania

While the world succumbs to COVID-19 panic, some musicians are keeping things calm with a range of live and recorded output aimed at retaining a level or normality.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 16, 2020

IMF sees Asia-Pacific economic growth at standstill in 2020

Economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region will likely slow to a standstill in 2020, something that hasn’t happened in the last 60 years, according to the International Monetary Fund.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 15, 2020

Asanoyama strong favorite to become sumo's next hot star

With the sport mostly at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, the upcoming NFL Draft inspires Japan Times sumo columnist John Gunning to again consider his top rikishi selections.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 14, 2020

The coronavirus and Japan’s Constitution

Article 41 provides the government with sufficient power to take aggressive action against the COVID-19 outbreak.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2020

SoftBank foresees $12.5 billion loss as startup bets backfire

The company expects to record a u00a51.8 trillion ($16.7 billion) loss from its Vision Fund and another u00a5800 billion in losses from SoftBank's own investments.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 14, 2020

Outlook uncertain for Japanese-language exams

Japanese-language exams are in an uncertain state due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus around the world. Your Japanese study doesn't need to stop, though.
JAPAN / History
Apr 11, 2020

Looking for solace in Japanese mythology during a pandemic

Amid growing anxiety over an invisible pathogen that has so far claimed tens of thousands of lives worldwide, some Japanese are turning to faith and mythology for solace.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2020

Japan YouTubers focus on youth to raise awareness of social distancing

More and more YouTubers in Japan are using their fame to raise awareness of social distancing and the hashtag #stayhome to help officials drive home the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic to its youth, a demographic seen as prone to complacency.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 10, 2020

Virus pandemic pushes Japan’s shoppers to finally buy online

Now that the government is urging consumers and businesses to step up efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, shoppers may finally have no excuse but to embrace e-commerce and wean themselves from brick-and-mortar stores.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 10, 2020

Boris Johnson kept working, but the coronavirus took over

Boris Johnson was on his own. He had been self-isolating for a week since testing positive for coronavirus. His domestic staff left trays of food outside his apartment door.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 9, 2020

Kevin Garnett yearns to see NBA return to Seattle, has big plans for future

Kevin Garnett always found Seattle to be a difficult place for opponents. He played in 27 games there during his NBA career, leaving the court as a winner only eight times.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 9, 2020

Japan’s film and TV industries soldier on despite coronavirus

The death of comedian Ken Shimura on March 29 due to pneumonia caused by COVID-19 sent a shock wave throughout the country. A star on Japanese TV for decades, he was the first major celebrity here to pass away after contracting the virus.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 9, 2020

Unchecked spread of coronavirus prompts about-face on masks around the world

Wearing face masks, which health officials in many countries previously discouraged outside hospitals, is gaining converts as the coronavirus spreads across the globe.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan