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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 5, 2021

It doesn’t take a dictatorship to defeat COVID-19

We mustn't be seduced by the authoritarian temptation. Defeating COVID-19 will take a collective effort, one that demands leadership and individual responsibility.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 5, 2021

Why the winners in Georgia runoffs might not be known for days

The future of Democrat President-elect Joe Biden's agenda hinges on two Senate races.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 3, 2021

Pence welcomes bid to overturn Biden’s election as Republican senators join

Neither Pence nor any of the senators has made a specific allegation of fraud, instead offering vague suggestions that some wrongdoing might have occurred.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 1, 2021

In a world turned upside down, Japan will muddle through

Japan could use this year to prepare for inevitable changes in domestic and foreign affairs and better position itself for that world.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 1, 2021

Five cheers for 2021

But as 2021 nears, things look a lot better than they did just a few months ago. We now have at least five reasons to celebrate the New Year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jan 1, 2021

Japan to play placeholder role in Asia as Biden gets his house in order

Tokyo will be particularly interested to see how the next U.S. president tackles China, trade, regional security as well as its relationships with Southeast Asia and the two Koreas.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 31, 2020

Nuns arrested as Beijing turns up heat on Catholic Church in Hong Kong

The Catholic Church in Hong Kong is coming under mounting pressure as China moves to extinguish opposition voices in the city under a new national security law.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 31, 2020

Johnson’s Brexit deal clears Parliament with just hours to spare

The rush to get the agreement through Parliament in a single day brings to an end a four-year saga that has gripped British politics and divided the country.
Japan Times
WORLD / 2020 in Review
Dec 30, 2020

Images of 2020 | Turbulence: Power shifts and revolution

A brief look back at images that reflected a world in tumult
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 29, 2020

Ten surprises that await Japan in 2021

Next year is poised to be a great year for Japan. My main predictions are unashamedly bullish: Exports will get a boost from a re-acceleration in global growth; there will be a surprise pickup in domestic demand with business investments kicking in and, most importantly, consumers will begin to open...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 29, 2020

The lessons from East Asia's coronavirus successes

Japan and its neighbors have largely fared better than the West during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now have a duty to pass on their knowledge.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Beyond COVID-19
Dec 29, 2020

Overcoming Trumpism

The underestimation of Trump voters, and complacent belief in a Biden landslide, revealed the widening gulf between urban, educated America and rural, working-class America.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 29, 2020

'I won’t take it': China struggles to get the world to trust its vaccines

That uncertainty presents another roadblock in China's efforts to extend its political influence across Asia, Africa and South America.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2020

A dismal year everywhere was even worse for Iran

After a year in which the regime has failed on every other front, it will almost inevitably double down on its only other source of legitimacy: its visceral anti-Americanism.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 28, 2020

Battered Turkish economy puts a powerful Erdogan to the test

Turks had been grappling with a falling currency and double-digit inflation for two years when the pandemic hit in March, sharply worsening the country's deep recession.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 28, 2020

Japan's appeal as hub hindered by taxes, language and lackluster growth

China's crackdown on Hong Kong has raised hopes Tokyo may be able to compete as a financial hub, but the numbers still don't work in Japan's favor.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World / Beyond COVID-19
Dec 27, 2020

The pandemic of fear

When people are isolated in their homes and haunted by fear, boredom and paranoia, one of the few activities that does not cease is discussion of the coronavirus.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2020

Lawmaker Noda's struggle with infertility fueled her push for change

Although treatment options and access to care have expanded, the stigma associated with infertility has for decades made women keep their struggles under wraps.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Dec 26, 2020

In 2020, kids still say the drollest things

2020 was a year to forget, if only we can u2026
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 26, 2020

Biden expected to expand U.S.-India relationship while stressing rights

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has significantly invested in its relationship with India over the past four years, seeing the country as a crucial partner in counterbalancing the rise of China.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 26, 2020

Brexit deal done, Britain now scrambles to see how it will work

For many Christmas was only the beginning, Day 1 of a high-stakes and unpredictable experiment in how to unstitch a tight web of commercial relations across Europe.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 25, 2020

Brexit is finally done, but it already seems out of date

The world has changed radically since June 2016, when a narrow majority of people in Britain voted to leave the European Union.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2020

How the Biden administration can help get the U.S. vaccinated

If fewer than four out of five people are vaccinated, it may not be enough to stem the coronavirus's spread.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Dec 24, 2020

Generational change and policy differences test LDP-Komeito political bonds

The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito recently marked 21 years of alliance, having ruled Japan as a coalition for 18 of those years. But are they growing apart?
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Dec 23, 2020

Hong Kong’s courts are the last check on Beijing’s growing power

The courts are on the front lines of a clash between two very different legal systems.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 22, 2020

Big Tech's stealth push to influence the Biden administration

The moves come as a pushback against tech firms from progressive groups and regulators grows.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 22, 2020

The secret is out: This kanji will remain closely associated with the pandemic of 2020

The Japanese have spoken, 'u5bc6' (mitsu) is the kanji of the year for 2020. But what is this kanji trying to say to us?
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 20, 2020

U.S. hacking attack adds to Putin mystique, even if Russia faces pain

The storm over the cyberattack on U.S. government agencies only helps Putin's image at home as a strong leader unafraid to confront the former Cold War enemy.
JAPAN / Society / 2020 in Review
Dec 19, 2020

Anxiety over coronavirus in 2020 spurs unprecedented societal change in Japan. Will it last?

For many in Japan, 2020 has been a year hijacked by uncertainty, a tumultuous period spent improvising and adapting to an unfamiliar way of life.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo