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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 24, 2020

City of London wants to clean up the world

After many previous efforts to spur carbon trading failed amid a lack of clear government policy, this might be one of the better chances to get a market going.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: FASHION
Nov 15, 2020

Japanese fashion tackles the issues of the moment

From practical masks and saving sento culture to provocative commentary on gender, brands and designers find their moment.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 13, 2020

How one firm drove influence campaigns for big oil across the U.S.

In early 2017 the Texans for Natural Gas website went live, urging voters to "thank a roughneck” and support fracking. Around the same time, the Arctic Energy Center ramped up its advocacy for drilling in Alaskan waters and in a vast Arctic wildlife refuge. The next year, the Main Street Investors...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2020

How to think about a contested U.S. election

The surge in mail-in and early voting amid the pandemic meant that the chances of knowing whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden won sometime Tuesday night was very low.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2020

Terror attacks in France demand statesmanship, not demagoguery

What leaders say at moments like these matters. And all the more so now because too many leaders have recently been unable or unwilling to say the right things.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2020

China shocked to discover the developed world views it in a negative light

China risks losing the trade and investment that it needs from the developed world. To be seen as a “responsible major country,” it must behave accordingly.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2020

Jacinda Ardern landslide is a vote for COVID-19 competence

Shutting down New Zealand's economy at a time when there'd been just 102 cases was a political gamble, but one that's paid off.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 14, 2020

Will Donald Trump cause a civil war?

A critical part of Trump's effort to undermine confidence in the election outcome, if it goes against him, is his attempt to discredit millions of ballots preemptively.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 11, 2020

Trump seeks to put COVID-19 behind him and get back to election campaign

The U.S. president, trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in opinion polls, addressed supporters from a White House balcony on Saturday afternoon.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2020

French billionaires seize pandemic opportunities

France is the land of what writer Pascal Bruckner calls 'Bolshevism-lite,” where wealth is publicly hated but privately hoarded.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2020

Japan records most negative view of China as unfavorable opinions surge, survey finds

The jump in negative views of China comes amid widespread criticism over Beijing's global response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Top Global Universities in Japan
Oct 5, 2020

Expectations toward universities and global talent

The business world has high expectations for globalizing universities to better prepare students to contribute and lead as global talent. We asked David Macdonald, representative officer and president of Discovery Japan, about his expectations and hopes for universities in the global era.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2020

If we can’t ban nukes, let’s stigmatize them

Since the end of the Cold War, most people have become much less afraid of nuclear war, when instead they should worry more.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 24, 2020

A new justice wouldn't guarantee a pro-Trump election verdict

For liberal court watchers, the situation is dire. But it is not yet time to write off the Supreme Court.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2020

Sedition laws are the last resort of weak governments

It's highly unlikely anyone will be prosecuted for sedition by the DOJ, but the harm to the independence of the U.S. criminal justice system has already been done.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 14, 2020

Johnson sends Brexit proposals to Parliament as rebellion grows

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will send his Brexit law-breaking proposals to Parliament this week, facing a growing rebellion from his MPs and further criticism from former premiers and European Union leaders.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 9, 2020

What to watch for in the LDP leadership race

With Yoshihide Suga's assured victory, we now have a clearer outlook of Japan's political landscape for the next twelve months.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2020

A bubble scarier than big tech is brewing in China

Much as Beijing has advocated investing in young hard-tech stocks, professionals are still apprehensive.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 5, 2020

Should freedom of assembly be an absolute right?

During the coronavirus pandemic, sizeable demonstrations have taken place in Belarus, Germany and the United States.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2020

Joe Biden's Wisconsin visit stands in stark contrast to Trump's

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden put himself squarely in the middle of U.S. tumult over racial injustice and police brutality on Thursday, visiting strife-torn Kenosha, Wisconsin, and speaking by phone with the Black man shot there by police
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2020

Former Japan defense chief Shigeru Ishiba to run in LDP leadership race, report says

In an interview, Ishiba said Tokyo should deepen ties with its Asian neighbors, including South Korea, amid growing tension between China and the United States.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Aug 26, 2020

Melania Trump offers sympathy on coronavirus and racial suffering in speech

U.S. first lady Melania Trump offered sympathy for victims of the coronavirus pandemic and a plea for racial understanding in a Republican convention speech Tuesday aimed directly at the women voters who have abandoned U.S. President Donald Trump.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2020

Keeping the United Kingdom united

As the U.K. fights its way out of the COVID-19 lockdown, and at the same time stumbles toward the its exit from the EU, a new preoccupation takes hold.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 12, 2020

Rich royals face a millennial COVID-19 reckoning

Former King Juan Carlos's self-exile from Spain is a warning to monarchs everywhere as the virus ramps up social tensions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 11, 2020

Chinese influence operations struggle for traction in Japan

There is little evidence that China has tried to impact debate in Japan as it has done in other countries.
Campaign posters in Tokyo. Voters in Japan put immediate economic issues ahead of longer-term concerns about the effects of tariffs.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 17, 2025

Trump tariffs fail to register with Japanese voters ahead of key election

Only 8% of voters surveyed by NHK rated tariffs as their top priority.
A think tank researcher said anti-government propaganda by Russian bot accounts was what has made the small far-right party Sanseito so popular leading up to the Upper House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 18, 2025

Concerns grow in Japan over possible Russian interference in Sunday’s election

A blog post from a member of the Japan Institute of Law and Information Systems went viral for stating Russian bots were interfering in the upcoming Upper House election.
Since January, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed to secure more power for himself, calling for judges to be axed, firing independent watchdogs and sidestepping the legislative process.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 19, 2025

'Frightening': Trump's historic power grab worries experts

The Republican leader has spent six months testing the limits of his authority like no other modern U.S. president.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has been weakened by domestic setbacks and uncertain U.S. support as he tries to balance pressure from Beijing and political opposition at home.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 31, 2025

Taiwan’s president is running out of options

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is battling internal strife while navigating an unpredictable trade war with Washington.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear