More Sports Dec 31, 2020
In 2020, sports was about staying safe and speaking out
by Liz Robbins
When the pandemic subsides, what will endure from 2020 in sports?
Tennis Dec 28, 2020
Activist and champion Naomi Osaka is AP Female Athlete of Year
"Her activism has shone a light on how we as individuals and sports leagues can collectively make an impact,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said.
Tennis Sep 13, 2020
Osaka's face masks, bearing the names of victims of police brutality in the United States, gained worldwide attention during the tournament.
National Mar 28, 2018
Defying criticism, Taiji pushes forward with bold plans based on continued dolphin hunts
by Jay Alabaster
A few years back, the normally sleepy town of Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture was filled with activists furious with its traditional dolphin hunt, which was featured in "The Cove," a 2009 Academy Award-winning documentary. But as the fury ebbs, the town is now betting its ...
National Feb 10, 2018
Michiko Ishimure, award-winning author who raised public awareness of Minamata disease, dies at 90
Michiko Ishimure, an award-winning author and social critic whose works put the spotlight on what became known as Minamata disease, died early Saturday due to acute exacerbation of Parkinson's disease. She was 90. A native of Kumamoto Prefecture, the prolific Ishimure is known for raising ...
Voices | FOREIGN AGENDA Dec 6, 2017
Looking back at 2017's Trump-triggered resurgence in American activism in Japan
by Sarajean Rossitto
The Women of the World March in January that brought hundreds onto the streets of Tokyo was the highlight of a year of action.
National / Politics Nov 2, 2017
Veteran activist, sour on electoral system, keeps fight for local rights alive over half a century
by Keiji Hirano
Shogo Miyazaki, a defiant activist who led an unsuccessful movement to oppose the construction of a freight line through a quiet residential area of Yokohama in the 1960s and 70s, is still unconvinced about the utility of Japan's electoral system. The now defunct Japanese National ...
National Mar 11, 2016
Down but not out: Japan's anti-nuclear movement fights to regain momentum
by Mizuho Aoki
Japan’s once highly motivated anti-nuclear movement struggles to maintain momentum amid a government push toward plant restarts.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Oct 24, 2015
Media vultures circle over battered SEALDs
by Michael Hoffman
That's it? It's over? "Scattered like leaves in the autumn wind," sighs Shukan Shincho magazine, speaking of the massive nationwide demonstrations that, through the summer, heralded (to some) a new political awakening of the Japanese masses (or something). The protesters' immediate target was new security ...
Commentary | COUNTERPOINT Sep 5, 2015
Students oppose Abe's assault on the Constitution
by Jeff Kingston
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to say he will try to gain the public's understanding on the government's controversial security legislation, but there are few signs that he is winning anyone over. The massive demonstration held in front of the Diet on Aug. 30 is ...
Lifestyle Aug 9, 2014
by Jon Mitchell
The battle over Henoko Bay looks set to challenge the power of the archipelago's protest movement.
Lifestyle Aug 9, 2014
Monuments to peace reveal island's violent history
by Jon Mitchell
With its perpetual flame for peace and slabs of granite inscribed with the names of the more than 241,000 people who died on all sides during the Battle of Okinawa, the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni is the island's most famous monument — ...