Who’s afraid of evidence-based policymaking?
As societies struggle to reopen in the shadow of new COVID-19 variants, social experiments are urgently needed to ensure that we implement policies with proven records of success.
The big failure of small government
Countries that have embraced a proactive state have fared better against COVID-19.
The government’s decision to finance the Daijosai ceremony with state funds draws criticism from experts, who claim the move was taken with undue speed in order to avoid reigniting controversy over the Constitution.
Farm panel urges limiting areas where Japan-developed crops can be grown
An advisory panel to the agriculture ministry Friday proposed limiting areas where domestically developed varieties of agricultural crops can be grown, in a bid to prevent them from being taken out of the country. The move comes after a series of cases in which national ...
Uniqlo ad sparks protest and parody as South Korea-Japan dispute flares
A commercial by clothing brand Uniqlo has stirred a consumer backlash in South Korea amid accusations that it mocks victims of wartime labor and "comfort women," reopening deep wounds from Japan's colonial past. A YouTube video created by a South Korean student parodying the ad ...
Extinction Rebellion climate protest arrives in Tokyo with 'die-in' at Yoyogi Park
Amid the threat of rain Saturday, 16 Extinction Rebellion protesters gathered in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park to call for action on climate change. The protest follows a climate march in Tokyo in September that attracted 2,800 students and environmental activists. "We hope the protest raises awareness of ...
Annual government employment exam for disabled held for second time since hiring scandal
The government held a uniform employment examination for people with disabilities on Sunday, for the second time since a hiring scandal came to light last year. A total of 3,104 people took the first-stage test paper in hope of securing one of the 248 jobs ...
JSR Corp., one of the Japanese materials makers hit by government restrictions on exports to South Korea, has received a permit to resume shipments, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Tokyo-based maker of photo-resist, a light-sensitive liquid used by semiconductor manufacturers to ...
Japan's current account surplus sank 4.2% in first half amid weak exports
Japan's current account surplus shrank in the first half as exports to Asia turned sluggish amid ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, government data showed Thursday. The surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, stood at ...
Okinawa files another lawsuit over landfill work for U.S. base
The Okinawa government on Wednesday filed another lawsuit against the central government to halt ongoing landfill work for the relocation of a U.S. air base within the prefecture. In the lawsuit filed with the Naha District Court, Okinawa challenged the legality of land minister Keiichi ...
South Korea to report Japan's tightening of export controls to WTO
The escalation comes almost three weeks after Japan slapped export controls on three chemical ingredients used by South Korea’s globally dominant chip and screen industries.
Core inflation hits two-year low in Japan, fueling stimulus calls
Falling energy prices and the bruising U.S.-China trade war are putting pressure on the BOJ — and the Fed — to act.
