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April 28, 2025
 

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GOVERNMENT

JAPAN / Society
Aug 12, 2023
Idea to make all Osaka high schools free sparks controversy
Private schools in Osaka Prefecture have voiced opposition to the plan, fearing increased financial burdens.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 9, 2023
Japan prefectures drift away from posting disaster warnings on X
A growing number of prefectures have stopped posting disaster warnings on the platform due to limits on the number of free posts allowed.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2023
My Number report highlights errors by insurers and local governments
Roughly 20% of surveyed local governments followed the wrong procedures when linking My Number with disability records.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2023
Tokyo trials ferries to ease congestion on roads and rail
After conducting two pilot programs in recent years, the city's government aims to launch commuter ferry operations in the current fiscal year.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023
Pessimism over Osaka Expo opening grows after construction head criticizes organizers
There is growing pessimism about the fate of the expo, with speculation that postponing the starting date might now be necessary in order to get everything completed.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 18, 2023
Local governments in Tokyo spruce up donor gifts
Shinjuku Ward is considering a menu of unique gifts, such as crafts related to local industries including printing and dyeing, and a one-day 'mayor's experience' program.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2023
In Tokyo, a more natural vision for an unnatural waterfront
Against a history of development and environmental issues, a plan by the Tokyo government conjures up images of lush parks and biodiverse shores. Bringing it to fruition won't be easy.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 7, 2023
With overseas pavilions not yet started, time is running out for Osaka Expo
Local officials are pressuring the central government to do more so the event meets what they admit is a very tight schedule for completion.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 4, 2023
Japan's youngest city mayor sets sights on education reform
Harvard-educated Ryosuke Takashima, 26, is working to gather opinions — including from children — to revitalize public schools in his city.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jul 3, 2023
Criticism over expression on bathroom use prompts change of LGBTQ guidance
The move has been seen as a setback for the Iwate Prefectural Government’s consideration for LGBTQ people.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jun 21, 2023
China moves to shut a lifeline for cash-strapped local governments
Beijing has been tightening rules on local government borrowing for years, driving their financing vehicles deeper into private markets to raise money.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 15, 2023
Osaka in uphill battle to eradicate street smoking by 2025 Expo
The city announced plans last year to expand no-smoking areas to cover the entire city by 2025 while increasing the number of authorized smoking sections.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 12, 2023
Esoteric fines pile up as China’s provinces hunt for revenue
The central government reiterated that provinces have to fix hidden debt problems on their own, leaving local officials to get more creative to raise revenue.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 9, 2023
Town transforms marine nuisance into local delicacy
Ainan in Ehime Prefecture has released a variety of sea urchin fed with scraps of the town's signature agricultural products of broccoli and citrus.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 31, 2023
Japan's parliament enacts bill to tackle social isolation
The legislation obliges local governments to make efforts to set up regional councils made up of groups offering aid to people suffering from isolation.
JAPAN
May 26, 2023
More My Number mistakes found, Digital Agency says
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 20 such cases had been confirmed at 14 local governments, up from 11 cases at six local governments.
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Japan to resist Trump efforts to form trade bloc against China
As Japan gears up for the trade talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also seeking to cushion the blow that the U.S. tariffs may have on the domestic economy.
As many as nine dead after driver plows into Vancouver festival crowd
An ambulance is parked at the site of the Lapu Lapu day festival, where a vehicle drove into a crowd killing several people in Vancouver on Saturday.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
Amid uncertain tariffs, is now the time to buy a new iPhone?
An Apple store in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in September. Prices for the newest iPhone models start at around ¥100,000 ($700) in Japan.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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