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 Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 2, 2018
2019 G-20 summit to be held on June 28-29, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga announced
The 2019 Group of 20 leaders' summit in Osaka will take place on June 28 and 29, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 2, 2018
Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui eyes second referendum on merger plan during nationwide elections in 2019
Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui announced Monday that a second referendum on whether to merge Osaka's wards might be held during the nationwide local elections in April 2019, six months later than the governor and his supporters originally hoped for.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 2, 2018
Assemblies from Niigata to Tottori criticize handling of Moritomo probe as threat to democracy
Municipal and prefectural politicians are calling the document-tampering scandal a threat to Japan's democracy and ratcheting up calls for key figures to testify in the Diet.
JAPAN
Mar 29, 2018
Kyoto University says no to military-related research despite spike in Defense Ministry funding
In fiscal 2017, the Defense Ministry allotted u00a511 billion for military technology-related research, an 18-fold increase over the previous fiscal year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Mar 27, 2018
Tsushima Island was key conduit of Japan's Edo Period trade with Korea
Japan's historic relationship with the Korean Peninsula has often been complicated by mutual misunderstanding and distrust, if not outright hostility. But on Tsushima, a Japanese island off the coast of the peninsula, efforts are being made to celebrate long-ago diplomatic missions with Korea that took...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 27, 2018
Amid tourism rise, Tsushima Island could play evacuation role if tensions flare with North Korea
Within sight of the bright lights and bustling beaches of Busan, sleepy Tsushima Island has little in common with its neighbor located a mere 50 kilometers north, but the island of about 31,000 people has recently become a hot spot for South Korean tourists.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 25, 2018
Kyoto gubernatorial race puts focus on demographic and economic challenges to come
Faced with a rapidly aging society and a growing socioeconomic gap between its prosperous capital and the rest of the prefecture, Kyoto voters go to the polls April 8 to choose a new governor who will be either a well-connected insider or a complete outsider.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Mar 25, 2018
Osaka begins prep for largest international gathering in decades
With the summit for the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies coming to Osaka next year, preparations are underway to host the largest international gathering the city has seen in over two decades.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 23, 2018
Kagoike certain Akie Abe spoke favorably to him about Moritomo land deal, lawmakers say after detention visit
Politicians pay a visit to the former head of Moritomo Gakuen to ascertain what Akie Abe knew and said about his school's nifty land deal with the government.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / View from Osaka
Mar 17, 2018
Moritomo scandal threatens Osaka leaders too
"A man once thoroughly endued with these three qualities of lying, impudence, and ingratitude will, I believe, scarce want any other titles to preferment and grandeur." — Henry Fielding, from a satirical article on the traits of successful politicians, 1740
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2018
Foreign tourists set new record for hotel stays in Kyoto, with most visiting from China
A survey of 36 major Kyoto city hotels showed that foreigners accounted for 40.5 percent of their total guests in 2017, the highest figure recorded since the survey began in 2014.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 3/11: Rebuilding Tohoku
Mar 11, 2018
Fukushima powers toward 100% goal on renewables as grid and cost woes linger
Seven years after the triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, Fukushima Prefecture remains committed to becoming an international center for renewable-energy research and a domestic pioneer by meeting 100 percent of its energy demand via renewables by 2040.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 6, 2018
Osaka pushing life sciences and wellness in 2025 Expo bid
Hosting the 2025 World Expo is an opportunity to showcase Osaka and Kansai-based research and technological advancements geared toward taking head-on global issues, such as those that come with an aging society, Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui said in a recent exclusive interview with The Japan Times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Feb 25, 2018
Kyoto executives consider making nightlife in Kyoto more tourist-friendly
As residents and tourists in Kyoto complain more about higher prices, hotel shortages and crowds at train stations, shrines and temples, Kansai's corporate leaders are searching for ways to keep visitors coming.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 25, 2018
Second try at Osaka merger referendum faces stiff headwinds
Political group Osaka Ishin plans to give the unpopular consolidation plan another go despite multiple uncertainties.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2018
Japan falling behind global leaders in renewable energy use, panel warns in report
Japan is falling behind other leading countries in renewable energy use, while its promotion of coal-fired plants risks hindering the competitiveness of domestic firms in a global market more concerned than ever about carbon emissions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Feb 17, 2018
Kansai executives offer advice on improving nation's diplomacy
'Track II diplomacy" is the official neutral-sounding phrase used to refer to diplomatic efforts by "nonstate" actors. In thriller films and books, it's usually portrayed as a game of shadows between powerful but mysterious groups and individuals who may, or may not, be working to save the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2018
Shimane Prefecture group delivers petition to Gov. Zenbei Mizoguchi opposing restart of Matsue reactor
A Shimane Prefecture-based citizens group delivered a petition signed by nearly 48,000 people opposed to the restart of a local nuclear reactor to Gov. Zenbei Mizoguchi on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Feb 9, 2018
Kansai business leaders seek nationwide support for World Expo bid
Kansai-area corporate leaders urged the local business community on Friday to boost efforts to promote Osaka's bid to host the World Expo 2025, and called on Tokyo to be more involved in the process.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2018
Election victory in Nago seen as LDP win but new mayor may prove tough to crack
Sunday's victory in the Nago mayoral election by a candidate who appears to favor the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the city's Henoko district is widely seen as a political victory for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a defeat for anti-base advocates in Okinawa, starting with Gov....

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Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?