Eric Johnston - The Japan Times

JAPAN / Politics

May 15, 2015

Opinion polls go wild on eve of Osaka merger referendum

As Sunday's unprecedented referendum on Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto's merger plan approaches, opinion polls show that voters are still wavering.

JAPAN

May 10, 2015

Writers in Kyoto offers expats a forum to discuss state of publishing in Japan

Those who love the English language and the written word have always found like-minded souls to associate with, formally or informally, in cities where English-speaking expats and immigrants are located. In Japan, though, once one is outside Tokyo, such gatherings are rare.

JAPAN / Politics

May 7, 2015

187 scholars urge Abe to address Japan's wartime history

An international group of scholars of Japanese and East Asian studies have called on Tokyo to accurately address the country's history of colonial rule and wartime actions.

JAPAN

Apr 28, 2015

Shiga Prefecture mulls name change to draw more visitors

What's in a name? For Shiga Prefecture, it's a question of identity, and one that residents will have a formal opportunity to consider changing next month.

JAPAN / Politics

Apr 28, 2015

Bataan Death March survivors in U.S. call on Abe to acknowledge wartime atrocities

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to address the U.S. Congress in a highly anticipated speech on Wednesday local time, what he says about Japan's wartime past — and how he says it — is foremost on the minds of many, particularly in East Asia.

JAPAN / Politics

Apr 27, 2015

Osaka merger referendum gets underway

An unprecedented referendum campaign on the future of the city of Osaka kicked off Monday with appeals from Mayor Toru Hashimoto's Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) and from the major established political parties, which all oppose him.

JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE

Apr 26, 2015

Unlike elections, referendums are a PR free-for-all

With less than three weeks until the May 17 referendum on whether to consolidate the city of Osaka into five semi-autonomous wards, supporters and opponents of the plan are engaged in an intense and unprecedented media and public relations campaign to win over voters.

JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE

Apr 26, 2015

Cycling the Kyoto maze could get easier

As Kyoto residents know, bicycles are the best way to get around the congested city, which is taking steps to make it more amenable to foreign cyclists.

JAPAN / View from Osaka

Apr 18, 2015

Mind the gap: Nara election reveals voter values

In the wake of last Sunday's local elections, big city political reporters were quick to see the results as (1) a mandate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; and (2) a disaster for the Democratic Party of Japan.

JAPAN / ANALYSIS

Apr 16, 2015

Takahama nuclear restart injunction polarizing

A provisional injunction handed down Tuesday by the Fukui District Court against the restarting of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama No. 3 and 4 reactors is a boost to opponents of nuclear power, even as the decision draws criticism from senior politicians, nuclear regulators, Kepco, and pro-nuclear...

JAPAN / Crime & Legal

Apr 14, 2015

Fukui court forbids Takahama nuclear plant restart

A Fukui court issues an injunction to prevent two NRA-cleared reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant from being restarted, citing doubtful quake-simulation data.

JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS

Apr 13, 2015

Hashimoto keeps head up despite subpar poll results

Toru Hashimoto's Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) and his opponents in the established parties saw mixed results from Sunday's prefectural and municipal assembly elections, but the Osaka mayor insisted Monday he will continue to look forward, not backward.

JAPAN / Politics

Apr 12, 2015

Hashimoto's party set to retain edge in Osaka

Toru Hashimoto and his Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) group are likely to remain the largest party in the municipal and prefectural chambers after Sunday's elections.

JAPAN / Politics

Apr 10, 2015

Local Osaka elections pit Hashimoto against LDP, Komeito

As voters head to the first round of the unified nationwide local elections Sunday, a lack of candidates in the prefectural and municipal assembly races means incumbents in many districts are running unopposed.

JAPAN / Politics / LOCAL POLLS '15

Apr 10, 2015

Voters in Saga face small candidate field, big issues

Saga is stuck with a paucity of candidates in the unified elections this month even as issues with both national and local implications stalk the ballot.

JAPAN / EXPLAINER

Apr 6, 2015

Decommissioning aging reactors inevitable, costly

Last month, four utilities announced they would decommission five commercial nuclear reactors that were at least 40 years old, rather than apply for a restart that could extend their operating life another two decades.

JAPAN

Mar 26, 2015

Activists seek public hearings in Shiga on Takahama reactor restarts

Anti-nuclear activists on Thursday urged the governor of Shiga Prefecture to hold formal public hearings on the potential economic, social and environmental risks from two reactors in neighboring Fukui Prefecture that are moving toward restart.

JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE

Mar 22, 2015

Election results in Kansai will weigh on Abe's plans

In Kansai, the outcome of the national unified local elections on April 12 and 26 might change Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's budget and policy priorities.

JAPAN / Politics / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE

Mar 22, 2015

First wave of April elections litmus test for Osaka merger plan

For most prefectures, cities and towns, April's quadrennial unified elections will be the last opportunity for the next few years to vote on local matters.

JAPAN

Mar 21, 2015

Security blanket: Should Japan beef up its anti-terrorism measures?

On Nov. 27, 2005, an unidentified terrorist group attacked the Mihama nuclear power plant on the Japan Sea in Fukui Prefecture, damaging the facility and creating fears of a radiation leak.

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