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July 17, 2024
 

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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 21, 2014
In no-surprise poll, parties' main players re-elected in Kinki
In an election that produced no surprises, it's little wonder the biggest political names in the six prefectures that make up the Kinki region (Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama) were all returned to the Diet, though one or two had a close call.
Japan Times
LIFE
Dec 20, 2014
Public protest in Japan: Power to the people?
"Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed." — Article 21, Constitution of Japan
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Dec 20, 2014
Rage against the capital's (bureaucratic) machine
As the Dec. 14 Lower House election demonstrated, media analysis of political campaigning typically focuses on personalities and parties. In recent years, official manifests serve as TV talking points as pundits — be they boorish young comedians or serious, sober-minded, gray-haired fellows —...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 15, 2014
Election results a mix of good and bad for Hashimoto's Ishin no To
For Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party), the Lower House election was a mixture of good and bad as the party held onto virtually all of its seats , courtesy of the proportional representation system, amid predictions it would lose big.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 14, 2014
Proportional representation gamble stems Ishin no To losses
A last-minute appeal by Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) for proportional representation votes appears to have prevented larger-than-predicted losses in Sunday's Lower House election.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 12, 2014
In Fukui, economy, reactors inseparable in election debate
For most of Japan, the issues of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies and nuclear reactor restarts are generally separate debates. But not in LDP-leaning Fukui.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 10, 2014
Ishin no To's campaign haunted by voter discontent in Kinki, Tokyo-Kanagawa
With several polls indicating that the ruling coalition may win over 300 of the 480 seats in Sunday's Lower House race, the Liberal Democratic Party is poised to be the big winner — and Ishin no To (Japan Innovation Party) the main loser.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 8, 2014
In one Osaka district, only women are running
In an election where female candidates account for less than 17 percent of the total, all three vying for a Lower House seat in the Osaka No. 7 district are women.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2014
New Asahi Shimbun chief promises to restore public trust in daily
The Asahi Shimbun's new president vowed Friday to rebuild domestic and international trust in the beleaguered paper by broadening the range of views expressed in its pages, correcting erroneous information in a timely manner and being more careful with investigative stories.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2014
Dec 3, 2014
LDP campaign message diverges in urban, rural areas
Voters in parts of the country where the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a particularly sensitive issue are hearing a message from local LDP chapters that differs from the party's national campaign platform.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 2, 2014
Ishin no To is fighting for its political life
Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party), co-headed by populist Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, captured 54 seats in the December 2012 Lower House election, making it, and him, national political forces.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 2, 2014
U.S. base move casts big shadow over election in Okinawa
Just two weeks after voters elected a governor opposed to moving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko, in the northern part of Okinawa Island, the saga is once again the central political issue in the prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 26, 2014
Kepco wants to extend lifespan of 40-year-old Takahama reactors to 60 years
The utility said it hopes to apply for a 20-year extension for two aging reactors at the Takahama power plant, and it has begun conducting inspections toward that end.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2014
Court rejects Osaka mayor's bid to ban unions from using school buildings
The Osaka District Court ruled Wednesday that a city ordinance banning labor unions from using public facilities such as school buildings for meetings was illegal and unconstitutional, ordering the city to pay a union around ¥417,000 in compensation.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Nov 23, 2014
Kepco weighs new lease of life for geriatric reactors
In a decision that will set a precedent for Japan's rapidly aging nuclear reactors, Kansai Electric Power Co. must soon choose whether to restart reactors 1 and 2 at its Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture and operate them beyond the 40-year threshold, the first time a Japanese utility has faced such...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 23, 2014
LDP incumbents look to have electoral lock on nation's nuclear heartland
The political fate of Fukui's aging reactors has long been in the hands of powerful pro-nuclear Diet members, and the upcoming election is not expected to change that.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 17, 2014
Okinawa election a big win for opponents of Futenma relocation
With Takeshi Onaga's election as governor of Okinawa, opponents of building a replacement facility in Nago's Henoko district for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma now have a powerful ally.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 17, 2014
Hate speech law faces uphill battle as snap poll may derail debate
Over the past few months, hate speech in Japan and efforts to address the situation with legislation have drawn domestic and international attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 16, 2014
Okinawa elects anti-U.S. base governor, in rebuke to Abe
In an election closely followed by Tokyo and Washington, former Naha Mayor Takeshi Onaga wins Okinawa Prefecture's gubernatorial contest.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 15, 2014
As Okinawa votes, Futenma base looms
In an election widely viewed as the final referendum on relocating the U.S. Futenma base within their prefecture, Okinawans prepare to choose a new governor.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
Japan finds a 'stealth' cure for zombie businesses: Let them fail
A worker at Sakai Seisakusyo prepares to transport metal rods at its factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on July 8.
Trump makes his grand RNC entrance with a bandaged ear and a VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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