author

 
 
 Reiji Yoshida

Meta

Twitter

@reijiyoshida_JT

Reiji Yoshida
Reiji Yoshida is a staff writer and deputy manager of the Domestic News Division. Since joining The Japan Times in 1993, he has intensively covered domestic politics, diplomacy and defense issues as well as the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 21, 2018
LDP election exposes huge gap between Diet members, frustrated rank and file
Despite a convincing win among Diet members, the prime minister barely beat rival Shigeru Ishiba in votes distributed to the party's regional members.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 20, 2018
Constitutional revision, fraught with risk, tops agenda for Abe's next term
As was widely expected, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won Thursday's presidential election to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, allowing him to continue as prime minister for up to three more years if all goes according to the party's plans.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 18, 2018
U.K. foreign minister touts 'strategic partnership' with Japan and the promotion of a free and open Indo-Pacific
Visiting British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt met Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday in Tokyo, reconfirming the "strategic partnership" of the two countries, with Japan welcoming Britain's moves to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 18, 2018
With latest MSDF submarine exercise, Tokyo expertly navigates Beijing's red lines
The revelation this week by Japan that the Marine Self-Defense Force has conducted submarine exercises in the disputed South China Sea is, while striking, unlikely to dampen enthusiasm on either side for improved Sino-Japanese ties, experts say.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2018
Rising trade war with U.S. the mere 'last push' for Japan and China to improve ties, but officials still cautious
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have long understood the need to improve bilateral ties for their own national interests.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2018
Work begins on repairing Kansai airport's bridge with an aim of restarting rail services by end of month
West Nippon Expressway Co. plans to finish removing a heavily-damaged 2,000-ton girder on the causeway to Kansai International Airport, the nation's third-busiest air hub, by Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2018
Trade ministry denies report power companies halted funding for reprocessing of nuclear fuel
Industry minister Hiroshige Seko has denied a news report that 10 nuclear power plant operators halted funding for the reprocessing of nuclear fuel in fiscal 2016, saying that there is no change in Japan's nuclear fuel recycling policy and that the utilities are now paying reserve funds to a state-linked...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 29, 2018
Advisory panel to Abe kicks off discussions on Japan's new defense guidelines with a focus on space and cyberspace
A panel of experts advising the prime minister started discussions Wednesday on the revision of the National Defense Program Guidelines, a policy document that outlines the nation's defense objectives for the next decade, with the aim of addressing the new realities that permeate the modern security...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 28, 2018
Japan's assessment of North Korea threat unchanged despite Kim-Trump summit: annual defense paper
Pyongyang has already deployed Rodong ballistic missiles and the country may have already succeeded in producing nuclear warheads small enough to fit on those missiles, the ministry warned.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2018
Momoko Sakura, creator of 'Chibi Maruko-chan,' dies of breast cancer
Momoko Sakura, creator of the much-loved "Chibi Maruko-chan" manga and anime series about a little girl called Maruko, died of breast cancer on Aug. 15, her company said Monday. She was 53.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 27, 2018
LDP's No. 2 faction pushes Abe for constitutional referendum by next summer as leadership election approaches
The second-largest group in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has proposed a national plebiscite on the issue to generate political momentum for revising the war-renouncing Article 9.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 27, 2018
The man standing between Abe and his ambitions: Who is Shigeru Ishiba?
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is back in the spotlight.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2018
Shigeru Ishiba pledges rural revitalization laws if he beats Abe in LDP leadership race
The laws would involve enhancing the productivity of service industries, promoting the migration of urban residents to rural areas and reforming local government systems.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 23, 2018
Threatened by emerging technologies, Nikon unveils full-frame mirrorless cameras to keep Sony at bay
In a long-awaited event livestreamed worldwide, Nikon Corp. unveiled its first full-frame mirrorless camera system Thursday, finally entering a segment that is still growing despite the explosive proliferation of camera-equipped smartphones.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 17, 2018
Setting himself apart from Abe, Shigeru Ishiba says he's opposed to Article 9 revision for now
Ishiba is set to challenge Abe in September's LDP presidential election, with the Constitution issue likely to be a focus of policy debates.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 15, 2018
Abe forgoes Yasukuni visit on anniversary of WWII surrender, sends ritual donation instead
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe skipped a visit to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Wednesday, the 73rd anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II in 1945.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Aug 15, 2018
Utterance of 'remorse' suggests war still haunts Emperor Akihito
Emperor Akihito, 84, was a 47-year-old crown prince on Aug. 7, 1981, when he faced reporters during a news conference in Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 13, 2018
Nikon to debut first full-frame mirrorless camera as SLR leaders face threat of changing technology
Camera buffs and those involved in the camera industry around the world are anxiously awaiting Aug. 23, when Nikon Corp. will debut a camera model representing one of the most drastic changes in the firm's 101-year history.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 10, 2018
Ex-Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba formally announces LDP leadership candidacy, pledging 'honest and fair' government
Ishiba touts “a 100-day plan” to reform government in a bid to regain the trust of the people.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 9, 2018
Shigeru Ishiba to announce candidacy for LDP presidential race as party factions line up behind Abe
As the LDP-Komeito coalition has a majority in both houses of the Diet, the race will effectively determine who will next sit as prime minister.

Longform

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