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
Sep 7, 2016
Head of Tsukiji cooperative urges governor to act over fish market relocation
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike should issue "a safety declaration" over soil contamination at the Tsukiji fish market's planned new site in Toyosu on Tokyo Bay to ease public concerns and allow the project to proceed, the head of the Tsukiji wholesalers cooperative said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 2, 2016
Drop in budget request unrelated to base feud, new Okinawa affairs minister says
The Cabinet Office's decision to request a smaller budget for Okinawan development isn't due to the political tension with Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, but because Tokyo has a tight budget and Naha still has funds leftover from last year, the new state minister in charge of Okinawa affairs said in a joint...
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2016
Age of adulthood targeted for revision next year
The government is considering revising the Civil Code to lower the age of majority from 20 to 18, government sources said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2016
Kremlin blindsides Tokyo with premature announcement of Putin visit
The Kremlin on Tuesday announced a visit by President Vladimir Putin to Japan that was news to Tokyo.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 31, 2016
New regional revitalization minister defends Abenomics, denies policy mix has plateaued
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's newly appointed regional revitalization minister, Kozo Yamamoto, has argued that the leader's Abenomics economic policy mix has not plateaued but is merely returning to its original form, one that combines financial and fiscal measures.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 31, 2016
LDP weighs leader's term limits as Abe angles to stay in power
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to kick off discussions as soon as next month over whether to revise internal rules to allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to run for a third term in the next LDP presidential race to be held by September 2018.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2016
Tsukiji fish market relocation facing delay by new Gov. Yuriko Koike
The famed Tsukiji fish market may not be moving to its new site in November after all.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2016
Japan condemns North Korea submarine missile; test shows advances
A ballistic missile fired from a submarine flies 500 km, raising concerns over Pyongyang's progress with such weapons.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 18, 2016
Hawkish education chief Matsuno to uphold government line on 'comfort women'
New education chief Hirokazu Matsuno claims he stands by the government's take on history, including the 'comfort women,' while Korean media call the suspected revisionist a hawk.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 16, 2016
Japan Coast Guard releases video showing Chinese intrusions into waters near Senkakus
A four-minute video shows numerous Chinese vessels from earlier this month operating near the Senkaku Islands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 15, 2016
Emperor expresses 'deep remorse' for war on 71st anniversary of surrender; Abe does not
Emperor Akihito on Monday expressed "deep remorse" over World War II during the annual commemoration service at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo marking Japan's surrender while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used more ambiguous wording.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 14, 2016
It's true: SMAP to split up at year's end
After a quarter-century run, the Japanese boy band SMAP has decided to call it quits on Dec. 31, its management agency said in a press release Sunday, shocking die-hard fans in Asia and around the world.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2016
Japan's highway bus operators partner to tap surge in overseas visitors
The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan, which hit a record-high 19.73 million last year, is still surging at a rapid pace. The number has already reached 11.7 million between January and June this year, a 28.2 percent jump on the same period last year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2016
Emperor signals wish to abdicate in near future
Emperor Akihito expresses concern about how his advanced age is affecting the performance of his public duties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 5, 2016
Renho steps forward in bid to lead DP ahead of Sept. 15 vote
The deputy leader of the Democratic Party announces she will run for its presidency, vowing to reform it into a viable alternative.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 4, 2016
Japan's new defense chief dodges questions on Yasukuni, reverses position on nuclear weapons
Newly appointed Defense Minister Tomomi Inada on Thursday refused to clarify her position on sensitive historical issues, insisting she is "not in a position" to express her views on Japan's wars against China and the Allied powers in the 1930s and '40s.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 3, 2016
Abe retains key ministers in reshuffle, but defense chief pick likely to stoke controversy
Japan's leader chooses a right-leaning nationalist as defense minister while keeping most of his other key ministers in place.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 3, 2016
With Cabinet shake-up, Abe lays groundwork for future of LDP
The reshuffle signals the start of a political race to determine a critical question: Who will take the reins of power after Abe?
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 1, 2016
'Pokemon Go' a hit 20 years after franchise debuts
"Pokemon Go," the GPS-crossover game for smartphones, has been an instant hit all over the world, particularly in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2016
Pension giant GPIF confirms it lost ¥5.3 trillion on stock market bets in '15
The decline in global markets spelled bad news for its controversial shift from Japanese government bonds to equities.

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'