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Sakura Murakami
Reuters
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 30, 2021
Record haul: Japan wins men's epee team event for 17th gold medal of the Tokyo Games
Japan took just under a week to earn a national record 17 golds at the Tokyo Olympics, topping the total won at the 1964 Tokyo Games and 2004 Athens Games.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 27, 2021
Decades apart, father and son design Olympic aquatics venues in Tokyo
Paul Noritaka Tange has paid tribute to Kenzo Tange's 1964 venue with his design for the 2020 Tokyo Aquatics Center.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2021
Olympic pin collectors lament loss of trading chances in Tokyo
Mostly produced by media and sponsors and given to their staff, the rarest badges can fetch hundreds of dollars on auction websites.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 25, 2021
Japan prods U.S. to fix 'East Sea' reference over North Korea launches
Japan and South Korea have long been at odds over the name of the body of water between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2020
Suga faces fire as controversy over Abe parties returns to spotlight
The prime minister was grilled by opposition lawmakers Wednesday over whether he made inaccurate claims at the Diet last year about a potential breach of laws on gift-giving.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 28, 2020
[Rebroadcast] What's the secret to Shinzo Abe's longevity?
This episode was originally recorded in December 2019, in a world that had not yet gone through the trials of the coronavirus, and when Japan was looking ahead to hosting the Olympics this summer.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jul 16, 2020
A Tokyo temple offers pandemic-hit Vietnamese workers a safe haven
Lured by higher wages but often burdened by debt to recruiters, Vietnamese are the fastest-growing group of foreign nationals in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2020
Masks, disinfectant, social distancing: Japan faces disasters amid pandemic
Authorities have been warning local officials for months to include virus measures in disaster preparations.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2020
Japanese hotels lose out on Olympic bet as coronavirus spreads
The Osaka Corona Hotel has been eerily quiet and empty the past few weeks.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2020
Japan's next restroom revolution? Phasing out squat toilets for Tokyo 2020
On southwestern Miyajima island, Hiroshima Prefecture, a short walk from one of the country's most famous ancient temple sites, there's a brand new attraction for tourists — a state-of-the art public toilet block nearly as big as a tennis court.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / Outlook 2020
Jan 2, 2020
What will Abe do to cement his legacy?
If you look at Japan's 2020 political calendar now, it will look like it is going to be a relatively quiet one.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 12, 2019
Episode 32: What's the secret to Prime Minister Abe's longevity?
What has allowed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to stay in office for such a long time?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 9, 2019
Abe granted brief respite as scandal-hit extraordinary Diet session draws to a close
During the course of the session two ministers resigned, a plan for reforming college English-language tests was withdrawn and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was accused of breaching election campaign laws.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 29, 2019
Diet deliberations slow as opposition hounds government over cherry blossom-viewing scandal
The opposition camp's boycotts over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's handling of the campaign violation affair is putting the ruling bloc under pressure as the extra Diet session comes to a close.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 27, 2019
Abe shows uncharacteristic openness in burasagari interviews, as looming year-end adds to pressure over recent scandals
Since reshuffling his Cabinet in September, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has seen two ministers resign in close succession amid scandal, the thwarting of an educational reform plan at the Diet, and debate about a referendum law key to constitutional revision grind to a halt.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2019
Abe's push to change Japan's Constitution hits roadblock as parties scrap Diet discussion
LDP sources have said the party has all but given up hope of passing the bill this year, reports have said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 20, 2019
Abe becomes Japan's longest-serving prime minister
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the nation's longest serving prime minister on Wednesday, beating previous record holder Taro Katsura by having served for a total of 2,887 days.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 1, 2019
Lawmakers from Japan and South Korea push for top-down resolution to crumbling bilateral ties
About a year after South Korean courts ordered Japanese companies to compensate for the emotional suffering of Korean wartime laborers, lawmakers from both countries Friday agreed on the need to halt the deterioration in ties and called on their leaders to resolve the stalemate at a summit.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2019
Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai resigns over wife's alleged election law breach
The resignation marks the second departure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet in just a week after trade minister Isshu Sugawara resigned Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 29, 2019
Japan and South Korea deny reports of joint fund to address wartime labor issue
Top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga emphatically denied the report, saying it is “not factually true,” while a senior Foreign Ministry official claimed the report is “an outright lie.”

Longform

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