Search - commentary

 
 
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2023

Asia’s winners and losers as region says sayonara to 2022

Say good by to 2022. But as a new year approaches, war, inflation and COVID-19 still endure.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 31, 2022

Xi and Putin meet again, two strongmen in a weak moment

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in February, Putin has been isolated and highly dependent on China to maintain a semblance of diplomatic and financial stability.
CULTURE / Books / 2022 in Review
Dec 31, 2022

Japanese stories captivated overseas audiences in 2022

This year marked increased recognition for female Japanese authors, while Japan-based stories provided the inspiration for Hollywood adaptations such as 'Bullet Train' and 'Tokyo Vice.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 23, 2022

China lacked a 'zero COVID' exit strategy. Its people are paying the price.

The abrupt shift has left the nation scrambling to avert a collapse of its public health system.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 21, 2022

Sumo's topsy-turvy 2022 showed hopeful signs for sport's recovery

For the first time in over 30 years, all six grand tournaments in a calendar year were won by different wrestlers, with rank-and-filers sweeping the final three tournaments.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2022

Bans on TikTok gain momentum in Washington and states

In the past several weeks, at least 14 states have banned TikTok on government-issued devices.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 20, 2022

In dealing with Beijing, Tokyo must adopt a strong security front

China's military expansion and its challenges to the existing international order have had a significant effect on the defense policies of Japan and the U.S., not to mention Taiwan.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2022

The unmasking of Xi

COVID-19 rules apply to China's masses but evidently not to so much to the country's powerful and elite.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

China braces for ‘massive’ COVID-19 outbreak amid faster reopening

China's swift reopening has surprised many observers and stoked concerns that the world's second-biggest economy faces a rough road ahead.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 9, 2022

Challenging last mile for China's vaccine push after 'zero-COVID' retreat

Health risk analysis firm Airfinity has predicted as many as 2.1 million COVID-19 fatalities at current immunity levels.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 6, 2022

China COVID outbreak cresting as blanket testing measures eased

The nation reported 27,164 cases for Monday, down from 29,171 on Sunday. Infections have fallen each of the past eight days since peaking at 38,808 on Nov. 27.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 3, 2022

Junko Takase’s Akutagawa Prize-winning novel is a feminist’s nightmare

“Oishii Gohan ga Taberaremasu Yoni” reads at first like a work place drama but ultimately makes a sinister argument about contemporary feminism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

Lessons learned from the tragedy of the Balkans

The people of the Balkan Peninsula have the unfortunate luck of living at the crossroads of an invasion route.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 30, 2022

China’s video game ambitions threaten to one-up Japan

Along with the EU, the world's second-largest economy, China, wants to use gaming to promote soft power. Japan should take that as a warning.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 29, 2022

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter calls for focus on soccer before Iran game

In a tense and unusual news conference, Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and naval policy while U.S. captain Tyler Adams was asked about discrimination in the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 27, 2022

‘Gangnam Style’ brought K-pop to the world, but haunted its creator

In 2012, the song took over the internet, and it helped pave the way for the global success of Korean pop. But Psy spent years trying and failing to replicate the phenomenon.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 25, 2022

Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine

A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 24, 2022

Japan substitutes star in historic World Cup win over Germany

The Samurai Blue's shift of tactics to a three-back system paid dividends in the second half as Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late to clinch a famous victory.
Japan Times
LIFE
Nov 22, 2022

Your guide to watching the World Cup from Tokyo

Tuning into games from Qatar looking more complex than a Messi dribble? Here's how to make sense of all of Tokyo's World Cup watch parties, streaming options and more.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 18, 2022

Tepid re-engagement: Kishida and Xi signal openness to repairing ties

While Thursday's meeting marked a step in the right direction, little progress was made in easing the fundamental frictions in the relationship.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2022

China’s new leaders back a more targeted 'COVID zero' approach

Politburo Standing Committee members have called for 'more decisive” measures to curb the spread of the virus so as to resume normal life and production as soon as possible.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 9, 2022

Putin's elite tremble as hard-liners call for ‘Stalinist’ steps

One senior official likened the current situation to a military dictatorship but without the military coup that usually precedes it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 5, 2022

U.S.-China friction gives Kim Jong Un the freedom to fire away

North Korea's unprecedented barrage of missiles is underscoring the cost of Washington's tensions with Beijing, since China has shown little appetite for more sanctions.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 3, 2022

‘Your Lovely Smile’: A sincere tribute to indie cinemas

In Kah Wai Lim's drama about a struggling director who wanders around Japan pitching his films to independent theaters, Hirobumi Watanabe plays a version of himself with heart and humor.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 28, 2022

China’s chest-thumping nationalism now goes too far, movement’s godfather says

Wang Xiaodong, once called the standard-bearer of Chinese nationalism, now fends off criticisms of being too moderate, even a traitor. “They've forgotten,” he said, “I created them.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 28, 2022

Notes from Setouchi: An autumnal spectacle of light and shadow

Artworks in abandoned houses play with the natural light found on the islands in the Seto Inland Sea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 18, 2022

What would be the signs China is preparing to invade Taiwan?

Most China experts believe that Xi Jinping would prefer to gain control of Taiwan through nonmilitary means, given that a conflict would be detrimental to other government initiatives.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 10, 2022

Screening procedure fails to prevent colon cancer deaths in large study

While people who underwent the exam were 18% less likely to develop colon cancer, the overall death rate among screened and unscreened people were the same at about 0.3%.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 9, 2022

‘Plot Twist!’: Musk’s deal for Twitter lurches toward a close

Behind the scenes, Twitter's lawyers raced to verify Musk's renewed affinity for the deal, checking whether he had indeed asked lenders for the money they had earlier committed.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 9, 2022

Russian divers to inspect damage to blast-hit Crimea bridge key to Moscow's war

While still unclear if the blast was deliberate, the timing of damage to such high-profile infrastructure could further cloud Kremlin messages that all is going according to plan.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.