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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 11, 2020

A shot at hostage diplomacy with China backfires in Canada

The letter circulated by Huawei Technologies Co. was blunt. Canada was becoming dangerously entangled in the diplomatic feud between Washington and Beijing, it said, and there was only one answer: for Justin Trudeau’s government to free the state-championed tech giant’s chief financial officer and...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 6, 2020

Carlos Ghosn’s accused escape plotters tap lobbyists in bid to avoid extradition to Japan

Lawyers and lobbyists for the two men have pressed their case before the U.S. Justice Department and State Department, as well as lawmakers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 6, 2020

Japan should continue to speak up on China's human rights abuses

Taking a tough, meaningful stand against Beijing is not easy, but Tokyo must continue to demonstrate the depth of its commitments to human rights.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2020

Japan looks to lure Hong Kong’s finance workers following security law

The LDP has begun debating ways to make Tokyo more attractive to international firms, but issues of taxation and the language barrier stand in the way.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2020

Trump demanded Japan cough up $8 billion for U.S. troops — or risk pullout, Bolton says

Ex-top U.S. official writes that the president told him the best way to get allies like Japan to pay for substantial increases is 'to threaten to withdraw all U.S. forces.'
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2020

Amid COVID-19, the U.S. needs to rethink its approach to host nation support talks

Pushing for vastly increased contributions when Japan and South face looming recessions amid an ongoing pandemic will not serve U.S. interests
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2020

U.S.-China tensions: It’s worse this time

The safety nets that operated in both countries to prevent irretrievable damage to the relationship have rotted away.
Japan Times
ESG CONSORTIUM
Jun 17, 2020

Suntory: Growing horizons in recycling

In Japan, most polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are collected and recycled after use. According to The Council for PET Bottle Recycling, Japan’s collection rate was 92.2 percent and the country recycled 84.8 percent in fiscal 2017.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2020

Chinese diplomats behaving badly

Chinese diplomats have long had a reputation as well-trained, colorless and cautious professionals who pursue their missions doggedly without attracting much unfavorable attention. But a new crop of younger diplomats are ditching established diplomatic norms in favor of aggressively promoting China’s...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jun 13, 2020

Emil Pacha Valencia: Building a bridge with Tempura

Emil Pacha Valencia examines the difference between modern and traditional Japanese culture in his magazine.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 6, 2020

Understanding the reach of a Japanese political dynasty

Could Daigo's uncharacteristically serious tone in recent times indicate that he is finally thinking of a career in politics?
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 3, 2020

Hong Kong’s leader decries U.S. ‘double standards’ over protests

Hong Kong’s leader blasted the U.S. for "double standards” in the way it handles protests after the Trump administration vocally supported sometimes-violent demonstrations in the Asian financial hub.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 29, 2020

Japan is going for broke, minus the broke part

The prospect of monetary and fiscal coordination means this stimulus bill will get paid. But central bank independence is also on the line.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2020

The pandemic is unlikely to cause a food crisis

Labor shortages do not uniformly affect all agricultural sectors.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 25, 2020

Emerging get-tough consensus among Trump's China advisers tested by Hong Kong debate

As Trump seeks re-election in November, his advisers have become more in sync on the need to pressure China.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
May 20, 2020

Sharpening the knives for Huawei

A thoughtful discussion about the risks and the opportunities created by the 5G world should be the cornerstone of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2020

Shibuya's Club Asia stays steady and looks ahead to post-coronavirus clubbing

As some of Tokyo's clubs face permanent closure as a result of COVID-19, others look to the future and ways of ensuring they survive the pandemic.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
May 3, 2020

Necessary or not? The LDP's proposed emergency powers clause for the Constitution

73 years since the Constitution took effect, arguments on revising it have focused on the war-renouncing Article 9. But the coronavirus has prompted a different proposal.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Apr 28, 2020

Dead, incapacitated or healthy, Kim Jong Un speculation serves as useful thought exercise

Whatever Kim Jong Un's fate, speculation over his condition brings into focus important considerations for Asia, including how it might grapple with a scenario involving his death.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 22, 2020

Fearing big election loss, China goes on offensive in Hong Kong

On the surface, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam appears to have had a few pretty good months: Her government has managed to contain the coronavirus outbreak, during which street protests have mostly disappeared.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 20, 2020

North Korea's foreign ministry denies letter was sent to Trump

North Korea on Sunday denied a letter was sent to U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean state news agency KCNA said, citing a Foreign Ministry press chief.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2020

Make-or-break moment in coronavirus fight could happen this week

The world’s ability to check the coronavirus contagion and fully recover from the worst peacetime recession since the Great Depression may depend on what international economic policy makers decide this week.
CULTURE / Film
Apr 9, 2020

Japan’s film and TV industries soldier on despite coronavirus

The death of comedian Ken Shimura on March 29 due to pneumonia caused by COVID-19 sent a shock wave throughout the country. A star on Japanese TV for decades, he was the first major celebrity here to pass away after contracting the virus.
SOCCER / J. League / From the Spot
Apr 8, 2020

J. League clubs feeling financial crunch from pandemic

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Tuesday night announcement of a state of emergency marked the latest and most dramatic step in Japan’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 7, 2020

Trump eases U.S. coronavirus export ban after global backlash

U.S President Donald Trump eased restrictions on exports of masks and other protective equipment needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic just days after their introduction as he confronted a backlash from allies around the world. Faced with domestic criticism of his administration’s handling of the COVID-19...
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2020

Japan state of emergency to cover Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures

After weekslong pressure from public health officials and lawmakers, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday the government would declare a state of emergency as soon as Tuesday covering Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures amid the growing outbreak of COVID-19, in a step that will empower prefectures...
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2020

Japanese news conferences illustrate government's struggle to grasp social distancing

With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, government and ministry officials are scrambling to rectify the high-risk nature of their news conferences.

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.