TOKYO Almost overnight, Japan has become a stunning, and somewhat mysterious, coronavirus success story. Daily new COVID-19 cases have plummeted from a mid-August peak of nearly 6,000 in Tokyo, with caseloads in the densely populated capital now routinely below 100, an 11-month low. The bars are packed, the trains are crowded, and the mood is […]
International News
Olympics carry a question: What does it mean to be Japanese?
August 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — Two multiracial athletes, two high-profile roles: Rising NBA star Rui Hachimura carried the Japanese flag at the Olympics’ opening ceremony. Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron. For Japan, it was a remarkable showcase of racial diversity — but one that also highlighted how much remains missing in a nation that values […]
Tokyo COVID infections at six-month high two days before start of Olympics
July 22, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — Tokyo’s coronavirus infections have surged to a six-month high with the Olympic host city logging 1,832 new cases just two days before the Games open. Tokyo is currently under its fourth state of emergency, which will last until Aug. 22, covering the entire duration of the Olympics that start July 23 and end […]
U.S. warns against travel to Japan with Olympics just 2 months away
May 27, 2021 by Leave a Comment
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on May 24 advised its citizens not to visit Japan due to a surge in coronavirus cases, raising its travel alert to the highest level of 4 just two months before the start of the Tokyo Olympics. Although the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee played down concerns that the […]
Still recovering, Japan marks 10 years since tsunami hit
March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — Japan fell quiet at 2:46 p.m. March 11 to mark the minute that an earthquake began 10 years ago, setting off a tsunami and nuclear crisis that devastated the country’s northeast coast in a disaster that one survivor said he fears people are beginning to forget. Carrying bouquets of flowers, many walked to […]
Ten years and still recovering
March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Ten years have passed since the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The coastal towns are almost unrecognizable with new buildings, roads and bridges. When I visit these towns, I am in awe of how they have been rebuilt so quickly. I am again reminded of how beautiful this region and ocean are. Many […]
EXPLAINER: How dangerous is the Fukushima nuke plant today?
March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
OKUMA, Japan — A decade ago, a massive tsunami crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Three of its reactors melted down, leaving it looking like a bombed-out factory. Emergency workers risked their lives trying to keep one of history’s worst nuclear crises from spiraling out of control. Proper equipment has now replaced ragged […]
Japan court says same-sex marriage should be allowed
March 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — A Japanese court for the first time ruled March 17 that same-sex marriage should be allowed under the country’s constitution, a moral victory that does not have any immediate legal consequence but could bolster efforts for legalization. The Sapporo District Court said sexuality, like race and gender, is not a matter of individual […]
Japan braces for aftershocks as M7.3 quake injures over 150
February 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
FUKUSHIMA, Japan — Japan’s northeastern region braced for aftershocks Feb. 14 following an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 overnight that injured more than 150 people, cut power and water, and disrupted bullet train services, with some residents looking weary as they tidied up the mess in their homes and shops. No deaths were attributed to the […]
Furor over Tokyo Olympics chief’s sexism proved too big to defuse
February 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — The global uproar over Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori’s remarks accusing women of talking too much proved too big in the end to be defused with an apology. Mori, 83, tried to draw a line in the sand last week by retracting what he called his “inappropriate remarks,” but critics were not impressed […]
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