The coronavirus, a tanking economy, an aggressive China, a postponed Olympics, a U.S. election: That’s just the start. And any successor will confront those challenges without having the stature of Shinzo Abe.
Author: MOTOKO RICH
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister, Resigns Because of Illness
Mr. Abe has been prime minister for nearly eight consecutive years, a significant feat in a country accustomed to high turnover in the top job.
Japan’s Been Proudly Pacifist for 75 Years. A Missile Proposal Challenges That.
While acquiring weapons to counter countries like North Korea and China would be unremarkable for most world powers, in Japan it is reviving a politically sensitive debate.
Japan Cabinet Ministers Visit Yasukuni Shrine
Shinjiro Koizumi, a rising political star, was one of four cabinet ministers who went to Yasukuni Shrine, which has strong links to Japan’s imperial past.
After Hiroshima’s Carnage, Setsuko Thurlow Devoted Her Life to Peace
Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima 75 years ago, has used the power of her personal story to try to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
Tokyo’s First Female Governor Sails to Re-Election Even as Virus Cases Rise
Yuriko Koike has received high marks for her visible presence during the pandemic, but the coronavirus’s resurgence has raised anxiety in the Japanese capital.
Traveling 5,000 Miles to Say Goodbye From Six Feet Away
During the pandemic, many people have been unable to make it to the bedside of their dying relatives. I was one of the lucky ones.
Stuck at Home, Men in Japan Learn to Help. Will It Last?
The coronavirus pandemic is exposing like never before the severe disparities in how Japanese couples divide household work.
Mieko Kawakami Cracks the Code of Being a Woman in Japan
Mieko Kawakami, whose novel “Breasts and Eggs” was just published in English, has become something of a feminist icon in her male-dominated country.
Tokyo, in a State of Emergency, Yet Still Having Drinks at a Bar
Tokyo may have been lulled into complacency during the weeks when Japan contained the coronavirus while avoiding economically devastating lockdowns, our bureau chief writes.