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.
Author: MOTOKO RICH
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.
Why Asia’s New Wave of Virus Cases Should Worry the World
After a surge in cases tied to international travelers, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and other places that seemed to have the epidemic under control have imposed stricter measures.
The Man Who Won’t Let the World Forget the Firebombing of Tokyo
As a child, Katsumoto Saotome barely escaped the air raids over Tokyo that killed as many as 100,000 people. He has spent much of his life fighting to honor the memories of others who survived.
‘We’re in a Petri Dish’: How a Coronavirus Ravaged a Cruise Ship
More than three days passed before Japan imposed a quarantine. That delay and other missteps helped produce the largest outbreak of the virus beyond China.