What's behind Japan's vaccine scepticism?
Japan finally began its Covid-19 vaccination programme this week after a consignment of 60,000 vials arrived by charter flight from…
Japan Olympic chief resigns over sexism. But did he have to go?
Yoshiro Mori the 83-year-old former Japanese prime minister has resigned from his position as president of the Tokyo Olympic Organising…
Is it all over for the Tokyo Olympics?
Any long-term resident of Japan will know that ‘reading the air’, as the locals put it, is an essential skill…
Why lockdown scepticism is growing in Japan
‘We all know it’s bull and we’ve had enough.’ This is not the kind of language I have come to…
Nike Japan’s lecturing was bound to backfire
David Ogilvy once said that ‘a good advertisement is one that sells the product without drawing attention to itself’. If…
Why academics hold Thatcher and Trump in such contempt
‘Has that orange baboon gone yet?’ asked a senior professor in the teacher’s room at my university yesterday. The remark…
Japan's carbon neutral pledge looks like a load of hot air
Japan’s new prime minister Yoshihide Suga is talking tough on climate change. Suga has promised that Japan will become carbon neutral…
Meet Japan's new PM – installed by a grey coup of party insiders
There’s a good chance that nothing that occurs in the new Japanese PM’s tenure will be nearly as interesting as how…
Who could replace Shinzo Abe as Japanese PM?
Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, has announced that he will step down, as soon as his replacement is selected.…
What lies behind the Japanese obsession with face masks?
If there is one country where the wearing of face masks in response to the coronavirus outbreak has caused no…
Can tourism subsidies save Japan's coronavirus-blighted economy?
In a striking contrast of priorities, as the UK government offers discounted fast food vouchers to revitalise the restaurant and…
Is the handshake ready to bow out?
Freemasons beware – the traditional handshake may be the latest victim of the coronavirus, cancelled in our post-pandemic quest for…
Will Western economies be ‘turning Japanese’ after Covid-19?
Japan has announced a colossal stimulus package (£1.75 trillion) as it attempts to breathe life into its Covid-19 damaged economy.…
Even Japan could be about to embrace remote working
A Japanese banker once told me that his company had opened an expensive showcase office block in the centre of…
Can Shinzo Abe's Covid bung save the Japanese PM?
I experienced a novel, if fleeting, sensation last week when I was struck with a powerful urge to vote for…
Japan's Covid success is a mystery
Japan’s Covid ‘State of Emergency’ is now officially over. Tokyo, the last of Japan’s 47 prefectures to be officially released…
Why Japan doesn't clap for its key workers
There has certainly been no shortage of praise for the NHS over recent weeks, and the speed at which the…
Coronavirus is revealing uncomfortable truths about Japan
I’ll never forget an unusually frank conversation I once had with a Japanese acquaintance (let’s call him ‘Yoshi’). He was…
What Britain's corona cops should learn from Japan's police
Soon after I began living in central Tokyo I got an unexpected visitor to my apartment- a police officer. He…
Japan's 'state of emergency' is anything but dramatic
The Japanese government has announced a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures in response to escalating…
Did the people of Tokyo ever really want the Olympics anyway?
One of the first things you need to learn abut Japan is the concept of honne and tatemae. ‘Hone’ refers…
Has Japan cracked coronavirus?
I got back to Tokyo on Friday morning having hastily rescheduled my flight from Britain to avoid new restrictions for entering…
A coronavirus Olympics cancellation would be a disaster for Japan
It is fair to say that preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have not being going to plan. In fact,…
Will Japan ban its 'offensive' Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics?
Ant and Dec have done most things in their long careers in light entertainment. But the versatile duo broke new…
Why ‘safe spaces’ are nowhere to be seen on Japan’s university campuses
A part-time lecturer and friend of mine was reported to his university last month for making ‘inappropriate comments’ in the…
