SARA SHARPE WRITES — Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, countries have been scrambling to create effective and realistic economic stimulus packages. China has promised a year-long fiscal stimulus package amounting to 3.6 trillion yuan ($500 billion USD) in an attempt to continue its strong rate of economic growth,…
Full Article CHINA: UNCERTAIN COMMITMENT TO COVID-19 STIMULUS PACKAGE
ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH WRITES – China began rolling out 5G (fifth generation wireless technology) services in 50 cities at the end of 2019, so people assumed that information could be spread rapidly and that people would be more connected. The current Coronavirus outbreak proves otherwise. Technology certainly has been…
Full Article CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES: ‘AN ARMY PUFFED UP WITH PRIDE IS BOUND TO LOSE’
TALIN DEROHANESSIAN WRITES— Women in the Japanese workforce are required to wear high heels in the office, and they are finally speaking out about it. In some work environments, this is an unwritten rule; in others, it is written in the company handbook. The 2-3-inch heel requirement at work has long…
Full Article JAPAN’S #KuToo: WHY DON’T MEN HAVE TO WEAR HIGH HEELS IN THE OFFICE, TOO?
MICHELLE DOR WRITES– A 34-year- old man in Tokyo named Yusuke Taniguchi with something of a genius memory allegedly stole credit card information from 1,300 customers to enrich himself. While the total amount of loot didn’t actually make him rich, the amazing way that he did it has made him…
Full Article JAPAN: THE TOKYO MAN WHO TRIED TO CASH IN ON AN EXTRAORDINARY MEMORY
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR LEE HONG-KOO WRITES – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea is cleverly timed. World leaders attending the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Osaka, Japan, a week after the visit, will be eager to discover whether China will have a forward-looking stance on the North Korean…
Full Article KOREAN CONUNDRUM: IS IT TIME FOR XI JINPING TO UP HIS GAME?
TALAL BUKHAMSEEN WRITES– Naomi Osaka, the number one ranked tennis player by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), is the first Asian person to hold the top ranking in singles. The winner of three grand titles is presently facing a challenge off the court–her dilemma? Her nationality. As a dual-citizen, she…
Full Article JAPAN: Will Naomi Osaka Pick Japanese Citizenship or American?
CAMERON HENDERSON WRITES — The Japanese video game company “FromSoftware” released the much anticipated Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice March 22, 2019. This action-adventure video is for users of Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which is in single-player, third-person format, calls for logic, creativity, and…
Full Article Japan: Sekiro – a new endeavor for the Dark Soul Series
CONOR FAIRTLOUGH WRITES– In Japan, the Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) has been popularized in movies and television shows. And why wouldn’t it be? The full body tattoo art, gang fights over territory, and iconic images of fingers being cut off for those who “fail” their Bosses. The hype is something that…
Full Article JAPAN: Decrease in Yakuza Numbers?
MINGYI LI WRITES– Last November, one of the auto industry’s most famous executives was arrested and sent to jail. Now, the CEO of Nissan and Mitsubishi, Carlos Ghosn, awaits his fate with his company. Will it bail out its savior, or remain ethical by letting him serve his full term?…
Full Article JAPAN: Nissan’s CEO Puts Company’s Future in Jeopardy
ROBERT BORN WRITES– Sunday, March 3, marked a national holiday in Japan called Hinamatsuri, otherwise known as Girls’ Day or Dolls’ Day. The holiday serves to hope for the health and happiness of young girls. Yet in reality, Japanese culture still shows a brazen unwillingness to support women in the…
Full Article JAPAN: On the Need for MANY More Women in Politics
TALAL BUKHAMSEEN WRITES — Every February, locals and tourists gather in Sapporo, Japan for a week of festivities celebrating the Sapporo Snow Festival. This year’s event, running from February 4th to the 11th, will mark the 70th anniversary of the festival. For its 70th Anniversary, the Snow Festival featured over 200…
Full Article Japan: When it Comes to Snow, It’s the Northern Regions That Are in the Spotlight!
KAISARA WALTON WRITES — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to China some six weeks ago certainly set a positive tone internationally. At the same time, though, it marked China’s continual growth on the world stage. That’s good for Japan, and China, perhaps. But shouldn’t the United States be concerned?…
Full Article JAPAN: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Visit to China – A Foreshadowing of the Future
NADIA ALJOJO WRITES – According to the Pew Research Center, more than 70% of Americans worry about the future of robotics. Based on the results of this survey, few will be enthusiastic to hear that robots are officially one step closer to taking over the world. Case in point: By…
Full Article JAPAN: Robots Set to Take Over the World
DYLAN RAMOS WRITES – Looks like all those prayers and shrine visits fans made for Yuzuru Hanyu’s victory sure paid off. Oh, and more than a bit of practice, I’m sure. As for what happened on February 17, Jack Gallagher might have already put it best for The Japan Times,…
Full Article JAPAN: YUZURU HANYU, ICING HIS PLACE IN THE PANTHEON OF SKATING LEGENDS
DYLAN RAMOS WRITES – In early January, a tanker carrying 32 people and nearly a million barrels of condensate — an ultra-light, highly flammable oil — was struck by a Chinese bulk freighter east of Shanghai. The freighter, Sanchi, caught fire and burned for nearly a week as it floated…
Full Article EAST ASIA: OIL SPILL IN EAST SEA– A QUIET DISASTER