Diamond Princess Puts Japan Under the Microscope
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the first half of February 2020.
All posts by Michael Penn
Working Timeline of the Casino Bribery Scandal
The 500 Dot Com casino bribery scandal was yet another instance of major corruption that emerged in the Shinzo Abe era. This is a working timeline.
Document: Political Mission of the Japan Communist Party
Whereas most Japanese political parties, whether the ruling conservatives or the mainstream opposition, effectively have little in the way of fixed party policies, the Japan Communist Party, the nation’s oldest political party, is very different, taking its own platforms very seriously.
Coronavirus Response Likely a Massive Overreaction
With the keen media attention and the escalating response from governments around Asia and beyond, it would not be unreasonable for a large section of the public to feel quite afraid of the Wuhan Coronavirus, but what researchers are discovering is a level of threat to human health which may not be much greater than the seasonal flu.
Wuhan Coronavirus Rings Economic Alarms
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the last half of January 2020.
Abe Government Attempts to Smash Labor Union in Kansai
Largely ignored by the mainstream media, the Abe government has been engaged for several years in one of the most aggressive and unconstitutional efforts to smash a small industrial labor union in Japan’s Kansai region, including mass arrests of union members.
Japan Communist Party on China’s “Great Power Chauvinism”
Japan Communist Party Chair Kazuo Shii has presented his party’s views on China and the Chinese Communist Party as part of the 28th Party Congress held in Atami on January 14 to 18.
Ghosn Unchained
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the first half of January 2020.
SNA Forms Alliance with New Bloom of Taiwan
The progressive news outlets New Bloom (Taiwan) and Shingetsu News Agency (Japan) have agreed to partner with one another to mutually strengthen their services. The agreement includes provisions to mutually syndicate one another’s work.
Ghosn Lawyer Takashi Takano on Japan’s Legal Injustice
Carlos Ghosn defense lawyer Takashi Takano has written a blog post in Japanese language, dated January 4, expressing his outrage at the prosecution of his client Carlos Ghosn.
