Working Timeline of Covid-19 in Japan
The Covid-19 crisis became a dominating issue for the world, and Japan is no exception. This is a timeline of the events so far.
Tag Archives: Tochigi Prefecture
Expanding the State of Emergency
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the last half of April 2020.
Covid-19 Mismanagement Puts Abe Regime on the Ropes
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported in the last half of February 2020.
Ibaraki Becomes First Prefecture in Japan to Recognize Same-Sex Couples
In a case of marked progress for Japan’s LGBT community, Ibaraki has become the first prefectural government to recognize same-sex couples through its issuance of “partnership declaration certificates.”
Party on the Eve of Disaster
A roundup of the most significant news stories from Japan reported on July 16, 2018.
Shioya Resists Role as Fukushima Radiation Dump
As the Japanese nation approaches the fifth anniversary of the March 11 tragedy, the burden of dealing with the widespread radioactive contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster continues to expand. Now this issue is seriously impacting even a small community in Tochigi Prefecture called Shioya.
Shioya’s Struggle against Fukushima Radiation
One small town’s desperate fight to prevent their community becoming a dump for highly radioactive materials from Fukushima.
House of Councillors Election Vote Disparity
With the passage into law on July 28 of the House of Councillors electoral district reform bill, there has been some amelioration of the wide disparity in the weight of individual votes. Nevertheless, many believe that the reforms of the new law as well are far too timid. It will still remain the case that one person’s vote in some prefectures will have the weight of almost three peoples’ votes in other prefectures.
The Slow Rise and Rapid Fall of Koya Nishikawa
After having spent only six months in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reshuffled cabinet, Minister of Agriculture Koya Nishikiwa found himself forced to resign over allegations of wrongfully accepting campaign donations from the sugar industry. The decision to step down didn’t come as a surprise, as the critique about the funding scandal had been steadily building, even leading to questioning in the Diet, and eventually leading Prime Minster Abe to make a public defense of his agriculture minister.
