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Tokyo Report
High-Profile Pedestrian Fatalities Point Finger at Japan’s Aging Drivers
By Thisanka Siripala
A series of deadly car mishaps across Japan aims a spotlight at elderly drivers and inconsistent road safety policies.
US, Japan Downplay Differences During Trump's State Visit
By Daniel Hurst
North Korea, trade, and Iran all remain points of potential friction, but Trump-Abe bonhomie was the center of the trip.
Urban Leaders Gather in Tokyo to Urge Climate Action
By Daniel Hurst
30 mayors and governors from around the world asked Prime Minister Abe to prioritize climate change at the June G-20 summit.
Trump and Abe: The Odd Couple
By Weston S. Konishi
There's a clear strategic rationale for Abe's over-the-top efforts to cultivate a relationship with Trump.
The Heisei Paradox: Emperor Akihito and Japan’s Nationalist Regression
By Edward Danks
The paradox of a pacifist emperor amid rising nationalism politically is likely to continue in the Reiwa era.
Japan’s Once Powerful Criminal Underworld Hits Record Low Membership
By Thisanka Siripala
Hit hard by police crackdowns and aging, the number of people leaving Japan’s yakuza has reached a 15-year high.
Living History: Ushering in the New Imperial Era in Japan
By Spencer Cohen
The view from the crowd that gathered in early May to celebrate the rise of a new emperor.
Japan Pushes for Its Own North Korea Summit
By Daniel Hurst
Shinzo Abe now says he would meet with Kim Jong Un without any preconditions – a change from Tokyo’s previous position.
Legacy Comes First in Abe’s Foreign Policy
By James D. J. Brown
Abe’s hasty pursuit of a legacy makes Japanese foreign policy look unprincipled and weak.
The Rise of Japan’s New Emperor Sparks Debate on Male-Only Succession
By Thisanka Siripala
As Japan celebrates a new Emperor and imperial era, the male-only succession rule underscores the monarchy’s struggle to survive.
Japan’s Secretive Death Penalty Poised to Take a Back Seat During Olympic Spotlight
By Thisanka Siripala
With a new imperial year and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, death row inmates are likely to be spared in the coming two years.
The Hanoi Summit and Japan-South Korea Relations
By Tadashi Kimiya
If it is to succeed, the denuclearization project will require some serious diplomacy.