After years of controversy, Japan’s Princess Mako will marry this month, but she will forego traditional rites and will not take a usual payment given to royal women marrying commoners.
Shingo Ito
Japan and Disability: Will the Tokyo Paralympics Bring Change?
As the Paralympic Games begin, Japan’s efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion are in the spotlight, with many arguing there is still plenty of work to do.
Tokyo Robot Cafe Offers New Spin on Disability Inclusion
At a Tokyo cafe, Michio Imai greets a customer, but not in person. He’s hundreds of kilometers away, operating a robot waiter as part of an experiment in inclusive employment.
Japan Expands Virus Emergency One Week into Olympics
Japan on Friday extended a virus state of emergency in Tokyo and expanded the measure to four more regions as it battles a record surge in infections a week into the pandemic-postponed Olympics.
Decade after Fukushima, Japan Towns Struggle to Rebuild Community
Masakazu Daibo has reopened his family’s eel restaurant in part of Japan declared a no-go zone after the 2011 nuclear disaster, but so far he has barely a single neighbor.
Pandemic Raises Japan Suicide Rate after Decade of Decline
The number of people taking their own lives in Japan rose for the first time in over a decade last year, as the pandemic reversed years of progress combatting a stubbornly high suicide rate.
Race for Acceptance: Japan’s Paralympics Mean More than Medals
Long-jumper Sayaka Murakami is hoping not just for a medal at the postponed Tokyo Paralympics, but also for lasting acceptance in a Japanese society where disabled people can feel pressured to stay out of the public eye.
The Underground ‘Parthenon’ Protecting Tokyo from Floods
It has been called Japan’s underground “Parthenon”, a cavernous complex charged with protecting Tokyo and surrounding areas from catastrophic flooding — a risk experts warn is growing as climate change advances.
Nintendo Reports $1B Net Profit First Quarter
Nintendo made a $1 billion net profit in the first quarter, it said Thursday, with gamers stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic driving extraordinary demand for the industry.
Meet ‘Gamer Grandma’: World’s Oldest Video Game Youtuber
Every day, 90-year-old Japanese grandma Hamako Mori flexes her fingers to keep them nimble. Not for knitting or needlepoint, but to keep them in shape for playing video games.
Japan Surf Star Hoping to Avoid ‘Heartbreaking’ Olympic Cancellation
Japan’s top surfer Kanoa Igarashi is already seeing his training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics hit by the coronavirus outbreak, but he’s still hoping a “heartbreaking” cancellation can be avoided.