Coronavirus is revealing uncomfortable truths about Japan
I’ll never forget an unusually frank conversation I once had with a Japanese acquaintance (let’s call him ‘Yoshi’). He was…
What Britain's corona cops should learn from Japan's police
Soon after I began living in central Tokyo I got an unexpected visitor to my apartment- a police officer. He…
Japan's 'state of emergency' is anything but dramatic
The Japanese government has announced a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures in response to escalating…
Did the people of Tokyo ever really want the Olympics anyway?
One of the first things you need to learn abut Japan is the concept of honne and tatemae. ‘Hone’ refers…
Has Japan cracked coronavirus?
I got back to Tokyo on Friday morning having hastily rescheduled my flight from Britain to avoid new restrictions for entering…
A coronavirus Olympics cancellation would be a disaster for Japan
It is fair to say that preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have not being going to plan. In fact,…
Will Japan ban its 'offensive' Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics?
Ant and Dec have done most things in their long careers in light entertainment. But the versatile duo broke new…
Why ‘safe spaces’ are nowhere to be seen on Japan’s university campuses
A part-time lecturer and friend of mine was reported to his university last month for making ‘inappropriate comments’ in the…
The BBC has much to learn from Japan’s national broadcaster
NHK is Japan’s version of the BBC – it was actually modelled after the Beeb way back in the 1920s.…
Shinzo Abe’s luck is finally running out
The Japanese are fond of poeticising the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom season, which no sooner reaches its full…
