From The Yomiuri Shimbun:
The city of Omura in Nagasaki Prefecture issued resident certificates to a same-sex couple in May that use the term meant for common-law husbands, prompting the alarmed Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to send a letter to the city on Monday.
Hey, any progress towards LGBT equality is good progress. More bureaucratic screwups please.
Riley Walters from Nikkei:
While Japan can never become an official member of the regional alliance, its participation in the organization's activities and cooperation with its member states is increasingly important as it develops its defense capacity.
There are limits to Japan's partnership with NATO. The organization cannot come to the defense of Japan, even if it were to enter conflict with Russia, China, or North Korea. But NATO's member states, especially the U.S., could certainly support Japan with military and nonmilitary support, if necessary. Beyond the mutual defense agreement of the NATO treaty (Article 5), there are other aspects of the treaty that allow for institution building and capacity training between NATO, its members and Japan.
This is a good explainer article about how Japan fits into the western security umbrella and how it could come to the nation’s aid in the event of conflict.
Lewis Gordon from The Verge:
The recent words of FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki back up these ostensible labor wins for Japanese workers. Of the mass layoffs that are happening in the US and elsewhere, Miyazaki said, “as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.” But more so than the personal benevolence of leaders like Miyazaki, it is the country’s robust labor regulations that most protect workers.
Tongue firmly in cheek with the headline, but overall this is a well researched article about how Japanese tech & gaming companies treat layoffs versus their American counterparts.
Richard A. Brooks from The Guardian:
A reportage of stations along the circular JR Yamanote line in Tokyo, capturing the hustle and bustle at the heart of the world’s biggest urban area. In service since 1885, the line is the city’s oldest, most important and most famous, with millions cramming on to the 35km (22-mile) route’s distinctive green cars every day
Some nice photography inside of the transport infrastructure that keeps Tokyo alive.
Hiroyuki Oba from The Mainichi:
It's often said in discussions about United States military bases in Okinawa and related issues that Japan is subordinate to the U.S. and lacks sovereignty. As someone who has never lived in a town hosting a U.S. base, this reporter had always thought that the blatant ruler-subordinate style of relationship under the postwar occupation had lifted.
It's been four years since I happened to witness a certain episode and began researching the activities of U.S. military aircraft above the Tokyo metropolitan region. Looking back, I think my previous views were naive.
Good article highlighting Oba's reporting over the past few years about US helicopter flights over Tokyo. These things need to be said out loud.
Haruna Okuyama & Haruka Udagawa from The Mainichi:
As of the end of 2023, there were a record 3.41 million foreign nationals living in Japan, up 330,000 from the previous year. Not only have these residents helped make up for labor shortages in the country, they also are becoming important supporters of the nation's pension system.
A good article spelling out the need for steady (and increasing) flows of foreign workers into the Japanese economy to sustain existing systems. Immigration is the answer.
Naohiro Tamura & Shinsuke Uemura from The Yomiuri Shimbun:
At the beginning of the meeting, Kamikawa said, “We’d like to strengthen our bilateral cooperation to maintain and enhance the international order based on the rule of law.” Kihara added, “Japan-Philippines relations have seen significant progress in terms of defense cooperation and exchanges under the leadership of the president and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.”