In Osaka, leaders’ bid to swap seats could spell trouble as region faces...
When Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui and his sidekick, Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura, announced they would resign their positions to run for each other’s seats next ...
View ArticleOsaka Ishin’s success could have impact on regional politics elsewhere in Japan
History shows cities that flourish due to maritime trade have a reputation for some of the world’s most colorful, complex, and corrupt local politics. That ...
View ArticleLiberal Demoratic Party and Komeito flip-flop on Osaka merger
Just over a month after local elections in which Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) surprised even itself with resounding victories, the established parties’ local ...
View ArticleAmid U.S.-China trade war, Osaka braces for G20 summit
Ready or not Osaka, here it comes. The Group of 20 Summit, that is.In less than two weeks, one of the world’s largest gatherings of ...
View ArticleFour Kansai issues stirring up Upper House election
While the sensitive issue of constitutional revision and the looming consumption tax hike to 10 percent in October dominate media discussion of what’s important in ...
View ArticleFor Kyoto, international meeting of museum directors and creators is an...
From Sept. 1 to 7, Kyoto will host thousands of museum directors, curators and art historians from Japan and around the world for the general ...
View ArticleSizzling summer threatens Tokyo 2020, Osaka Expo
The summer of 2019 brought record-breaking heat. Early to mid-September, until last week, felt like late July in Kansai, Tokyo, Nagoya and parts of Kyushu ...
View ArticleKepco’s gift scandal casts shadow over Kansai and 2025 Expo
Earlier this fall, it was revealed that 20 Kansai Electric Power Co. officials, including the chairman and president, received nearly ¥320 million in cash and ...
View ArticleMajor issues loom as Kansai looks ahead to the new year
It was a busy 2019 for Kansai, particularly in the days leading up to the June Group of 20 leaders summit in Osaka. While the ...
View ArticleMemories from the Great Hanshin Earthquake still resonate 25 years later
On the morning of Jan. 17, 1995, I was jolted awake in my Kyoto apartment by the largest earthquake I’d ever experienced. The glass windows ...
View ArticleCOVID-19 tests Osaka’s ability to reach East Asia
Since Kansai International Airport opened in 1994, business and political leaders in Osaka have touted the region as the gateway to Asia. Often showing little ...
View ArticleOutbreak turns Kyoto’s overtourism into ‘undertourism’
A mild winter in many parts of Japan means the cherry blossoms are expected to arrive earlier than usual. By the time we hit April ...
View ArticlePandemic forces organizers to mull options for 2025 Osaka Expo
Organizers of the quinquennial event are confident it will go ahead as planned, but what are their options if the pandemic forces a change?
View ArticleCan Osaka’s governor inspire change before he gets ‘hammered down’?
There are several reasons, some unique to Osaka and the Kansai region, that account for the governor's newfound popularity.
View ArticleHas Black Lives Matter’s Osaka march inspired new generation of rights...
The vast majority of participants at a Black Lives Matter march on June 7 appeared to be under 40 — with many likely in their ...
View ArticleUnlike Tokyo’s Koike, Osaka Gov. Yoshimura enjoys freer hand in coronavirus...
Osaka’s leaders understand very well that their counterparts in Kanto face unique challenges that they do not.
View ArticleUnder cloud of pandemic, Osaka referendum remains a key issue for Gov....
More in Osaka are asking whether the vote should be postponed until after the coronavirus crisis has passed.
View ArticleLet the Suga-Nippon Ishin bromance begin
Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui and his supporters are breathing easy, knowing their favorite LDP politician is now the prime minister.
View ArticleOsaka merger would affect residents and outsiders alike
The planned move to merge the city's administrative wards could give officials more freedom to attract tourists and businesses.
View ArticleOsaka Ishin and Nippon Ishin must adapt or risk extinction
Despite polls showing Osaka Ishin remains popular that the anti-merger faction won by only 17,000 votes of over 1.37 million cast, the party and its ...
View ArticleFrom Expo 2025 to tourists, Kansai’s hopes for the coming year
Economic recovery and making plans for a post-coronavirus world are set to be on the minds of residents and businesses in the region going into ...
View ArticleKansai’s 2030 vision is to think like a penguin
Kansai Economic Federation, which includes some of Kansai's largest and most influential firms, hopes to tap patrons with the spirit of a “first penguin” to ...
View ArticleMori’s downfall poetic justice for an Osaka ready to showcase its modernity
From describing the city as "phlegm" to lackluster support for its Olympic bid, the former prime minister and Tokyo Games chief finally reaped the harvest ...
View ArticleAs long-time Hyogo governor steps aside, will voters seek a new direction?
A key election in the Kansai region is slated to take place in July as five-term Hyogo Gov. Toshizo Ido steps down after two decades ...
View ArticleKansai classics for a home movie festival
Given that it will be a while before movie theaters are back to normal, here are recommendations for those interested in the Kansai region and ...
View ArticleTokyo Games pose risk for Kansai’s already strained medical system
In the Kansai region, people are anxious that those involved with the Tokyo Games may catch the virus and bring it back west.
View ArticleAmid overspending, Kyoto stares down threat of bankruptcy
Some might attribute the city’s financial woes to COVID-19’s impact on tourism, but the mayor puts the lion's share of the blame elsewhere.
View ArticleKansai looks to lessons from Olympics for own international events
Political and business leaders are likely to focus on the good and bad points of Tokyo’s experience as they look ahead to the World Masters ...
View ArticleThe party that’s sad to see Suga go
With the upcoming change in LDP leadership, Nippon Ishin no Kai may lose its direct line to the Prime Minister's Office at a crucial time ...
View ArticleKishida’s LDP victory prompts mixed feelings in Kansai
Kansai LDP chapters strongly backed the presumptive prime minister's main rival, but the business community was more in favor of Kishida, largely due to his ...
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