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Eric Johnston

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Eric Johnston
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2008
Osaka governor sounds fiscal alarm
OSAKA — Toru Hashimoto, Osaka’s new governor, officially started work Wednesday by declaring a state of fiscal emergency and warning prefectural residents that a rocky road lies ahead.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jan 29, 2008
G8: Meaningful or anachronistic forum?
Over the next six months, Japan will host a series of meetings of the Group of Eight countries, culminating in the Leaders’ Summit at Lake Toya, Hokkaido, in July. Along with leaders of the G8 — Japan, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — the European Commission...
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2008
Substance now needed to bring real change
Lawyer and TV celebrity Toru Hashimoto, 38, became Japan’s youngest governor Sunday, winning the Osaka gubernatorial election by more than 800,000 votes in a surprise landslide victory.
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2008
Hashimoto elected governor of Osaka
OSAKA — Toru Hashimoto scored a landslide victory Sunday in Osaka’s gubernatorial election, which was seen as having national implications.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2008
Shaping the future as an immigrant nation
OSAKA — It is time Japan realized that in order to deal with its population decline, it must accept 10 million permanent immigrants rather than a small number of migrant laborers, said the country’s most prominent advocate of a radical new immigration policy.
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2008
Hashimoto clings to lead in tight Osaka gubernatorial race
OSAKA — Down to the wire, Sunday’s Osaka gubernatorial election continues to be a tight race, with 38-year-old lawyer Toru Hashimoto reportedly holding on to a slight lead over his rivals. But look for a dark horse as 40 percent of voters remain undecided.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2008
Ambulance fiascoes become Osaka campaign issue
OSAKA — With just a few days to go until Osaka elects a new governor, the candidates are finding themselves facing an issue that is literally a life and death situation for all prefectural residents.
JAPAN
Jan 11, 2008
Top Osaka candidates target education, debt, Kansai airport
OSAKA — The three main candidates in the race for the Jan. 27 Osaka gubernatorial election, which officially kicked off Thursday, have different positions on various policy issues, particularly on education, financial reform and the future of Kansai airport.
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2008
Education, fiscal reform fuel Osaka race
OSAKA — In a race with national implications, campaigning for the Jan. 27 Osaka gubernatorial election will kick off Thursday with three candidates.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2008
NGOs gearing up for Lake Toya blitz
OSAKA — While officials of the Group of Eight countries are busy preparing for this year’s summit in Japan, the country’s major nongovernmental organizations are also gearing up for the event, which will culminate when world leaders meet in Lake Toya, Hokkaido, in early July.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2008
What the U.S. presidential hopefuls see when they look East
OSAKA — The Iowa caucus kicks off Thursday in what is expected to be a hard-fought battle for the U.S. presidency. The November election itself will end the era of George W. Bush and offer the victor a chance to reshape America’s role internationally.
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2007
Japan sizes up ‘nonnuclear’ Iran
OSAKA — A recent report by 16 U.S. intelligence agencies that concluded Iran halted its nuclear weapons development program in 2003 is likely to present new opportunities and challenges to Japan, whose relations with Tehran have blown hot and cold over the past decade.
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2007
Time ripe for better ties: Iran envoy
A recent U.S. report that concluded with “high confidence” that Iran halted its nuclear arms program in 2003 offers a key opportunity to expand Japan-Iran ties, Iranian Ambassador to Japan Mohsen Talaei said.
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2007
Osaka governor candidates slow to emerge
OSAKA — Position Wanted: Popular and well-known public figure with an interest in local politics. Must have the ability to skillfully negotiate with central government bureaucrats and have good relations with the local business community.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2007
Osaka governor, hit by scandal, lack of backers, won’t seek a third term
OSAKA — Abandoned by her major backers, Osaka Gov. Fusae Ohta announced Monday she will not run for a third term in next month’s election. The decision ends her career as Japan’s first female governor and throws open an election likely to have national repercussions.
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2007
Vietnamese leaders make investment pitch
OSAKA — Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet and a senior delegation of Vietnamese government and business officials called on Japanese business and government leaders Thursday to invest in huge transportation and technology infrastructure projects in their country.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2007
Kansai smooth; other areas suffer glitches
OSAKA — Travelers and immigration officials reported no major problems at Kansai International Airport on Tuesday, the first day of new immigration procedures requiring most foreigners to have their fingerprints and photos taken.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2007
Hiramatsu’s win in Osaka mayoral race boosts DPJ
OSAKA — Kunio Hiramatsu, who beat incumbent Junichi Seki in Sunday’s mayoral poll in what is seen as a stunning defeat for the ruling coalition, vowed to reform the city government but offered no specific steps to remedy the city’s ballooning debts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 13, 2007
Dialect-rife Japan can be tongue-twisting
The islands of Japan have many dialects, and students of the language often realize these variations are not taught in classrooms.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Nov 9, 2007
Maizuru, Kyoto: For those with an interest in Cold War spy novels
Located less than two hours from central Kyoto city, the port town of Maizuru is a world away from ancient capital of Japan.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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