All articles from Justin McCurry

Hot summer for Japan and China disputes

Prime Minister Abe made some pointed comments this week, highlighting Japan's determination not to yield to China on territorial issues.
Rising hate speech in Japan has even some on far right saying 'enough'

The venom in anti-Korean demonstrations in Japan has shocked many and been widely reported in South Korea and China.
Japan to give nuclear power another chance

Japan announces new nuclear standards, but public skepticism remains after Fukushima.
License revoked? Australia takes Japan to court to stop whaling hunts.

The start of a landmark legal case this week could put an end to Japan’s annual slaughter of hundreds of whales.
War games near California: Are the US and Japan sending a message to China?

The joint military exercises are in response to Japan's nervousness about China's interest in disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Japan's Fukushima debate: How will the meltdown affect the health of residents?

A politician apologized this week for saying no one had died because of the meltdown, as Japan continues to assess the impact of the nuclear disaster.
Will Prime Minister Abe save Japan's economy?

The rest of the economy-hit world is keeping an eye on Japan’s economic surge with a great deal of curiosity.
Japan mayor's sex slaves comment draws apology. Too little, too late?

Japan mayor on sex slaves: Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto apologized saying Japan's wartime use of 'comfort women' was an 'inexcusable act.'
Japan's weak currency means tourism

The number of tourists coming to Japan dropped dramatically after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. But between the weak currency and fading memories of the disaster, tourism saw a record high last month.
Japan no longer sanctions child abduction in mixed-marriage cases

Tokyo lawmakers unanimously approve Hague convention to settle child custody in broken international marriages. But Japanese domestic laws and legal loopholes still need to change, say scholars.
Japan's 'secret' trip to North Korea disrupts united stance against Pyongyang

Japan's visit to North Korea comes after broad regional agreement that Pyongyang should not be offered talks unless it displays a genuine commitment to denuclearization.
Japanese politicians scramble to distance themselves from 'comfort women' comments

The influential mayor of Osaka outraged China and South Korea by saying World War II sex slaves were necessary, prompting fresh doubts about Japan's willingness to acknowledge wartime aggression.
Long troubled by school bullying, Japan now eyes zero tolerance

Japanese responded to record numbers of severe bullying cases last year, prompting a national outcry and calls for legislation. But a proposed bill doesn’t address schools' intense culture of conformity, critics say.
No backtracking on World War II apologies, Japan PM says

Shinzo Abe ruled out speculation that his government might water down Japan's official apologies for aggression and the use of sex slaves during World War II. What's behind the shift in tone?
As world dials back death penalty, Japan heads in opposite direction

Two gangsters were hanged in Japan last week. More executions are likely under new Prime Minister Abe, who has expressed strong support for the death penalty – and says the public backs him.
Cover Story Boston bombing reveals a new American maturity toward insecurity

The post-9/11 'new normal' has evolved: The tactical and emotional responses to the Boston Marathon bombings show what experts call a national maturity toward terrorism that echoes longer experience with such crises in England, Spain, Russia, Japan, and Israel.
Is Japan's Shinzo Abe finally acting on his true nationalist colors?

Japan's prime minister appears to be stepping up his campaign to reinterpret Japan's wartime history, aggravating China and South Korea at a time when the region should be uniting to deal with North Korea.