Nagano tops survey of prefectures Japanese would most like to move to
Nagano is the prefecture Japanese would most like to move to if they were to relocate to the countryside, according to a survey by a Tokyo-based migration support center. Nagano edged last year's winner, Yamanashi, into second place in the survey of 4,359 people conducted ...
Happiness is a warm farm: How home cooking is reviving rural Yamagata
It's late January in Tokyo, and a rare 6-centimeter snowfall plunges the city's famously efficient transport network into chaos. Train lines report delays of up to four hours, leaving snaking lines of frustrated commuters steaming, despite the freezing temperatures. Days later, a minibus in the ...
Japan should seek a society upholding human values
Japan can embrace its most positive characteristics and build on them to ensure an innovation-rich future.
Coming of Age day should be an opportunity for everyone in Japan to reflect on the meaning and importance of adulthood.
For many young Japanese, marriage — and sex — are low priorities
This is the fourth in a five-part series on Japan's population woes caused by its graying society and low birthrate. Nakamura, an 18-year-old university student, winces whenever he imagines himself dating a girl. "I mean, I would have to pay attention to what I wear and ...
Isolation a real danger for men caring for an elderly relative
Like many people who care for elderly family members at home, Norio Watanabe, 51, struggled to deal with the physical and mental burdens of looking after his father, who had dementia.
Japan's political and business leaders appear to be taking an ostrich-like approach to the severe demographic challenges that lie ahead.
The abolition of China's 35-year-old one-child policy closes one of the darkest chapters in the country's history.
Beijing needs to start talking about sex now
With China ending its one-child policy, the government needs to prepare for broad public health consequences.
China's two-child policy is too little, too late
Rather than worrying about the birthrate to meet its future labor needs, China should be focusing on bringing in migrant workers, especially from South Asia.
Serious challenges hamper ambitious Russia
Russia has daunting domestic problems that must be effectively addressed if the country aims to develop at the rate that its considerable resources allow.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants Japan to believe there are magic solutions to the complex problems facing society, to the detriment of the nation.
