Japan

Japanese PM resigns after Olympic Covid crisis

Japan’s prime minister has been forced from office as his popularity plummets due to the government’s handling of coronavirus.

International round-up: Demonstrations demand Bolsonaro out in Brazil

Angry protests have continued in Brazil as far right president Jair Bolsonaro’s popularity plummets.

A mistake of Olympic proportions in Tokyo

The Tokyo Olympic Games is set to start this month. Sam Ord investigates the scale of the Covid health crisis ignored by officials, and the reality of how the event build profits and nationalism for rulers

G7 Summit—world leaders accelerate towards climate chaos

The G7 Summit this week in Cornwall will see the world’s most powerful leaders discuss a response to the environmental emergency. Sophie Squire explores the leaders’ response to the climate crisis that is threatening all our futures

Fukushima—a nuclear warning

It’s ten years since two disasters compromised one of the largest nuclear plants in the world. It showed that nuclear power can never be safe, says Martin Empson

1949 — Mao & the Chinese revolution

Seventy years ago revolution in China threw off the rule of landlords and struck a blow to Western imperialism. But it wasn’t a socialist revolution, and its aims were not to put people in power, writes Tomáš Tengely-Evans

Fury after Fukushima nuclear plant bosses walk free

19 September 2019
The executives in charge during the 2011 nuclear plant meltdown have been found not guilty of negligence

Unions should fight for Japan’s workers

12 December 2017
Economic difficulties and political discontent lies behind a row over workers’ wages in Japan.

Beyond the Great Wave—British Museum’s focus is not on Hokusai’s best

06 June 2017
The British Museum is celebrating the most famous figure in Japanese art. Katsushika Hokusai was a prolific print-maker and painter who lived from 1760-1849.

US and its allies rattle sabres in Korea row

25 April 2017
The US and South Korea held their “largest ever” annual joint military exercise last week. The Japanese navy is sending two destroyers to rendezvous with US warship Carl Vinson.

The nuclear bomb took capitalist logic to its obscene conclusion

04 August 2015
On the anniversary of the US dropping a nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Simon Basketter argues the destruction was a tool in the battle for strategic control.

Rising markets are sign of deep malaise

04 November 2014
Faced with disaster on almost every front, David Cameron and George Osborne are desperately talking up the British economy.

Fukushima alert level raised

27 August 2013
The growing crisis at Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan is at its most dangerous point since the reactor cores melted down in 2011.

New leak at Fukushima nuclear plant

06 August 2013
More radioactive water is leaking out of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Nuclear protests at anniversary of Fukushima

21 March 2013
Protests were held across Japan last Sunday against the restarting of nuclear power stations.

News round-up

24 July 2012
Fukushima firm lies on radiation Bosses at a firm cleaning up the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan tried to cover up radiation levels beyond the legal limit.

Trillions looted by the rich

24 July 2012
At least £13 trillion has been hidden in tax havens by the super rich. That’s about as much as the economies of Japan and the US put together.

Private firms caused Fukushima nuclear disaster, report finds

10 July 2012
Collusion between Japan’s government, regulators and private nuclear operator Tepco caused last year’s nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant. That’s the conclusion of a six-month parliamentary investigation into the disaster.

Eyewitness from Japan: No more Fukushimas, protesters demand

03 July 2012
More than 150,000 people protested against Japanese prime minister Noda Yoshihiko’s decision to restart the Ohi nuclear power plant last week.