In the meeting, family members explained the urgency of international support for ending North Korea's abductions by returning all victims to their homes. The post North Korean Abductions: Victims' Families Urgent Appeal in Meeting with UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: International Efforts to Solve the Abductions Issue Ramp Up with Online Symposium EDITORIAL | After 45 Years, Only Hardline Negotiation, Int'l Pressure Can Bring Abductees Home EDITORIAL | Pressuring North Korea to Resolve Abductions Has International Support ..read more

Niigata's Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has yet to approve the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant's restart, putting at risk energy security at the national level. The post EDITORIAL | Restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Power Plant Now for Japan's Security first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: EDITORIAL | Amid Need for Nuclear Power, Look Into Regulation Delays Ignore the Lies — Restarting Nuclear Plants a Matter of Life or Death EDITORIAL | No Reason to Doubt Safety of Fukushima Daiichi Treated Water  ..read more

Heading into the next-to-last week of the B.League season, the Chiba Jets (34-22 record) have the most wins among the wild-card contenders. The post A Trio of B.League Playoff Spots Still Up for Grabs first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: BASKETBALL | Alvark Tokyo Crank Up the Intensity In a Bounce-Back Victory BASKETBALL | B. League Completes Action-packed Opening Week BASKETBALL | Kawasaki, Ryukyu, Utsunomiya and Shimane Advance to B.League Playoff Semifinals ..read more

As depreciation drives the exchange rate to nearly ¥155 Japanese yen per US dollar, Finance Minister Suzuki stresses flexibility and hints at intervention. The post On Japanese Yen: Finance Minister Emphasizes Flexibility, Hints at Intervention first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: Chief Economist Urges Japan to Leverage the Weak Yen Now EDITORIAL | Intervention Not Enough to Reverse Trend of Yen's Depreciation Japan in the Haruhiko Kuroda Era - And What Comes Next ..read more

Unlike Japan's inclusive approach, China's aid to the Pacific Islands is exploitative and must be countered to maintain a rules-based order in the region. The post Challenge Beijing's Coercive Pacific Islands Aid with Balance of Power first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: [All Politics is Global] Tibet Sees Surge of Chinese Interference, Focus on Border Regions [All Politics is Global] Latest G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting Calls Out China [All Politics is Global] Massive Chinese Project Engulfs Cambodia's Coastline ..read more

In a peculiar case grounded in the absence of reason, South Korean prosecutors have pursued Japanese activist Nobuyuki Suzuki for "defamation" for 10 years. The post Nobuyuki Suzuki Case Draws Out for 10 Years, At Last Someone in South Korea Calls for Dropping It first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: BOOK REVIEW | ‘Wartime Military Records on Comfort Women’ by Archie Miyamoto   [Speaking Out] Hypocrisy of Korean Comfort Women Support Group Exposed Berlin District to Remove One Sided ‘Comfort Woman’ Statue ..read more

'Sea Hammocks' installed by the Panasonic Holdings Corporation are made from recycled fishing nets and intended to spotlight the issue of marine waste. The post 'Sea Hammocks' Made from Recycled Fishing Nets Spotlight Marine Plastic Waste Issue Ahead of Expo first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: Panasonic Amps Up Production of Eco Cute Water Heaters Why Fish Feed on Microplastics: Nagasaki University Study Decarbonization is the Message from Leading Japanese Manufacturers at CES ..read more

Google restricted the digital ad business of LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN, effectively creating a monopoly. Down the line, that monopoly will hurt consumers. The post EDITORIAL | Google Japan Deserved Penalties for Unfair Competition first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: EDITORIAL | Does Japan’s New Law Have Enough Muscle to Keep Big IT Firms Honest and Fair? EDITORIAL | Japan Must Get Tough on Google to Foster Healthy Competition NTT Aims to Compete Globally on 6G Communications by Fully Owning Docomo ..read more

British landscape photographer Michael Kenna pays tribute to his long-standing relationship with Japan through an exhibition of 100 black and white photographs. The post Photographer Michael Kenna Presents 'Japan / A Love Story' in Daikanyama first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: Hokusai Humor and Smiles Takuma Nakahira Exhibition Honors the Japanese Photographer's Life and Work Sakura 2018: Where to Catch the Last Cherry Blossoms ..read more

Kameido Tenjin Shrine is noted for beautiful flowers and its wisteria festival is the most celebrated in the region. The festival is free and runs to April 30. The post Kameido Tenjin's Wisteria Color the Spring in the Kanto Region first appeared on JAPAN Forward. Related posts: Four Amazing Azalea Spots in Tokyo to See in a Day Japan: The Colors of Springtime Japanese Culture 101 Videos: A Few More Tips and Trivia ..read more