From curbs on passive smoking to child care and same-sex partnerships, Japan’s cities and regions have lost patience with national government on social policy issues and started taking matters into their own hands.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/local-governments-social-poli…/

Happy Birthday to us! Tokyo Review turns one year old today - we've had a fantastic first year and we couldn't have done it without our amazing contributors and the help of you, our readers. To celebrate we've compiled some details of our first year and lists of the top articles we've published:

http://www.tokyoreview.net/2018/07/one-year-of-tokyo-review/

Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida was long assumed to be Shinzo Abe’s heir as prime minister – but as September's leadership contest approaches, he faces a conundrum over whether to remain loyal, or back a challenge to Abe’s leadership.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/kishida-abe-leadership-challe…/

Feeble new legislation will do little to solve Japan’s chronic overwork problem. Even as workers are driven to suicide, productivity remains low; a broad change in attitudes and a focus on innovation and efficiency are the only answers.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/07/japan-productivity-overwork/

Summer often marks a lull in Japan's political calendar - but with a contentious debate over casino legislation, an LDP presidential race and elections in Okinawa all looming, Summer 2018 is set to be a very busy one.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/summer-preview-japanese-polit…/

New regulations for AirBnB-style properties in Japan came into force this week. While the laws themselves are a necessary step, the way the system is being rolled out is a disaster that will cause disruption for tens of thousands of tourists this summer.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/06/japan-airbnb-minpaku-disas…/

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe relies on the North Korean threat to argue for reforming the country's pacifist constitution – which means that this week's Trump-Kim summit may be crucial to his political future.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/trump-kim-summit-abe-nightmare/

“Maximum Pressure” has been the cornerstone of Japan’s policy towards North Korea. But what does it mean in practice? And will it survive the summit in Singapore?

A nasty tackle by a Nihon University American Football player dominated headlines in Japan last week – but this is not a reflection of a uniquely Japanese problem, but rather is endemic to sports culture around the world.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/20…/…/japan-toxic-sports-culture/

Of the Abe Administration’s many scandals, the issue of missing or hidden mission logs from SDF operations in Iraq and South Sudan is perhaps the most complex. Our in-depth guide lays out the issues - and their far-reaching implications.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/self-defense-force-log-scanda…/

The failure of the #MeToo movement in Japan is no surprise – lacking the decades of groundwork on women’s rights and consent education that preceded #MeToo overseas, Japan remains a hostile environment for women who stand up and challenge their harassers.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/05/japan-isnt-ready-metoo-mom…/

The LDP's work with marketing giant Dentsu has influenced almost every aspect of Japanese politics - leading to many conspiracy theories about their relationship. It's what they're preparing for next, however, that could really shake up democracy in Japan.

Music streaming may be conquering the globe but in Japan, nostalgia for a physical collection persists. And that could offer smart companies a lesson:

As Japan takes on a more proactive leadership role in Asia, the country finds itself facing a dilemma – how to reconcile its national economic and security interests with the liberal values it claims to promote.

http://www.tokyoreview.net/…/05/japan-asia-values-interests/