Japan’s hospitality and tourism industry is recovering, but there are challenges

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum./ Author: Naoko Kutty, Writer, Forum Agenda, Naoko Tochibayashi, Public Engagement Lead, World Economic Forum, Japan The Japanese hospitality and tourism industry is beginning to recover in earnest after being badly hit by COVID-19. In October 2022, Japan lifted the ceiling […]

What Japan’s May blues tells us about tackling mental health 

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Tochibayashi, Public Engagement Lead, World Economic Forum, Japan ‘May blues’ is a Japanese phenomenon that occurs during the transition after the new fiscal year starts and a week-long nationwide holiday.Fewer people appear to have suffered May blues during […]

High and rising hay fever in Japan may now have a solution

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Tochibayashi, Public Engagement Lead, World Economic Forum, Japan, Naoko Kutty, Writer, Forum Agenda Spring in Japan is long-awaited on many levels as the Sakura or cherry blossoms are in full bloom, eliciting one of the country’s most iconic […]

What’s behind Tokyo’s massive redevelopment?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Tochibayashi, Public Engagement Lead, World Economic Forum, Japan Tokyo is in the midst of large-scale redevelopment that includes plans pegged as a “once-in-a-century” undertaking. The construction sites are stretched out throughout the city including Shibuya, a pop-culture hub; […]

What are Japan’s top 3 ‘words of the year’ for 2022?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Kutty, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum Every year, Japanese publisher, Jiyu Kokumin Sha, holds a popular contest on Words of the Year. As 2022 ends, 10 words that became an integral part of the Japanese language this year […]

Mainstreaming universal health, with Japan at the helm as a long-lived nation

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Kutty, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum Japan’s early adoption of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has attracted worldwide attention, as it is the country with the longest healthy life expectancy in the world. One of the reasons for this […]

What does the future hold for Japan’s railways after 150 years of service?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Kutty, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Japan’s railway system, which began service between Shimbashi and Yokohama in 1872. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan urgently needed to establish a transportation network to […]

See how Japan is preparing for the global energy crisis

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Kutty, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum The global energy crisis impacts everything from our daily lives to corporate activities. In Japan, there are growing fears that the supply and demand of electricity will be strained this winter. […]

Japan has the lowest inflation of all major economies but will continue feeling the pressure. Here’s why

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Kutty, Digital Editor, World Economic Forum The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has decided to stick to its monetary easing policy amid accelerating global inflation growth. Inflation in Japan is the lowest among major economies, with the Consumer […]

Tokyo wants to build a future-proof city. Here’s how

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Stefan Ellerbeck, Senior Writer, Formative Content Tokyo has some seriously ambitious extension plans. Japan’s capital is set to become bigger, better and incorporate a mini city, the Tokyo Metropolitan government (TMG) says in a new report. Tokyo eSG, […]

What is the ‘random trip’ craze and why is it so big in Japan?

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Victoria Masterson, Senior Writer, Formative Content Let’s go anywhere. Instead of deciding on a destination, travellers in Japan are leaving it to luck. It’s a trend called ‘random trips’ that is taking off in Japan – and travel […]

Anti-Asian racism is on the rise. Here’s what we can do to combat it

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Bincheng Mao, Global Shaper, Shanghai I Hub Anti-Asian hate crimes surged by 169% across 15 major US cities between 2020-2021. Author Bincheng Mao recalls his own experience as the victim of a racist attack and the youth-led awareness […]

Health challenges need predictable healthcare investment policies. Japan’s example shows why

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Joseph Damond, Deputy Chief Policy Officer & Executive Vice President, International Affairs, Biotechnology Innovation Organization Japan’s government is building partnerships with the biopharma sector on COVID vaccines. Though it does not have a home-grown COVID vaccine, Japanese society […]

Challenges surrounding COVID-19 vaccination in Japan: Fraught history and current vaccine hesitancy

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Tai Nguyen Van, a forth-year medical student at the International University of Health and Welfare, Japan. He is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do […]

Japan’s mental health crisis shows we need to fight harder for gender equality

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Nobuko Kobayashi, Asia-Pacific Strategy Execution Leader, EY • The pandemic has caused the Japanese suicide rate to rise faster for women than men. • The economic crisis has fallen disproportionately on women, something compounded by the unpaid care […]

How Japan can build a sustainable future post-COVID-19

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Makiko Eda, Chief Representative Officer, World Economic Forum Japan, Member of the Executive Committee The business culture in Japan has been resistant to change. There is a traditional preference for seniority and lifelong employment and a lack of […]

This Japanese experiment shows how easily coronavirus can spread – and what you can do about it

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content Microdroplets less than 100th of millimetre in size may spread the coronavirus. Research in Japan shows microdroplets can remain in the air for 20 minutes in enclosed spaces. Opening a window or […]

How can we prepare for the post-coronavirus era? A view from Japan

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Ryan Takeshita, Editor-in-Chief, HuffPost Japan In a survey of more than 10,000 Japanese business, more than 63% projected that COVID-19 would have a “negative impact on their business performance”; But going online and remote working is creating opportunities […]

How Japan and Singapore are reinventing old age

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Pang Sze-Yunn, Head, Population Health Management, ASEAN Pacific, Royal Philips & Yvonne Arivalagan, Research Associate, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy A new demographic dividend – the “longevity dividend” – is emerging as populations age; Singapore, one […]

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: from cardboard beds to recycled medals, how the Games are going green

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content Tokyo 2020 is aiming to be the greenest-ever Olympic Games. Athletes will sleep on recyclable cardboard beds. The event’s medals will be made from recycled precious metals. Organizers hope the event will […]

A roadmap for repairing rural mobility in Japan – and beyond

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Masafumi Kawasaki, Manager, McKinsey & Company Outside its cities, Japan’s public transport system is in decline. Rural mobility is crucial to quality of life for many Japanese, especially odler generations. A new set of principles for rural mobility […]

Eight years after Fukushima, nuclear power is making a comeback

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Katharine Rooney, Senior Writer, Formative Content Eight years after the Fukushima disaster, Japan’s nuclear power industry is rebounding. Its government has given initial approval for the Onagawa reactor to restart. The country plans to generate 20% of its […]

Onagawa’s spirit of togetherness: lessons from the 2011 tsunami

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Naoko Tochibayashi, Public Engagement Lead, World Economic Forum, Japan November 5 is World Tsunami Awareness Day. According to the United Nations: “In the past 100 years, 58 tsunamis have claimed more than 260,000 lives, or an average of 4,600 […]

Japan’s agro-food sector would benefit greatly from policies to boost innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable resource use

This article is brought to you in association with OECD. Japan’s agriculture sector has traditionally been characterised by small-scale rice production, but has recently begun to respond to new market opportunities for higher value food products across a rapidly growing East Asia. Today, rice represents less than 20% of the value of agriculture production, and larger, […]

How Japan can take the lead with an ageing workforce

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Makiko Eda, Chief Representative Officer, World Economic Forum Japan, Member of the Executive Committee Japan, like many countries around the world, faces the transformative effects of Globalization 4.0, as Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies put pressure on existing economic and […]

6 charts that show how Japan’s economy stacks up as it enters a new era

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Kate Whiting, Senior Writer, Formative Content Japan has entered a new era: following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, Emperor Naruhito has ascended to the throne. He may have no political power under the Japanese constitution, but […]

This Japanese town has banned urban sprawl

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Charlotte Edmond, Formative Content Waves of up to 50 feet virtually wiped the Japanese port town of Onagawa off the map in 2011. At a magnitude of 9.0, Japan’s largest-ever quake and resulting tsunami killed 16,000 people and destroyed 122,000 […]

Japan’s population is shrinking by a quarter of a million people every year

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Emma Charlton, Senior Writer, Formative Content How do you stop your country’s population shrinking? While some obvious suggestions may spring to mind, coming up with policy responses is not often simple. Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in […]

Draghi: ECB to flood Eurozone and the world with more zero cost money; risk of drowning in cash

Last Thursday, the European Central Bank decided to start again feeding the bankers with more zero cost trillions. This was a surprise to many, because everybody thought the €2.6 trillion the ECB has already handed to banks free of charge were enough. Seemingly, Mario Draghi thinks it is not and hurried to invite the bankers […]

Three reasons to be optimistic for the future of Asia

This article is brought to you thanks to the strategic cooperation of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. This article is part of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN. The challenges that South-East Asia faces are emblematic of the major global issues that world leaders have agreed to act on. Despite consistent economic growth over last […]

The Japanese idea of ‘chowa’ – and how Asia can thrive in the future

This article is brought to you thanks to the strategic cooperation of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Ken Kawai, Chief Regional Officer, Asia Pacific, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) There is nothing gentle about revolution. It heralds profound and rapid change. That’s exactly what’s coming in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the impact of which will be […]

EU and Japan ratify first FTA ever to include Paris Climate Agreement provision

Shinzō Abe, on the right, and Jean-Claude Juncker at EU-Japan Summit in Tokyo last week. (Copyright: European Union, 2018 / Photo: Etienne Ansotte)

In the week that US President Donald Trump called the European Union a “foe”, and reaffirmed his will to hit China with more duties on imports, Brussels signed a wide-ranging free trade deal with Japan. At the 25th EU-Japan summit in Tokyo last week, the leaders of the two areas indeed finally sealed two landmark […]

Cultural diversity can drive economies. Here are lessons from India and South Asia

This article is brought to you thanks to the strategic cooperation of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Dietrich Reetz, Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Political Science, South Asia, Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient In times when globalization seems to challenge local certainties, people often rediscover their emotional, cultural and religious identities, and project them onto […]