1.5 million Venezuelan refugees face severe hardship: Exacerbated by covid-19 Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The economic situation under President Nicolás Maduro is a disaster for ordinary citizens. In recent years, millions of Venezuelans have fled the country because of extreme poverty, a crumbling health care system, unemployment, and an array…
Libya and the killing of mainly Asian migrants: Arab slavery continues! Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the nation of Libya, the enslavement of black Africans and the mistreatment of Southeast Asians is ongoing. Hence, the recent killing of 30 migrants in this divided nation isn’t a shock. Also, it is…
Contemporary Japanese artist and the delightful Barnard Castle in a fresh light Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The contemporary Japanese artist Sawako Utsumi fluctuates from Japanese related themes to landscapes, European art, and various religious angles. In her latest art piece titled the Artistic Light of the Ruins of Barnard Castle, she focuses on…
Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia to ease border restrictions: Covid-19 success Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The governments of Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia hope to ease border areas by the middle of June. This is based on containing the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis with respective success. Currently deaths per million are…
The covid-19 crisis in America and Brazil is beset by political and social discord Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis is witnessing the divisions that exist in America and Brazil. Hence, while the United Kingdom is dealing with the coronavirus crisis abysmally, political and social cohesion remains despite…
Nicaragua deaths from Covid-19: Burials at night and the fog of politics Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in Nicaragua is extremely foggy based on the political angle. Thus, despite the death toll seeming low in Nicaragua, the fear persists that this isn’t the real picture. Officially, 17…
Indigenous fears of high Covid-19 deaths in border areas of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Fears are increasing in the tri-border area between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru that indigenous communities face a high death toll. This relates to the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. At the same time, the…
Brazil covid-19 crisis and political inertia: 15,633 deaths and 14,919 new cases Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The international coronavirus crisis (Covid-19) is notable by the deep political divisions in America and Brazil. In turn, people on both extremes are being polarized by political elites. However, in Brazil, the polarization is…
PM Conte of Italy to lift the coronavirus lockdown: A calculated risk Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy is rolling back lockdown measures. Conte knows the risk he is taking because coronavirus (Covid-19) infections could increase. However, like all nations hit by the crisis, the economic…
Japan lifts the state of emergency in 39 out of 47 prefectures on decreasing Covid-19 Sawako Utsumi and Chika Mori Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan announced the lifting of the state of emergency to the majority of the country. Hence, 39 out of 47 prefectures were lifted from the state of…
PM Abe of Japan to fast track virus-related drugs in the fight against coronavirus Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The highly developed nations of Asia have largely avoided the horrendous death tolls of other parts of the World. Hence, the death toll remains low in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.…
Japan to ease the Covid-19 state of emergency in the majority of prefectures Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Japan is to ease the state of emergency in the majority of prefectures. This is based on zero deaths to the low death toll in 34 out of 47 prefectures…
UK and 30,000 Covid-19 deaths: V4 of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia with few deaths Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The death toll from coronavirus (Covid-19) in the United Kingdom is shockingly high compared with the Visegrád Group (V4) of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Indeed, the United Kingdom is the…
Art of Japan and the altered state of Yuzo Saeki in France Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese artist Yuzo Saeki was born in 1898 but sadly he would pass away at the tender age of 30. Yet, despite the shortness of his life, Saeki is one of the most intriguing artists to…
Economic coronavirus slump in Japan means cash help will be too late for many Sawako Utsumi and Kanako Itamae Modern Tokyo Times The economic convulsions from coronavirus (Covid-19) mean that many people have lost work – or witnessed shorter hours in Japan. Like other nations, it is temporary workers and low paid staff that are…
Japan to discuss extending the state of emergency: Tokyo infections are falling Kanako Itamae and Sawako Utsumi Modern Tokyo Times The state of emergency is officially scheduled to end on May 6, after the Golden Week period. Thus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold an important meeting about extending the current state of emergency. Signs…
Japanese art and the Bleak Midwinter of the Buddhist Tree of Life Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sawako Utsumi fuses a stunning landscape with a wandering Buddhist monk in the bleak midwinter of Japan. Indeed, the religious angle, be it Buddhism, Christianity, or Shintoism, is a theme that pops up often in her art.…
Medical workers in Osaka prefecture account for 9 percent of all coronavirus cases Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In the prefecture of Osaka, it is known that just over 9 percent of all coronavirus cases are related to medical workers. Of course, it isn’t surprising that the environs of Osaka have…
Buddhist poetry of Japan and the last twilight before the shadow of time Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Two exquisite short poems by Buddhist holy men from Japan focus on the shadow of life and the memories left behind. It matters not that both poets come from extremely contrasting times in history. For Henjō…
Deaths in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK is 75,000 compared to 450 people in the modern Asia Pacific Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis emanated in Wuhan and then spread throughout China. In time, China got on top of the first wave of coronavirus. However, what is…
Japan in full State of Emergency and the estranged coronavirus crisis Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The initial state of emergency called by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is now being applied to the entire country. At first, it covered only the cities of Osaka and Tokyo along with the prefectures of…
Japan and rising numbers of untraceable coronavirus cases: Lax for over two months Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The people of Japan have been let down by the government and the Tokyo Governor because for two months they put the 2020 Tokyo Olympics first. Thus, rising numbers of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases…
Regions in Japan request people in coronavirus hit areas to refrain from movement Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The limitations of the state of emergency ushered by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are creating internal tensions. This relates to Yuriko Koike, the Tokyo Governor, seeking greater clarity so that she can lockdown…
State of Emergency in Japan to include Osaka, Tokyo, and five more prefectures Kanako Itamae and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will declare a state of emergency after a recent spate of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases. Abe, extremely concerned about the economic angle, finally relented to growing pressure. Hence, the coronavirus…
Japan to declare a State of Emergency: Abe and Koike in coronavirus U-turn Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, despite loathing to impact too much on the economy, will declare a state of emergency. In truth, Abe and Yuriko Koike, the Tokyo Governor, have not covered…
Coronavirus increases in Tokyo with 70 percent having no obvious infection route Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The gradual increase in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in Tokyo is making people anxious. All major cities in Japan have currently avoided the ravages of other parts of the world. However, the gradual trend is…
Over 10,000 dead in Spain and six days running with over 800 deaths Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Spain is second in terms of deaths behind Italy with combined numbers reaching over 24,000. Spain today witnessed two alarming milestones in relation to the brutal coronavirus (Covid-19). This applies…
Japan to focus on Avigan, Futhan, and other drugs to fight coronavirus Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is putting important emphasis on medicines to fight coronavirus (Covid-19). Hence, Abe’s administration is being tasked with supporting a possible breakthrough. Therefore, reports are specifically focused on Avigan…
Mount Fuji and contemporary Japanese art: The old world of Rinpa Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Japanese contemporary artist, Sawako Utsumi, once more produces an adorable art piece based on rinpa (rimpa). In the past, Utsumi heavily focused on Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828) about rinpa. However, in her latest rinpa art piece, the emphasis…
Group infection of 58 in Japan on the coattails of the Olympic postponement Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In recent days more cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) are being reported in various parts of Japan. Thus, news emanating from Chiba prefecture, part of Greater Tokyo, of a group infection is part of…
A contemporary artist from Japan and her love of Dutch landscape art Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Dutch art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is revered by Sawako Utsumi, who is a contemporary Japanese artist. Historically, the links developed between Japan and Holland (the Netherlands) are also extremely fascinating, especially during the Edo…
Tokyo Governor and PM Abe to focus more on coronavirus after the Olympics postponed Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Tokyo Governor (Yuriko Koike) is suddenly focusing strongly on the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed. However, to the layperson, it looks rather cynical. Despite this, people…
