In the last year or so, Japan has quietly backed away from championing human rights in North Korea at the United Nations. 

Traditional attitudes towards childcare limit the effectiveness of public policy measures that seek to protect children from accidents.

Japanese perceptions of security threats suggests that Tokyo would find public support for an effort to improve relations with Seoul.

Politicians are trying to garner attention by advancing measures that would contain the coronavirus, but the impact of the virus on public opinion may be overstated.

There are already indications that Korea’s tourism industry will be hit harder by the coronavirus than by prior infectious diseases such as SARS and MERS.