TOKYO—After nine months of a shrinking economy, Japan has dug itself into a deep hole that it might not emerge from for at least two years. The world’s third-largest economy after the U.S. and China was smaller in real terms in the second quarter of 2020 than it was in the final quarter of 2012, … Read more
BEIJING—Before going to bed, George Gao, the head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, typically completes his 10,000 steps for the day and then checks the news online. When he scanned his feed on Dec. 30, he was stunned. Two leaked local-government notices warned about cases of unexplained pneumonia in the Chinese … Read more
SHANGHAI—Thousands of China-based U.S. and other foreign business executives remain stranded outside the country due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, leading some to give up hope of returning and posing operational challenges for their companies. The travel disruption due to public-health concerns matters not just for business but also for geopolitics, U.S. business leaders say. With … Read more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand—New Zealand delayed a national election by about a month after a coronavirus outbreak in its largest city of Auckland put a third of voters into lockdown. The election, which was expected to be dominated by debate over the government’s response to the pandemic, will now be held on Oct. 17, Prime Minister … Read more
TOKYO—The Japanese economy shrank less than the U.S. and European economies did in the April-June quarter, but it fared worse than Asian counterparts. Japan’s gross domestic product fell 7.8% in the second quarter of 2020 compared with the previous quarter, the worst drop on record in the period since 1980, when comparable data began to … Read more
KYOTO, Japan—The bustle of tourists has disappeared from this ancient capital—only to be replaced by dissension over whether they should ever be welcomed back. Mimiko Takayasu, 80 years old, is proprietress of a century-old tea house where geisha entertain wealthy Japanese with traditional music and dance. Until the coronavirus pandemic, the streets of Gion, Kyoto’s … Read more
SEOUL—South Korean health officials are on guard and strengthening prevention measures after the country on Sunday reported its highest daily count of new coronavirus infections in months. There were 279 newly infected individuals, health officials said. Most of the cases arose in the Seoul metropolitan area, home to about half the country’s population. Though… Source link