Yoko Takahashi

Design

Cobble it up

Along with clean hospitals and punctual buses, our cities should have a cosy feel to them. Let’s hear it for warm street lighting, pristine parks and cobbled back alleys.

Affairs

Power struggle

Sakhalin, in Russia’s far east, is a short hop from Japan, its former ruler. Marooned during the Soviet era, the region has seen little investment or spoils from its own huge oil reserves.

Affairs

Japanese MSDF

Under its post-war constitution, Japan is not allowed a navy, army or air force, only Self Defence Forces. Yet, today, the country has one of the largest, most sophisticated fleets in the world with…