Nevin Thompson served as Japan Editor and Social Media Manager for Global Voices from 2014 to 2022. He is a translator, writer, and journalist, and has been connected to Japan for nearly 30 years.
Nevin currently lives and works on an island off the West Coast of Canada, and spends about three months each year with his family in Tsuruga, a small city on the Japan Sea Coast, just north of Kyoto.
Latest posts by Nevin Thompson
Myanmar detains Japanese journalist who covered protest
"We call for freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Myanmar and abroad."
Exploring the Mariko Aoki phenomenon: Do bookstores make you poop?
"The intensity of the information that you encounter in museums and libraries—or the sudden quiet of a garden—can trigger an autonomic response in your gut."
Japan officially rebukes Ukraine for comparing wartime emperor with Hitler, Mussolini
"You can love Japan, and be proud to be Japanese, without defending this history of fascism."
Japanese fast food exec fired after talk of “hooking young women on meth”
The former Yoshinoya executive's remarks are just one example of the deeper problem of misogyny that plagues Japanese society.
Satellite mapping project tracks damage to Ukrainian communities
Satellite Images Map of Ukraine incorporates satellite images, drone footage, and 3D visualization to track, organize, and verify damage done to Ukraine.
Japan's complicated response to the invasion of Ukraine
The Russian invasion has also reinforced Japan as a country unwelcoming to refugees, and has shattered the nation's rejection of nuclear weapons.
Travel bans, Japan, and me
Thanks to Japan's strict, and, in some ways, incomprehensible COVID-19 travel restrictions for foreigners, it's hard to say when I'll be able to return.
Excitement, misgivings over Japan's newest bullet train
The public is questioning the very utility of the new West Kyushu shinkansen line, which complicates travel in certain areas and remains only partially completed.
Japan calls for stricter COVID-19 measures for U.S. military personnel
For some, Japan's "mambo"—the country's quasi-state of emergency—is not enough to deal with the COVID-19 threat that they percieve is being posed by the U.S. military.
Despite widespread opposition, Japan plans to dump water from Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean
"The Pacific is not and must not become the dumping ground for nuclear wastes." - The Pacific Collective on Nuclear Issues
Omicron prompts Japan to attempt “national isolation” once more
Following the identification of a new strain of COVID-19, the Japanese government briefly attempted to completely seal the country's air and sea borders.
Japan named ‘Fossil of the Day’ for ‘clean coal’ plans
Efforts by Japan to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade appear to be marginal at best.
Why can't Japan's opposition parties win?
Despite an all-out effort to coordinate campaign activities, opposition parties once again failed to gain traction with voters.
A McDonald's drive-through in Japan gets a visit from a sacred horse
A popular post on Japanese Twitter provides a glimpse into the long connection between horses and Shinto shrines in Japan.
Prefecture threatens to sue after being ranked one of the “least attractive” places in Japan
The annual survey asks respondents all over Japan to rank the attractiveness of the nation's 47 prefectures based on 84 different attributes, including natural features, cuisine, and tourist attractions.
Join us LIVE on December 2 for roundtable discussion “Adventures in social media promotion”
This 60-minute roundtable discussion on Thursday, December 2 @ 4pm GMT / 5pm CET / 11am EST / 8am PST will focus on how news organizations share stories with audiences across social media.
Quirky Japanese promo campaign launches new brand of rice, just in time for harvest season
The official Japan-wide launch of a new rice brand includes a quirky musical commercial, a social media photo contest, and feelings of anticipation for "new rice."
What did Japanese people really think about the Olympics?
To gauge public sentiment following the end of the Olympics, Global Voices used the Twitter API to track the online conversation.
Train attack in Japan exposes misogyny and gender violence
"The common trait among mass shooters, serial killers, and other serial perpetrators of gendered violence is an intense hatred of women."
Japan's ‘Battleship Island’ hides history of wartime forced labor
"Very little of Japan's history of industrialization presented at their new UNESCO Heritage sites is true."
Twitter Japan appears to suspend government critics
Twitter Japan typically provides no explanation for the bans, or why accounts are restored.
