James Oaten

Tokyo

North Asia Correspondent at ABC News (Australia)

@ABCnews North Asia correspondent covering Japan + Koreas. Fmr South Asia corro in New Delhi. Opinions = own, retweets ≠ endorsements. DMs open.

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Articles

For over 80 years, this Tokyo chef has been perfecting just one recipe

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

A lifetime of carefully selecting the finest tuna has given Yukitaka Yamaguchi a superpower — he can tell where a fish has come from simply by its taste. "Canadian tuna eat herring so there's a certain smell to the taste of that tuna," he explains. Japanese tuna, on the other hand, has a "clean" taste and aroma due to the pure waters of Japan's archipelago and its unique local ecosystem. "Small fish can grow peacefully and stress-free," he says.
Ice-cold competition among Japan's snowball fighters

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

No longer just a game for rascal children, in Japan, snowball fighting is a fully fledged professional sport. Played with specially made snow that's as hard as a cricket ball, it's not a sport for the faint hearted. Now there are plans to take it world wide.
The tourism boom in Niseko is good for business but has made housing unaffordable for locals

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

For skiers and snowboarders, there are few places as famous as the Japanese ski resort of Niseko. Once a winter wonderland for Japanese tourists, Niseko has become increasingly dominated by international tourists ever since Australians started to arrive en masse in the early 2000s. Think Kuta, Bali, but instead of sand, up to 15 metres of exceptional snow falls each season.
Japan's car-makers fear tariff consequences - ABC listen

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

While US President Donald Trump may have reduced the tariffs for most countries for now, a 25 per cent tax on imported cars remains in place. It's a huge worry for Japan, which sells 20 per cent of the vehicles it makes to the US. Now its government is scrambling to try and strike a deal with the Americans.
Sth Korea President's impeachment upheld

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

After a months-long political crisis in South Korea, the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol has been upheld by a Constitutional Court. Efforts to remove Mr Yoon from office were triggered last December when, in a moment of desperation and political frustration, he tried and failed to impose martial law. The country now has to elect a new leader within 60 days.
South Korea's constitutional court has ruled to oust impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

The President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol is officially out of office, and the country will head back to the polls, after the Constitutional Court ruled to uphold his impeachment. It's a stunning fall for President Yoon, who's career as an anti-corruption prosecutor led him to the highest office in South Korea. But in a moment of desperation and political frustration, Mr Yoon tried and failed to impose martial law, triggering a series of events that led to his eventual and final downfall.
Protestors gather in Seoul over President's impeachment

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

There's tension in the South Korean capital today as the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will finally learn his fate. The Constitutional Court has been deliberating whether the President should permanently lose his job after imposing martial law last year.
South Korea releases long-awaited report into overseas adoptions of thousands of children

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

Larissa Dickson has spent more than four decades knowing a vital part of her history has been missing. But now, as health complications worsen, the Perth mother feels that time to uncover the truth is running out. "There was always a feeling that you never quite fit in," Larissa recalls.
The rise of grief bots: Virtual closure or a dangerous slippery slope?

1 month ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

As Jang Jisung stood crying in front of her daughter, she desperately wanted to hug her one last time. Her daughter, Na-Yeon, offered comfort. "Don't cry mummy."The emotions Jisung felt were overwhelming. She reached out to touch her daughter's face. But her hands simply passed through. This, after all, was not a real encounter. Jisung's seven-year-old daughter had died three years prior due to an aggressive and rare disease. Her likeness was being beamed through virtual reality.
South Korea's 'white skull squad' embraces MAGA-style politics

2 months ago | abc.net.au | James Oaten

For many older South Koreans, the name "white skull squad" harks back to a dark time of violence and repression. It was first used in the 1950s, when the country's first president, Rhee Syngman, a hardline anti-communist, used political thugs to silence opposition as he discarded term limits, as prescribed in the constitution. His grasp for absolute power came to an end in 1960 amid large-scale protests.