William Sposato

William Sposato is a Tokyo-based journalist who has been a contributor to Foreign Policy since 2015. He has been following Japan’s politics and economics for more than 20 years, working at Reuters and the Wall Street Journal. He is also the co-author of a 2021 book on the Carlos Ghosn affair and its impact on Japan.

Articles by William Sposato
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
U.S. President Donald Trump is welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Japan Worries About Four More Years of Trump—and About a Biden Presidency

Election 2020
William Sposato
Then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga (right) presents flowers to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga (right) presents flowers to Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Abenomics Can Flourish Without Abe

Argument
William Sposato
Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga poses for a portrait picture in Tokyo on Sept. 14.
Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga poses for a portrait picture in Tokyo on Sept. 14.

Japan’s New Prime Minister Is a Fixer, Not a Leader

Argument
William Sposato
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Unloved But Successful, Shinzo Abe Takes His Bow

Argument
William Sposato
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes off his face mask before speaking during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 14.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe takes off his face mask before speaking during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on May 14.

Japan’s Halfhearted Coronavirus Measures Are Working Anyway

Argument
William Sposato
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wearing a face mask attends a press conference at the prime minister's official residence on April 7 in Tokyo.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wearing a face mask attends a press conference at the prime minister's official residence on April 7 in Tokyo.

Japan Is Testing the Limits of Pandemic Economics

Argument
William Sposato
Using a lantern to preserve the Olympic flame
Using a lantern to preserve the Olympic flame

Japan Hopes for a Post-Coronavirus Olympics

Argument
William Sposato
Officers assist passengers arriving at a quarantine station at Narita airport on March 9. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on March 5 that foreign arrivals who have recently been in China or South Korea would be required to spend 14 days in quarantine.
Officers assist passengers arriving at a quarantine station at Narita airport on March 9. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on March 5 that foreign arrivals who have recently been in China or South Korea would be required to spend 14 days in quarantine.

Japan and Korea Won’t Let A Pandemic Stop Them Fighting

Argument
William Sposato
People wearing face masks in Tokyo during the coronavirus crisis.
People wearing face masks in Tokyo during the coronavirus crisis.

Japan’s Economy May Be Another Coronavirus Casualty

Dispatch
William Sposato
Carlos Ghosn
Carlos Ghosn

Ghosn’s Flight Leaves CEOs Thinking Twice About Japan

Argument
William Sposato
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Shinzo Abe Can’t Afford to Rest on His Laurels

Argument
William Sposato
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Japan Regrets Trusting Trump on Trade

Argument
William Sposato
Japanese women dressed in kimonos take a ride on a roller coaster
Japanese women dressed in kimonos take a ride on a roller coaster

Japan’s Topsy-Turvy Economy Is the United States’ Economic Future

Argument
William Sposato
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for a bi-lateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the United Nations Headquarters on September 20, 2016 in New York City.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives for a bi-lateral meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at the United Nations Headquarters on September 20, 2016 in New York City.

Shinzo Abe’s Dream Will Never Come True

Argument
William Sposato
South Korean protesters participate in a rally to denounce Japan's new trade restrictions on South Korea in front of the Japanese embassy on August 03, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.
South Korean protesters participate in a rally to denounce Japan's new trade restrictions on South Korea in front of the Japanese embassy on August 03, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.

Japan Started a War It Wasn’t Ready to Fight

Argument
William Sposato
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