Top 25 JAPAN Forward Reader’s Favorites of 2020: 5 - 1

~JAPAN Forward reached new milestones in monthly and daily readership in 2020. We invite you to find what attracted readers to our most popular articles of the year, including the five most popular of all, below~

Thanks to you, our valued readers, JAPAN Forward reached new milestones in monthly and daily readership in 2020.

Millions of readers around the world followed our top news coverage; got their sports and entertainment updates from us; made culture and lifestyle discoveries alongside our writers; and gained insights into scientific advances, political, security, economic, and historical issues, courtesy of our contributing analysts.

Many of you tuned-in to our podcast, watched The King’s Singers “Finding Harmony” concert online, were entertained with our Rakugo coverage on YouTube. Even more kept up to date through our four weekly newsletters.

From heartfelt stories of the coronavirus fighting Amabie, to the sports coverages that kept us entertained, discoveries about our universe and of course, cultural pieces that kept our wanderlust on high, our 2020 JAPAN Forward Top 25 highlights the stories that best gave readers a unique understanding of the Real Issues, Real Voices, and the Real Japan in 2020.

This article highlights the final set: the five most popular articles of 2020, numbers 5 to 1. Take a look and find out why your fellow readers read these stories more than any others:

5 North Korean problem should be solved before war erupts': Interview with Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad

by Hideki Yoshimura

The brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was killed with a lethal nerve agent while he was at the Kuala Lumpur airport in 2017. Malaysian authorities believed Pyongyang was involved.

4 A Photographer's Notes - My Top 5 Sequence Images

by Jason Halayko

Normally, a photo only allows us to witness a single split second of a moment. But with sequence images, you are able to show the full progression of motion.

3 Shinzo Abe Vows to Share Coronavirus Vaccine to the World, As Japan Lifts State of Emergency

by Arielle Busetto

The Prime Minister expressed the will to pitch “a transparent system to share the vaccine, which can be used also by developing countries,” to the G7 meeting…

2 Cherry Blossom Viewing Guide 2020: Western Japan

by Arielle Busetto

Hanami season, the ritual of admiring the beautiful snow-like quality of sakura flower petals in spring with family and friends. It is a period which all Japanese look forward to.

1 Biological Weapons the Focus of China's Military Research in the Last 20 Years

by Dr Monika Chansoria

Following COVID-19, it is apposite to go back and trace the many notable military research writings that have advocated for more than two decades that China should prepare itself to wage warfare beyond Western rules.

Read our Most Popular story of the Year Here.

Thank you for joining on this journey through the year 2020. Is there something you would like to see us cover more of? Be sure to leave a message in our “Click to Comment” section below. We look forward to having you join us as we enter a new year filled with promise in 2021.