http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13676669

Abe Resigns!

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Aug. 28 that he was resigning for health reasons because he could not continue if he was “no longer in a condition to confidently respond to the mandate given him by the public.”

Abe has served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history.

On September 16, 2020. Yoshihide Suga, was elected to replace him as Prime Minister. The appointment of Suga as Abe's replacement isn't surprising. Suga has been Abe's right-hand man for the last 8 years.

Warnings Fail to Stop Japanese from Viewing Cherry Blossoms

TOKYO - The crowds might be thinner and parties smaller, but warnings from officials over the coronavirus have done little to stop Japanese celebrating as the country's famed cherry trees explode into bloom. The cherry blossom season is one of Japan's most important national events. Over a warm long weekend in Tokyo, people packed into traditional blossom hotspots, many not even wearing face masks, to admire the fluffy white and pink flowers hanging from delicate stems. "We are told to exercise self-restraint but I wanted to have one party at least," said one visitor. He described hanami -- flower viewing -- as "the real joy of spring".