Japan Imperial Family's beloved dog Yuri dies due to old age
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko were all present when Yuri passed away on the evening of June 23 at the Imperial Residence within the Imperial Palace.
Yuri was a female mixed breed dog with Shiba Inu traits, rescued at a veterinary hospital. The Imperial Couple adopted her in the spring of 2009 when she was about 2 months old, and Princess Aiko named her Yuri. She appeared frequently in family photographs released by the Imperial Household Agency to mark the family's birthdays and other occasions.
Yuri had received training as a therapy dog and reportedly participated in animal therapy activities until the COVID-19 pandemic began. She interacted with children hospitalized in pediatric wards and took walks with them in hospital hallways.
According to the aide, the Imperial Family stayed by Yuri's side in her final moments, recalling how deeply she had been loved by many people.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
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Prince Hisahito's Coming-of-Age Ceremony Details Announced
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The Diplomat
21-07-2025
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Between Sectors, Between Worlds: The Significance of Seasonal Labor in India
In the end days of March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfurled across the world, the Indian government imposed a severe lockdown that included closing down industry and transportation. Masses of Indian laborers suddenly had no work and had to return to their homes, sometimes traveling great distances on foot. According to a U.N. estimate, the number of workers who had to shift back like this exceeded 100 million people Why couldn't they stay? For one, a majority of Indians are not formally employed, in the sense that they often work without a contract, and thus without the social net such a contract usually entails (or, to be more precise: that it usually entails in the West). This is especially true for cheap labor. Second, many of the poorest laborers in large Indian cities live in dire conditions, some of them without even a roof over their heads. Without prospects for work until the end of the lockdown, they had no other option but to head back home. And home meant the villages. 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Yomiuri Shimbun
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