TOKYO — It is a measure of the depth of fears surrounding the safety of Toyota’s cars that its media-shy president, Akio Toyoda, has briefed the massed ranks of the Tokyo press corps three times in less than two weeks. On Wednesday, as he discussed the latest installment in the recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, it appeared that the cacophony of criticism over his handling of the crisis was beginning to resonate.

TOKYO, Japan — Two Greenpeace Japan activists pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial on Monday to theft and trespass charges. But this is no simple expression of alleged Japanese crime and punishment. The high-profile case relates to a box of whale meat the activists say they took in order to expose widespread corruption in the publicly-financed “scientific” whaling industry.

CHICAGO — As Toyota careened from one recall crisis to the next, the contrast was almost funny. In one corner, we had pure Kabuki theater — a highly-stylized corporate drama playing out on the world stage.

OSAKA, Japan — As rush-hour travelers spill out of the busy Japan Railways train station, some walk into the bright, fluorescent-lit convenience store just outside the exit gates. The clean, organized store is a world unto itself: rows of spotless shelves stocked with everything from milk cartons to packaged underwear to freshly baked goods. Clerks greet customers with a loud “Irrashimase,” or “welcome.”