Biography

Sarah Birke is The Economist‘s Tokyo Bureau Chief, covering Japanese politics, society and business. Prior to this she covered the Middle East and north Africa, first as the regional correspondent and then as Bureau Chief, reporting on some 20 countries. A specialist in Syria, she lived in Damascus, Beirut and Cairo. Prior to joining The Economist, she wrote for a range of publications including the Wall Street Journal and The Times (London). She has also contributed to the New York Review of Books, London Review of Books and The New Republic. Sarah also lived in Italy for two years and spent time wandering Liberia in west Africa.