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September 20, 2024
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September 20, 2024
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The street where a 10-year-old boy is said to have been stabbed with a knife, on Thursday in Shenzhen in southern China.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japanese school student stabbed in Shenzhen dies
By Francis Tang and Kathleen Benoza
The assault echoes an earlier incident of violence in June, when a man attacked a bus used by a Japanese school in Suzhou, China.
The street where a 10-year-old boy is said to have been stabbed with a knife, on Thursday in Shenzhen in southern China.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito speaks during a prefectural assembly session on Thursday in Kobe. A motion of no confidence against Saito, who is accused of workplace bullying, was submitted to the prefectural assembly on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Hyogo assembly passes no-confidence motion against embattled governor
By Francis Tang
The extremely rare move forces Gov. Motohiko Saito, who is accused of workplace bullying, to either step down or dissolve the assembly within 10 days.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s plant in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture. The chipmaker is building a second plant in the prefecture that is scheduled to commence production in 2027.
BUSINESS / Companies
Third TSMC plant in Japan remains up in the air 
By Kazuaki Nagata
Taiwan Minister of National Development Liu Chin-ching, who is on TSMC’s board, says it hasn't been decided yet.
Candidates for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election take part in a debate in Tokyo on Saturday. Of the nine candidates, three — Takayuki Kobayashi, Taro Kono, and Shigeru Ishiba — have been particularly vocal with their views on the country's energy strategy.
JAPAN / Politics
LDP presidential hopefuls face tough choices on Japan's energy future
By Eric Johnston
Candidates must decide what role nuclear power will play in the government's long-term energy strategy.
Coco Yoshizawa competes in the women's street skateboarding final, which she went on to win, at the Paris Olympics on July 28.
MORE SPORTS
Top skaters and riders set to wow Japan crowd at X Games Chiba
By Jason Coskrey
The elements won't be a factor this year, with the event moving indoors after rain disrupted previous editions.
Coco Yoshizawa competes in the women's street skateboarding final, which she went on to win, at the Paris Olympics on July 28.

JAPAN

Shiretoko Yuransen President Seiichi Katsurada (center) in Shari, Hokkaido, in May 2022. Katsurada admitted to having little knowledge of ships in an interview before his arrest on Wednesday.
Hokkaido boat operator in 2022 fatal sinking had little knowledge of ships
He made himself the company's safety and operational manager despite lacking the necessary qualifications after dismissing key employees during the pandemic.
A shinkansen bullet train is stopped in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Thursday morning following a decoupling incident.
Tohoku Shinkansen services briefly halted after train car decoupling
The incident marks the first time that a coupler has come undone while the train is traveling, according to JR East.
17% of kick scooter accidents caused by drunken drivers
Noda front-runner in CDP leadership race, with Edano close behind: survey
Tokyo Metro maintenance subsidiary falsified wheelset data
Chinese carrier sails between Japanese islands near Taiwan for first time
By Jesse Johnson

BUSINESS

The logo of Japanese walkie-talkie maker Icom at a shop in Tokyo. The firm said that it had stopped producing the model of radios reportedly used in recent blasts in Lebanon around a decade ago.
Walkie-talkies in Lebanon blasts were discontinued a decade ago
Thousands of electronic devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, exploded over the last two days, killing at least 26 people and wounding more than 3,000.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holds a news conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington on Wednesday.
Fed cuts rates by half-point in decisive bid to defend economy
By Catarina Saraiva
It is the Fed’s first rate cut in more than four years.
Nintendo sues 'Pokemon with guns' maker for patent infringement
Boeing furloughs thousands as no progress made to resolve strike
By David Shepardson and Allison Lampert
Lawson to open convenience stores of the 'future' next spring in Tokyo
Elon Musk’s X bypasses Brazil ban through a software update
By Andrew Rosati

WORLD

The Typhon missile system at Laoag International Airport, in Laoag, Philippines, on Wednesday.
U.S. keeps missile system in Philippines as China tensions rise
By Karen Lema and Poppy McPherson
China and Russia condemned the move — the first deployment of the system to the Indo-Pacific — and accused Washington of fueling an arms race.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Ukrainian service members in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, on July 8, 2022. Zelenskyy has given few clues of the contents of his "victory plan," indicating only that it aims to create terms acceptable to Ukraine.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy says 'victory plan' is ready
The plan is intended to bring peace to Ukraine while keeping the country strong and avoiding all "frozen conflicts," he says.
Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire
By Krishn Kaushik
The shadow fleet transporting sanctioned gas for Russia
By Stephen Stapczynski, Rakesh Sharma and Christopher Udemans
China's 'full-time dads' challenge patriarchal norms
By Ludovic Ehret
Microsoft executive warns of meddling in final days of U.S. election
By Emily Birnbaum and Oma Seddiq

Sports

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani steals a base against the Marlins on Wednesday.
Ohtani says 'no pressure' as he closes in on 50-50 season
By Rory Carroll
The Los Angeles Dodgers slugger has 48 home runs and 49 stolen bases so far this season, an MLB first.
Retirement can make you feel 'like an alien,' Federer says ahead of Laver Cup
By Daniel WIGHTON
WNBA awards Portland expansion team that will start play in 2026
Eli Manning and Marshawn Lynch lead 2025 Hall of Fame nominees
McIlroy says players among hurdles to PGA Tour-PIF deal

Opinion

Guaranteeing Ukraine’s security will require increased military support, a clear path to NATO membership and international support for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan.
Achieving peace through strength in Ukraine
Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Andriy Yermak
To secure a lasting peace, Ukraine’s allies must make Vladimir Putin understand that he cannot dictate terms.
The Fed’s uncertain destination troubles the bond market
By Jonathan Levin
How 7-Eleven can get a big price from Circle K
By Chris Hughes
The forgotten impact of 9/11 on Japan
By Oliver Jia
Southeast Asia untroubled by China’s nuclear modernization efforts
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

Solar panels and wind turbines at a power plant in Hami in China's Xinjiang region. The U.S. and other countries have described China’s actions against Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region, a key cog in the cleantech supply chain, as a genocidal campaign aimed at erasing an entire culture.
How China’s dominance of solar and batteries is impacting Japan’s energy transition
By Nithin Coca
China has thrown its industrial might behind cleantech, putting Japan in a tough spot as it weighs human rights concerns against its climate targets.
Historic rainfall inflicts chaotic floods across four continents
By Brian K Sullivan
'Disappeared completely': Melting glaciers worry Central Asia
By Bruno KALOUAZ
'Easy, convenient, cheap': How single-use plastic rules the world
Trump stalks global climate talks as COP29 draws near
By Nick Perry

CULTURE

Anna Sawai (left), winner of the outstanding lead actress in a drama series award, and Hiroyuki Sanada, outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "Shogun," at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
Japanese are jubilant over 'Shogun' — even without having watched the series
By Natsuko Fukue
"Shogun" is only available via Disney's streaming platform, which is relatively new in Japan. Nonetheless, people are buzzing with excitement over the show's Emmy wins.
‘Living in Two Worlds’ raises the bar for depictions of deafness
By James Hadfield
Intimate and revelatory, ‘Mitsuki, Sekai’ explores the quiet trials of girlhood
By Mark Schilling
'Shogun' becomes first non-English-language winner of best drama Emmy
By Alyssa I. Smith
Hiroyuki Sanada: the actor and producer driving TV's 'Shogun'
By Natsuko Fukue

LIFE

The Milky Way, known as "ama no gawa" in Japanese, is seen above Mount Fuji.
Comets and constellations: The language of stargazing
By Eric Margolis
Whether it's telling someone to look at a shooting star or describing the difference between stars and planets, the vocabulary of space is vast and interesting.
The real-world inspirations behind 'Shogun' are a shinkansen away
By Edward J. Taylor
‘MasterChef UK’ winner’s new cookbook puts Hokkaido cuisine on vivid display
By Simon Daly
The enduring allure of Kyoto’s Kamo River
By Shawn B. Swinger
Tokyo’s top fashion showcase pushes rising stars to the world stage
By Mike Fu

COMMUNITY

American Kara Harris is on the verge of attaining a high-level certification in the world of kimono — and may possibly be the first Black woman to do so.
‘The people I’d seen in kimono didn’t have as much melanin as I do’
By Baye McNeil
A student of Kara Harris says the kimono instructor knows how to expertly fit the traditional garment to bodies with more curves than the stereotypical Japanese frame.
After a rough upbringing, Amber is looking for a loving home
Andreas Fuchs: ‘I love that no two days are the same’
By Louise George Kittaka
Philippine envoy highlights climate and smart farms
By Louise George Kittaka
Over half a century, seeds of change grow at a Tochigi farm
By Madeleine Cuckson

Editors' Picks

SUMO
Onosato’s meteoric rise is stunning — but not surprising
By John Gunning
Onosato shoves out Mitakeumi on Sunday in Tokyo to continue his perfect run at the Autumn Basho. At 192-centimeters-tall and 177 kilograms, Onosato may be neither the tallest nor the heaviest wrestler in the makuuchi division, but he is very close to the top in each of those two categories.
JAPAN
France-Japan military pact expected by year-end, envoy to Tokyo says
By Gabriel Dominguez
French Ambassador Philippe Setton says that, despite previous differences over whether Japan should host a NATO liaison office, Paris aims to deepen ties with Tokyo "in all security areas."
JAPAN
Japan’s schools battle to keep kids cool, with or without AC
By Mai Yoshikawa
Students sit under a misting system during recess at Hikarigaoka Haru no Kaze Elementary School in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, on Sept. 6.
CULTURE
‘Shogun’ and the painstaking art of ‘getting it right’
By Thu-Huong Ha
Hiroyuki Sanada and the cast and crew of "Shogun" accept the award for best drama series at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
LIFE
Chris Broad's new bar puts cocktails first, YouTube second
By Patrick St. Michel
A self-proclaimed lover of great cocktails, YouTuber Chris Broad says his new Shibuya watering hole is more a place to get yourself a solid drink than it is anything related to his social media career.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’
Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japanese school student stabbed in Shenzhen dies
By Francis Tang and Kathleen Benoza
The street where a 10-year-old boy is said to have been stabbed with a knife, on Thursday in Shenzhen in southern China.
JAPAN
Chinese carrier sails between Japanese islands near Taiwan for first time
By Jesse Johnson
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier sails in waters near Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday.
JAPAN
LDP leader candidates split on separate surnames for married couples
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Liberal Democratic Party presidential election candidates after a campaign event in Nagoya on Saturday
SUMO
Onosato’s meteoric rise is stunning — but not surprising
By John Gunning
Onosato shoves out Mitakeumi on Sunday in Tokyo to continue his perfect run at the Autumn Basho. At 192-centimeters-tall and 177 kilograms, Onosato may be neither the tallest nor the heaviest wrestler in the makuuchi division, but he is very close to the top in each of those two categories.
JAPAN
Scientists win Ig Nobel for discovering anal breathing in mammals
By Himari Semans
Takanori Takebe (behind the lectern) speaks after his team of researchers and he were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in physiology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday.