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Kathleen Benoza
Demonstrators during a Women's Day march in Tokyo on March 8
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 28, 2023
Consent issue casts shadow on safe abortion in Japan
The law stipulates that abortion must be carried out in the early stages of pregnancy with the consent of one's spouse.
Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki (left) and Nippon TV Chairman Yoshikuni Sugiyama shake hands during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023
Studio Ghibli set to become subsidiary of Nippon TV
Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki will assume the position of chairman while Hayao Miyazaki will be its honorary chairman.
A construction site where workers fell, with at least two killed, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2023
Two workers killed after accident at Tokyo construction site
The workers were caught up in the incident when steel beams fell from the seventh floor to the third floor of the site in Nihonbashi, Chuo Ward.
Police officers guide the Halloween crowd at the Shibuya scramble crossing in Tokyo on Oct. 31 last year.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 12, 2023
Shibuya’s mayor has a message for Halloween revelers: Don’t come
Shibuya’s scramble crossing has become the go-to spot for younger generations, but past incidents have fueled concern among officials.
A fire breaks out in the Yurakucho area of Tokyo after the Great Kanto Earthquake in September 1923.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2023
Century since Kanto quake, expert warns of 'blind faith' in disaster resilience
For many, grasping the potential devastation of a future major quake remains as elusive as it was 100 years ago.
The South Korean Embassy in Tokyo's Minato Ward
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 14, 2023
South Korean embassy in Tokyo reports bomb threat
The embassy is investigating the possibility of the threat being a hoax, but it has also asked Japanese police to provide stepped up security.
From hidden street art to this two-story-tall Pikachu balloon, Yokohama will be blanketed in Pokemon paraphernalia
through Aug. 14.
LIFE / Digital
Aug 10, 2023
Pokemon comes home for the 2023 world championships in Yokohama
For the first time in the Pokemon franchise’s history, its world championships get underway in Japan.
Mariko Hayashi, head of the board at Nihon University, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on July 11.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 2, 2023
Football players at Japan university allegedly caught with cannabis
Club activities for the team have been suspended and the college has conducted interviews with coaches, club members and former club members.
Members of the media take photos of lawyers Hsu Sung Po (left) and Aiko Ohbuchi (center) and Taiwanese table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 27, 2023
Table tennis star Ai Fukuhara accused by ex-husband of abducting their son
The ex-husband, Taiwanese table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh, has said that a court in Japan ruled that Fukuhara was required to hand over their son.
Dennis Kwok, then a pro-democracy lawmaker, answers questions from the media outside the High Court in Hong Kong on Oct. 31, 2019.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2023
Hong Kong police target more family members of wanted democracy activists
The pair, former lawmaker Dennis Kwok and unionist Mung Siu-tat, are among eight exiled activists sought by authorities for alleged violations of the National Security Law.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 13, 2023
Severed heads of wild boars found in Kobe schoolyard
The heads, which all appeared to be from juvenile boars, were found at Nagamine Junior High School in the city’s Nada Ward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jul 12, 2023
Challenges persist as scandals plague Japan’s generic drug push
The aftermath of a series of manufacturing scandals is leading to shortages of the more affordable alternatives to brand-name medicine.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 4, 2023
Targeting of self-exiled Hong Kong activists draws widespread condemnation
The move by Hong Kong authorities to issue arrest warrants and a bounty for eight pro-democracy activists comes a widening crackdown on dissent in the city.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2023
Four injured as explosion hits building in Tokyo’s Shimbashi district
The blast, which originated in a bar on the second floor of the building, was reported at about 3:15 p.m.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2023
Japanese journalist denied entry into Hong Kong
Freelance journalist Yoshiaki Ogawa, known for his Hong Kong coverage, had attempted to enter the city on Thursday evening.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 23, 2023
Hong Kong student’s indictment for online posts from Japan shows China's reach
Activists have condemned the extraterritorial application of Hong Kong’s laws and urged Tokyo to speak out. But any actions by Japan may have limited impact.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2023
Expert panel takes aim at Japan’s prison conditions following inmate abuse
The reforms, including measures targeting the early detection of abuse, would be applied to all penal institutions in Japan if approved.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2023
Seven missing divers safe off Okinawa after coast guard rescue
At around 11:50 a.m., a diving boat instructor reported that seven divers were missing on the north side of a coral reef.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 19, 2023
Pokemon fan events level up Yokohama's 2023 world championships
Japan will finally host the iconic franchise’s premier esports competition — alongside a slate of stage shows, musical performances and Pikachu parades.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jun 18, 2023
Hong Kong student indicted over social media posts made from Japan
The case adds to fears over a sweeping national security law that is being deployed beyond Hong Kong's borders.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals