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December 21, 2023
 

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Japan's industry ministry said it would provide Samsung subsidies worth up to ¥20 billion as it looks to support the revitalization of domestic chip manufacturing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 21, 2023
Samsung to set up chip packaging research facility in Japan
Samsung's investment comes at a time of easing tensions between South Korea and Japan.
Commissioner Yasuhiro Tsuyuki speaks at a news conference at the National Police Agency on Dec. 7.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2023
Japanese police to restrict online posts on making guns
The National Police Agency plans to penalize malicious online posts regarding the manufacturing and transfer of guns that incite unlawful possession.
Children run down a street in the Oimawashi district of Sendai in about 1955.
JAPAN / History
Dec 21, 2023
WWII survivors' neighborhood remembered after last house torn down
Sendai's Oimawashi district was built nearly 80 years ago for people whose property had been destroyed by bombing.
Seiji Maehara (center) with other members of his new party, Free Education for All, at the parliament on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
Seiji Maehara launches new party to unite opposition against LDP
The former foreign minister's new Free Education for All party aligns in its major policy priority with Nippon Ishin no Kai.
A man in front of his damaged house on Wednesday following an earthquake in China's Gansu province
ASIA PACIFIC / Social Issues
Dec 21, 2023
China calls off search amid deadly cold after quake kills over 130
Many online suggested sub-freezing temperatures had shortened the "golden period" for finding survivors — typically 72 hours.
LGBTQ activists take part in a protest in Moscow.
WORLD / Society
Dec 21, 2023
LGBTQ+ Russians ask: Should I stay or should I go?
Rights activists fear the ruling could open the door to arrests and prosecutions.
Shoppers at a market in Kyiv on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
With Ukraine’s aid in doubt, companies say they’re the Plan B
Ukrainian companies making products are ensuring their survival while contributing to the war effort.
In Japan, most of the trending hashtags on X on Thursday are related to the platform's outage.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 21, 2023
Social media platform X back up after wide-scale outage
Social media platform X suffered a global outage on Thursday, with users being unable to view posts.
Police officers explain bicycle rules during an event in Tokyo last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 21, 2023
Police panel proposes fines up to ¥12,000 for cycling violations
The agency hopes to finalize a proposal at a meeting of the panel in January and submit a bill to parliament next year to amend the Road Traffic Act.
Families of deceased plaintiffs in lawsuits over wartime labor during Japan's colonial rule outside South Korea's Supreme Court in Seoul on Thursday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 21, 2023
South Korean court upholds wartime labor damages order for Japan firms
The rulings came as South Korea-Japan relations have been improving since Seoul announced in March its plan for solving the wartime labor issue.
A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released Nov. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
Saudi Arabia holds back as U.S. Red Sea task force tests ties
Riyadh's priorities include extricating itself from both a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer, Iran.
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of an Israeli strike on a house in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 21, 2023
Egypt aims to broker Gaza ceasefire amid Hamas and Israel demands
Chances for a second truce is slim with Hamas demanding a permanent end to Israeli offensive, which Israel has ruled out.
Japan’s travel industry urges people to get their mighty passports
Japan’s passport gives visa-free entry to 192 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. The country lost the top spot to Singapore earlier this year, after leading the list for five straight years.
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
Women arrested for prostitution in Shinjuku tripled in 2023
Tokyo police officers head to host clubs in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku Ward for inspections on Friday.
Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April
Ride-sharing apps (clockwise from bottom) Uber, Grab, Didi and Ola Cabs are seen on a smartphone display.
U.S. allies brace for high cost of defeat as Ukraine aid stalls
Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting near Moscow on Dec. 12.
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
Women arrested for prostitution in Shinjuku tripled in 2023
Tokyo police officers head to host clubs in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku Ward for inspections on Friday.
Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April
Ride-sharing apps (clockwise from bottom) Uber, Grab, Didi and Ola Cabs are seen on a smartphone display.
Stablemaster Shikoroyama's lasting sumo legacy
Terao, later known as Shikoroyama, defeats yokozuna Takanohana at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka in 1995.
An oven-less Christmas ‘roast’ for your tiny Japanese kitchen
A filling, home-cooked Christmas dinner is within your reach — even among all the fried chicken and cramped kitchens throughout Japan.

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