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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

Vietnam president quits as Communist Party intensifies graft crackdown

Vietnam has been rife with speculation he would be removed following January's dismissal of two deputy prime ministers who served under him.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2023

LDP lawmakers to set up group to promote Japan's defense exports

The move comes after the government last month revised its key defense documents, including the National Security Strategy, a long-term policy guideline.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

Kishida and Yoon call for improved bilateral relations

Kishida said in his written message that relations between Japan and South Korea need to be brought back to normalcy and promoted further.
Japan Times
SUMO / Basho reports
Jan 17, 2023

Takakeisho takes care of Meisei to remain sole leader

No. 8 maegashira Onosho and No. 13 Kotoshoho improved to 8-2 to remain one win off the pace at the 15-day tournament.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Jan 17, 2023

Andy Murray turns back the clock to win five-set epic

Murray will play the winner of Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis and Italian veteran Fabio Fognini for a place in the third round.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

With Kishida criticism, Suga steps back onto Japan's political stage

The former prime minister broke his monthslong silence to express his discontent with Kishida's decision to remain as an LDP faction leader.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2023

Boston startup raises $40 million to develop new low-carbon cement technology

The cement industry makes as much as 8% of the world's emissions — meeting global climate goals would require reducing that to zero.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2023

Climate activists say Big Oil is taking cycling fans for a ride

Sports sponsorships have emerged as a major battleground in the push to ban fossil fuel companies from advertising their brands.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2023

COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 11,120 new cases, 28 deaths

On Monday, the daily number of new cases across Japan came to 52,622, down by about 40,000 from a week earlier.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 17, 2023

Japan’s largest trade union head says 2023 is pivotal for wages

Trade union leader has stressed the importance of moving toward continued wage growth in the face of rapid inflation and economic stagnation.
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 22, 2024

'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam

The 25-year-old swindled three men out of ¥159 million, which she spent on a Kabukicho host she fell in love with.
Pedestrians walk on a flooded road in the city of Akita on Sunday morning after heavy rains hit the area.
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2023

Heavy rains hit Tohoku region, leaving at least one dead and four injured in Akita

A man died and more than 2,000 people evacuated as heavy rain pounded Akita Prefecture over the weekend, local authorities said Sunday.
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 18, 2024

'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV

Min Tanaka plays a powerful political fixer in the 10-episode show, which centers on the behind-the-scenes machinations of "kuromaku."
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.
The painting as seen before the July 8 incident
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2023

Iconic dragon painting at Sensoji Temple peels off ceiling

Visitors to Tokyo's Sensoji Temple were left in shock as an iconic dragon painting on the ceiling of the main hall peeled off and was left hanging above their heads.
Hamas fighters take part in a military parade in Gaza in July to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2023

Israel's historical role in the rise of Hamas

The complicated relationship between Israel and Hamas with the the "Frankenstein" Jewish state help create
Japan's consumer prices rose 3.3% year-on-year in June, with the pace of inflation accelerating from the 3.2% recorded in May.
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2023

Japan's price growth accelerates ahead of BOJ inflation update

Prices excluding those for fresh food gained 3.3% from a year ago, accelerating a little from the rise in May as energy prices were less of a drag on inflation.
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 24, 2024

For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship

Among the measures is an emphasis on wrestlers putting both hands down at the same time, with punishments including disqualification for noncompliance.
Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Apr 22, 2024

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

Shops without staff, shelves for rent, cafes and meetups are some of the ways the country's dwindling bookstores are trying to survive.
In Japan, 35% of students graduate with a degree in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — compared with 38% in the U.S., 42% in South Korea and Germany and 45% in Britain.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 21, 2023

Japan to give ¥300 billion to universities expanding science education

As the country's R&D status continues to drop, the ministry’s new program aims to fund schools pivoting toward STEM subjects.
An electronic board in Tokyo showing the yen-dollar rate on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 24, 2024

Japan ‘very close’ to yen intervention, former top currency official says

Market reaction to U.S. data could encourage Japanese authorities to act about the yen, according to Mitsuhiro Furusawa.
Tokyo Gendai is described by fair organizers Art Assembly as Tokyo Bay’s first international contemporary art fair in 30 years.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 22, 2023

Can a new art fair finally put Tokyo on the map?

Tokyo Gendai puts on a good event but still needs to change Japanese opinions on contemporary art.
A safety course for electric scooters offered in Tokyo in June
JAPAN / Explainer
Jul 21, 2023

Bike, scooter, taxi? Here are your options for nonrail transit in Japan

Here's a rundown on your options and how best to utilize them — whether your a tourist or long-time resident.
Sanrio is marking Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary this year. The character's rise mirrors that of kawaii culture globally, and her longevity offers important clues as to the future of cute culture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 22, 2024

Hello Kitty turns 50. What will the next cat's meow be?

The global rise of Hello Kitty, who turns 50 this year, tracks that of Japanese culture. What, then, does the next half-century of kawaii have in store?
Nadeshiko Japan celebrates after defeating the United States in the 2011 Women's World Cup final in Frankfurt, Germany.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Nadeshiko Japan's Women's World Cup glory now distant memory

Japan begins its latest World Cup campaign against Zambia on Saturday, but is ranked 11th now and no longer among the favorites.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 24, 2024

Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy

The visit highlights behind-the-scenes moves by Tokyo to cultivate ties with the Trump camp ahead of November’s U.S. presidential election.
A new study has found that women with long COVID had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2024

Sex differences could be key to the successful treatment of long COVID

New research links testosterone levels to the severity of long COVID in women.
Haruhiko Aoyama (left), one of the plaintiffs of a lawsuit over significant base pay cuts after reaching the retirement age and being reemployed, speaks to reporters in Tokyo Thursday following a ruling by the Supreme Court.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2023

Japan top court sends back reemployment pay case

In the lawsuit, the male plaintiffs have demanded that their employer pay the difference between what they were paid before and after the retirement age.
Kiyoto Imamura is escorted by police after he arrived at Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture in February after being deported from the Philippines.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 21, 2023

Crime ring suspect served fresh warrant over Chiba robbery

The case is part of a spate of robberies across Japan allegedly committed by a group whose ringleaders are believed to have recruited people through social media posts.
The yen’s slide has pushed up import bills in Japan, keeping domestic consumer spending tepid, with analysts saying any gains in real wages may evaporate if the yen depreciates further.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 24, 2024

Investors loved weak yen boosting shares until it went too far

Concern is growing that the currency is becoming a liability for Japan’s economy and stocks.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores