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Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 16, 2023

Putin buys off the poor and writes off middle class with war budget

Moscow is creating incentives for people to join the military at a time when it's having to use convicts and mercenaries to make up for its severe manpower shortages in Ukraine.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2023

As disease ravages Japan's oak trees, researchers tap tech to aid neglected forests

By digitally cataloging the trees and facilitating their use for green tourism or the building of furniture, researchers say extensive oak wilt can be prevented.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jan 16, 2023

China’s 'zero-COVID' enforcement army faces unpaid wages and job losses

The sudden end to the policy also signals a reversal of fortunes for companies that benefited from the boom in demand for testing and food distribution during lockdowns.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 16, 2023

EU parliament chief to unveil reforms amid graft scandal

Many MEPs and observers believe the changes to be presented by Roberta Metsola don't go far enough to be able to restore credibility in the institution.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jan 16, 2023

Giants upset Vikings in Daniel Jones' strong playoff debut

New York visits top-seeded Philadelphia next weekend. The Eagles won both games in the season series, including last weekend to clinch a bye week.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 16, 2023

NATO hints at more heavy weapons for Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine could expect more heavy weapons following requests for the vehicles, artillery and missiles it says are key to defending itself.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 16, 2023

OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, casts spell on Microsoft

Tesla tycoon Elon Musk was an early investor in OpenAI, and Microsoft is reported to be in talks to up an initial investment of between $1 billion and $10 billion.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Jan 16, 2023

Slugger Kazuma Okamoto and reliever Yuki Matsui to join Japan's WBC team

Okamoto led the Central League in both home runs and RBIs in 2020 and 2021.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 16, 2023

The German town at the heart of a debate over coal and climate

German officials have said the revival of coal-burning is an emergency measure to weather the energy crisis, but climate activists are resisting.
A taxi in which the driver was shot and injured late Wednesday night in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 30, 2024

Police hunt for man who shot cab driver in Saitama

The suspect, in his 50s or 60s, was wearing a black cap, glasses, a white mask, a black short-sleeved shirt and long pants when he shot the driver.
A friendly between England and the United States drew a crowd of 78,000 at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 7, 2022.
SPORTS
Jul 20, 2023

Women's sports experiencing steady growth in popularity and value

Women's sports are growing in popularity and value. Better yet, that growth is no longer dependent upon quadrennial events like the Olympics or World Cups.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on May 16.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2024

The fragile fraternity of China and Russia

Putin’s Mao-like bid for a full-fledged military alliance with China, including commitments to mutual defense, also seems to have failed.
Members of the Kokugakuin University ōendan cheer group perform during a competition between university cheerleading squads in Tokyo on June 3.
SPORTS
Jul 23, 2023

Japan's macho cheerleaders fight to save a tradition

Dressed in old-fashioned, school-style uniforms, cheering squads are a mass of black at college baseball games as they shout out chants and bang taiko drums.
A vehicle developed by Toyota, inspired by the Pokemon character Miraidon, on display in Tokyo on Thursday
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2024

Toyota engineers develop vehicle inspired by 'Pokemon' character

The vehicle will be on display at the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya complex for three days from March 15.
Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wears a sumo wrestler costume and tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama in the sumo ring at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo in June 30.
SUMO
Jul 23, 2023

Sumo retirees play for laughs from tourists flooding back to Japan

Themed restaurants, including those offering sumo performances, are part of a tourism ecosystem that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes will add ¥5 trillion a year to the nation's economy.
Japan had reached the semifinals of the Volleyball Nations League for the first time.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
Jul 23, 2023

Japan beaten by host Poland in Volleyball Nations League semis

Japan, a first-time semifinalist at either the current tournament or the preceding World League that began in 1990, will face Italy in the bronze final on Sunday.
The skyline of central Mumbai's financial district
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2024

India seen overtaking Japan in nominal GDP in 2025

Japan's economy is expected to fall to the fifth largest in the world. In February, GDP data showed that Japan was overtaken by Germany in 2023.
Kakunoshin Yanagida (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi), a ronin and master of go, seeks revenge and justice in Kazuya Shiraishi’s “Bushido.”
CULTURE / Film
May 23, 2024

‘Bushido’: A realistically stylish samurai throwback

Slashing realism, fluid camera work and moody color palettes achieve an evocative effect in Kazuya Shiraishi’s samurai drama “Bushido.”
An overwhelming majority of Japanese firms are negative about achieving a goal of having women in 30% of executive positions by 2030, a survey shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 20, 2023

Firms pessimistic about hitting 30% goal for female execs by 2030, poll shows

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set the target in June for leading companies, aiming to boost womens' management participation from 2.2% as of July 2022.
Toyosu, a reclaimed area and former industrial zone in the Tokyo Bay area, has become popular with a new wave of Chinese immigrants for its breathtaking views of the Tokyo skyline.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 28, 2023

A new wave of Chinese elites is flocking to Japan

Recent newcomers are affluent and financially savvy, and choose Japan after weighing the pros and cons of other potential overseas destinations.
Switzerland's Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic (left) and the Philippines' Angela Beard vie for the ball during their match at the Women's World Cup in Dunedin, New Zealand, on Friday. Switzerland won 2-0.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Switzerland begins Women's World Cup campaign with win over debutant Philippines

Switzerland made a winning start to its Women's World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over the Philippines at Dunedin Stadium on Friday, thanks to Ramona Bachmann's first-half penalty and a close-range effort from Seraina Piubel.
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 26, 2024

Number of homeless in Japan hits record low

By prefecture, the figure for Osaka was highest, at 856, followed by Tokyo, with 624, and Kanagawa, at 420.
Manchester City's Erlind Haaland scores his team's fifth goal against Yokohama F. Marinos during the J. League World Challenge at Tokyo's National Stadium on Wednesday.
BASEBALL
Jul 23, 2023

Erling Haaland brace sparks Man City comeback over F. Marinos

Pep Guardiola's men conceded two goals against the reigning J. League champion before taking control at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
South Korea, with the world’s lowest total fertility rate, is is pondering a radical solution to fix the probelm — offering a baby bonus that is about twice the nation’s annual per-capita income.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2024

Could a $70,000 baby bonus solve South Korea's fertility crisis?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to say how much impact the South Korean baby subsidies would have, as there is no precedent.
Jonas Vingegaard opened up a commanding lead over rival Tadej Pogacar during Stage 17 of the Tour de France between Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and Courchevel, France, on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS / Cycling
Jul 20, 2023

Tour de France leader Jonas Vingegaard deals crushing blow to rival Tadej Pogacar on Stage 17

Jonas Vingegaard took a giant stride toward a second consecutive Tour de France title when rival Tadej Pogacar cracked in unexpected and spectacular fashion during Stage 17, the toughest of the race, on Wednesday.
The mushroom cloud caused by the Trinity nuclear test is seen on July 16, 1945. A new study, released on Thursday ahead of submission to a scientific journal for peer review, shows that the cloud and its fallout went farther than anyone in the Manhattan Project had imagined in 1945.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 22, 2023

Trinity nuclear test’s fallout reached 46 states, Canada and Mexico, study finds

The research shows that the first atomic bomb explosion’s effects had been underestimated, and could help more “downwinders” press for federal compensation.
Mascara really needs a home where she can enjoy her golden years.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
May 27, 2024

Make some room in your heart for Mascara

Despite the hardships she’s overcome (and maybe because of them), Mascara really needs a home where she can enjoy her golden years.
An accommodation center for refugees from Ukraine in Berlin in May
WORLD / Society
Jul 21, 2023

Europe struggles to convert Ukraine migration into labor boon

Obstacles ranging from lack of child care facilities to reluctance to recognize non-European academic and vocational qualifications has left vacancies unfilled.
Japan Coast Guard patrol ships try to block the way of a China Coast Guard ship (center) near Uotsurijima in the Senkaku Islands chain on April 27.
JAPAN
May 27, 2024

Japan spots Chinese ships near Senkaku Islands for record 158 days

The territorial dispute over the Tokyo-controlled islets, known as the Diaoyu by China, is a long-running sore point between Japan and China.
The rate of the U.S. dollar against the yen is displayed on an electronic stock board outside a securities firm in Tokyo earlier this month.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 28, 2024

Popularity of yen 'carry trade' may dent impact of BOJ rate rises

The weakening yen and strengthening greenback are increasing the attractiveness of the strategy by boosting its total return.

Longform

The Japanese government updated its English education guidelines in 2017 to emphasize communication over grammar and memorization. Public school teachers are incredibly busy, however, which means schools haven’t been able to implement changes uniformly. Private and alternative schools are attempting to remedy this.
The language of opportunity: Bilingual education is on the rise in Japan