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Nov 27, 2020

Thrills in store as two unbeaten horses lead loaded

It’s once again the time of year for the Japan Cup, one of the most prestigious horse races in the world, and certainly the race on the horse racing calendar here in Japan that jumps off the page as one of the year’s biggest events.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Nov 27, 2020

AI system aims to forecast race outcomes

On a winter day four years ago, Takeshi Watanabe, then a graduate student at the University of Tokyo, went to watch the year-end Arima Kinen horse race at Nakayama racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. For him the day was more about watching horses and experiencing betting, rather than making money...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 27, 2020

Route uncertain for Japan's two top airlines as ANA seeks ¥332.1 billion

While there's hope a COVID-19 vaccine will get people back on planes, carriers globally are still expected to lose a combined $157 billion in 2020 and 2021.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 27, 2020

Shorter hours begin in Osaka nightlife areas amid COVID-19 surge

Restaurants and bars still operating had hoped the usual December bu014dnenkai parties would provide a much-needed boost.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 27, 2020

Ratio of medical staff gives Japan edge against COVID-19, OECD says

The nation is also helped by its better infrastructure, higher numbers of intensive care beds and higher government spending as a proportion of GDP.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Nov 27, 2020

Incident-free Japan Series could aid push for fans to attend Olympics

NPB's ability to admit just under 70,000 fans to the series' four games, held across two cities in domed venues, may provide hints to organizers aiming to pack Tokyo 2020 stands next summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 27, 2020

Muslim residents in Kyushu struggle to establish cemetery amid local anxiety

In Japan, where the vast majority of people are cremated, only a limited number of cemeteries offer proper burial grounds for the growing Muslim population.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Nov 27, 2020

Hurdles remain for government plan to rebuild Shuri Castle by 2026

Since the blaze, a large number of problems have surfaced, such as securing the wood to rebuild, ownership of the castle and an insurance shortfall.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 27, 2020

Warmer waters bring new types of fish to Hokkaido

Dolphinfish, sunfish and bluefin tuna have all been caught in waters around the north of Japan in recent years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Nov 27, 2020

Shoplifting becomes unforeseen side effect of ban on free plastic bags

More and more customers are now taking advantage of their own personal, reusable bags to conceal unpaid items, making theft harder to spot.
Tomonobu Kojima arrives at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in February 2023 after being deported from the Philippines.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 23, 2025

Senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring gets 20 years in prison

Tomonobu Kojima, 47, was the first of the four indicted members of the group, whose members went by the nickname "Luffy," to receive a court ruling.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas attends a meeting in Brussels on July 14.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 23, 2025

China singled out at EU-Japan summit

The two sides reiterated their opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion” in the East and South China seas.
European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) join hands with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba prior to a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2025

Japan and EU launch trade ‘alliance’ amid concerns over U.S. and China

The new agreement will expand bilateral trade ties, promote business cooperation and explore ways to diversify critical mineral supply chains.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks to The Japan Times at Europa House in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Wednesday, ahead of an EU-Japan summit.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 23, 2025

EU and Japan aim for deeper defense cooperation in high-tech arena

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says she sees "a lot of room for cooperation" with Tokyo, particularly in technology-driven areas.
Before multiplexes entered the Japanese theatrical market in the early 1990s, moviegoers frequented “roadside theaters” — cinemas located in central urban areas near train lines. The Marunouchi Toei, which will close July 27, is the last of such theaters in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 24, 2025

Marunouchi Toei closes as Japan’s cinema landscape evolves

As audiences gravitate toward the luxury, tech and varied lineups of multiplexes, Tokyo’s last "roadside theater" closes after 65 years, marking the end of an era in moviegoing.
Asuna Yanagi (right, with Misa Tsugawa) plays a high-school student who gets hooked on classic cinema in “Rainy Blue,” a coming-of-age tale that she also wrote, edited and directed.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 24, 2025

‘Rainy Blue’: Behind-the-scenes drama tarnishes an intriguing debut

Made while she was still a teen, Asuna Yanagi’s coming-of-age tale blurs the lines between life, fiction and cinephile obsession.
A video screen shows images related to the Jeffrey Epstein files at Times Square in New York on Wednesday. Some Donald Trump supporters for years have fanned conspiracy theories about Epstein's clients and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports

The disclosure about U.S. President Donald Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's records on the case could deepen the political crisis surrounding his administration.
Pupu’s name means “appetizer” in Hawaiian, but this sweetheart is definitely more of a main dish.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jul 24, 2025

A big, beautiful Bengal cat named Pupu

A sweetheart with a big presence, Pupu loves to make her feelings known while enjoying a cozy moment.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet throughout the day with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to an EU official.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Xi to meet EU chiefs at downsized summit hit by trade and Ukraine

Tensions ranging from trade to the war in Ukraine are casting a shadow over an event that coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU diplomatic ties.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after signing executive orders in Washington on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Trump says Tokyo agreed to buy U.S. defense gear, but questions remain

Touting the surprise trade agreement with Japan, the U.S. president claimed that Tokyo agreed to buy billions of dollars in defense equipment.
A drone is seen exploding in the sky during a Russian drone strike in Kyiv on July 4. An internal document from weapons-maker IEMZ Kupol showed it signed a contract with the Russian defense ministry to produce more than 6,000 attack drones this year.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Shipped as 'cooling units,' Chinese engines power Russian drones used in Ukraine

The covert shipments of engines have allowed Russian weapons-maker IEMZ Kupol to increase its production of an attack drone despite U.S. and EU sanctions.
English forward Marcus Rashford during his introductory news conference after he joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Jul 24, 2025

'It feels like home': Rashford joins Barcelona on loan from Manchester United

Meanwhile, Barcelona canceled a preseason friendly against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday, citing "serious contractual breaches" by the tour promoter.
Jannik Sinner competes during the Wimbledon final on July 13.
TENNIS
Jul 24, 2025

Sinner reappoints fitness coach he let go during doping scandal

Sinner parted ways with the trainer last year following the investigation into his positive tests for the banned substance clostebol.
Cambodian soldiers reload a multiple rocket launcher in Preah Vihear province on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jul 24, 2025

Thailand fighter jet bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates

Weeks of tension escalated into fresh clashes that have killed at least nine civilians.
Protesters gather in the streets of western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Wednesday following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Zelenskyy risks Ukraine EU bid as protests over graft office grow

EU leaders regarded the about-face on more than decade of rule-of-law efforts as a major setback for Ukraine’s bid on Western integration.

Longform

"Shake hands with Lima-chan," a statue that shares the name of the Peruvian capital looks in the direction of Peru, where a sister statue, "Sakura-chan," is located. Erected in Yokohama's Rinko Park in 1999, it commemorates Peruvian-Japanese friendship.
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan