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JAPAN
May 21, 2021

State of emergency expanded to Okinawa as calls grow for stronger steps

The state of emergency will be in place from Sunday through June 20 in the country's southernmost prefecture.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 21, 2021

Private equity falling out of love with plastic packaging

Many buyout firms are steering clear while some holding assets are struggling to offload them at palatable prices, as environmental factors become dealmakers and breakers.
JAPAN
May 21, 2021

Japan issues final approval for Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines

The formal approvals, following a health ministry panel's sign-off Thursday, mark a major step toward speeding up the nation's sluggish inoculation drive.
JAPAN
May 21, 2021

While new COVID-19 cases are decreasing, Kansai is not yet out of the woods

“Although we're finally starting to see a decrease in the number of Kansai-area infections, we have to see whether this trend will continue,' a prominent medical adviser said.
JAPAN
May 21, 2021

Can Japan administer 1 million vaccine doses a day? Local governments are the key.

The goal, and the extent to which the central government has cracked the whip on municipalities, are the latest manifestations of Suga's apparent frustration with the nation's campaign.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 21, 2021

Thai protesters plan return to streets as COVID-19 response fuels disquiet

More than a million Thais have joined a Facebook group to discuss ways to leave the country for good.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2021

Biden signs bill addressing hate crimes against Asian Americans

The bill amounts to the first legislative action that Congress has taken to bolster law enforcement's response to attacks on people of Asian descent during the pandemic.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 21, 2021

Israel and Hamas end 11-day conflict, sparking celebrations

The cease-fire took effect at 2 a.m. Friday to stop fighting that had devastated large swaths of the Palestinian enclave and sowed chaos in Israel.
Prime Minsiter Shigeru Ishiba
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2025

Ishiba Cabinet disapproval rises to 44%

It was the highest level since the launch of Ishiba's administration in October last year.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the prime minister's official residence on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2025

Opposition blasts Ishiba over gift certificates given to LDP lawmakers

Ishiba gave gift certificates worth ¥100,000 each to over 10 new lawmakers, sources have said. The prime minister apologized but said the move was not illegal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a news conference following a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart at the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 14, 2025

Putin suggests U.S. ceasefire idea for Ukraine needs serious reworking

Putin's statements looked designed to signal goodwill to Washington, but his conditions appeared to rule out a swift ceasefire.
Alcohol is shaping up to be a key friction point in the brewing trade war.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 14, 2025

Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits in escalating trade war

The threat came in response to a European Union plan to impose tariffs on American whiskey and other products next month.
Officials from Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), the Ministry of National Defense’s research arm, say the lessons from the Ukraine conflict are clear for the democratic island: drones and other autonomous systems are crucial for its defense.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Mar 14, 2025

Drones, budgets and infighting: Taiwan's daunting defense challenges

In bridging its military gap with China, Taiwan needs to both overcome key technical challenges of asymmetric warfare.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in July 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 14, 2025

Americans worry Trump is too closely aligned with Russia, poll finds

The two-day poll also found little appetite among Americans for Trump's expansionist agenda.
George Glass, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Japan, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing in Washington on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2025

Trump's ambassador pick to press Japan to spend more to host U.S. troops

The remarks by George Glass were the latest volley from the Trump administration to target Japan, following comments by other nominees.
Palestinian women stand in a window of a damaged building in Gaza in January.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2025

U.N. experts accuse Israel of genocidal acts and sexual violence in Gaza

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the report's findings, saying they were biased and antisemitic.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and others attend a Cabinet meeting on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2025

Japan touts benefits of foreign development aid

Japanese aid has helped the country win trust globally, the government said in an annual white paper.
The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art is just one of many hidden art and architectural gems across the Kagawa coast.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 15, 2025

‘Resorts for the spirit’: Touring Kagawa’s art and architecture

The seaside cities of Takamatsu and Marugame are home to a heritage of beauty, from the monolithic to the modern.
After nine years, the Square Enix Cafe is finally closing up shop.
LIFE / Digital
Mar 15, 2025

Square Enix Cafe had everything going for it, except the ability to adapt

On March 31, the themed cafe just steps from JR Akihabara Station will close for good.
Microchips are a major source of "forever chemicals” that are linked to cancer and other health problems.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 14, 2025

As chips race spews ‘forever chemicals,’ startups emerge to destroy them

A wave of companies are offering potential solutions that won’t cut the chemicals out of the supply chain but destroy them.
Yoshihito Sasaki at Nijikko no Ie, a facility he set up in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, to provide a safe space for those suffering from severe social withdrawal
JAPAN / Society
Mar 14, 2025

Man's grief over wife and son leads to haven for social recluses

Yoshihito Sasaki sought to fulfill his late wife's wish of providing a safe space for those suffering from severe social withdrawal.
"We sincerely apologize for our failure to promptly stop the spread of unauthorized credit card use and act quickly in our response to customers who suffered damage," President Shunsuke Shirakawa told a news conference on Thursday in Tokyo's Chuo Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2025

Damage from Aeon card fraud in Japan reaches ¥9.9 billion

Such fraudulent transactions have been on the rise since last spring, affecting tens of thousands of Aeon card users.
A hamburger made with "okonomiyaki" savory pancakes
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2025

Osaka Expo to showcase Japan's food industry

Major conveyor-belt sushi chain Kura Sushi will open a store at the expo featuring it's longest circular conveyor belt ever.
These two wild vegetables combine well to create a simple yet tantalizing side dish to any Japanese meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 16, 2025

After a long winter, wild veggies can brighten up any dish

Edible vegetables foraged in Japan's countryside can be an easy way to add texture and freshness.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?