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JAPAN
Nov 29, 2022

In major shift, Kishida sets defense spending target at 2% of GDP for first time

Japan has long maintained an informal cap on defense spending of around 1% of GDP, but calls for an increase have grown amid escalating threats from China and North Korea.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 29, 2022

U.S. watching China protests ‘closely’ after Biden and Xi agreed to thaw ties

Washington has not directly criticized the Chinese government for its handling of the protests, which Beijing has sought to suppress with a massive deployment of police across the country.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2022

Released Japanese filmmaker calls for greater scrutiny of Myanmar junta

Toru Kubota was arrested and detained in Myanmar for filming a small demonstration against the junta, but recently returned to Japan.
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2022

U.S., Japan and South Korea step up bid to counter Pyongyang’s missile threats

Seoul and Tokyo recently tested new missile interceptors and the U.S. Space Force is establishing its first unit in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Nov 22, 2022

In male-dominated North Korea, leadership prospects of Kim's daughter uncertain

Some analysts argue that despite North Korea's deeply patriarchal society, gender may not disqualify a daughter or another woman from taking the reins.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 21, 2022

As Ukraine nuclear plant is shelled, U.N. warns against 'playing with fire'

More than a dozen blasts shook Europe's biggest nuclear power plant on Saturday evening and Sunday, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Nov 20, 2022

Australia's climate policies don't match its big talk at COP27

Australia is talking up its green credentials, but its policies do not match the portrayal as it continues to fuel the crisis through its enormous fossil fuel exports.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 19, 2022

FIFA chief blasts 'hypocrisy' of Western nations on eve of World Cup

The build-up to the tournament has been dominated by concerns over Qatar's treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community, to the visible annoyance of organizers.
JAPAN
Nov 15, 2022

Justice Ministry panel puts forward option of joint custody for divorced parents

The proposal could see Japan move into line with international standards, but has been criticized by supporters of domestic violence victims.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 9, 2022

Putin's elite tremble as hard-liners call for ‘Stalinist’ steps

One senior official likened the current situation to a military dictatorship but without the military coup that usually precedes it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 8, 2022

Is China about to end 'COVID zero'? Here’s what we know right now

Having committed so much of his legacy to his 'COVID zero' policy, exiting from it will require Chinese President Xi Jinping to signal clearly that victory is in sight.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 4, 2022

Hong Kong finance summit spurs questions about the business hub’s future

The attendance of top executives has been criticized as an endorsement of human rights abuses, but their presence signals the city's business resilience.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2022

Energy market turmoil shakes Europe's green power plan

As energy prices have increased all costs, investment models built on low prices for renewable-produced electricity are in doubt.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2022

Ousted Pakistan PM Imran Khan shot in shin in what aides call assassination attempt

Khan was six days into a protest procession bound for Islamabad, standing and waving to thousands of cheering supporters from the roof of a container truck, when the shots rang out.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2022

Ukrainian grain deal resumes as shelling cuts off Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant from grid

The defense ministry justified the change by saying it had received guarantees from Ukraine that it would not to use the Black Sea grain corridor for military operations against Russia.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 28, 2022

Pentagon’s strategy won’t rule out nuclear use against nonnuclear threats

China remains Washington's 'most consequential strategic competitor for coming decades,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a letter presenting the new defense strategy.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 23, 2022

Using adoptions, Moscow turns Ukrainian children into spoils of war

Soldiers took children from orphanages and group homes to be adopted in Russia — but they also took children whose relatives or guardians want them back.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 20, 2022

South Korean auto giant Hyundai investigating child labor in its U.S. supply chain

Migrant children from Guatemala found working at SMART Alabama and SL Alabama had been hired by recruiting or staffing firms in the region.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 19, 2022

Japan reopens its borders. Are tourists ready to return?

Masks? Vaccinations? Yen? You're ready to come to Japan! News chief Kanako Takahara and reporter Will Fee join the podcast this week to discuss whether the country's grand reopening will help its beleaguered tourism sector.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 16, 2022

‘We’re all over this place’: Building a fortress for Beijing’s moment

The mission of security forces is straightforward: make sure nothing disrupts the Chinese Communist Party congress, where Xi Jinping is expected to secure a third term as leader.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 12, 2022

The conflict in Ukraine makes us rethink cyberwar

Russia's much vaunted and expected massive cyberattack on Ukraine never materialize and there are various reasons why.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 7, 2022

What did Japan learn from its largest and deadliest COVID wave?

While the surge of infections — fueled by the BA.5 subvariant of the omicron variant — has subsided, some important questions remain unanswered.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 6, 2022

'Get lost': Iran schoolgirls join protests over Mahsa Amini death

Students are reportedly staging sporadic rallies in defiance of a lethal crackdown by the security forces.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 5, 2022

Deep Dive is back! And the climate crisis is still a problem.

Oscar Boyd, Hanae Takahashi and Eric Margolis join new Deep Dive host Shaun McKenna to talk about how people in Japan get their climate news and what we need to do as citizens to aid in the fight.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Oct 5, 2022

Becky Sauerbrunn calls for ouster of officials named in abuse report

The two-time World Cup winner said players were 'horrified and heartbroken' by the findings of a report published on Monday following a year-long investigation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 30, 2022

Vladimir Putin tries his hand at nuclear blackmail

If the West gives in to Putin's nuclear blackmail and allows him to claim Ukrainian lands and declare victory in the war, then the world order as we know it will collapse.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 29, 2022

North Korea tests missiles hours after U.S. vice president visits DMZ

The nuclear-armed North launched two apparent ballistic missiles after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 26, 2022

Russia begins mobilizing Ukrainians to fight against their own country

The drive to compel Ukrainians to battle other Ukrainians is part of a broader, if risky, effort by Moscow to mobilize hundreds of thousands of new fighters.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami