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Rappers Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa perform during the Hip Hop 50 Live concert, marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop, at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Friday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 13, 2023

Hip-hop stars helm marathon birthday party

Thousands of people partied deep into the night Friday as part of an all-star Bronx bash celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, featuring trailblazers including Run-DMC, Nas, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg.
Tomohiko Sato (center) wrote a book titled "Yamakei Shinsho Tokyo Bon Odori Tengoku Odoru Meguru Tanoshimu" ("Tokyo Bon Dance Heaven").
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 12, 2023

Tomohiko Sato: 'The only rule is to dance the way the locals do'

Tomohiko Sato may be Japan’s only “Bon-bassador,” and his love for the Bon dance makes him a true representative for this summer tradition.
Fans at Tokyo's Ariake Arena watch Yuto Horigome compete in Street League Skateboarding's debut Japan event on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Skateboarding
Aug 13, 2023

Yuto Horigome thrills in Street League Skateboarding's Japan debut

The raucous crowd at Ariake Arena starkly contrasted with the empty skate park nearby where the 24-year-old captured his Olympic gold medal two years ago.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin warms up prior to a preseason game against the Colts in Orchard Park, New York, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Aug 13, 2023

Bills' Damar Hamlin plays in first game since January cardiac arrest

Hamlin collapsed during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals moments after making a tackle and was resuscitated on the field.
Australia's Matildas celebrate their shootout win over France in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brisbane on Saturday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 13, 2023

Tony Gustavsson hails game-changing Matildas after historic win

Record-breaking television and streaming figures — plus blanket coverage in the nation's newspapers — greeted Saturday's shootout win over France.
Aoi Suzuki’s son runs past a home in Taketomi on Iriomote Island (not to be confused with Taketomi Island, which lies to the east of Iriomote). The Suzukis run the Takemori Inn, one of the few hotels on Iriomote.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Aug 14, 2023

My annual pilgrimage to Okinawa

Navigating between different ferries can open up whole new worlds in Japan's southernmost islands.
Prachi Gupta (left) after the birth of her first child in 2018
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 14, 2023

For foreign expecting mothers in Japan, a struggle over maternity norms

Different expectations over things like natural births and weight gain can cause anxieties for non-Japanese.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 14, 2023

Hard-throwing Edwin Escobar keeping things simple with BayStars

Edwin Escobar is back to doing what he loves as the BayStars jostle for position in the Central League.
Lahaina resident Annelise Cochran poses for a portrait on Monday, after speaking about her harrowing escape from the flames of the fires in Maui.
WORLD
Aug 16, 2023

'The ocean saved my life': How one Hawaii survivor escaped the flames

Surrounded by flames on Hawaii's scenic Lahaina boardwalk, jumping into the sea was her only choice.
Al Hilal's new signing Neymar (left) holds the club's shirt as he poses with President Fahd bin Saad Al-Nafel during a signing event in Paris on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Aug 16, 2023

Neymar joins Saudi club Al Hilal from PSG in two-year deal

French newspaper L'Equipe said the deal could net the Brazil star almost $175 million.
Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, attends an open dialogue with students at Keio University in June.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 17, 2023

AI, ChatGPT and the ‘creation’ of work with a human touch

Get to know the terminology involved with new artificial intelligence technology.
World Humanitarian Day is a time to remember the people from the organizations and communities who dedicate their lives to helping others around the world in their times of need, despite the risks and dangers.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023

Paying tribute to those who serve the humanitarian cause

We can't bring back those taken from us. But we can honor their memories by doing everything possible to support those continuing their humanitarian work.
The color of a red torii gate in Bushidaira, Saitama Prefecture, still stands out against a vibrant green backdrop.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 18, 2023

Exploring the eerie beauty of Japan's abandoned villages

Depopulation and an aging society have turned parts of the countryside into tourist attractions for those eager to explore a forgotten era.
Swedish defender Jonna Andersson (rear) hugs Japan forward Maika Hamano after their World Cup quarterfinal in Auckland on Aug. 11.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 19, 2023

Sportsmanship among most enduring images from World Cup

Winning teams have been quick to console their opponents after matches during the Women's World Cup.
Wataru Endo (left) in action for VfB Stuttgart in April
SOCCER
Aug 18, 2023

Liverpool sign Japan midfielder Wataru Endo from Stuttgart

Financial details were not disclosed but British media reported Liverpool offered around £16 million ($20.33 million) to sign the 30-year-old.
Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay (left) runs past fallen Dutch runner Sifan Hassan (second from left) to win the women's 10,000-meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 20, 2023

Gudaf Tsegay wins 10,000-meter gold after Sifan Hassan stumbles

World record holder Letesenbet Gidey was second in 31:28.16, while Ejgayehu Taye won the bronze with 31:28.31.
Alexis Ryoko Nishizawa (left) facilitates workshops for people with curly hair during which she shares the basics with attendees.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2023

In Japan, curly hair makes you stand out. This entrepreneur says 'embrace it.'

Nishizawa has become a go-to guide for people in Japan looking to tame and style their natural wavy, curly and coily hair.
Mitsuko Suyama talks about falling victim to “black rain” in front of the community center where she was at the time of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Aug 21, 2023

Nagasaki ‘black rain’ victims angry over lack of health benefits

Victims of the Nagasaki A-bomb tell of suffering and exclusion from health benefits reserved for those officially recognized as survivors.
U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles (right) beats the field to the finish line to win the 100-meter final at the world championships in Budapest on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 21, 2023

U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles eager to pick up baton Usain Bolt left behind

Noah Lyles is ready to take aim at Usain Bolt's 200-meter world record after winning the 100 at the word championships.
Sha'carri Richardson celebrates winning gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 22, 2023

Sha’Carri Richardson is the fastest woman in the world

Richardson on Monday won her first title at a world track and field championships, running 10.65 seconds to win the 100 meters.
New Zealand's Dane Coles celebrates after winning a Bledisloe Cup test match against Australia at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand, on Aug. 5.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 22, 2023

All Blacks star 'gobsmacked' by former coach assisting Australia

Former New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is helping rivals Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup, it was revealed this week.
Shinobu Yamanaka, a mom of three sons and director of a day care facility in Konan, Kochi Prefecture, serves up to eight "members" six days a week.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Aug 22, 2023

Kochi dementia care center aims to set new paradigm in Japan

A new generation of people with Alzheimer’s in Japan are trying to change not only dementia care but also social attitudes toward patients.
Great Britain's Josh Kerr celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 1,500-meter final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 24, 2023

Josh Kerr upsets favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500 at worlds

Kerr dug deep and used a strong finish to hold off the reigning Olympic champion.
A promotional poster for the film "Barbie" in Tokyo on Aug. 3
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 23, 2023

Why is the ‘Barbie’ movie bombing in Japanese theaters?

The fact that the movie's female empowerment theme won’t have a positive, lasting impact in Japan is a shame.
Matt Daniels of the Buffalo Bills Wheelchair Football Team moves with the ball during a scrimmage against the Cleveland Browns Adaptive Sports team in Cleveland on Aug. 5, 2023.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 24, 2023

Wheelchair football provides camaraderie amid metal-on-metal clashes

Dawson Broad was instantly drawn to wheelchair football after attending a game in Buffalo.
Locals protest the release of tritium-laced water from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear plant on Thursday in the town of Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 24, 2023

Fukushima locals worry about the 'what ifs' from water release

Towns and villages around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant were buzzing with the “what ifs” from the plant’s tritium-laced water release on Thursday.
A woman stands on one side of the wall texting in front of a nightclub while, on the other side of the wall, a man works in an izakaya.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 24, 2023

One night out in Tokyo

As the last trains leave the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, much of the city heads home. However, Tokyo never sleeps.
Koenji-based dance troupe Tengu-ren performs at an Awa odori event in Tokyo's Kagurazaka neighborhood a month before the Koenji Awa Odori.
CULTURE / Longform
Aug 26, 2023

The party returns to Koenji

While the COVID-19 pandemic put a temporary pause to one of Tokyo’s biggest festivals, its dancers never stopped practicing their steps.
Guy Perryman hosts the Tokyo-based "Guy Perryman Show" on InterFM on Friday mornings.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 26, 2023

Guy Perryman: ‘Sound and rhythm are ingrained in our DNA’

Radio personality Guy Perryman says around 99% of his audience consists of Japanese people who want to listen to English content.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Aug 25, 2023

Japan's Yuka Saso grabs first round lead at CPKC Women's Open

The U.S. Women's Open in 2021, came alive with four straight birdies and added two more to ensure a one-stroke lead over Sweden's Linn Grant.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan