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Zero carbon energy accounts for 28% of Japan's grid, falling short of countries like Germany, whose share of clean energy generation reached 58% last year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 6, 2023

How Japan became the land the energy transition forgot

Its symbol may be the rising sun, but a wholesale adoption of renewables by Japan is light years away, mired in bureaucratic and technical hurdles.
Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott, take the stage for the third Republican presidential debate in Miami on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Trump-bashing Republican rivals still don't break with him

The third GOP debate's focus seemed trained on former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is rising in early polls.
Newly arrived Rohingya refugees are stranded on a boat after the nearby community decided not to allow them to land in Aceh province, Indonesia, on Nov. 16.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 21, 2023

After hellish boat journeys, Rohingya refugees unwelcome in Indonesia

For those able to land in Aceh province, their status there is far from assured, and locals say they could still force the newcomers back to sea.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 22, 2023

LDP faces scrutiny in parliament over underreporting of funds

Sizable omissions in political funding reports by the ruling party took center stage in parliamentary debate as the opposition questioned the government.
Activists dressed up like CEOs take part in a fake banquet near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Monday where they feign the celebration of company profits over climate responsibility.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2023

We already know what will happen at COP28

It’s beyond time to ask whether the COP gatherings work as they should. After all, we’ve had nearly three decades of summits
The Idaho National Laboratory, Materials and Fuels Complex. Researchers there were the first to generate electricity from splitting the atom back in 1951, and countless scientists have since visited the remote site to test reactor designs.
WORLD
Dec 3, 2023

The future of nuclear energy will be decided in Idaho

It’s been 50 years since the last reactor was switched on there, which speaks to the challenges of harnessing a fission reaction.
Yujiro Nakajimaya's advice for players new to hockey is that you have to know what you want to achieve. Is it a professional career? Then you need to challenge yourself.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 9, 2023

Yujiro Nakajimaya: ‘Overcoming adversity is an art’

At a young age, this hockey-playing Hokkaido native left for Canada and ended his journey playing in the NHL.
If you're having a Christmas potluck with your friends, you'll want to make sure your dishes look as good as they taste.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 21, 2023

A few linguistic palate cleansers for your holiday potlucks

With the pandemic-era norms subsiding, it looks like home parties may be back and bigger than ever.
Indian migrant women in Tokyo often face stifling social expectations. In contrast, they may feel empowered in more egalitarian societies like Berlin.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 3, 2024

How patriarchy perpetuates among Tokyo’s Indian migrants

Indian migrant women in Tokyo struggle to break free from the patriarchal structures they experienced back home. But in Berlin, a different picture emerges.
Niners running back Christian McCaffrey (right) stiff arms Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson during the first half of the NFC title game in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 29, 2024

Chief and 49ers set up Super Bowl rematch in Las Vegas

The reigning champion Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years.
A new report by the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility estimates that it could take up to 320 years for Black Americans to catch up to their white counterparts in quality of life.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2024

Black Americans gain no ground on income and wealth

One study estimates that it could take up to 320 years for Black Americans to catch up to their white counterparts' in quality of life.
When SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son bought Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, he had grand plans for the company to dominate the nascent market for connected devices, also known as the Internet of Things.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 21, 2024

Softbank’s Arm is not the AI play most people think it is

Today, GPUs are the gold standard for AI development and thus the equivalent of toilet paper during the pandemic.
In many cases, the return gift that shows your appreciation should be worth half of what was originally given to you.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 1, 2024

Japan's return-a-gift culture isn't just for White Day

If you received a gift on Valentine's Day, White Day is your chance to return the kindness. Learn the verbs for giving with grace.
Paolo Pasco, winner of the 2024 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
LIFE
Apr 14, 2024

How Gen Zers made the crossword their own

A younger generation of constructors is using an old form to reflect their identities, language and world.
China's yuan is at five-month lows and has lost 1.9% to the dollar this year as foreign investors pull more money out of its struggling markets.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Apr 16, 2024

China's cycle of dollar hoarding and weakening yuan gets vicious

Analysts say one of two things needs to happen to end the downward spiral, but both seem distant.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 24, 2024

Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy

The visit highlights behind-the-scenes moves by Tokyo to cultivate ties with the Trump camp ahead of November’s U.S. presidential election.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi (second from right) and his Komeito counterpart Keiichi Ishii (second from left) hold a signed agreement on political funding reform, on Thursday in parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
May 10, 2024

Japan's ruling parties find agreement on political reform, but gaps remain

The parties' plan lacks specifics on key contentious issues.
Iranians gather to mourn the death of Ebrahim Raisi and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2024

Iran president’s death and Saudi king’s health spur succession bets

Focusing on transition in Iran and Saudi Arabia adds another layer of uncertainty, and potential instability, to months of regional turmoil triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.
"Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California" is a welcome reminder of how Japanese basics are best done and, perhaps, how to get a little closer to how things still should be.
LIFE
May 26, 2024

A California dreamin’ cookbook of 'izakaya' favorites

In an age where traditional knowledge is being forgotten, “Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California” is a treasure trove.
A peace rally on Constitution Memorial Day in Tokyo on May 3. Japan’s identity as a pacifist nation is shifting as the government strengthens its military, but many don’t agree with the policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 27, 2024

Government and society are at odds on national security

Tokyo posits itself as a mutual defense ally of the U.S., but polls show that while the public wants a stronger military, changes should align with the peace Constitution.
Wang YunHe's residence in Singapore, overlooking the country's premier shopping belt.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jun 1, 2024

Singapore wealth flows face new scrutiny in superhacker case

The case is a reminder of the difficult balancing act faced by Singapore and other financial hubs as they push to attract the world’s ultra rich.
Tokyo has proved to be an attractive destination for Chinese entrepreneurs in recent times, away from the challenges hitting the economy at home.
BUSINESS
Jun 16, 2024

Chinese entrepreneurs bet on Japan

A Chinese-language MBA program has been catering to those seeking opportunities in Tokyo.
Solar panels at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park of Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), in Khavda, India, on April 12
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 13, 2024

Climate change funding talks stuck ahead of COP29 summit

Some negotiators have said that ministers could raise the issue at higher level meetings such as G20 ministers' gatherings in Brazil ahead of COP29.
By April 2024, dengue fever cases in the Americas passed the total for the previous year.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 15, 2024

What's behind the post-COVID surge in communicable diseases?

Many regions have reported at least one infectious disease resurgence that’s at least ten times worse than the prepandemic baseline.
American Institute in Taiwan Director Sandra Oudkirk speaks during a news conference in Taipei on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 17, 2024

As China’s pressure on Taiwan rises, departing U.S. envoy urges steady hand

Worries about Chinese belligerence rose during Sandra Oudkirk’s three years in Taipei. As she leaves, she is seeking to assure Taiwan of continued U.S. support.
A tribute to Willie Mays behind home plate at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 21, 2024

In Alabama, Willie Mays is the star of the show, one more time

Willie Mays' death added poignancy to MLB’s celebration of the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field — the nation’s oldest professional ballpark.
U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first presidential debate of 2024 at CNN's studios in Atlanta on Thursday.
WORLD
Jun 28, 2024

At first debate, Biden stumbles amid Trump's barrage of falsehoods

The two men traded barbs on a host of issues as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.
Tourists in front of the restaurant and shopping area of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail for hikers climbing the mountain, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 19.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 30, 2024

Mount Fuji begins charging entrance fees as overtourism prevention measure

The measure, which also includes capping the number of daily climbers at 4,000, marks the first time that climbing one of Japan's most enduring symbols will cost money.
Deputy leader of Fatah Mahmoud al-Aloul and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2024

Rival Palestinian factions project unity, but deep divisions remain

For China, the agreement represents an opportunity to promote an image of Beijing as a peace broker and an important player in the Middle East.
Japan's Koki Kano (right) battles Yannick Borel of France in the gold-medal bout of the men's individual epee at the Paris Olympics on July 28.
OLYMPICS / Fencing
Aug 5, 2024

How a grassroots push helped Japan's fencers become world-beaters

Japan bagged five fencing medals in Paris to put it atop the medal table in the sport, the first time a non-European nation has done so.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight