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More cooks are pursuing careers in cooking for wealthy clients, but the glitz that makes it into viral TikTok videos isn’t always the whole picture.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 10, 2023

Private chefs toe the line between occupation and isolation

A new chapter in the age of food celebrity is unfolding online as more cooks take up careers as private chefs and go public with the perks of the job.
SUMO
Sep 8, 2023

Young ozeki duo will be in spotlight at Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament

The Autumn Basho is shaping up to be another unpredictable event.
The average for summer bonuses this year was slightly higher than the ¥845,453 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and trailed only the ¥870,731 in 2018, the labor ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 9, 2023

2023 summer bonuses second-highest on record in Japan

Bonuses at major Japanese companies this summer averaged ¥845,557, up 1.59% from a year before, the labor ministry has announced.
A ceremony is held in March 2016 in Markowa, Poland, at the grave of the Ulma family who were killed by the Nazis for hiding Jews during WWII.
WORLD
Sep 10, 2023

Polish family killed by Nazis to be beatified in Catholic first

The Ulma family will be the first ever to be beatified, a key step on a possible path to sainthood in the Catholic Church.
China's exports fell by 14.5% year on year in July, a stark contrast from the robust 17.2% export growth recorded in July 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 11, 2023

Why hasn’t China rushed to bail out its economy?

China's reluctance to unveil a massive stimulus package despite the ongoing economic slowdown has puzzled foreign observers and the Chinese public alike.
Fukuoka, known for its outdoor food stalls, is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, but now it's starting to draw more international travelers, too.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 9, 2023

Beyond its yatai, Fukuoka hosts travel pleasures aplenty

Tourists come for the city’s lauded cuisine, its casual atmosphere, vibrant arts and nightlife scenes and temperate climate.tk
A screen shows an image of Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers in Beijing in August last year. The PLA's newspaper recently explained to its readers how ChatGPT can be used for military purposes.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 12, 2023

Will generative AI hold power in international relations?

The technology has the ability to create influential text and imagery, giving it power to potentially sway public opinion.
An Apple store in Beijing. The iPhone has increased its percentage of total smartphones sold around the world while expanding its share of sales in four of the world’s largest regions: China, Japan, Europe and India.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 12, 2023

As smartphone industry sputters, the iPhone expands its dominance

The iPhone has about one-fifth of the world’s smartphone sales, up from a low of 13% in 2019.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 12, 2023

Shibuya’s mayor has a message for Halloween revelers: Don’t come

Shibuya’s scramble crossing has become the go-to spot for younger generations, but past incidents have fueled concern among officials.
A health ministry worker fumigates a house to kill mosquitoes and curb the spread of dengue, chikungunya and Zika in Managua, Nicaragua.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 13, 2023

What's in a mosquito bite? How warmer climates spread disease

Abundant water helps mosquitoes to breed, while more drought constrict the migratory birds' ecosystems, enabling some diseases to spread.
Nadia Umana, a Colombian environmental leader threatened by criminal gangs, poses for a picture during an interview in Bogota on Aug. 30.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 13, 2023

Colombia deadliest country for green activists in 2022: report

Many of those targeted were Indigenous people, members of Afro-descendant communities, small-scale farmers and environmental activists.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

TSMC prizes Japan's chips skills after U.S. stumbles

The chipmaker is taking an increasingly optimistic view of Japan as a production base, as problems persist at its new factory in Arizona.
New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is seen in formal attire to attend an attestation ceremony after a Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2023

In Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, two changes stand out

It will be the first time in 20 years that a woman has been foreign minister, while the new defense chief arrives amid dramatic shifts in defense posture.
Sofia Coppola (right), Bill Murray (center) and Scarlett Johansson attend the Venice Film Festival to present their movie “Lost in Translation” in August 2003.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 13, 2023

The complex legacy of ‘Lost in Translation,’ 20 years on

Sofia Coppola's acclaimed film relaunched Tokyo's global fame, but along the way it forgot to show its Japanese characters some love.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) is sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on the play.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Sep 14, 2023

Jets' Aaron Rodgers vows to 'rise again' after season-ending injury

Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury four plays into his debut with the Jets on Monday.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off with a payload of 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 27.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 21, 2023

Satellite constellations taking on greater role in Japan's security

As Japan fine-tunes its national security strategy, the importance and future of satellite constellations is being examined.
Umbrellas are displayed at Komiya Shoten, a company that has made handcrafted umbrellas for rain or shine for nearly a century, in Higashi-Nihombashi, Tokyo, on Aug. 3.
BUSINESS
Sep 21, 2023

Heat brings hope for handmade umbrella-maker in Tokyo

One of Tokyo's last handmade umbrella shops has weathered many storms and is now thriving, thanks to booming demand for parasols.
Philippine journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa speaks during an interview in Manila on Tuesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 15, 2023

'It's up to us': Philippines' Maria Ressa fights for press freedom

Ressa and Rappler had faced five charges of tax evasion — they were acquitted of four in January and were cleared of the final charge on Tuesday.
Many scientists say more research into volcanoes is vital to gauge how far eruptions can briefly affect the long-term trend of global warming, which is primarily driven by burning fossil fuels.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / ANALYSIS
Sep 15, 2023

Why is 2023 so hot? A rare Pacific volcano is among the suspects

Greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelmingly to blame, scientists say, but water vapor from the Tonga eruption last year may have played a role too.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu (far left) attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 15, 2023

Missing Chinese defense chief signals turmoil in Xi's government

Washington has reportedly concluded that Li Shangfu, who took up his post in March, has been stripped of his responsibilities.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 15, 2023

Japan moves to make more effective use of solar power

Efforts are being made to use surplus electricity generated during the daytime by solar power and to shift power demand according to supply.
Weightlifter Rim Un Sim is among the North Korean athletes scheduled to take part in this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 15, 2023

North Korea set to end sporting isolation at Asian Games in China

North Korea has 191 athletes signed up for the Asian Games, according to organizers.
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi attends a press conference during the International Atomic Energy Agency 's 35-nation Board of Governors meeting in Vienna on Sept. 11.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2023

IAEA blasts Iran over latest inspector exclusion

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the move was in retaliation for "political abuses" by the U.S., France, Germany and Britain.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Sep 17, 2023

Climate litigation remains a tough sell in Japan despite wins overseas

So far, Japan has seen just four climate lawsuits, all concerning the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants.
Corruption thrives in times of war, as exemplified by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently being forced to replace his defense minister after top officials were accused of skimming funds or taking bribes. 
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2023

Zelenskyy needs to fight corruption like he’s fighting Putin

There’s no need just to pick on ex-Soviet states like Ukraine. A fire hose of U.S. taxpayer money went missing in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle in San Francisco in 2017
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2023

With self-driving cars, it's the ethics we have to navigate

Do accidents involving self-driving cars today save lives tomorrow? When it comes to self-driving cars, the challenges aren't just technical, but ethical.
Shi Tieniu, 39, sits in a room of an unfinished residential building at Gaotie Wellness City complex in Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, China.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Sep 18, 2023

Broken dreams, shattered families in China's unfinished apartments

Since the property debt crisis began in 2021, thousands of homeowners have faced tough situations as smaller developers face liquidity issues.
Farmers harvest rice in a field in Chai Nat province, Thailand.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 18, 2023

Soaring rice prices sow hope and trouble for Thai farmers

Thailand's centuries-old rice cultivation system is under severe stress from climate change and unsustainable farm debts.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during the official farewell ceremony for his trip to New York, at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 18, 2023

U.S.-Iran detainee swap deal to go ahead on Monday, Tehran says

Frozen funds are set to be in Iran's possession on Monday, triggering the swap of five U.S. citizens detained in Iran for five Iranians held in the U.S.
A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, flies past during a preview at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore in 2022.
WORLD
Sep 19, 2023

Debris field found in search for missing U.S. F-35 fighter jet

The military had asked for civilian help in finding the F-35B Lightning II jet that suffered a "mishap” on Sunday afternoon

Longform

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” was released Nov. 23, 1985, and though it wasn’t a hit at the time, it has gained a cult following in the years since.
Eat, slurp, love: 'Tampopo' turns 40