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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 30, 2022

How bad is China’s COVID outbreak? It’s a scientific guessing game.

In the absence of credible information from the Chinese government, researchers around the world are looking for any clues to determine the size and severity of the COVID-19 surge.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2022

Dying lands: Farmers fight to save the 'skin of the Earth'

In America's dusty Corn Belt this spring, the land was drowning. In China's Yangtze River basin, it's bone dry. Farmers in both are fighting a losing battle to save the soil.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Oct 10, 2022

Empire of steel: Where Japan’s railways stand after 150 years of evolution

Much has changed since the country's first railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama laid the foundation for a world-renowned network of trains to be created.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2022

More robots, less cash and new Shibuya await tourists back to Japan

Japan is opening up again after closing its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic for almost three years — and boy have things changed. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 1, 2022

Deadly floods are wreaking global havoc

In a paradoxical turn, the torrents have come at a time when the planet is also besieged by crippling drought and dwindling rivers.
Japan Times
WORLD
Aug 22, 2022

The world’s roads aren’t ready for a hotter planet

With temperatures rising and heat waves more frequent and intense, roads are increasingly vulnerable to global warming.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Jul 4, 2022

Climb every mountain: Japan’s female mountaineers scale new heights

As hikers prepare to ascend on Mount Fuji for the 2022 season, it's worth celebrating the achievements of the nation's female climbers both above and below the clouds
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 27, 2022

Hokkaido sake brewer looks to post-COVID gastro-tourism market

While Kyoto and Hiroshima are likely be the go-to choices for many first-time visitors to Japan, Hokkaido could be a tempting travel experience for those visiting again.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jun 18, 2022

How Japan achieved one of the world’s lowest COVID-19 death rates

Health experts point to continued mask wearing, extensive vaccination and an already healthy population as the core factors behind its success.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 18, 2022

Travelers ask, 'Cash, what’s that?'

On a recent trip to England, Andrew Dodson, 35, and his wife, Erin, 32, who live in Traverse City, Michigan, had an unexpected problem: No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t spend the 700 British pounds they’d brought along.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jun 10, 2022

Russia gas crisis highlights Europe's green energy storage problem

The European Union needs to more than triple its storage capacity by 2030 to adequately support its green transition goals.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jun 7, 2022

The (no longer) secret world of surf spots

Surfing has treated knowledge and waves, whether in San Diego or semirural Oregon, as things that are earned, not given — the way anglers hold dear the locations of secret fishing holes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 2, 2022

Mitoyo: Kagawa’s hidden gem tries to turn Instagram virality into a tourism economy

If the aging town of Mitoyo, Kagawa Pref., has one thing going for it, it would have to be its sunsets — the perfect draw for young tourists looking to spruce up their social media sites.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 2, 2022

Very big tech enlisted to tackle risky railway tasks in Japan

The humanoid robots are designed to handle maintenance and construction work in high-risk locations such as near cliffs and high-voltage wires.
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Apr 18, 2022

Japan’s ‘hydrogen economy’ runs the risk of being powered by coal

The government-led drive to boost hydrogen energy and lower emissions may end up giving coal-fired power plants a new lease on life.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 7, 2022

Tesla-backed startup made cheap power a debt burden for the world’s poorest

Solar pay-as-you-go plans have been hailed as the answer to bringing clean, affordable electricity to millions, but the system can break down catastrophically.
Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, makes front-page news on May 18, 1975.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
May 3, 2025

Japan Times 1975: Junko Tabei becomes first woman to summit Mount Everest

A 35-year-old housewife from Saitama achieved the impressive feat in May 1975 with the help of a Sherpa guide and 15-member Japanese women’s team.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrates on the podium after winning the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
May 5, 2025

Piastri completes hat trick of wins to stretch F1 championship lead

The win from fourth on the grid was the Australian's third in a row, after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and fourth of the season.
Ayano Kikuchi began practicing yoga in 2014 to alleviate her chronic back pain, and now shares her knowledge with the Karuizawa community as the manager of W Tree House.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 10, 2025

Ayano Kikuchi: ‘People need to take care of themselves holistically’

How a corporate office worker in Tokyo became a yoga studio manager in Karuizawa
The crowded center circle of the Kansai Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, featuring photos and videos of various prefectures
JAPAN
May 25, 2025

Osaka Expo highlights uniqueness of Kansai region

The Kansai Pavilion offers numerous experiences to allow visitors to understand the rich history and culture of the region.
Atsuko Okatsuka tries out some of the jokes from her new special, “Father,”  at the Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya in January.
CULTURE / Stage
May 30, 2025

Atsuko Okatsuka brings big 'dad' energy to new special

The comedian’s upcoming special, titled “Father,” blends whimsical comedy and family drama — just in time for Father's Day.
Anime director Shunsuke Nakashige accepts the anime of the year award for “Solo Leveling” at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2025

Anime's big night out is getting bigger — and more surreal

The soft-power spectacle at Crunchyroll's awards ceremony in Tokyo underscores anime's expanding global influence.
A notice sent from the Sendai Municipal Government to those denied entry to an after-school care facility
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jun 16, 2025

Sendai faces growing waitlist at after-school care facilities

The Sendai government has been working to expand the capacity of such programs, but many of them are still full.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joel Vowell, the deputy commanding general of United States Army Pacific (fourth from right), walks with soldiers during the Khaan Quest 2025 exercises on June 15 at the Five Hills Training Area in Mongolia.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 29, 2025

U.S. Army capable of countering China’s plans to keep it at bay, top general says

Increased firepower, cutting-edge tech and greater interoperability with regional allies and partners are key for U.S. deterrence.
The total number of people who sat for police departments' exams in Japan during fiscal 2023 fell by more than 20% from fiscal 2021, while 30% of applicants who received informal job offers turned them down.
JAPAN
Jun 29, 2025

Police in most prefectures miss hiring targets

Around 30% of the applicants given informal offers in many prefectures end up turning them down.
Cases of cancer patients and doctors having conversations about where the patient wanted to spend his or her last days came to 52.9% in 2021, up from 35.7% in the previous survey.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2025

About half of people who died from cancer discussed last days with doctors

About 60% of cancer patients were able to spend their last days at places where they wished to be, a report has shown.
Ichiro Kanai, founder and president of Tokyobike, is developing a niche but a new customer base who want to cycle as part of a lifestyle.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 15, 2025

Tokyobike founder believes in taking in sights of dynamic cities slowly

There's no use having a wonderful bike if you don’t have a thrilling city to explore, with Tokyobike's founder believing stylish products can only complement a compelling city.
A nurse takes a blood sample from a child for an HIV test at a clinic in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 12.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 21, 2025

Tighter borders bar poor nations from summits — on poor nations

Sudanese climate activist Roaa should have been leading meetings with other youth advocates at a United Nations climate conference in Germany in June.
Protesters gather in the streets of western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Wednesday following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2025

Zelenskyy risks Ukraine EU bid as protests over graft office grow

EU leaders regarded the about-face on more than decade of rule-of-law efforts as a major setback for Ukraine’s bid on Western integration.
Japanese passport holders have visa-free access to 190 destinations out of 227 globally.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 24, 2025

Japan ties with South Korea for second most powerful passport

Japan continues to hold the world’s second most powerful passport — tied with South Korea — according to a new global ranking.

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