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A cargo vessel on the Sulina Channel en route to the Danube River, in Romania
WORLD
Jul 21, 2023

Ukraine grain relies on a river that’s drying up

A heatwave fanning across the southern part of Europe is lowering river levels and crimping export capacity, which will make shipping grain even more difficult.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi waits ahead of a high-level meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials at Beijing's Great Hall of the People in December 2017.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2023

Japan ruling bloc lawmakers facing hurdles to China visit plans

Trips to China by Komeito leader and senior LDP official both put on ice over Chinese anger at planned release of treated Fukushima water.
Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wears a sumo wrestler costume and tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama in the sumo ring at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo in June 30.
SUMO
Jul 23, 2023

Sumo retirees play for laughs from tourists flooding back to Japan

Themed restaurants, including those offering sumo performances, are part of a tourism ecosystem that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes will add ¥5 trillion a year to the nation's economy.
The Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Tourists are flocking to Kyoto and other popular spots in Japan, highlighting the country's severe shortage of hotel staff.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023

As tourism booms, Japan struggles with labor shortages and weary locals

The return of tourists has given the country a boost, but it has also highlighted several issues, including a severe lack of hotel staff.
Hiroko Ono's new store Tohoku-centric store will offer traditional items from the region like these kokeshi wooden dolls.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jul 15, 2023

New Singapore storefront links shoppers with Tohoku traditions

Hiroko Ono hopes the shop will be used by companies from Tohoku as a base for expanding their operations overseas.tk
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 26, 2023

My Number woes put digital minister Taro Kono under pressure

Another misstep could deal a further blow to the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and jeopardize the political standing of Kono.
Shohei Ohtani will start the first game of a doubleheader against the Tigers in Detroit  on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 27, 2023

Angels move up Shohei Ohtani's next start to Thursday

Thursday's start is expected to be Ohtani's last before the trade deadline.
Sara Khadem poses for a photo in Spain on Feb. 14. Khadem was granted Spanish nationality on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 27, 2023

Iranian chess star who competed without hijab gains Spanish nationality

Khadem, a 26-year-old chess grandmaster, participated in a World Cup event in Kazakhstan in December 2022 without wearing the Islamic veil, which is compulsory for women in Iran.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 26, 2023

A tale of two Fujis: Bullet climbs, crowds and Lizzo

With the borders fully open, Mount Fuji is all booked up and Fuji Rock is back in full force. Drew Damron and Patrick St. Michel join us on the podcast to discuss Japan’s two favorite Fujis.
Core inflation in Japan's capital slowed in July but remained well above the Bank of Japan's 2% target.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 28, 2023

Tokyo CPI growth tops consensus, focusing attention on BOJ

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3% in the capital, beating analysts’ forecast of a 2.9% increase, underscoring the stickiness of underlying inflation.
A woman shops for cosmetics at a department store in Seoul in July 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Personal color analysis is fueling a global Gen Z tourism boom

The procedure aims to assign individuals flattering colors that can inform their choices around clothing, makeup and accessories.
Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on Friday. The Japanese yen is on a bumpy path toward strengthening after Friday's central bank policy change, threatening to upend the carry trade, one of this year's most popular strategies, as the currency inevitably becomes more expensive.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jul 29, 2023

Bank of Japan's opaque policy shift means stronger and wilder yen

The Japanese yen is on a bumpy path toward strengthening after Friday's central bank policy change, threatening to upend the carry trade.
Taiwanese soldiers fire an ML154 Mine Clearance Launcher during the annual Han Guang anti-landing drill at Bali beach, New Taipei City, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 29, 2023

U.S. to give Taiwan $345 million in arms aid over China’s protest

The U.S. will supply Taiwan with $345 million in defense equipment, services and training, using the fast-track authority that it has relied on to speed arms to Ukraine.
Many of the entrepreneurs who’ve become superwealthy are now seeking to manage and transfer riches to their descendants in Asia. That’s resulting in a surge in family office demand.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 31, 2023

Asia’s richest families fuel race for lucrative finance jobs

Many of Asia's superwealthy are now seeking help managing their estates just as old-money families in the West have done for decades.
Director Dean Johnson wanted to strip back the staging of “Once – In Concert” in a way that honored the film. The production had a limited run at the London Palladium earlier this year and Johnson notes the Tokyu Orb Theater has a similar set up.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 31, 2023

'Once' speaks the universal languages of music and love

Award-winning Irish theatrical production brings its dry wit and catchy songs to Tokyo for a midsummer musical experience.
The central business district in Melbourne in 2016
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 2, 2023

Australians fight for the right to work from home permanently

While remote work spells pain for investors in bricks and mortar, employees can only see benefits: "It just helps get through life a little bit easier."
Signs hang on a gate as people hike in the Pen y Pass at the foot of Mount Snowdon near Llanberis, Wales, in 2020. For residents of deprived urban areas, going to natural green spaces can be prohibitively expensive.
WORLD
Aug 2, 2023

Isolated from nature, U.K.'s ethnic minorities hit harder by heat

Experts say ethnic minorities will be affected most as they often live in dense, poorly insulated households near fewer parks and less vegetation.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 4, 2023

Bobby Valentine enjoying more relaxed time with Angels

Former Marines manager Bobby Valentine is viewing the game from a different perspective these days.
Trucks wait to cross South Africa’s border into Mozambique at Lebombo Border control in Komatipoort.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2023

Global demand for coal is bringing mayhem to South African towns

The trucks began running through in ever greater numbers after South Africa became one of Europe’s main alternatives to Russian coal.
Nigeria's players watch their penalty shootout against England during their 2023 FIFA World Cup round-of-16 game in Brisbane on Monday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 8, 2023

Nigeria goes home with heads held high after agonizing exit

The Super Falcons created more than enough chances to beat European champion England in 120 minutes.
Members of a military council that staged a coup attend a rally at a stadium in Niamey, Niger, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 8, 2023

West African leaders to meet on Niger after junta defies deadline

The European Union and United States have welcomed the move, saying it allows more time for mediation.
Members and supporters of the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance attend a rally outside the California Public Utilities Commission headquarters in San Francisco on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 8, 2023

Will AI be an economic blessing or curse? History offers clues

History shows the economic impact of technological advances is generally uncertain, unequal and sometimes outright malign.
Containers stored at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai in 2020
BUSINESS
Aug 9, 2023

Not decoupling, but West and China drift apart

Official data showed a 14.5% drop in July exports amid weak consumer demand in the world markets served by China — the fastest decline since the pandemic.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023

Tropical Storm Khanun lashes southern Japan as second storm nears

As Khanun pounds the south, Tropical Storm Lan may threaten Tokyo just as thousands prepare to travel during a peak holiday season.
Australia's Matildas have led the way in urging FIFA to provide equal compensation to men's and women's teams competing at World Cups.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 9, 2023

Unions gain momentum as World Cup women push for pay parity

Though the disparity is still great, women's soccer players have won better deals that have changed the playing field in recent years.
A ship passes through the Bosporus Straits near Istanbul.
WORLD
Aug 9, 2023

Turbulent waters: How the Black Sea became a hot spot in the war

For centuries, the Black Sea has been at the center of Russia’s efforts to extend its geopolitical and economic influence.
Rakuten Group plans to consolidate its payments and points businesses and fold them into Rakuten Card, its credit card and loans unit.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2023

Rakuten to combine credit card and mobile payments business

The move could set the struggling e-commerce company up to eventually list its card business.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 10, 2023

Why is modernizing Japan so darn tough?

Reporter Gabriele Ninivaggi joins us to break down how Japan’s digitalization hiccups risk exposing how backward things are.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan