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Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit the garden of the residence of the governor of Guangdong, China, in April last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 5, 2024

France’s Macron calls for reset of economic ties with China

The French president said that Europe wants more reciprocity in its economic ties with China, in order to better ensure its economic security.
Volunteers help carry out furniture in the town of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture on April 26.
JAPAN / Society
May 5, 2024

Volunteer activities in full swing in Noto during Golden Week

Local governments prepare for an influx of traffic during the holiday period as some volunteers begin entering the area in their own vehicles.
Ibuki Matsumoto competes at an event in Osaka on April 21.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
May 6, 2024

Japan’s tween skateboarders get head start on preparations for 2028 Olympics

Hikari Satake, 11, and Ibuki Matsumoto, 12, may not be household names just yet, but they are laying the groundwork for their Olympic ambitions.
Morgue staff work with members of On The Shield, an organization tasked with collecting bodies of killed soldiers, at a morgue in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 29. Ukraine struggles to name its dead; families of some soldiers say they have spent months trying to get official confirmation of their loved one’s death, adding to their anguish.
WORLD
May 6, 2024

DNA tests and stranded bodies: Ukraine’s struggle to name its dead

Families of some soldiers say they have spent months trying to get official confirmation of their loved ones’ deaths, adding to their anguish.
Law enforcement officers walk along the Kremlin wall near Red Square in Moscow on Dec. 31.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2024

U.S. says soldier who went to Russia detained for ‘misconduct’

A U.S. soldier was detained in eastern Russia on "charges of criminal misconduct,” the U.S. Army said Monday, a potential new flashpoint in relations between the nations already at a low since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Cold medicine packages at a drug store. Japan has faced unseasonal and larger-than-usual outbreaks of infectious diseases over the past year after the COVID-19's downgrade to the same level as flu.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 7, 2024

Anti-infection measures still needed, one year after COVID-19 downgrade

Despite the drop in COVID-19 cases, childhood infectious diseases and the flu have spread in the country over the past year.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kaga destroyer has undergone the first stage of modifications to turn it into a de facto aircraft carrier for F-35B stealth fighter jets.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 13, 2024

MSDF’s Kure base expanding mission as it marks 70th anniversary

The unit has increased its activities not only in national defense, but also in disaster relief operations and overseas missions.
Tourists pose in front of a convenience store with Mount Fuji on Friday in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. Local residents are upset over littering, overcrowding and the inconvenience caused by the visitors.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 7, 2024

Thanks, tourists. Views of Mount Fuji are now blocked.

Japan needs better long-term strategies to manage tourism sustainably.
Former Shizuoka Vice Gov. Shinichi Omura announces he is running for the gubernatorial election, on April 12.
JAPAN / Politics
May 9, 2024

Campaigning for Shizuoka's next governor kicks off with all eyes on maglev line

A record six candidates are running for the post after the previous governor resigned over controversial remarks.
Pete Reynolds (front row, right) has trained for 38 years with the Bujinkan, an organization that teaches skills used by ninja. The American moved to Japan in 2000 and is now a senior instructor at the organization’s dojo in the Nezu neighborhood in Tokyo.
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 10, 2024

The unexpected acolytes helping to keep ninja heritage alive

What may have started as youthful fantasy has led to a deeper passion in an area of Japanese history by non-Japanese martial arts practitioners.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs a session of the virtual Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Riyadh in December 2020.
JAPAN
May 10, 2024

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Japan

The visit to Japan by Saudi Arabia's de-facto leader, known by his initials MBS, will be his first since 2019.
Photographer Toko Jinno is passionate about documenting the lives of Japan’s fishermen.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 11, 2024

Toko Jinno: 'Eating fish is common in Japan, but the lives of fishers are not so well-known'

Photographer goes behind-the-scenes of the fishing industry in hopes to inspire and educate people to support its workers.
A toddler tries to pull an electric kettle cord. Parents can often recognize the dangers within their own home, but may not be as vigilant when visiting new places during the holidays.
JAPAN / Society
May 10, 2024

Indoor child safety warnings issued for caregivers in Japan

Parents can often recognize the dangers within their own home, but may not be as vigilant when visiting new places during the holidays.
A view of Matazo Kayama’s folding screen paintings reproduced on ceramic panels by Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics, displayed at Simose Art Museum.
CULTURE / Art
May 11, 2024

Art and architecture come together at Simose Art Museum

Tradition and innovation converge at Shimose Art Museum. For it first anniversary, the venue is spotlighting trailblazer nihonga artist Matazo Kayama.
Former U.S. Marines Corp pilot Daniel Duggan, who is facing extradition to the United States for allegedly breaking U.S. arms control law after he trained Chinese pilots, poses for a picture in this undated handout picture.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 13, 2024

Former U.S. Marine pilot held in Australia 'worked with Chinese hacker'

But the hacking case had nothing to do with him and there is no evidence that the pilots he trained in China were members of the military, his lawyer says.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark will begin her WNBA career when the season tips off on Tuesday.
BASKETBALL
May 13, 2024

Caitlin Clark prepares for debut as WNBA heads into new era

Clark will make her WNBA debut when the season opens this week.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu's squad will face the United States in Kansas City ahead of the Paris Olympics.
SOCCER
May 13, 2024

U.S. to face Japan in final tuneup for Paris Olympics

The United States men's Olympic soccer team will play its final warmup against Japan in Kansas City ahead of the tournament in France in July.
Nintendo tends to innovate and take unconventional product development routes, producing both great successes, like its Switch console, and spectacular failures.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2024

Nintendo needs to 'switch' its next console up

The Kyoto firm has been coy about what will come after the highly successful Switch console, but it needs to step up its game and learn from past mistakes.
Antony Blinken, U.S. secretary of state, at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in Kyiv on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2024

Blinken, in Kyiv, vows unwavering U.S. support to Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the delay of weapons made Ukraine more vulnerable to Russia's attacks.
Lawrence Wong, Singapore's next prime minister
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2024

Singapore's next prime minister is guitar-wielding Lawrence Wong

Lawrence Wong, the first leader to have been born after Singapore's independence in 1965, is set to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as prime minister on Wednesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a press conference, in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2024

Hong Kong seeks details on overseas trade office official detained in U.K.

Hong Kong leader John Lee confirmed one of the men was a university classmate who was photographed with him in a group graduation photograph in 2002.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is greeted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony at the Expo Center at the fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia summit in Shanghai in May 2014.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 15, 2024

Putin to visit Xi amid U.S. threat of China sanctions over Ukraine

The two sides are set to discuss ways to challenge the U.S.-led global order while bolstering Moscow’s economic resilience amid its war in Ukraine.
The Japanese view of China is deteriorating, characterized by a fear of arbitrary detention and the belief the country, economically, is past its peak. The Chinese see Japan as declining and too reliant on the United States. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 15, 2024

Can Japan and China bridge their ever-widening ‘perception gap’?

Despite the fear, many of the worries Japanese have about visiting China are unfounded. Bridging the gap requires both nations to resume exchanges.
A gawky high school senior (Hsu Kuang-han, right) falls for an older colleague (Kaya Kiyohara) who gives him life advice in “18×2 Beyond Youthful Days.”
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2024

‘18×2 Beyond Youthful Days’: Formulaic tearjerker hits the road for true love

Though the leads lack chemistry, they nonetheless earn kudos for their performances in Michihito Fujii’s Japan-Taiwan co-production.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping shake hands at the gala event celebrating 75th anniversary of China-Russia relations in Beijing on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
May 16, 2024

Xi and Putin hail ties as 'stabilizing' force in chaotic world

In a meeting, the Chinese leader told his "old friend" Russian President Vladimir Putin that Beijing-Moscow relations were "conducive to peace."
A liquefied natural gas shipment on the Suez Canal in Ismailia, Egypt
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2024

Red Sea disruptions are splitting global LNG trade into regions

It’s been four months since an LNG tanker has passed through the strait separating the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
Italian chef and restaurateur Massimo Bottura is increasingly focusing on passing on his knowledge to chefs such as Antonio Iacoviello.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 18, 2024

Massimo Bottura: 'The Japanese let ingredients express themselves'

The renowned chef and restaurateur talks about passing on his legacy and the "transfer of emotions" involved in cooking a successful dish.
Art OnO, which took place from April 19 to 21 in Seoul, featured a modest number of 36 participating galleries from 15 countries.
CULTURE / Art
May 17, 2024

Seoul's eclectic Art OnO shines light on Japan's artists and galleries

Japanese contributions accounted for almost a third of the non-Seoul based booths at the art fair's inaugural event, which featured artists such as Yoshitomo Nara and Hisao Domoto.
Toyota President Koji Sato announces the company's earnings results in Tokyo on May 8.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 17, 2024

Japan firms brace for earnings slumps after marking record profits

Companies are concerned over the weak yen, global conflict and inflation hitting personal spending.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed on Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 17, 2024

U.S. envoy to Japan makes landmark visit to front-line island near Taiwan

Rahm Emanuel is the first U.S. ambassador to travel to the far-flung Japanese island, which is home to a Ground Self-Defense Force base and is just 160 km from Taipei.

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