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"The Bank of Japan’s stance to continue to raise the policy interest rate is unchanged” given low real rates and the outlook for its price goal to be met, one of the nine board members said at the central bank's April 30 to May 1 meeting, according to a summary of opinions released Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2025

BOJ still intends to raise rates while monitoring tariffs, summary shows

The written account of the BOJ gathering comes as risk appetite returns to global financial markets following the cooldown in U.S.-China tariff tensions on Monday.
A humanoid robot walks as an employee conducts tests, on the production line at the AgiBot factory in Shanghai on March 20.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 13, 2025

China's AI-powered humanoid robots aim to transform manufacturing

Beijing is aiming for a new industrial revolution where many factory tasks would be performed by humanoid robots.
Senior officials of Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito agreed Tuesday on the need to draft a supplementary budget before a possible extraordinary session of the Diet this autumn.
JAPAN / Politics
May 13, 2025

LDP and Komeito agree to draft supplementary budget before autumn session

The extra budget is expected to fund measures to deal with inflation and the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
A small boat transits through the Bay of Balaklava near the Crimean Peninsula city of Sevastopol on the Black Sea coast. Plans to dump bundled biomass into the Black Sea have raised concerns about environmental risks.
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2025

Dumping biomass in the ocean is not a climate solution

Plans to dump bundled biomass into the Black Sea as part of a carbon-sequestration project have raised concerns about environmental risks.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a news conference with Cabinet members after a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 14, 2025

Carney unveils new Cabinet, aiming to redefine U.S.-Canada relationship

The new prime minister says Canada must shift the economy's focus away from the United States, end barriers to internal trade and cut public spending.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, pictured during a tournament last month, expects fast greens this week at the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
May 14, 2025

McIlroy, Scheffler and Schauffele together for rainy PGA battle

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, a two-time Masters winner, will join defending champion Xander Schauffele and new Masters champion Rory McIlroy in the tournament's premier grouping.
A Sony PlayStation 5 controller
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2025

Sony profit forecast flattens under ¥100 billion tariff burden

New Sony Chief Executive Officer Hiroki Totoki’s first task is to navigate the entertainment group though a new era of a tariff-wielding United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump's policies, including attacks on research funding, immigration and trade threaten the foundations of American economic exceptionalism, and the resulting damage may be difficult to undo.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2025

American exceptionalism meets its maker

The question is whether U.S. President Donald Trump’s destructive policies have now brought this economic exceptionalism to an end.
Scott Callon, CEO of Japan Display Inc, will step down on June 1 to take responsibility for the company's poor performance.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2025

Japan Display to cut 1,500 jobs in Japan on consecutive years of losses

The struggling maker of small and midsize liquid crystal display panels reported a consolidated net loss of ¥78.2 billion ($538.7 million) for fiscal 2024.
Rakuten Group's stock dropped after the Japanese e-commerce firm reported a 19th straight quarterly loss, fueling concerns about the financial drag from its ailing mobile business.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2025

Rakuten Group shares sink on worse-than-expected quarterly loss

The stock plunged as much as 10% in Tokyo on Thursday, its biggest intraday drop since April 7.
George Simion gestures while attending a presidential debate in Bucharest on May 8.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2025

MAGA goes east: Romania's presidential frontrunner rides hard-right wave

George Simion, a nationalist who campaigns to "Make Romania Great Again," opposes military aid to Ukraine and is critical of the EU's leadership.
Mizuho Financial Group forecast on Thursday that its net income will likely climb 6.1% to ¥940 billion ($6.5 billion) in the year that started in April.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2025

Mizuho anticipates record earnings in fiscal 2025 despite tariff dent

Japan's third-largest lender indicated that uncertainty in global trade has led to a more conservative outlook as U.S. tariff measures make business planning less predictable.
The Japanese economy flipped back into reverse in the first three months of the year, with consumption staying below its pre-pandemic level as inflation saps purchasing power.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025

Japan’s economy shrank for the first time in a year before tariff jolt

The first contraction under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba adds to concerns about the resilience of the economy before tariffs came into effect.
Starting in the early 1980s, shipping nuclear waste for storage on Orchid Island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan was standard practice.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
May 16, 2025

Final nuclear plant shutdown leaves Taiwan facing energy crunch

The shutdown takes place just as power demand is projected to rise 13% by the end of the decade, largely driven by data centers and chipmakers.
The draft of the government's defense white paper says China's moves to strengthen its cooperation with Russia are a serious concern for Japan's security, describing Beijing's military moves as the biggest strategic challenge ever.
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2025

Japan government paper to express concern over China-Russia ties

A draft of the defense white paper described Beijing's military moves as the biggest strategic challenge ever.
As Japan heads into summer elections, debate over the consumption tax has intensified, with opposition parties demanding cuts to ease pressure on households and the government defending the levy as essential amid rising debt and economic uncertainty.
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2025

Don’t overreact to the consumption tax debate

Economic uncertainty in combination with rising prices are squeezing the budgets of households, businesses and the government.
Nadaman Sazanka-so is known for its "kaiseki" (multicourse Japanese haute cuisine), which is deftly executed by chef Takehiko Yoshida.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 18, 2025

A Japanese dining icon gets a (minor) facelift

Less a purposeful renovation than a prudent refitting, the renewed Nadaman Sazanka-so has retained its old world charm that made it such a celebrated dining destination.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper arrives for a news conference in London on May 12.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 18, 2025

British police charge three Iranians as part of spying probe

The three men have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist Iranian intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025.
A Mexican Navy training ship is seen near the Manhattan Bridge after it slammed into the nearby Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday.
WORLD
May 18, 2025

Mexican Navy training ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge, killing two

Nineteen others were injured after the ship lost power and hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.
Unlike Silicon Valley, many Asian societies, due to their penchant for risk aversion, need more government support to boost early-stage deep-tech innovation.
COMMENTARY / World
May 18, 2025

Government capital is not just 'silly money'

Unlike Silicon Valley's predominantly private-sector-driven ecosystem, many Asian societies exhibit greater risk aversion, necessitating proactive government involvement.
The rush to electrify everything is reshaping energy, but without addressing demand, grid and supply risks, the green transition may falter.
COMMENTARY / World
May 18, 2025

It’s electricity realism, not climate denialism

Electrifying everything comes with plenty of risks of its own.
Support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government was at 27.4%, down from 32.6% a month ago, a Kyodo poll showed.
JAPAN / Politics
May 18, 2025

Support for Japan PM Ishiba hits record low as rice price soars, poll shows

Support for Ishiba's government was at 27.4%, down from 32.6% a month ago, a Kyodo poll showed.
Then-U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington on Jan. 17.
WORLD / Politics
May 19, 2025

Joe Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer

The former U.S. president has a form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, and is reviewing treatment options, his office said Sunday.
Ocean plastic pollution is a systemic crisis that cannot be solved by a few sustainability-minded citizens recycling but requires an economy-wide solution.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 19, 2025

The true cost of ocean plastic pollution

The problem of maritime plastic-waste pollution first became apparent in the 1970s. In the half-century since then, the problem has become ever more widespread, as scientific expeditions conducted by the Tara Ocean Foundation (of which I am executive director) have shown.
Carlyle Japan is expanding hiring of investment professionals as it believes Japanese companies that are focused on domestic businesses are actually very appealing amid the global trade turmoil.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Carlyle on Japan hiring spree after new $3 billion buyout fund

Private equity has found a sweet spot in Japan in recent years, where borrowing costs remain low and companies have become receptive to selling off operations.
A projected 8 million deepfakes — manipulated video or audio made using artificial intelligence — will be shared worldwide in 2025, about a fifth of which will be part of romance scams, according to cyber firm McAfee.
WORLD / Society
May 19, 2025

Deep love or deepfake: Dating in the time of AI

Scammers are increasingly using deepfakes — manipulated video or audio made using artificial intelligence — to look and sound real on dating apps.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2025

Ishiba rebuffs tax cut demands with Greek debt comparison

The premier said he disagrees with the idea of funding tax cuts with Japanese government bonds, signaling caution over additional government spending.
Tomomi Bitoh, seen crossing the finish line in Antarctica, on the first stop of the World Marathon Challenge, is one of the very few Japanese athletes to speak publicly about her experience with egg freezing.
MORE SPORTS
May 19, 2025

The race for more time: Japanese runner decided to freeze eggs for her future

More women in Japan are expressing interest or following through with freezing their eggs in recent years, but only a few athletes in Japan have spoken about it publicly.
Scottie Scheffler celebrates after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
May 20, 2025

Scheffler installed as U.S. Open favorite

The event will begin June 12 at Oakmont Country Club in Plum, Pennsylvania, a week before Scottie Scheffler's 29th birthday.
China has faced spates of extreme weather events, from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods, for several consecutive summers.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2025

Record May heat scorches north and central China

China has endured spates of extreme weather events, from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods, for several summers running.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji