Search - 2018

 
 
Self-Defense Forces members search for victims in Kobe's Nagata Ward on Jan. 28, 1995, in the wake of the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 16, 2025

Hanshin quake sparked changes to Japan's disaster response policies

Having outlined the Self-Defense Forces' active role and support for victims, the government now aims to set up a new central agency for disaster relief.
A helicopter drops water on the Palisades fire near the Sullivan Canyon area of Los Angeles on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 16, 2025

Los Angeles wildfires test how Democrats aim to counter Trump

California's governor has undertaken a media blitz, accusing Donald Trump of spreading disinformation and daring him to visit the state.
Ichiro Suzuki had 1,278 hits and a .353 batting average in nine seasons with the BlueWave in NPB.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 16, 2025

Ichiro voted into Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame

Former players Hitoki Iwase and Masayuki Kakefu and former Central League umpire Hiroya Tomizawa were also voted into the Hall.
A map of the hypocentral region of an anticipated Nankai Trough earthquake
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 16, 2025

Possibility of Nankai Trough megaquake now 80%, government panel reports

Last year, the likelihood of an earthquake in the zone had been projected at “between 70% and 80%.”
The families of the victims of sexual violence and others hold a news conference in the city of Osaka on Dec. 4 after submitting a petition to the Osaka Prefectural Assembly calling for the continuation of the Sexual Assault Crisis Healing Intervention Center Osaka, a one-stop support center within a hospital.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jan 17, 2025

Osaka sexual violence support center faces existential threat

SACHICO, Japan's first one-stop support center within a hospital setting for women affected by sexual violence, has been asked to leave Hannan Chuo Hospital.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is one of the leading candidates for the NFL MVP award this season.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 17, 2025

Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson headline high-profile showdown in divisional round

Both players epitomize the modern preference for quarterbacks who can not only throw with pinpoint accuracy but can also be a threat running the ball.
Komeito Secretary-General Makoto Nishida (left) and Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama (center) hold talks with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jan 17, 2025

A moment of opportunity for Japan-China relations

While the outcome of the Japan-China meeting is important, it must not compromise Japan's national interests.
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump in Tokyo march ahead of the inauguration of then President-elect Joe Biden on Jan 20, 2021.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 17, 2025

Japan has nothing to fear from Trump — except in maybe one area

Japan is far better positioned in the areas most important to Trump than many other countries. If Shinzo Abe were still alive, Japan would be in a great place.
Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
BUSINESS / Companies / Longform
Jan 17, 2025

Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go

The CEO and president of Rapidus says the chip venture in Hokkaido is key to Japan's fortunes.
Roki Sasaki pitches for Japan during the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome on March 11, 2023.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 18, 2025

Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki signs with Dodgers

Sasaki is considered one of the most talented young pitchers on the planet. 
John Adolph holds his son, Remy, as he stays with his friends after his home in Altadena was damaged during the Eaton Fire, in Eagle Rock, California, on Friday.
WORLD
Jan 20, 2025

Displaced by wildfires, Los Angeles' residents search for a place to live

In the wake of the wildfires, rents in Los Angeles have surged, and uncertainty over insurance settlements has left some of the displaced in limbo.
Woodworkers check phones during a blackout at an industrial complex in Tehran on Dec. 18.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 20, 2025

Blackouts in Iran leave industry in tatters

The regime is bracing for a harder road ahead, with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump pledging pressure and preparing sanctions.
Holocaust survivor Pedro Buchwald, 87, shows his badge used at the concentration camp during an interview in Buenos Aires on Dec. 26.
WORLD / Society
Jan 20, 2025

The Roma Holocaust: A little-documented genocide

Just 10% of Austria's 11,000 Roma and Sinti survived the Nazi atrocities.
Rae Burrell (left) of the Vinyl battles for possession with Lexie Hull and Angel Reese of the Rose in an Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game in Miami on Friday.
BASKETBALL
Jan 21, 2025

Unrivaled could teach the NBA how to win back its fans

The new league plays a fast-paced, free-flowing version of basketball that empowers players to show off their skills.
The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on Monday. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit southern Taiwan on Tuesday, causing buildings in the capital Taipei to shake.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 21, 2025

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake shakes Taiwan, U.S. Geological Survey says

The shallow quake struck 12 kilometers north of Yujing, a mango-growing district in southern Taiwan, in the wee hours of Tuesday.
A reproduction experiment was conducted by placing two gas stoves side by side and heating large iron plates (top photo). The canister on the left stove overheated and ruptured (bottom photo).
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2025

Warnings issued for portable stoves as winter usage increases

The most common issue was improper canister placement leading to overheating and rupture, resulting in fatalities, burns and property damage.
Haas mechanics prepare for the U.S. Grand Prix last October.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jan 22, 2025

Haas makes Laura Mueller F1's first female race engineer

Mueller will serve as the race engineer for driver Esteban Ocon, who will debut with the U.S. team this year.
The National Personnel Authority in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2025

Fall in Japanese bureaucrat aspirants shows signs of stabilizing

The number of applicants in fiscal 2023 rose by 36.0% from the previous year, and in fiscal 2024, it increased by 17.9%, reaching a record high of 4,734.
A charred chimney is all that remains at a fire-ravaged ocean front home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 16.
WORLD
Jan 22, 2025

After the fire, should some parts of Los Angeles never rebuild?

Researchers warn that wildfires pose very different risks from more predictable events like sea-level rise and riverbank flooding.
Teruko Nakazawa, a retired unpaid parole officer (back), talks with her former parolee in the smoking room of a cafe in Tokyo. Around 47,000 citizen volunteers  far outnumber the 1,000 salaried probation officers working in Japan.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jan 23, 2025

Japan's unpaid parole officers are driven by a 'love for humanity'

The around 47,000 citizen volunteers far outnumber the 1,000 salaried probation officers in Japan.
With abundant rains and formidable humidity in summer, Japan does not seem to be an ideal land for wine, but winegrowers in Yamanashi Prefecture have gradually been able to adapt.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 26, 2025

Of sake and spirits: Indulging in Yamanashi’s best

Visits to Grace Wine’s vineyard and the Suntory Hakushu Distillery turn a tour of the mountainous prefecture into a gourmet treat.
Japan Airlines' chief executive officer and its chairman will be subject to a 30% pay cut for two months over an incident involving two pilots drinking.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 24, 2025

JAL top executives have their pay docked after pilot drinking incident

The punishments stem from an incident last month when two captains caused a flight to be delayed by around three hours after alcohol was found in their systems.
Sara Saito competes at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in October last year.
TENNIS
Jan 24, 2025

Sara Saito’s journey from tennis courts in Gunma to promising WTA pro

The 18-year-old Saito, who has steadily risen up the WTA rankings, is the only teenager among the eight Japanese players in the top 200.
Hoshoryu dispatches Oho in a playoff to clinch the Emperor's Cup on the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday in Tokyo.
SUMO / Basho reports
Jan 26, 2025

Hoshoryu overcomes rank-and-file wrestlers to put yokozuna promotion in sight

Despite the best efforts of Kinbozan and Oho, it was ozeki Hoshoryu that eventually emerged victorious in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
Smoke rises as the Border 2 Fire burns in Chula Vista, California, on Friday in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.
WORLD
Jan 27, 2025

Fire-ravaged Los Angeles braces for toxic rain runoff

The rain will also bring cleaner air and improve fire-fighting conditions, but overall, it will make things worse.
Spotify signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 2
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 27, 2025

Universal and Spotify ink multiyear deal

A joint statement said the two firms "will collaborate closely to advance the next era of streaming innovation."
Hong Kong's commercial real estate sector is going through one of its worst slumps in history.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 27, 2025

Hong Kong’s property distress is catching up with city’s banks

Banks with soured loans and mortgages have been reluctant to sell the underlying real estate assets at a loss — but that is changing.
"We want to welcome many people from all over the world, so we want to make Osaka a city where people feel safe with smoke-free streets," said Hideyuki Yokoyama, mayor of the city of Osaka, in early January.
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2025

Osaka bans street smoking ahead of Expo 2025

Expo 2025 has struggled with slow ticket sales and public concern over the construction budget.
The third patient to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney is thriving post-transplant, providing valuable insights into animal-to-human organ replacement and bringing the field closer to clinical trials. 
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2025

Why a recent pig kidney transplant is a major advance

The 53-year-old woman who received the genetically modified animal organ is the ideal recipient to push science forward.
A memorial stone listing the names of 183 people who lost their lives in the flooding accident at Chosei coal mine in the city of Ube in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1942, photographed in December
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2025

Survey to begin at western Japan site of 1942 undersea mine accident

The remains of 136 people from the Korean Peninsula and 47 Japanese nationals still lie in the flooded Chosei coal mine in Ube.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?