Search - :https

 
 
Police officers stand guard during a campaign speech by a Lower House by-election candidate in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in April 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 8, 2024

Police beef up security measures ahead of upcoming election

Two years after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a review of dignitary protection is being conducted.
Japanese troops during an amphibious landing exercise on Tokunoshima island, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan is letting go of old assumptions about the reliability of the rules-based international order and is making efforts to boost its military capabilities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024

As militaries are rebuilt, are we turning American?

Some countries stopped investing in their militaries and defense under the illusion that the rules-based order would prevail. Now, they're facing tough, new realities.
Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served as the chief of staff to Trump's National Security Council, said he has met several European officials in recent days, including foreign ministers.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 10, 2024

Trump foreign policy adviser meets European officials attending NATO summit

Keith Kellogg, a retired lieutenant general who served as the chief of staff to Trump's National Security Council, said he had met several European officials.
World Anti-Doping Age President Witold Banka speaks during an event in Lausanne, Switzerland, in March 2023.
OLYMPICS
Jul 10, 2024

Independent probe clears WADA of favoritism in Chinese swimmers case

WADA President Witold Banka was in fighting form after the executive board had met and endorsed the report that cleared his agency.
A conceptual design of a potential Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO). HOSPO is aiming to become one of Japan’s major domestic spaceports for launching satellite-equipped rockets and spacecraft as well as for the aerospace industry to conduct research and development.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jul 22, 2024

Small Hokkaido town looks to the stars for future growth

Taiki, population 5,300, is home to what is billed as Asia’s first privately operated spaceport — Hokkaido Spaceport.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February 2019. At the summit, Trump lost his patience and cut negotiations with Kim short just as they were gaining momentum.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2024

Blame Trump for North Korea’s saber-rattling

What would have happened if Donald Trump hadn't failed to capitalize on Kim Jong Un's willingness to deescalate by losing his patience on that fateful February day?
Olympic rings are displayed on Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris ahead of the city hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. One way of reducing the carbon emissions of mega sporting events is to limit the attendance of spectators traveling by air.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2024

Only locals should be allowed to attend the Olympics

The single best way of reducing the carbon emissions of an Olympics? Limiting ticket sales to locals. Evidence from the Tokyo Games shows how far-reaching the impact is.
In addition to standup comedy, Anthony Jeselnik co-hosts the podcast “The Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project” with NFL analyst Gregg Rosenthal.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 11, 2024

Standup comic Anthony Jeselnik, known for fierce roasts, to play first Japan show

The comedian will hit Tokyo as part of the Asia stretch of his worldwide “Bones and All” tour.
From a Michelin-star kitchen in Italy to a central-Tokyo gelateria, Masako Minaguchi of Gelato MinNa believes doing what you love should always be a priority.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jul 11, 2024

Masako Minaguchi: ‘Gelato is full of possibilities’

From a Michelin-star kitchen in Italy to a central-Tokyo gelateria, this foodie believes doing what you love should always be a priority.
A study found that long-term caregivers who were age 16 were 2.51 times likelier to engage in self-harm compared with noncaregivers.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 11, 2024

Young long-term caregivers likelier to have mental health issues

A joint study by the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science found that the risk is particularly high for those between 14 and 16.
Politicians pay their respects to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in the city of Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2024

Two years after Abe’s death, LDP's conservatives still lack direction

The absence of a figure who is able to embody conservative ideals and marshal widespread consensus within the party has weighed heavily on conservatives.
Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy speaks in New Delhi in 2020. Roy is currently facing prosecution in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an anti-terrorism law, for comments she made back in 2010 about Kashmir.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 12, 2024

The show trial of India's Arundhati Roy

Comments made by Roy, a Booker Prize-winning author, 14 years ago have put her in the crosshairs of the BJP, which is wielding an anti-terrorism law to punish her.
Marketing and PR Director at MSC Cruises Japan Kathy Knowles believes inbound tourism in Japan is likely to increase, and hopes more people will want to explore the country by sea.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Jul 13, 2024

Kathy Knowles: ‘I would never have been able to see so much if it weren't for this job’

Going on a cruise can be a fun summer travel option, so much so that this industry executive has made a career out of it.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Trump National Doral, his golf resort in Doral, Florida, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 13, 2024

Trump’s subtle shift in his vice president calculations

The former president appears to be giving more weight to political calculations in selecting a running mate, by picking someone who “helps you get elected.”
A photo provided by a local resident shows buildings in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, damaged by a landslide on Friday.
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2024

Three found dead after landslide near Matsuyama Castle

Rescue workers had been searching for three people who were living in a wooden house that collapsed after the landslide in Ehime Prefecture.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is rushed into a waiting vehicle after a shooting at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 14, 2024

An attempt to kill an ex-president, caught in real time, stuns America

In the era of social media, it was not introspection that followed the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, but rather rage, blame, even comedy.
People lay flowers before the two year anniversary of the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the city of Nara on July 7.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2024

Trump shooting reminds Japan of similar attacks on politicians at home

The attack on the former U.S. president evoked memories of similar incidents involving Japan's prime ministers.
The plaintiff, who is in her 50s, is suing the government, contending that the gender dysphoria law is unconstitutional because it violates Article 13 of the Constitution, which protects an individual's right to pursue happiness.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 16, 2024

Trans woman challenges marital status condition for legal gender change

The plaintiff, who has been married since 2015, argues that the legal requirement for one to be unmarried in order to change one's gender is unconstitutional.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito speaks to reporters on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2024

Hyogo governor stands firm on not resigning despite official's death

Gov. Motohiko Saito said he has "responded within the necessary scope" of his duties in relation to allegations of power harassment against him.
National League designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a three-run homer in the third inning of the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 17, 2024

Ohtani launches three-run homer as NL loses All-Star Game

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran delivered a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead the American League to a 5-3 victory over the NL.
Japan's Hikaru Kitagawa dribbles past a defender during an Olympic qualifying match against North Korea at National Stadium in Tokyo in February.
OLYMPICS / Football
Jul 17, 2024

After Tokyo Olympic disappointment, Nadeshiko Japan look for redemption

For many, a disappointing effort on home soil in 2021 was a marker of just how far Japan's women's soccer team had fallen. Now the squad has its sights set on redemption.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida receives a petition from victims of forced sterilization on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 17, 2024

Kishida apologizes to victims of forced sterilization

The apology from the prime minister follows a Supreme Court ruling earlier this month declaring that the now-defunct eugenics law was unconstitutional.
A researcher at the University of Tokyo shows a face mold covered in human skin tissue at its lab.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 18, 2024

Say cheese: Japanese scientists make robot face 'smile' with living skin

Researchers at the University of Tokyo grew human skin cells in the shape of a face and pulled it into a wide grin, using embedded ligamentlike attachments.
From left: Kan Kikuchi, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Muto Chozo and Nagami Tokutaro
LIFE / Language
Jul 19, 2024

Dive into Akutagawa's world of creepy 'kappa' and prewar kanji

In order to read Japanese works written before the war, you'll need to watch out for the different roles hiragana play in addition to unfamiliar kanji.
“Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman” incorporates six Murakami short stories from three books into a single intertwined narrative that centers on a trio of lonely Tokyoites.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Jul 20, 2024

'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman' is an immersive journey into Murakami's world

Pierre Foldes' beautiful adaptation of six Haruki Murakami stories features one of the author's most memorable characters, who injects the film with self-aware humor.
A large screen in the Dubai Metro is out of service on Friday amid a massive global IT outage.
WORLD
Jul 20, 2024

From ATMs to flights, epic IT crash leaves trail of destruction

In what will go down as the most spectacular IT failure the world has ever seen, a botched software update from a cybersecurity firm caused a global systems outage.
The CrowdStrike offices in Sunnyvale, California, on Friday
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2024

CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say

Faulty code resulted in one of the most widespread tech outages in recent years for companies using Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Some 20% of Japanese companies have stropped creating medium-term management plans to respond more flexibly to changes in the business environment and achieve long-term goals, a recent survey has found.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2024

20% of Japan firms have no medium-term plans, poll finds

A survey found that about 10% of companies with medium-term plans are considering changing the duration of their plans or making other reviews.
A pedestrian walks past air conditioning units in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 21, 2024

Japan bakes as temperatures across the country rise above 35 C

In Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, the mercury hit 38.2 C, while Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, saw the temperature rise to 37.3 C.
Secret Service officers surround U.S. former President Donald Trump, the Republican  presidential candidate, as he attends the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 21, 2024

Secret Service says it denied earlier Trump requests for more federal resources

The denied requests for additional resources were not specifically for the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president survived an assassination attempt.

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