Search - long form

 
 
An aircraft from the Thai Department of Royal Rainmaking deposits a sodium chloride-based material in an effort to produce rain.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science
Apr 18, 2024

How cloud seeding boosts rainfall — and why that’s controversial

Developed in the 1940s, cloud seeding can boost rain and snowfall, but the World Meteorological Organization warns we don't know enough about it yet.
Badminton star Kento Momota leaves a news conference after announcing his retirement from Japan's national team, in Tokyo on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Badminton
Apr 18, 2024

Former No. 1 Kento Momota retires from international badminton at 29

Momota was once badminton's undisputed king, winning 11 titles in 2019 and losing just six of the 73 matches he played that year.
Shohei Ohtani has been appointed as the new technology ambassador for Rapsodo, the company announced Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 22, 2024

Shohei Ohtani signs deal with sports technology company Rapsodo

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has signed a deal to become the technology ambassador for Rapsodo, the company announced on Monday.
The inhabitants of a tranquil mountain village see their local environment threatened by Tokyoites with plans to build a glamping site in “Evil Does Not Exist.”
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2024

‘Evil Does Not Exist’ builds its dramatic tension to perfection

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s nuanced drama deftly meditates on humanity’s complex relationship with nature.
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 27, 2024

Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo

The largest solo show ever of a Black artist in Japan is an absorbing history lesson that draws a line between Chicago and Aichi.
U.S. President Joe Biden gives a speech after signing into law a bill providing billions of dollars of new military aid to Ukraine at the White House on Wednesday.
EDITORIALS
Apr 26, 2024

Passing of U.S. aid package is a win for global peace

The aid for Ukraine is critical: Its military has been running short of ammunition and Russia has been exploiting its advantage to make battlefield gains.
When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 29, 2024

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

Among official records in Japan, the "koseki" is key to discovering where you came from. However, it's not without controversy.
A scene from "The Maiden Benten and the Bandits of the White Waves" ("Benten Kozo") at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
CULTURE / Stage
May 5, 2024

Students from Hawaii to perform English-language kabuki in Japan

The group will perform "Benten Kozo," a play depicting the twists and turns of five thieves following their own code of honor.
While carnations and hydrangeas seem to be Japan’s preferred flowers for Mother’s Day, your mom will likely be happy just spending quality time with you for the occasion.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 3, 2024

Before you forget, order those hydrangeas for Mother's Day!

"Before it's too late," "while you remember" — Mother's Day offers us a chance to learn ways to express a range of time in Japanese.
Four girls congregate at an empty swimming pool at their high school and discuss their lives in “Swimming in a Sand Pool.”
CULTURE / Film
May 2, 2024

‘Swimming in a Sand Pool’ takes rare dive into gender issues

Nobuhiro Yamashita draws appealingly natural performances from his cast of newcomers in the film adaptation of an award-winning play.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tactics have escalated, including anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering, reflecting his ruling party's desperation.
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2024

Is Modi’s party heading for a stunning election loss?

Modi's campaign tactics have escalated, including anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering, reflecting the ruling party's desperation.
The Hong Kong market's recent rally has been fueled by a reassessment of investment strategies, with previously favored markets such as Japan and Taiwan losing appeal. Bloomberg
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2024

What is behind the Hong Kong market’s fast and mysterious rally?

The reallocating of investments toward Chinese assets is likely to continue, despite the historical volatility associated with the Chinese market.
Soldiers load boxes of relief goods into a U.S. CH53 Sea Stallion aircraft at Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan province, northern Philippines, last August. The Lal-lo Airport is one of the additional sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2024

China woos Philippine elites near base U.S. needs to defend Taiwan

The moves come as Washington and Beijing remain locked in a struggle for influence that is still playing out.
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at the Congress of South African Trade Unions National Worker's Day rally at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on May 1.
WORLD / Politics
May 13, 2024

Who’s who in South Africa’s tightest post-apartheid election

For the first time since White-minority rule ended, South Africa is heading into national elections in which an outright winner isn’t apparent.
Urawa's Kiko Seike (right) celebrates with Yu Endo during the AFC Women’s Championship Cup at Urawa Komaba Stadium in Saitama on Friday.
SOCCER
May 13, 2024

Kiko Seike shines as Urawa Reds Ladies add two titles to collection over weekend

Urawa won the AFC Women’s Championship Cup on Friday and clinched the WE League title on Sunday.
An image provided by I.J. Glasspool shows a microscopic view of 200-million-year-old charcoal from Greenland. By digging into the geologic record, scientists are learning how wildfires shaped — and were shaped by — climate change long ago.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 14, 2024

From ancient charcoal, hints of wildfires to come

For more than 90% of the Earth's history, the planet’s atmosphere and continents lacked the oxygen and kindling required to sustain a flame.
Lee Hsien Loong steps down as Singapore's prime minister on Wednesday, passing the baton to his deputy Lawrence Wong, the second non-member of the Lee family to lead the wealthy Asian nation.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2024

Lee Hsien Loong, the scion PM who modernized Singapore and stifled dissent

He has left his own imprint on the wealthy city-state after steering it through a global financial crisis and pandemic while diversifying its economy.
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te arrives at the CyberSec 2024 Exhibition in Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 15, 2024

New Taiwan president to set tone for ties with China at inauguration

President-elect Lai Ching-te will have the world's attention when he delivers his inaugural address on Monday.
The colored patterns of Tsuguru "nuri," made in Aomori Prefecture, are achieved by applying multiple coatings of lacquer, which are later polished down to reveal layers of colors beneath.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
May 18, 2024

A new initiative rethinks old Tohoku crafts

Described as “collector's items,” the works are being kept under wraps until their debut at a May 24-25 exhibition at Kudan House in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.
In 2023, Bryan Eastlake (left) began a three-year contract with the local Takahama tourism association to write, post photos and otherwise promote the small town in northern Kyoto Prefecture to a wider audience.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 20, 2024

The new vanguard of rural revitalization efforts in Japan

Currently, the Regional Revitalization Corps has around 200 foreign residents working in different industries around the country.
Toshiba announced on Thursday that it would cut up to 4,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 17, 2024

Toshiba takes advantage of private status to chart new course

The company has announced that it will cut up to 4,000 jobs as part of a restructuring.
Japanese Paralympic Committee Chairman Junichi Kawai says this summer's Paris Games offer an opportunity to pass on the legacy of the Tokyo Paralympics.
OLYMPICS
May 22, 2024

Paris Games a chance to pass on Tokyo's legacy: Paralympics head

Japanese Paralympic Committee chairman says increasing the number of medalists is more important than the number of medals.
Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning the French Open title on June 10, 2023.
TENNIS
May 23, 2024

Iga Swiatek bidding to join exclusive club with fourth French Open title

Since tennis turned professional in 1968, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf and Justine Henin are the only women with at least four titles at Roland Garros.
Members of the New Zealand team huddle before the Rugby World Cup 2023 final against South Africa in Saint-Denis, France, on Oct. 28.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
May 28, 2024

New Zealand Rugby set for pivotal vote after breakaway threat

Powerbrokers will vote for one of two proposals about a new leadership structure for the national governing body for rugby.
Opposition parties' senior lawmakers discuss political reform in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2024

Japan's parties ramp up reform discussions as clock ticks for legal revision

While lawmakers have agreed to expedite discussions, gaps remain on some contentious issues.
Posters of Negro Leagues players are displayed in the outfield stands at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, during a baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves in August 2020.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 29, 2024

Record books to be rewritten as MLB adopts Negro Leagues stats

The news means that some 3,400 players who competed in the Negro Leagues will now form an official part of baseball history.
Eat like a Buddhist monk — or like a tofu lover who enjoys a bit of deep frying.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 2, 2024

Vegan dumplings to please any Buddhist monk

Whatever you call these tasty dumplings, feel free to mix any finely cut vegetables into the tofu base besides the ones in the recipe.
A Liberal Democratic Party fundraising event in Tokyo in 2023
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 31, 2024

Why Japanese politics can't quit fundraising parties

To succeed in Japanese politics, it’s long been said that a politician must have, among other things, a fat purse.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean defense chief Shin Won-sik attend a trilateral meeting on sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 2, 2024

Japan, South Korea and U.S. unveil new initiatives to cement defense ties

The three partner nations agreed to develop a framework to institutionalize trilateral cooperation within the year.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz Garfia plays a backhand return to Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime during their men's singles round of sixteen match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jun 3, 2024

Alcaraz books Tsitsipas rematch as Swiatek races into quarterfinals

Alcaraz says he feels much more like himself in Paris after an injury-hit buildup saw him sidelined for almost a month.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.