Search - 2018

 
 
Japan’s governance reforms launched in 2015 sparked a surge in M&A and investor activism, but critics warn the resulting foreign takeovers and short-term focus may come at a cost.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 20, 2025

Has Japan's corporate revolution worked too well?

From private equity to activist investors to consolidation among companies fearful they’ll be targeted next, no acquisition seems beyond the pale.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press as workers install a large flag pole on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 21, 2025

Deal, not bombs, seen as only way to end Iranian nuclear threat

For U.S. President Donald Trump, a deal would avoid dragging the U.S. into another regional war or driving up inflation-generating oil prices.
A group of scientists have found an astonishing diversity of microorganisms in tiny pools of melted ice in Antarctica, suggesting that life could have ridden out several ice ages in similar ponds.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 21, 2025

How did life survive 'Snowball Earth'? In ponds, study suggests.

A group of scientists have found an astonishing diversity of microorganisms in tiny pools of melted ice in Antarctica.
Jockey James Doyle rides Lazzat (left) to victory over jockey Joao Moreira on Satono Reve in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the final day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet in Ascot, England, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Jun 22, 2025

Lazzat denies Japan a first Royal Ascot winner in thrilling climax

Satono Reve lost little in defeat under Joao Moreira and did better than the previous 10 Japanese runners at the meeting
A school and surrounding soy fields in an area of the Amazon where soybean farming is expanding, in Belterra, Brazil, in October.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jun 22, 2025

A corporate deal that protected the Amazon from soy farming starts to show cracks 

Many are taking advantage of a loophole in the Amazon Soy Moratorium, a voluntary agreement signed by the world's top grain traders in 2006.
The Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Rockets in a blockbuster deal on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 23, 2025

Suns to send Kevin Durant to Rockets in blockbuster trade

"Being part of the Houston Rockets, I'm looking forward to it," Durant said. "Crazy, crazy last couple weeks, but I'm glad it's over with."
A person holding U.S. and LGBTQ+ flags stands in front of the Lincoln Memorial, ahead of the presidential inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in Washington on Jan. 18.
WORLD
Jun 23, 2025

Pride and prejudice: Trump casts shadow on 10 years of gay marriage

At least two sitting Supreme Court justices have indicated they want to revisit Obergefell, which legalized same-sex marriage in the U.S., among other cases.
Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai (right) with Executive Chef Shinsuke Nakajima and Executive Chef Sommelier Nobuhide Tani
ESG CONSORTIUM
Jun 23, 2025

Tottori Wagyu and other delights offered at Hotel New Otani Tokyo

A special event featuring the rich sweetness and umami of juicy Tottori Wagyu-brand beef in a variety of dishes has kicked off once again at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo. Held annually since 2018, this promotion consistently highlights the charm of Tottori’s viands through innovative ideas and cooking...
Antimonopoly trials against Dentsu Group and five other firms as well as their officials involved are underway.
BUSINESS
Jun 23, 2025

FTC fines Dentsu Group and others ¥3.3 billion

The FTC also found an antimonopoly law violation by ADK Marketing Solutions but refrained from imposing a fine on the firm.
Ariya Jutanugarn was part of Thailand's 2023 LPGA International Crown-winning team.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 24, 2025

Holder Thailand to join Japan and others for LPGA International Crown

The Thai squad of Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Jeeno Thitikul won the most recent Crown in 2023.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson Hassan Khomeini stands next to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran on June 4.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2025

Search for successor to Iran's Khamenei hastens as tensions erupt into conflict

Israel attacked Iran and threatened to assassinate its veteran leader.
"I am confident that we have what we need to rebuild our company," said Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa at its headquarters in Yokohama on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 24, 2025

Investors grill new Nissan CEO over job cuts, losses and mounting debt

"We understand your frustration,” Espinosa told stakeholders. "It will not be easy to deliver. But I am confident that we have what we need to rebuild our company.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping described relations with Iran as "strategic" in a 2023 meeting with then-president Ebrahim Raisi, and backed Tehran in its fight against "bullying."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2025

China helpless as Middle East war craters regional leverage

Analysts say Beijing's ties with Tehran are central to its efforts to ensure a regional counterbalance against both the U.S. and Israel.
A recent study on the eating habits of Japanese workers has found that those who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2025

Washoku may prevent depression, Japan study says

Participants who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis shoots a free throw during a playoff game against the Knicks on May 7.
BASKETBALL
Jun 25, 2025

Hawks reportedly acquire Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis in three-team trade

Porzingis averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in only 42 regular-season games last season.
In a statement on their official website, Tokio said it had decided to disband following a compliance violation by Taichi Kokubun, without providing details as to what the violation entailed.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jun 26, 2025

Japanese pop-rock band Tokio announces disbandment after 31 years

The group said it will bring an end to its activities as Tokio following a compliance violation by member Taichi Kokubun but did not disclose details.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on April 7. Without further diplomacy, the Iran-Israel conflict could become an endless, no-win situation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2025

Trump abandons ‘America First’ for Middle East quagmire

Iran's acceptance of the ceasefire is what in Japanese politics is called a “feigned death” tactic.
Rie Usui has been working to help people with disabilities get jobs, and now runs a talent agency for disabled people.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 29, 2025

Tokyo woman working to help people with disabilities secure jobs

Rie Usui's talent agency represents about 40 models and television personalities who feature in advertisements and TV drama series.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Axiom-4 crew of four astronauts lifts off from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on a mission to the International Space Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jun 26, 2025

India, Poland and Hungary astronauts launch for first space station mission

The four-member crew was carried aloft on a towering SpaceX launch vehicle consisting of a Crew Dragon capsule perched atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Plaintiffs of lawsuits on welfare benefit reductions hold up signs celebrating their victory in Tokyo on Friday following the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of them.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2025

Japan's Supreme Court finds welfare benefit cuts unlawful

The top court revoked the welfare cuts but dismissed plaintiffs' damages claims.
An Italian court on Thursday found three Japanese nationals guilty over polluting water with PFAS, often referred to as "forever chemicals."
ENVIRONMENT
Jun 27, 2025

Three Japanese nationals found guilty over PFAS pollution in Italy

The three were among 11 defendants sentenced to prison terms of between two years and 18 years over their roles in the PFAS contamination.
Matthew Schaefer is selected by the New York Islanders as the first overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft on Friday in Los Angeles.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Jun 28, 2025

Matthew Schaefer goes No. 1 to Islanders in NHL draft

Schaefer, who will turn 18 on Sept. 5, played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League the past two seasons.
Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda's foreign minister (left), U.S. Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, Democratic Republic of the Congo foreign minister, at the White House in Washington on Friday
WORLD / Politics
Jun 28, 2025

Rwanda and Congo sign peace deal in U.S. after rebel sweep

The two countries pledged to pull back support for guerrillas while U.S. President Donald Trump boasted of securing mineral wealth.
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.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 30, 2025

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji’s deadliest weekend still echoes today. Luckily, area rescue squads have leveled up their game.
A banner announces the construction of a photovoltaic solar farm in Cabaiguan, Cuba, on May 21.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 1, 2025

China is quietly supplanting Russia as Cuba's main benefactor

Where many of Russia's most recent promises to Cuba have fizzled, China has discreetly stepped up to fill the void.
Apple Intelligence would rely more heavily on outside technology under a plan being considered by the company.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 1, 2025

Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri in major reversal

A switch to Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT models for Siri would be an acknowledgment that Apple is struggling to compete in generative AI.
Softbank Corp. is offering $1 billion of dollar bonds in the unit’s first U.S. high-grade deal.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2025

SoftBank unit set to raise $1 billion from its first dollar bond

SoftBank Corp.’s five- and 10-year notes are set to respectively price 0.9 and 1.10 percentage points above Treasuries.
A delivery driver takes a break in the shade during high temperatures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 2024.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 2, 2025

How much does a heat wave cost? Insurers and CEOs want to know.

Some believe a new market for heat insurance — driven in part by artificial intelligence and the need to cool data centers — is around the corner.
Tomonobu Kojima, admitted his involvement in the "Luffy" cases at the first hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 2, 2025

Senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring pleads guilty at hearing

Tomonobu Kojima, 47, said, "There is no mistake" regarding his charges of aiding robberies and committing fraud.
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
CULTURE / Film
Jul 2, 2025

Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made

A new show at Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills Gallery explores the painstaking process of the late “Grave of the Fireflies” and “Pom Poko” director.

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?