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A structure of the Arctic LNG 2 joint venture is seen under construction near the settlement of Belokamenka, Murmansk region, Russia, in July last year
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2023

U.S. sanctions on Russia LNG won't harm supplies, minister says

The industry minister said that Japan will ensure its energy supplies are not affected by U.S. sanctions on a Russian project in which it has a stake.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 8, 2023

China and Australia agree to mend ties. But will this impact security?

As the two nations agree to put bygones behind them and boost communication, questions remain over how this will impact security tensions in the region.
In a new program called Lantern, big tech companies will share signals of activity that violate their policies on child exploitation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2023

Tech giants pool efforts to fight online child sex abuse

Child victims of abuse online are a hot-button issue for regulators and tech firms are eager to show they are taking adequate measures to protect them.
People stand outside an Apple Store in Shanghai as the new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China on Sept. 22.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2023

Apple postpones next year's iPhone and Mac software to fix bugs

Rather than adding new features, company engineers have now been tasked with fixing flaws and improving software performance, sources have said.
A Nissan auto dealership in the Botafogo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The firm hopes to more than double its market share in Brazil, to 7% from the current 3.4% in 2026.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2023

Nissan to invest $575 million in Brazil as it aims to double share

Nissan hopes to more than double its market share in Brazil, to 7% from the current 3.4% in 2026.
Tokyo International Film Festival celebrated the 120th anniversary of Yasujiro Ozu’s birth with screenings of the director’s films, including 1953’s “Tokyo Story.” The festival also held a symposium featuring three world-class filmmakers discussing Ozu’s contributions: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke and Kelly Reichardt.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 9, 2023

Kelly Reichardt: 'Yasujiro Ozu truly tries to achieve stillness'

The indie director discusses Ozu's cinematic impact on the 120th anniversary of his birth at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The construction site of a new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. factory in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 9, 2023

Japan set to earmark ¥2 trillion for chips in extra budget

Japan is in the midst of a spending spree to revive its chip industry with an aim to triple the sales of domestically produced semiconductors by 2030.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks at a news conference following the central bank's policy meeting on Oct. 31.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 9, 2023

BOJ debated groundwork for future easy-policy exit at meeting

The October discussions highlight how the central bank is looking to exit its decade-long accommodative regime.
Coffee is served from a Toyota-developed fuel cell food truck at an event in Hita, Oita Prefecture, in October.
BUSINESS / Tech / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 13, 2023

Toyota's fuel cell vehicles include food trucks and mobile offices

The carmaker is offering a variety of ways to utilize FCVs by taking advantage of their lack of tailpipe emissions and ability to generate electricity.
People from Hawaii pray for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, on a beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2014.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 13, 2023

Fukushima celebrates a century of special ties with Hawaii

Residents emigrated to Hawaii and other places to cultivate undeveloped land, and made a living by working in the sugar industry.
Staff at the Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon 2023 collect used paper cups after the event on Oct. 15.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023

Japanese paper-makers pioneer domestic recycling of paper cups

Until now paper cups have typically been discarded as flammable waste, but are made from high quality pulp that can be reused.
Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Falls Church, Virginia, on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY
Nov 9, 2023

U.S. elections show Republicans have clear voter problems

Abortion as an issue that breaks strongly for the Democrats doesn’t seem to be going away at any point soon.
Nintendo has announced it is developing a live-action movie adaptation of its The Legend of Zelda video game series.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 8, 2023

Zelda the movie shows Nintendo has learned its lesson

The live-action Zelda movie is still shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: Nintendo will want loyal sidekicks to embark on this adventure.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Giorgia Meloni defied doubters to survive a year in Italy. Now it gets harder.

The far-right label applied to Meloni for most of her career may be too simplistic for a politician who demonstrates flexibility and pragmatism.
SoftBank Group booked a ¥789 billion quarterly loss as it took a hit from the bankruptcy of WeWork.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2023

SoftBank books ¥789 billion quarterly loss

SoftBank's loss marks its fourth straight quarter in the red as the tech giant struggles amid a weak yen.
Tokyo retained third behind London and New York in this year's Global Power City Index (GPCI) report.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023

Tokyo remains third in global power index despite downturn

Among other Japan cities, Osaka ranked 37th while Fukuoka placed 42nd in the index.
Honda raised its full-year net profit forecast to ¥930 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2023

Honda and Nissan hike full-year forecasts

The car giants, however, also pointed out that fierce price competition in China was posing a challenge for Japanese automakers.
Director Hideo Jojo made the switch from soft-core adult films to more mainstream entertainment with “On the Edge of Their Seats,” a drama about four teenagers watching their high school baseball team lose an important tournament game.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 10, 2023

'Pink film' director Hideo Jojo gets the red carpet treatment

Tokyo's annual film festival named Jojo — who has made over 100 titles, from soft-core adult films to theatrical features — this year's Director in Focus.
A union team captain reacts after SAG-AFTRA approved a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to bring an end to the 118-day actors strike, at a brewery in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2023

Hollywood actors reach tentative deal with studios to end strike

The deal also provides protections against unauthorized use of images generated by artificial intelligence.
Humane has officially launched its long-awaited Ai Pin. The device will be available to order starting Nov. 16.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 10, 2023

Humane's Ai Pin launches its campaign to replace phones

The device can magnetically clip onto clothing and will cost $699 with a $24-a-month subscription — which will come with unlimited data and phone calls.
ICBC Financial Services said in a statement a ransomware attack resulted in disruption to certain systems and it was conducting an investigation and "progressing its recovery efforts."
BUSINESS
Nov 10, 2023

China's biggest lender ICBC hit by ransomware attack

The lender said it was investigating the attack that disrupted some of its systems, and making progress toward recovering from it.
U.S. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen (right) and He Lifeng, China's vice premier, shake hands during a meeting in San Francisco, California, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

Yellen seeks 'substantive' talks with Chinese vice premier ahead of APEC summit

U.S. Treasury officials have sought to downplay expectations for any breakthroughs from the meetings in San Francisco.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 10, 2023

Many Japanese firms log higher April-September net profits

The normalization of economic activity from the COVID-19 crisis and the depreciation of the yen have boosted earnings.
As a young man, preserving the 400-year-old Ueda Soko Ryu tea ceremony school, which had survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, was always on Soko Ueda's mind.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 11, 2023

‘Life is for being who I am — not who others expect me to be’

A soon-to-be 17th-generation tea ceremony grandmaster shares the journey he took in embracing his family heritage and preserving a Hiroshima tradition.
Port Plus is a training and education facility in Yokohama built by and for general contractor Obayashi, a storied Japanese builder that traces its roots back to 1892.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2023

Wooden high-rise in Yokohama grows Japan’s timber ambitions

Port Plus, which was finished last year, is composed mainly of 540 wooden rigid cross-joints.
A JD.com advertisement in Beijing promoting the Singles Day shopping festival
BUSINESS
Nov 10, 2023

China’s Singles Day downbeat amid slumping consumer confidence

Shoppers are increasingly seeking value, looking for cheaper brands amid an overall mood of restraint.
Yoon Suk-yeol, then the 2022 presidential election candidate of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party, attends a news conference in Seoul in November 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

President’s war against ‘fake news’ raises alarms in South Korea

Critics say South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is silencing journalists in the name of fighting disinformation.
Destroyed buildings in Gaza on Thursday amid ongoing battles between Israeli forces and the Hamas militant group.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 10, 2023

Why are oil prices falling while war rages in the Middle East?

Intense fighting is underway in a region that holds much of the world’s petroleum resources. Yet, energy markets have been slumping.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2023

Cabinet approves ¥13.1 trillion extra budget to finance fresh stimulus

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appears to be eager to regain popularity with the relief package, but voters aren't convinced.
Japanese state-backed fund INCJ has sold all but a token portion of its stake in semiconductor manufacturer Renesas Electronics.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 10, 2023

Japan fund INCJ sells ¥279 billion of Renesas shares

The shares have primarily been sold to overseas institutional investors, INCJ said.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight