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Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa with his dog Sunny in Fukuoka
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 9, 2023

Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa: 'It’s better to live without being noticed everywhere.’

A former rikishi, Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa has swapped his sumo stable for the life of a salaryman.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends what state media report was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 8, 2023

North Korea holds ceremony for new ‘tactical nuclear’ submarine

The country’s state media released photos Friday of a ceremony for the vessel, which appeared to have 10 missile tubes, attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
Rachel Culin, a disenchanted Toyota owner, standing between her Toyota Prius and new Chevy Bolt at her home in Mesa, Arizona. The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell all-electric vehicles, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023

Toyota, a hybrid pioneer, struggles to master electric vehicles

The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell EVs, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
"Lost in Translation" was a sleeper hit about two people meeting in an unfamiliar city and forming an intense and fleeting emotional bond.
CULTURE / Film / Longform
Sep 9, 2023

'Lost in Translation' at 20: A Tokyo perspective

The Japanese cast and crew of Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation" reflect on their experiences decades later.
A paramilitary parade is held in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea in this photo released Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 9, 2023

North Korea stages paramilitary parade on founding anniversary

The 75th anniversary parade was attended by leader Kim Jong Un and a slew of high-ranking Chinese and Russian officials.
Team Canada celebrates after beating the United States in the bronze-medal match at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila on Sunday.
BASKETBALL
Sep 10, 2023

Canada outlasts Team USA in OT for first-ever FIBA World Cup medal

Team USA, previously unbeaten in its four bronze-medal matches, recorded the most points it has ever conceded in a World Cup game.
Attendees view "Lizard and Cigarette" by He Xiangyu during Art Basel in Hong Kong in March.
CULTURE / Art
Sep 11, 2023

Pace Gallery's Marc Glimcher surveys an Asian art scene in flux

The art market in Asia is growing increasingly competitive, with a new space in Tokyo for the New York-headquartered gallery adding to that dynamic.
Buildings in downtown Bozeman, Montana. Tech-savvy Californians who work from home are fleeing to cheaper states, while retirees and nature lovers are flocking to places like Montana.
WORLD / Society
Sep 12, 2023

Pandemic population boom in rural hotspots sparks resentment

In some places, the influx of new residents is deepening political divides in an already polarized country.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 12, 2023

Shibuya’s mayor has a message for Halloween revelers: Don’t come

Shibuya’s scramble crossing has become the go-to spot for younger generations, but past incidents have fueled concern among officials.
A Kirin 9000S chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. taken from a Huawei Technologies Mate 60 Pro smartphone
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 12, 2023

Huawei sends a message with its new smartphone

Fear of turbocharging China’s indigenous technology development efforts has been one of the most powerful arguments against tightening export controls.
A man stands next to a damaged car in Derna, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya on Tuesday.
WORLD / Society
Sep 13, 2023

Over 5,000 dead in Libya as dam collapses worsen flood disaster

Libya, a North African nation splintered by a war, was ill-prepared for the storm, which swept across the Mediterranean Sea to batter its coastline.
Bottles of whisky sit on display behind the bar at the Door XXV private club in the Golden Equator Group office in Singapore.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Asia takes over the world’s whisky market

Yearslong efforts by Pernod, Diageo and other major whiskey producers to get Asian drinkers to spend more on their premium spirits are finally paying off.
Arm U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Arm’s CEO is pitching a made-for-you chip strategy ahead of IPO

The company is shifting its strategy, now focusing on doing complex design work on specific products, tailored for what it sees as key areas of growth.
New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is seen in formal attire to attend an attestation ceremony after a Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2023

In Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, two changes stand out

It will be the first time in 20 years that a woman has been foreign minister, while the new defense chief arrives amid dramatic shifts in defense posture.
Sofia Coppola (right), Bill Murray (center) and Scarlett Johansson attend the Venice Film Festival to present their movie “Lost in Translation” in August 2003.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 13, 2023

The complex legacy of ‘Lost in Translation,’ 20 years on

Sofia Coppola's acclaimed film relaunched Tokyo's global fame, but along the way it forgot to show its Japanese characters some love.
Visitors inspect a BYD electric sedan at a motor show in Munich
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 14, 2023

Did Europe just start a trade war with China over electric cars?

The EU launched a probe into Beijing’s financial support for the EV industry amid fears that Chinese exports are putting auto jobs at risk.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 14, 2023

Japan's new foreign minister: A change in face, not policy

Yoko Kamikawa's appointment as foreign minister — the first time a women assumed the role in 19 years — is unlikely to bring a change in policy.
Tesla has combined a series of innovations to make a technological breakthrough that could transform the way it makes electric vehicles and help Elon Musk achieve his aim of halving production costs.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 15, 2023

Tesla reinvents carmaking with quiet breakthrough

The company pioneered the use of huge presses to mold the front and rear structures of its Model Y in a "gigacasting" process.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Khabarovsk region, Russia, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 15, 2023

Kim visits military aviation plant in Russia's far east

Russia and North Korea are historic allies, with Kim's visit sparking concern from Kyiv's allies over possible arms agreements.
Kabul is diverse and culturally rich, like the rest of Afghanistan. Yet the country has struggled with political inclusivity.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2023

Japan can help pave the way for an inclusive Afghanistan

A new generation of Afghan leaders wants to be included in the country's future. Japan is well-positioned to facilitate dialogue with the Taliban.
An engineer works on a K-9 self propelled howitzer at Hanwha Aerospace factory in Changwon, South Korea, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 16, 2023

Inside the South Korean factory that could be key for Ukraine

South Korea has ramped up arms exports while traditional behemoths like the United States struggle with production shortages.
A woman walks past a showroom for Chinese electric vehicle maker XPeng in Beijing in February.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 16, 2023

Chinese EV makers pin hopes on Europe’s fading auto dealers

At the heart of their strategy is the traditional dealership model that European carmakers have been exiting in favor of direct sales.
Corruption thrives in times of war, as exemplified by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently being forced to replace his defense minister after top officials were accused of skimming funds or taking bribes. 
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2023

Zelenskyy needs to fight corruption like he’s fighting Putin

There’s no need just to pick on ex-Soviet states like Ukraine. A fire hose of U.S. taxpayer money went missing in Afghanistan and Iraq.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 18, 2023

Top Biden official and Chinese diplomat hold 'constructive' talks

The talks come ahead of an anticipated November meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at an APEC summit.
Couples prepare to have their photo taken during a wedding photography shoot on a in Shanghai on Sept. 6.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 19, 2023

Fewer 'I dos' ruin the party for China's $500 billion wedding industry

The trend is worrying officials trying to revive marriage rates and birth rates, which dropped to record lows last year.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv turned to the world’s richest human, Elon Musk, as he was likely the only person on the planet capable of providing the communications it needed.
COMMENTARY
Sep 21, 2023

Elon Musk has power in Ukraine. Does he know how to use it?

When Russia invaded, Ukraine turned to Elon Musk because he was probably the only person on the planet capable of providing the communications it needed.
Tuvalu's Finance Minister Seve Paeniu shows a picture of his grandchildren on his phone while attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November 2021.
ENVIRONMENT / Oceans
Sep 22, 2023

Tuvalu partners with Australia as rising seas threaten survival

The project will test a new U.N. blueprint under which one rich nation takes responsibility for raising funds to support a climate-vulnerable country.
A sign at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 6. AI and quantum information science have recently become a major issue in international politics.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 26, 2023

How emerging technologies can bring power to states

While the technologies are expected to largely change how militaries, economies and societies are operated, many of their social impacts remain unclear.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 22, 2023

Zelenskyy under pressure as Ukraine's allies shift priorities

Allies are pushing the Ukrainian leader to turn his attention to what kind of country will emerge from the war, even as Kyiv struggles for a breakthrough.
Diane Hawley Nagatomo at her home office in Chiba. Born in the U.K., Diane has called Japan “home” for more than 40 years.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 23, 2023

Diane Hawley Nagatomo: ‘The only way to improve writing is to write’

After retiring from her position as a professor in 2022, Diane Hawley Nagatomo has just released her first novel, “The Butterfly Cafe.”

Longform

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.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji