Search - 2023

 
 
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said Friday that the BOJ will examine the possibility of easing measures when price targets are met.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 16, 2024

BOJ's Ueda maintains pledge to review stimulus when inflation goal met

Data released on Thursday showed Japan's economy unexpectedly slipped into a recession in the final quarter of last year.
A new report by the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility estimates that it could take up to 320 years for Black Americans to catch up to their white counterparts in quality of life.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2024

Black Americans gain no ground on income and wealth

One study estimates that it could take up to 320 years for Black Americans to catch up to their white counterparts' in quality of life.
Residential buildings heavily damaged by  Russian military strikes in the front-line town of Avdiivka, Ukraine, last November.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 17, 2024

Ukraine troops withdraw from front-line city of Avdiivka

Capturing Avdiivka is the most significant territorial gain for Russian forces since they seized the eastern city of Bakhmut last May.
Lakers forward LeBron James celebrates after a dunk against the Pistons on Tuesday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Feb 18, 2024

All-Stars say NBA future in good hands once LeBron is gone

James has been the top star in an older generation of talent that also includes Golden State's Stephen Curry and Phoenix's Kevin Durant.
The Japan Tourism Agency plans to offer subsidies to develop travel products combining culinary and traditional cultural experiences in rural areas.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2024

Japan tourism agency to promote gastronomy tourism

As foreign tourists numbers spike post-pandemic, culinary travel has grown increasingly popular, especially among wealthy travelers.
In Hokkaido’s Niseko ski resort area, a bowl of ramen or soba from a food truck easily goes for more than three times what it costs at a sit-down joint in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Feb 18, 2024

¥3,800 ski-slope ramen is a glimpse of Japan’s future

Foreign tourist spending has potential to stimulate growth but needs careful management to ensure equitable distribution of benefits for locals.
Travelers at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station on Feb. 6. For the Feb. 10-17 period, there were 99.5 million rail trips made in China, a figure 36% higher than the comparable period in 2019.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 19, 2024

China’s new year travel and spending top pre-COVID levels

Some 474 million tourist trips were made around the country during the festival, which began Feb. 10 and concluded Saturday.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (right) presents a gift to a Ukrainian refugee an event at the Keidanren Kaikan in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 19, 2024

As war fatigue grows, Japan pledges long-term support to Ukraine

Describing the aid as an investment in the future, Tokyo emphasized how Japan’s technology and expertise in reconstruction could serve Ukraine’s needs.
Italy's Ange Capuozzo in action with Ireland's Craig Casey at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Feb. 11.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Feb 20, 2024

Capuozzo defends Italy's place in Six Nations ahead of France test

Italy heads to Lille on Sunday to play France, facing the possibility of earning another Six Nations wooden spoon.
ASML engineers walk past a High NA EUV tool at ASML’s headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, on Nov. 20, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 20, 2024

Dutch say China seeks military advantage from ASML tools

Netherlands-based ASML, Europe's largest tech firm, dominates the world market for lithography systems, needed by computer chipmakers.
BUSINESS
Feb 20, 2024

Hirotake Yano, founder of ¥100 chain Daiso, dies at 80

The retailer capitalized on a shift in spending habits after Japan's economic bubble burst, launching Yano onto the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Demonstrators hold Iranian flags and a huge inflated figure representing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei holding a nuclear bomb as they protest against the Iranian regime on Friday in Munich.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 20, 2024

Iran's nuclear enrichment exceeds commercial needs, says IAEA chief

The IAEA warned at the end of 2023 that Tehran already had enough material to make three nuclear bombs if it enriches material now at 60% to beyond 60%.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Feb 20, 2024

Can Japan’s new H3 rocket compete with Elon Musk’s Falcon 9?

In order to seriously compete with the Falcon 9, which currently dominates the market, experts say price and usability of the H3 would be key.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2024

Whale found dead in Osaka Bay to be buried on prefectural land

After being buried for up to two years, the skeletal remains will be offered as a specimen to the Osaka Museum of Natural History.
McDonald's Japan will start charging ¥5 for plastic bags of all sizes at some stores, starting in April.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2024

McDonald's Japan announces trial ¥5 plastic bag charge to curb usage

The firm will eye expanding the fee nationwide following a trial at 23 of its stores in Nagasaki Prefecture starting in April.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Feb 21, 2024

Russia may launch nuclear weapon into space this year, U.S. tells allies

Moscow is said to be developing a space-based capability to knock out satellites using a nuclear warhead, in violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
The Etihad Towers surrounded by residential and commercial properties in Abu Dhabi
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2024

UAE poised to exit watchdog’s dirty money list after reforms

The UAE is expected to come off the list on Feb. 23.
Japan's exports rose to a record high in January, lifted by robust shipments of cars and chipmaking equipment, marking the second straight month of growth despite concerns about slowing global demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 21, 2024

Export growth beats forecasts, adding to momentum for BOJ policy shift

Gains in exports are a positive sign after the economy unexpectedly fell into recession in the last quarter of 2023 due to stagnant domestic spending.
Red Bull, the dominant 2023 F1 champions, launched their new car last week with some design features reminiscent of those tried and discarded by rivals Mercedes last season.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Feb 21, 2024

Questions hang over Red Bull ahead of F1 testing in Bahrain

Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin are all hoping to be closer to Max Verstappen, who is chasing his fourth title in a row this season.
Corey Morrison (back center) and Siggy Sauer (front, center) at Asakayama stable. While pathways into ōzumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train with the superstars of the sport.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Feb 21, 2024

Texan newcomer helps dispel the myth that sumo is a closed world

While pathways into sumo have become more streamlined in recent years, stables are still remarkably willing to let amateurs show up and train superstars.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 21, 2024

Film director Hideo Sakaki held on suspicion of sexual assault

While allegations of sexual abuse were made against Sakaki as far back as March 2022, this is the first time that the director has been taken into custody.
During a time in which Western acts have seen their place of prominence in the Japanese market drop in favor of K-pop, Swift is a notable exception.
CULTURE / Music
Feb 22, 2024

What makes a Taylor Swift show worth flying in for?

Swifties say the pop star's concerts provide camaraderie and a sense of validation.
COMMENTARY
Feb 21, 2024

Japan plays a game of Pacific islands geopolitical chess

The influx of Chinese investment and activities have introduced risk for some Pacific island nations, moves which Japan cannot ignore.
BUSINESS
Feb 21, 2024

Japanese companies maintain suspended operations in Russia: survey

Japan has kept stakes in some energy projects as a matter of energy security.
Buildings in the business district in Singapore. The city state hosted regional headquarters for 4,200 multinational firms in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 22, 2024

Even China’s giants are picking Singapore over Hong Kong

The city state hosted regional headquarters for 4,200 multinational firms in 2023.
Eleven portraits of Ainu chieftains, completed in 1790, are now held by the Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology in Besancon, France. There were originally 12 paintings in the original set, collectively known as the “Ishu Retsuzo,” but one has disappeared.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Feb 26, 2024

The ongoing mystery of the Ainu portraits in France

A former Hokkaido journalist is hoping to find out how portraits of Ainu chieftains from 1790 made it to Europe.
The Huawei Mate 60 Pro, launched in August 2023 and powered by a sophisticated chip, was seen as a symbol of the China's technological resurgence despite Washington's ongoing efforts to cripple its capacity to produce advanced semiconductors.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 22, 2024

U.S. targets China chipmaking plant after Huawei Mate 60 Pro

The Biden administration seeks to cut off China's most advanced factory from more American imports after it produced a sophisticated chip for the phone.
Biomass will heat the facility and provide clean CO2 for the plants.
ESG CONSORTIUM
Feb 22, 2024

A hothouse of ecological ideas will produce tomatoes in Aomori

Starting in April, a project in the Aomori city of Mutsu, at the northern tip of Honshu, will grow tomatoes using a new cultivation method that will go beyond zero carbon and actually absorb more CO2 than it emits. Built on a large abandoned farm, the facility will also create 100 new jobs.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump at a campaign event ahead of the Republican presidential primary election in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 14
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Feb 29, 2024

Why Japanese companies need to prepare for Trump 2.0

Given the former president's views on the recent U.S. Steel deal, firms should cover all bases ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. election.
TikTok parent company ByteDance's offices in Singapore. Chinese companies are increasingly using the city-state as a springboard into the U.S. market.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 22, 2024

'Singapore-washing' and China’s sneaky trade practices

Chinese firms are using Singapore as a springboard into the U.S., circumventing restrictions. The island nation shouldn't enable these deceptive tactics.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan