Search - u_times

 
 
"It's not just about sales. It's about system change," said Marty Pomphrey, general manager of Patagonia Japan, on Aug. 6.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 1, 2025

‘Cool’ Patagonia wants to take used items into the mainstream

The American outdoor brand is looking to make the offering of secondhand goods alongside new products the next step of its evolution.
Naomi Osaka in action against Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the women’s singles at the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Monday
TENNIS
Sep 2, 2025

Osaka crushes Gauff as Sinner and Swiatek roll into quarters

The Japanese star powered past third seed Gauff 6-3, 6-2 in a highly-anticipated but lopsided fourth-round showdown of former U.S. Open champions.
Waon's Shiryu Yakushi reads a picture book about the air raids on Toyoma Prefecture in the last days of World War II, to elementary school students in Imizu, Toyama Prefecture, on Aug. 4.
JAPAN
Sep 2, 2025

Japan’s young activists work to preserve fading memories of World War II

Volunteer groups are taking it upon themselves to make sure that the firsthand accounts of the war are passed down to future generations.
Protesters carry items to be burned outside the regional parliament building during a protest against the government's spending priorities, in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 2, 2025

Government gestures leave roots of Indonesia protests intact

Experts say little has been done to address the economic inequality fueling the unrest, leaving deep resentment to linger and flare up again.
Structural issues — including population decline, job shortages and an insufficient social-safety net — are hampering China's consumption and demand.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 3, 2025

The fissures beneath China’s positive GDP numbers

Despite positive Chinese growth, the world’s second largest economy is plagued by a prolonged real-estate crisis and persistently high unemployment rates.
Fumes rise from the coal-fired Hunter Power Plant in Castle Dale, Utah, in 2024. A 141-page Energy Department report challenged by more than 85 scientists in a joint analysis appeared almost in tandem with a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to rescind a 2009 endangerment finding — the bedrock of many U.S. greenhouse gas regulations.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 3, 2025

Scientists assail ‘cherry-picking’ of Trump administration climate report

The report appeared almost in tandem with a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to rescind a 2009 finding that's the bedrock of many U.S. greenhouse gas regulations.
A partly-used, 10 gram bag of semaglutide powder made by China-based Sinopep-Allsino Biopharmaceutical, at a compounding pharmacy in Arlington, Virginia, in December 2024.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2025

Chinese companies turn to generics as patents expire on weight-loss drugs

U.S. regulators have restricted the sale of cheap copies of the drugs, slowing demand for raw ingredients Chinese firms supplied over the past two years.
Hampen hails from Tokushima, Shikoku, and is named after the fish paste specialty that the region is known for.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Sep 3, 2025

Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms

This 7-year-old dog from Tokushima is eager for human companionship and loves to go on walks.
Then-Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe speaks during a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22. Freixe was fired this week over an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2025

From Coldplay kiss cam to Nestle, office romances are costing CEOs their jobs

The firing of Nestle CEO Laurent Freixe this week puts the spotlight on office relationships, and their ubiquity.
A nation made wealthy by the discovery of diamonds in 1967, Botswana is now facing an economic crisis.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2025

Lab-grown gems are robbing Botswana of its diamond riches

A diamond-market crisis has turned the finding of the gems into an affliction and a cautionary tale of what can happen to an economy that becomes overly reliant on one commodity.
Giorgio Armani, president and CEO of the leading fashion and design house, the Armani Group listens to a question at a press conference in Hong Kong on April 19, 2004. The Italian fashion titan has died at the age of 91 "surrounded by his loved ones," his company said Thursday.
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 5, 2025

Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91

The Italian icon is credited with inventing red-carpet fashion, but also moved into a less expensive range through Emporio Armani.
A <i>shunga</i> work by Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825) is on display at an exhibition of erotic Japanese art in the Kabukicho red-light entertainment area in the Shinjuku district of central Tokyo.
CULTURE / Art
Sep 8, 2025

Traditional Japanese erotic art exhibition puts female pleasure in focus

An erotic form of ukiyo-e, shunga is often dismissed as mere pornography. An exhibition in Kabukicho aims to highlight its artistry.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, sign trade agreements on Thursday in Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2025

Japan's $550 billion investment pledge outlined in MOU

U.S. President Donald Trump will direct the investments and the projects funded by Japan will be controlled by the United States.
At Syn, chef Naoto Ohno's playfulness is evident in the "Apple," a replica fruit filled with applejack-flavored foie gras and served on a plate decorated with a familiar logo.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 5, 2025

With a global approach, Syn gives French cuisine plenty of latitude

Up-and-coming chef Naoto Ohno draws from his rich travel experiences to redefine cooking traditions at his restaurant in Fukuoka.
Cannabidiol products in New York in October 2014. Tetrahydrocannabinol, which gives the “high” often associated with marijuana, is illegal in Japan if it exceeds a certain amount.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Sep 5, 2025

Japan has ‘strictest standard in the world’ when it comes to CBD products

The country’s threshold for tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound derived from cannabis that gives the “high,” is just 10 parts per million, compared with 3,000 ppm in the U.S.
Attendees stand as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner hosted in the newly renovated Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 7, 2025

Trump nests in a White House and city he’s remolding to fit him

A builder and a homebody, Trump has eschewed some of the regular routines of the presidency in favor of nesting at the White House.
Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday became the first to enter the race to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 8, 2025

Race to become next LDP president kicks off again

One presidential hopeful has announced his bid following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to step down just a year after taking over as chief of the ruling party.
Lakers forward LeBron James brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 30.
BASKETBALL
Sep 9, 2025

LeBron James pens essay in Chinese state newspaper in sign of NBA revival

The People's Daily publication of James' essay highlights how the NBA's relationship with its most important market outside North America is close to being fully repaired.
A Brahmos missile system is displayed during a rehearsal for a military parade in New Delhi in January. The Philippines will soon receive its second batch of the supersonic cruise missiles from India.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Sep 9, 2025

As Manila modernizes its military, new opportunities emerge for Tokyo

Japan has been assisting the Philippines in several ways, including by providing security equipment and training — and could soon offer up used warships.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba holds a news conference on Sunday in Tokyo where he announced his resignation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 10, 2025

The Liberal Democratic Party’s internal coup is complete

Ishiba came into the prime ministership last year with the odds already stacked against him. The LDP was a fractured party with waning public support.
Azamat Iskaliyev, accused of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, stands in a courtroom cage as he is sentenced to 19.5 years in jail, in Saratov, Russia, on July 9.
WORLD / Society
Sep 9, 2025

Heroes and villains: Russia braces for eventual return of its enormous army

Verstka, an independent Russian media outlet, calculated in October last year that almost 500 civilians had become victims of veterans returning from fighting in Ukraine.
Shipping containers are parked at Thar Dry Port in Sanand in the western part of Gujarat, India, on Aug. 27.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 10, 2025

Trump floats massive tariffs on China and India to pressure Russia

Other potential measures include further sanctions on Russia’s oil tankers and finance sector.
Warsaw's skyline in July
WORLD
Sep 10, 2025

Poland downs drones, becoming first NATO member to open fire during Ukraine war

Moscow denied responsibility for the incident, with a senior diplomat in Poland saying the drones had come from the direction of Ukraine.
A Chinese Navy ship speeds past a Philippine fishing boat while the Philippine, Australia and Canadian navies conduct a joint drill near Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Sept. 2.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 10, 2025

Manila working on new protocols for dealing with Beijing in South China Sea

As tensions heat up in the waterway, the Philippines is updating its existing rules of engagement as part of a whole-of-government approach.
Chinese DF-61 intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles are displayed during a military parade in Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on Sept. 3. 
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 10, 2025

The global nuclear picture grows darker and darker

It’s hard, if not impossible, to escape the conclusion that the world is in a grim place when measured by nuclear metrics.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents execute an enforcement operation at a Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia on Sept. 4.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 10, 2025

The ICE raid on the Georgia Hyundai plant makes no sense

The raid antagonized U.S. ally South Korea, a country that had signed a $350 billion trade pact with U.S. President Donald Trump just weeks earlier.
Ivan Espinosa, CEO of Nissan, poses for a photograph inside a Fairlady Z vehicle at the company's headquarters in Yokohama on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 11, 2025

Nissan CEO wants company to launch new cars faster

Pressure is mounting on Ivan Espinosa to overhaul the firm as its financial position continues to deteriorate.
The Defense Ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) conducted a ship-board railgun shooting test from June to early July this year with the support of the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2025

Japan's cutting-edge railgun successfully strikes target vessel

The defense ministry’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency says its test-firings marked the first time a ship-mounted railgun was successfully fired at a real vessel.
Bicycle helmet use has risen to 21.2% nationwide, up 4.2 percentage points from last year, according to the National Police Agency.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 11, 2025

Number of cyclists wearing helmets in Japan increases slightly, police say

Overall, usage rates have risen by 4.2 percentage points year on year to an average of 21.2%, according to a survey conducted in June.
Julien Alfred celebrates after winning the women's 100-meter final at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Aug. 28.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 12, 2025

Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred looking to add world title to Olympic gold in 100

Alfred convincingly beat reigning world champion Sha'Carri Richardson in the women's 100-meter sprint at the Paris Olympics last year.

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell