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Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard in action against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a WNBA preseason game in Atlanta on Saturday.
BASKETBALL
May 13, 2025

WNBA roars into new season marked by growth and star power

The league has expanded for the first time since 2008 by introducing the Golden State Valkyries.
A man stands atop a float holding a portable shrine at this year’s Sanja Festival in Tokyo.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 20, 2023

Why 2023 will be a deciding year for Japan’s iconic summer festivals

As the population gets older do we risk losing the summer festivals that make Japan unique?
A theater-goer takes a photo of the promotional poster for Hayao Miyazaki’s new film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 18, 2023

‘The Boy and the Heron’: It’s so good to be back in Hayao Miyazaki’s world

Studio Ghibli’s latest film takes viewers on one last journey to the familiar world of a master animator who has captivated audiences worldwide for decades.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 26, 2023

A tale of two Fujis: Bullet climbs, crowds and Lizzo

With the borders fully open, Mount Fuji is all booked up and Fuji Rock is back in full force. Drew Damron and Patrick St. Michel join us on the podcast to discuss Japan’s two favorite Fujis.
A woman takes a picture of the poster for the new Hayao Miyazaki film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 2, 2023

Hayao Miyazaki’s confusing new masterpiece

Our critics Thu-Huong Ha and Matt Schley discuss what they thought of the new Hayao Miyazaki film, “The Boy and the Heron.”
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2023

Nuke ban treaty still out of reach as Japan marks atomic bombings

Japan, which is positioned under the "nuclear umbrella" of the U.S., has refrained from joining the treaty, citing its own “tough security environment.”
EDITORIALS
Aug 11, 2023

Nuclear threats grow stronger and more immediate

In this world, unilateral disarmament and the hope that setting an example will inspire other nations to follow suit is fantasy.
Michael Oher (right) was drafted in 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2013.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Aug 16, 2023

Former NFL 'Blind Side' star sues over 'adoption'

Former Raven Michael Oher is also seeking to receive a share of profits he claims not to have been paid in addition to financial and compensatory damages.
England's Lauren Hemp will attempt to help England win the Women's World Cup for the first time when the team meets Spain in the final on Sunday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 18, 2023

England and Spain standing on cusp of World Cup glory

The Women's World Cup will reach its climax when England or Spain is crowned champion for the first time on Sunday.
Residents walk past trees and powerlines that were downed following the passage of Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical storm, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in September 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 19, 2023

Climate haven no more? Floods and fires ravage eastern Canada

Storms, floods, a cold snap and record wildfires have all battered the eastern province of Nova Scotia over the past year.
Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas (left) battles for the ball against English forward Lauren James during in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney on Sunday. Spain won the match 1-0.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 22, 2023

FIFA boss should read the pitch on women’s pay

More than 2 billion people are expected to have tuned in. About 2 million attended matches in person. Both records. The FIFA Women’s World Cup generated more than $570 million to break even.
Flames reach upward along the edge of a wildfire near Mistissini, Quebec, in June.
ENVIRONMENT
Aug 23, 2023

As wildfires multiply, a new era of air pollution

The average American had already been exposed to 450 micrograms of smoke per cubic meter by early July, worse than from 2006-2022.
New Zealand coach Ian Foster is not concerned about former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen helping Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 24, 2023

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has no issues with Steve Hansen helping Australia

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster insisted Wednesday he had known for a month that predecessor Steve Hansen had agreed to help rival Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.
A woman stands on one side of the wall texting in front of a nightclub while, on the other side of the wall, a man works in an izakaya.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 24, 2023

One night out in Tokyo

As the last trains leave the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, much of the city heads home. However, Tokyo never sleeps.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 25, 2023

Confident Jose Osuna says Swallows just have to keep fighting

Jose Osuna still has faith in the Swallows despite the team's underwhelming performance this season.
A protest against the redevelopment of Dharavi, one of Asia's largest slums, in Mumbai. Banners read: "Remove Adani, Save Dharavi" and "First we fought the whites now we fight the thieves".
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 28, 2023

Billionaire's bid to remake Mumbai slum spurs residents' doubts

Amid massive financial setbacks and allegations that political allies gave him favorable treatment, some question Adani's intentions.
Russian Communist Party supporters attend a ceremony in Red Square on March 5, 2021, marking the 68th anniversary of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s death.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2023

In Russia and Israel, national derangement runs wild

How can a priest bless a statue of Stalin and rabbis praise Nazism? In societies that are coming undone, absurd claims take root.
"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 self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle in San Francisco in 2017
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 17, 2023

With self-driving cars, it's the ethics we have to navigate

Do accidents involving self-driving cars today save lives tomorrow? When it comes to self-driving cars, the challenges aren't just technical, but ethical.
France's Antoine Dupont receives medical attention after sustaining an injury during the team's 96-0 victory over Namibia in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, in Marseille, France, on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 22, 2023

France's Dupont has 'suspected broken jaw' after Namibia thrashing

The loss of 26-year-old Dupont, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, would be a severe blow to host nation France's chances.
Anton Korynevych (left), permanent representative of the Ukrainian President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and Oksana Zolotaryova, director of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, speak to the press at the International Criminal Court in The Hague in 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 28, 2023

Ukraine conducts 'lawfare' to hold Putin to account

Over the past two weeks, judges in The Hague have heard lawyers for the two warring nations argue over details of the Genocide Convention.
A Ukrainian drone pilot, call sign Darwin, operating a first-person-view, or FPV, drone on a test flight near Kupiansk, Ukraine, on Aug. 5.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 1, 2023

Ukraine’s war of drones runs into an obstacle: China

Ukraine's latest fight is one over global electronics supply chains that run through China.
Protesters calling for the protection of human rights in Hong Kong gather in Tokyo on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2023

Protesters in Tokyo target China on founding anniversary

Groups supporting Tibet, Uyghurs, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Taiwan came together to condemn China over alleged repression and genocide.
A breaker performs during the Red Bull BC One 2023 Camp Day and National Finals at the Fillmore in Philadelphia on Aug. 26
MORE SPORTS
Oct 12, 2023

Breakers grapple with hip-hop’s Olympic moment

B-boys and B-girls wonder if their art will translate into sport when breaking makes its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The classic Japanese ghost story often features a vengeful female ghost.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 12, 2023

[Rebroadcast] Japan’s got ghosts

This week we discuss a few horror movies before “Uncanny Japan” podcast host Thersa Matsuura tells a classic Japanese ghost story.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has worked to make sure all the Springboks have a voice on the pitch.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 13, 2023

South Africa benefiting from Siya Kolisi's leadership at World Cup

"I think what sets Siya aside from other leaders is how he includes everyone's opinions in the team," center Jesse Kriel explained.
Israeli soldiers load tank shells as their unit masses in Be'eri, near the border with the Gaza Strip, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 15, 2023

Israel plans Gaza invasion to avenge Hamas atrocities

The assault is expected to be Israel’s biggest ground operation since it invaded Lebanon in 2006.
A woman takes her meal alone in Tokyo's Yanaka neighborhood. As the country ages, Japan's average caloric intake has been shrinking.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 20, 2023

Table for one? What depopulation in Japan means for dinner.

As Japan’s population ages and more people find themselves isolated, solving their dietary needs is shaping the way the country feeds itself.
Voice actors record their parts for a radio drama at a radio station studio in Manila.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 25, 2023

Filipino listeners cheered by last surviving radio dramas

A small team of voice actors and technicians produce shows that are broadcast in Tagalog by DZRH, one of the oldest radio stations in the country.
A banner at the entrance to Shibuya’s Center Street makes it clear this is no place for a party.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2023

The specter of Itaewon has Shibuya spooked

One year on, Elizabeth Beattie joins us to discuss where Itaewon stands after its Halloween disaster, and what its legacy means for celebrations in Japan.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?