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Naomi Osaka in action during her second-round match against Iga Swiatek at the French Open in Paris on May 29
TENNIS
Jun 19, 2024

Osaka among four Grand Slam winners granted Wimbledon wildcard

The 26-year-old will be playing in the main draw of Wimbledon for the first time in five years.
Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan celebrates scoring his team's second goal during host Germany's group-stage win over Hungary on Wednesday in Stuttgart.
SOCCER
Jun 20, 2024

Hosts Germany through to last 16 of Euros as Scotland earns draw

Germany followed up its 5-1 demolition of Scotland in the tournament's opening game by seeing off the Hungarians in Stuttgart.
Most Japanese companies see no need for their government to follow the U.S. in raising tariffs on Chinese imports, a survey has found.
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2024

Most Japanese firms see no need to follow U.S. with tariffs on China

U.S. President Joe Biden last month unveiled steep tariff increases on an array of Chinese goods.
Kazuto Oku, CEO of Norinchukin Bank, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on May 22.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 20, 2024

Norinchukin sounds warning as higher-for-longer rates inflict losses

Signals from central banks that they are in no rush to cut rates have caught out many investors who'd been betting on more aggressive moves.
Mayumi Kitakata uses "CatsMe!," an AI-driven smartphone app that purports to tell when a cat is feeling pain, near her 14 year-old male pet cat Chi at her home in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2024

Japan's beloved cats get health care help from AI

The CatsMe! app has been used on 6,000 pictures of cats and by more than 230,000 customers since its launch last year.
Residents at a residential facility for the elderly in Sapporo show off their nails after getting them done during an on-site training session for welfare nail technicians in May.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 20, 2024

'Welfare manicures' bring a touch of color to the lives of Japan’s elderly

The practice, which took off in 2012, has been well-received among residents of care facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Jun Azumi (center) submits a no-confidence motion against the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to Lower House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga (second from left) on Thursday in the parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 20, 2024

Lower House votes down no-confidence motion against Kishida’s government

The motion was voted down by the LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito, which together hold a supermajority in the chamber.
Japan's core inflation accelerated in May due to energy levies but an index that strips away the effect of fuel slowed for the ninth straight month, complicating the central bank's decision on how soon to raise interest rates.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 21, 2024

Energy costs drove up inflation in May, backing case for BOJ rate hike

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.5% in May from a year ago, quickening from 2.2% in April, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
Sota Fujii (right) and Takumi Ito in the city of Kofu, in Yamanashi Prefecture, on Thursday after Fujii was beaten by his challenger for his Eio title.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2024

Shogi star Sota Fujii loses major title for first time

Fujii, 21, gave up the Eio title in his 23rd title match in Yamanashi Prefecture. The challenger, Takumi Ito, 21, won his first crown with three wins and two losses.
While MyDearest's games are understably digital, employees also joke that sometimes they known coworkers only by their avatars used during meetings.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jun 21, 2024

Action drives VR, but Japan prizes anonymity and plot

A far cry from origins as a tech novelty, Japan's virtual reality industry is currently valued at $3.9 billion (about ¥615 billion).
The Mioya Shuzo brewery was damaged by the 2024 New Year's Day earthquake — but not to the extent that it couldn't serve as a shelter of sorts for the region's many sake breweries.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
Jun 22, 2024

To Miho Fujita, ‘rules are meant to be broken in the sake world’

Miho Fujita knows the old songs sung by sake brewers by heart, but she's updated the tradition in her own way, infusing the age-old craft with a modern twist.
Croatia fans let off a flare in the stands during the team's match against Albania on Wednesday in Hamburg, Germany.
SOCCER
Jun 21, 2024

Serbian soccer association demands punishment for Croatia and Albania

The head of the Football Association of Serbia said a formal complaint had been submitted, claiming that Croatia and Albania fans chanted "Kill, kill, kill the Serb."
During the attacks, private data on JAXA employees as well as information on external parties might have leaked, it has been reported.
JAPAN
Jun 21, 2024

Japan’s space agency hit by repeated cyberattacks since last year

JAXA has begun a probe to determine the scope of the damage caused and taken measures to shut down the networks that may have been involved.
France's Antoine Griezmann fires toward the Dutch goal during the two teams' group stage match on Friday.
SOCCER
Jun 22, 2024

Mbappe-less France draw with Dutch at Euro 2024 as Ukraine wins

Mbappe watched from the bench after breaking his nose in France's opening game of the tournament.
Portugal defender Ruben Dias applauds after his team's win over Turkey on Saturday in Dortmund, Germany.
SOCCER
Jun 23, 2024

Portugal cruises into Euro 2024 knockout stages as Belgium bounces back

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portuguese side is among the favorites to win the title in Germany and the team lived up to its status against Turkey.
Oilers center Ryan McLeod celebrates his goal with teammates during the team's Game 6 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday in Edmonton, Alberta.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Jun 23, 2024

In trying to make history, the Edmonton Oilers will be battling it

In defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Friday, the Oilers became just the third team to even force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final.
A man visits the Cornerstone of Peace, a monument in the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, with his family, including his great-grandchildren, on Sunday, the 79th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2024

Okinawa marks 79 years since end of fierce ground battle

During a memorial service, participants observed a moment of silence in honor of the more than 200,000 war dead and renewed a pledge for peace.
Amid AI chip juggernaut Nvidia's staggering successes, startups seeking the attention of Silicon Valley venture capitalists are being asked to innovate — but without a clear indication of where the next chapter of AI will be written.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jun 23, 2024

Beyond Nvidia: the search for AI's next breakthrough

Startups are being asked to innovate — but without a clear indication of where the next chapter of AI will be written.
Germany's Niclas Fuellkrug celebrates after scoring against Switzerland during their Euro 2024 match in Frankfurt on Sunday.
SOCCER
Jun 24, 2024

Ilkay Gundogan says Niclas Fuellkrug's Euro 2024 heroics 'liberated' Germany

The result means Switzerland, rather than Germany, will face a tougher assignment in the last 16.
A feminist demonstration against the far-right party in Toulouse, France, on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

French feminists protest Marine Le Pen even as she pulls in women

Protesters have had to reckon with a difficult reality: The National Rally leader has made progress in casting her party as a defender of women’s rights.
An Israeli soldier walks next to a fire following attacks from Lebanon, amid ongoing crossborder hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, near Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, on June 14.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Israel moves in Lebanon could raise risk of broader war: U.S. general

Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not offer a prediction on Israel's next steps.
Burgundy snails at the Mie Escargots Development Laboratory farm in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, on May 16
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 30, 2024

Japan's escargot entrepreneur achieves the 'impossible'

Toshihide Takase has invested a small fortune and taught himself everything about Burgundy snails.
Israelis protest for the release of hostages held in Gaza and against the government in Tel Aviv on June 1.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Israel tech leaders, irked by Netanyahu, eye moves into politics

The war against Hamas is straining Israel's economy, with the central bank projecting costs of around $67 billion through 2025, nearly 15% of the annual GDP.
For Japan, carbon credits are seen as important as the nation waits for its climate technology bets to pay off.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2024

Japan makes a late play on under-fire carbon credit trading

The government and Japanese companies see carbon offsets as important as they wait for their climate tech bets to pay off.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te visits soldiers and air force personnel in Hualien, Taiwan, on May 28.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Autocracy is 'evil,' Taiwan president says after China threatens death for separatism

China, viewing Taiwan as its territory, openly opposes Lai, labeling him a "separatist" and conducting military exercises shortly after his inauguration last month.
A general shareholders meeting is held at Sompo Holdings in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 24, 2024

Japan nonlife insurers apologize to shareholders over scandals

Leaders of three major Japanese nonlife insurers apologized at their respective general shareholders meetings over scandals rocking the industry.
In his 14 years as prime minister, Viktor Orban has become expert in playing hardball with Brussels and has repeatedly wielded his veto to get more EU funds.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Will Hungary hijack the EU during its presidency?

Officials and diplomats fret that one major victim of Hungary's six months in charge will be EU support for Ukraine as it battles Russia's invading forces.
The U.S. will no longer view itself through the lens of exceptionalism, regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins the next election.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 24, 2024

American exceptionalism is dead no matter who wins the election

The U.S. will no longer view itself through the lens of exceptionalism regardless of the presidential election's outcome, focusing instead on its narrow self-interests.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen in this screen shot taken from video in London on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 25, 2024

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to be freed after pleading guilty to U.S. Espionage Act charge

Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defense documents.
Michael Brinegar in action at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha on Feb. 8
MORE SPORTS / Swimming
Jun 25, 2024

Former U.S. Olympian Brinegar hit with four-year doping ban

American swimmer Michael Brinegar, who competed in the 800 and 1,500 meters events at the Tokyo Olympics, has been handed a four-year suspension for blood doping, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Monday.

Longform

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