Search - 2023

 
 
Hideki Makihara enters the Prime Minister's Office on Oct. 3 before being appointed as justice minister.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Japan's new justice minister admits ties with Unification Church

Such ties between Makihara and the controversial religious group had not been confirmed in a survey by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2022.
A sign in support of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump is displayed in Bad Axe, Michigan, on Sept. 30.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Election officials backing Trump’s 'Big Lie' stir unease in U.S.

Donald Trump's false ideas about voter fraud have become an article of faith among many Republican members of local election boards that certify results.
Shinobi, one of Sega's most popular video game series, is to be made into a movie.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 9, 2024

Sega's ninja game Shinobi to get the movie treatment

Sega did not give a target date for the movie's release.
Chinese residents living in Japan take part in a “white paper” protest in solidarity against China's COVID-19 lockdowns, in Tokyo in November 2022.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2024

Chinese nationals in Japan testify to harassment by Beijing, report says

One man said Chinese police had used his relatives to try and lure him back to the country.
The Israeli success against Hezbollah and Hamas forces presents an opportunity for political change in the region, particularly if Israel can translate its military victories into diplomatic solutions. 
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2024

Capitalizing on the weakening of Hezbollah and Hamas

The significant setbacks for Hezbollah and Hamas — and the weakening of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” — needs to be seen in strategic terms.
Mindbody ClassPass CFO Tom Aveston speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in September.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 9, 2024

ClassPass lands in Japan with eye on domestic fitness market and visitors

The company, which provides access to gyms on a membership basis, started operating on Sept. 19 with 200 partner gyms and fitness studios, mainly in Tokyo.
A screen shows the 2024 laureates for the Nobel Prize in chemistry David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper during the award's announcement by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on Wednesday.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 9, 2024

Trio of scientists win chemistry Nobel for work on the structure of proteins

Scientists David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry for cracking the code for proteins’ structures.
A woman struggles as she heads toward a shelter in Lakeland, Florida, on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approaches the region.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 10, 2024

How climate change is contributing to the intensity of hurricanes

Scientists have linked high ocean temperatures to the rapid intensification of hurricanes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington on July 25.
WORLD
Oct 10, 2024

Looming Israeli strike on Iran offers fresh test of U.S. sway

With Israeli retaliation against Iran expected at any time, the U.S. is finding it has few assurances against further escalation.
Jets coach Robert Saleh hugs quarterback Aaron Rodgers during their game against the Patriots in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 19.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 10, 2024

Aaron Rodgers denies any involvement in Jets' decision to fire Robert Saleh

Some reports said that Rodgers had been unhappy with a plan by Saleh to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
The Taro Nasu gallery in Tokyo, with work by the French artist Benoit Pieron on view.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 10, 2024

In Tokyo, the Taro Nasu gallery focuses on conceptual art

Striving to be unique, the small gallery is bringing attention to artists from around the world whose works have rarely been seen in Japan.
The Tomakomai carbon, capture and storage test site in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, in March 2018. The true benefits of carbon removal won’t be realized until we get close to net zero emissions.
COMMENTARY
Oct 10, 2024

Geoengineering can save the planet — if we demystify it

The percentage of Americans who say they trust scientists on the environment has declined to 67% this year from 75% in 2020.
Rafael Nadal bites the trophy after winning the French Open in Paris on June 5, 2022. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, said he will retire following this year's Davis Cup.
TENNIS
Oct 10, 2024

Rafael Nadal to retire at end of season

"It has been some difficult years, these last two especially," the 38-year-old, who won a record 14 French Open titles, said in a video.
A destroyed part of a building stands at Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces withdrew from the hospital and the area around it in Gaza City in April.
WORLD
Oct 11, 2024

U.N. inquiry accuses Israel of crime of 'extermination' in Gaza

Israel has not cooperated with the inquiry, which it says has an anti-Israel bias.
X owner Elon Musk and Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump meet prior to a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5.
WORLD
Oct 11, 2024

Disinformation stirred by Musk and Trump adds strain to hurricane recovery

Conspiracy theories and hate speech targeting the government’s storm response erupted across social media after Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast.
Independence Square in central Kyiv
BUSINESS
Oct 11, 2024

World Bank board approves new Ukraine fund, sources say

The fund will help fulfill a pledge by Group of Seven rich democracies to provide Ukraine with up to $50 billion in additional funding by the end of the year.
People in Japan get some of the least sleep in the world, so when the rare time comes to turn in, many are turning to bedtime stories to drift off to sleep.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 12, 2024

Can't stop tossing and turning at night? Perhaps a bedtime story would help.

“Bedtime routines vary from family to family, from person to person,” says one researcher. “It's important to find what works best for each person.”
Performers at Stand Up Indonesia Tokyo shows crack plenty of jokes, but the main purpose behind the group, organizers say, is to provide a space where Indonesian expats can express themselves about any struggles they may have about living abroad.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Oct 14, 2024

Tokyo’s Indonesians get through life abroad with a couple of laughs

Stand Up Indonesia Tokyo is a community of comedians, comedy fans and others with connections to Indonesia seeking a reminder of home.
Natalie Nakase will lead the Valkyries, the WNBA's newest team, after spending three years as first assistant coach with the Aces.
BASKETBALL
Oct 11, 2024

Natalie Nakase named as inaugural head coach of expansion Valkyries in WNBA

Nakase, 44, has more than 16 years of coaching experience, including 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA.
National Police Agency Commissioner General Yasuhiro Tsuyuki addresses a meeting of top prefectural police officers at the agency in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 11, 2024

Police chief wants key election personalities fully protected

National Police Agency Commissioner General Yasuhiro Tsuyuki urged prefectural police chiefs to "execute every single measure" ahead of the Oct. 27 general election.
An office worker inside a commercial building at night in Tokyo
JAPAN / Society
Oct 11, 2024

Widespread overwork and stress found in Japan's arts and health sectors

In the arts and entertainment sector, over 40% of technical staff and stage directors worked 60 hours or more in a week, a health ministry survey found.
An Israeli soldier stands next to the remains of an Iranian Emad ballistic missile at a military base in southern Israel on Monday, days after Iran launched a massive missile attack on the Jewish state.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2024

A dangerous dance for Israel and Iran

Israel and Iran are in a precarious position, with Israel coping with reduced inviolability after the Hamas attack and Iran trying to maintain its regional influence.
A manager of a go-kart rental company allegedly rented out karts without properly verifying the driver's licenses presented by two foreign tourists.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 11, 2024

Tokyo go-kart rental manager sent to prosecutors over traffic law violation

The 40-year-old man allegedly rented out karts to two foreign tourists without valid licenses.
Justice Minister Hideki Makihara speaks during a joint interview with media outlets at his office in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 11, 2024

Justice minister says he has severed all ties with Unification Church

Hideki Makihara has promised to follow the Liberal Democratic Party’s commitment on ceasing ties with the group moving forward.
Capsule hotels were created as a way to deal with the amount of overwork employees tend to do in Japan. Can't commute home? Then spend the night in an tiny, affordable sleeping space.
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Oct 12, 2024

Japan wakes up to the market for a proper sleep

After years of sleep deficits and drowsy mornings, a growing number of products and services are being developed to help us rest easier.
A Starlink satellite communication system installed on the training ship Kashima of the Maritime Self-Defense Force for test operations at the Harumi Pier in Tokyo on May 15.
JAPAN
Oct 12, 2024

Japan's MSDF eyeing Starlink for better internet connectivity at sea

Hoping to create an environment where MSDF members can freely use the internet while at sea, the MSDF plans to introduce the Starlink service on its vessels.
The remains of the Prefectural Industry Promotion Building after the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima in September 1945.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 12, 2024

Nobel Prize is a warning to a world on the nuclear brink

The awarding of the prize to Nihon Hidankyo — a group of atomic bomb survivors — reflects a widely held fear that nuclear war is now closer than ever.
Kodai Senga will get the ball for the Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 13, 2024

Mets hurler Senga ready to take on Dodgers in game one of NL Championship Series

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga says he'll "go at it 100%" when he takes the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
An aerial view shows people paddling through a flooded street in South Daytona, Florida, following the passage of Hurricane Milton on Friday.
WORLD
Oct 13, 2024

Hurricane Milton’s floodwaters are hiding a dirty secret

Even though the risks from rising, fast-moving water is past, standing water remains treacherous to navigate and likely harbors dangerous diseases.
A man searches through the rubble of a wrecked house in the Turkish town of Cankiri after a strong earthquake hit central Turkey in June 2000.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 13, 2024

Earthquakes, hurricanes and other disasters will shape our future cities

The progress of Antakya’s renewal bears watching. However it proceeds, there will be lessons to learn.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami