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JAPAN
Jul 2, 2023

Just how green are Japan’s trains?

The nation is famed for its rail network, but despite significant steps to reduce emissions, the sector is still responsible for a substantial amount of carbon dioxide.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 30, 2023

With ‘Idol,’ Yoasobi pens a new chapter in J-pop's story

In creating the theme song to the popular anime 'Oshi no Ko,' one of Japan’s most interesting groups wins new fans overseas.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 29, 2023

Where did all that Russian gas go?

The war has cut Russia adrift from Europe, its biggest gas export market. So what has Russia — which has the largest reserves in the world — done with all that spare gas?
JAPAN
Jun 28, 2023

Japan's next flu season may begin two months earlier than usual

People's immunity to influenza declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the relaxation of infection prevention measures, such as wearing masks, has allowed the virus to spread.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / EXPLAINER
Jun 27, 2023

Why the wind power industry has hit turbulence

While industry has grown quickly over the past two decades, it still faces various hurdles that must be overcome.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 26, 2023

One big winner of Kremlin-Wagner clash? The dictator next door.

Alexander Lukashenko is trying to use a PR victory to burnish his credentials as a credible statesman, mediator — and above all, loyal ally to Putin.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2023

Slowing bone marrow donor registration raises concerns in Japan

The number of registered donors stood at about 544,000 at the end of March this year, an increase of only about 6,500 from a year earlier.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 22, 2023

For China, it's the ordinary people who pose the greatest risk

In times of crisis, such as the COVID pandemic, Chinese leaders are so terrified of public panic that they view the people as the actual source of the crisis at hand.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Jan 22, 2023

Coach at center of French skating sex abuse scandal dies

After three skaters accused Gilles Beyer of later assaults, he was placed under investigation for 'sexual assault by a person in authority and sexual harassment by a person in authority.'
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 20, 2023

Is China's economy back on track?

Over the past two months, China’s leadership has announced major policy reversals that have left global investors and other observers bullish about its economic future.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 20, 2023

How COVID’s bitter divisions tarnished a liberal icon

In a part of the world where coronavirus restrictions lingered, Jacinda Ardern struggled to get beyond her association with pandemic policy.
Director Hirobumi Watanabe (second from left) stars alongside his brother Yuji (far right), who has served as composer on all of his films, in his new feature “Techno Brothers,” which follows a sibling trio on the road to Tokyo to find success in the music business.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2023

Foolish Piggies Films keeps humor at its heart

Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is greeted by Abdulla bin Touq Al Mari, the UAE's minister of economy, during a reception in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 20, 2023

Kishida's Middle East visit creates an opportunity for Japan

Kishida visit shows Japan's policy vis-a-vis the Middle East is shifting from the traditional energy-securing economic diplomacy to a more strategic foreign policy.
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?
Employees of a fishing net manufacturer, including Ainu Indigenous people, work at a facility in Urahoro, Hokkaido, in June.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET
Jul 23, 2023

In Hokkaido, an Ainu group's lawsuit and climate change converge on salmon fishing

The Raporo Ainu Nation in Hokkaido is fighting for its Indigenous rights to fish for salmon. But warming waters are raising questions about future fish stocks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a news conference during a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12.
COMMENTARY / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 27, 2023

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From a weak anti-war leader to a symbol of the fight for liberation

Shifting away from direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's leader has called for weapons and galvanized national unity in the face of war.
Director Christopher Nolan (right) poses with "Oppenheimer" cast members (from left) Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt at the film's premiere in Paris earlier this month.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 27, 2023

Summer film releases in Japan and the 'Oppenheimer' problem

Moviegoers may not get their "Barbenheimer" moment, as Japan likes to keep things family friendly in summer.
People sing songs, including "Glory to Hong Kong," during a demonstration in Hong Kong on Sept. 16, 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Hong Kong court rejects ban on pro-democracy anthem

The court said the publication and proliferation of the song is already punishable under the city’s National Security Law, also questioning the efficacy of a ban.
A Toyo Safety Industrial helmet with a built-in fan is showcased at Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition in Tokyo in July.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023

Fan-cooled beds and baby carriers among new gadgets to beat heat

At Tokyo’s annual trade show last week the focus was on how to keep workers in high-temperature environments cool and reduce the risk of heatstroke.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 31, 2023

First foreign pavilion application fails to calm Osaka Expo nerves

Officials worry that unless other countries move to set up their pavilions soon, some who have agreed to build them could reverse course.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends one of his campaign rallies in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 1, 2023

Trump's bid to quash Georgia probe rejected by judge

The judge denied Trump's request to disqualify the lead prosecutor, block any potential indictments and throw out a special grand jury report.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing in May.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 1, 2023

Elon Musk’s unmatched power in the stars

The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. The ways he is wielding that influence are raising global alarms.
Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 1, 2023

Myanmar junta pardons Suu Kyi on some charges

The pardons would mean a reduction in her prison term of six years, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump arrives to speak at an event in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 15.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 2, 2023

Indictment could push Trump closer to 2024 Republican nomination

The former U.S. president has made the indictments a central plank of his campaign platform, portraying himself as the target of a biased justice system.
Jacob Anthony Chansley near the entrance to the Senate after breaching security defenses on Jan. 6, 2021
WORLD
Aug 2, 2023

Who else faced legal consequences after the U.S. Capitol attack?

Numerous people have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to crimes after seeking to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in 2020.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, arrives at Reagan National Airport in Washington en route to his arraignment in federal court on Thursday.
WORLD
Aug 4, 2023

Trump pleads not guilty to charges of obstructing election

After the hearing, the former U.S. president briefly addressed reporters at the Washington airport, calling it a "very sad day for America.”
Ater Jimmie Husen
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 6, 2023

On plates, Sweden and Japan are a natural pair

Swedish and Japanese cuisine are not natural allies, but diners in Japan don’t seem to care when they taste this unique fusion for themselves.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 29
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 6, 2023

U.S. prosecutors ask for protective order, citing threatening Trump post

Despite a history of online bullying, Trump’s campaign issued a statement insisting that he was practicing his First Amendment rights.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 7, 2023

Scandal-hit ex-LDP member a major backer of renewable energy

Masatoshi Akimoto opposes building new nuclear reactors or replacing current ones, and has said that wind power in particular has much potential.

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person