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Berlin's growing military engagement with Indo-Pacific allies and partners is meant to signal that Germany "stands firmly at the side of those countries that are committed to complying with international law and do not accept it being called into  question," German Navy chief Vice Adm. Kaack told The Japan Times.
JAPAN
Aug 20, 2024

Sea lane fears drive German military's Asian engagement, navy chief says

Developments in the Indo-Pacific, both economic and geopolitical, have direct implications for the security and prosperity of Germany, Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack says.
A Palestinian child is vaccinated against polio in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD
Sep 5, 2024

Polio vaccines give Gaza families an all-too-brief respite from war

One Gazan mother wondered what good the polio vaccination campaign could do when her children would soon face more air strikes and shelling.
Ashwini Vaishnav (left), the Indian minister of electronics and information technology, and N. Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, take part in the foundation stone laying ceremony for India's first AI-enabled semiconductor fabrication facilities in Dholera, Gujarat, India, on March 13.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2024

Could India become an alternative to China in the ‘chip war’?

As decoupling from China gains traction, the U.S. and its allies are betting on India for supply chain restructuring and semiconductor development.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has a 62-point lead in the race for the Formula One title.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 12, 2024

Max Verstappen and Red Bull looking to get back on track at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The Dutchman arrives in Baku with a 62-point lead over Lando Norris in the drivers' championship.
Yurin Fujii was among the Japanese athletes to compete at X Games Chiba over the weekend at Makuhari Messe.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 23, 2024

Japan to remain in X Games mix for ‘foreseeable future’

Japanese athletes likely hope the X Games continue to come to Japan, as the event has become special for many.
Canadian Ambassador to Japan Ian McKay, who is also his country's special envoy for the Indo-Pacific, takes part in an interview with The Japan Times last week.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 6, 2024

Canada eyes joint coast guard patrols with more Asian partners, envoy says

Canada is recognized as a leader in terms of its "Dark Vessel Detection" technology designed to identify vessels fishing illegally in protected maritime areas.
A view of the soon-to-be-completed and sealed central detector at the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), during a media tour organized by the Chinese foreign ministry and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in Kaiping, Guangdong province, China, on Oct. 11.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 16, 2024

Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery

Learning more about neutrinos would offer clues to subatomic processes during the early days of the universe.
A billboard displaying pro-Russian slogans in the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. The billboard reads: "We are the one people. We are together with Russia."
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2024

Like in magic, Moscow is playing a game of distraction

Defying common sense, the Kremlin continues to proclaim with a straight face that its attack on Ukraine was an act of self-defense.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe during the Spanish league football match between RC Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid in Vigo, Spain, on Saturday
SOCCER
Oct 22, 2024

Ancelotti wants goals from Madrid star Mbappe

The striker has scored eight goals for Madrid in 12 games across all competitions this season.
The Dodgers celebrate with the World Series trophy after winning Game 5 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 31, 2024

Dodgers win World Series after rallying from five runs down to beat Yankees in Game 5

Mookie Betts' sacrifice fly ensured a victory in Game Five, but it was Freddie Freeman’s MVP performance throughout that powered the Dodgers' eighth franchise title.
The Allied Occupation of Japan after World War II brought an end to the country’s brothels, which resulted in the Prostitution Prevention Law of 1956.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Oct 19, 2024

Edo Japan's morals pose a debate for the modern age

Can we judge what’s right or wrong across centuries? Edo’s morals of sacrifice and duty distinctly clash with our own modern ethics.
A Ukrainian flag flies over the site of the former monument to Russian Empress Catherine the Great in Odesa, Ukraine.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 15, 2024

Ukraine’s post-colonial future

If the Ukrainians are truly fighting for us, it is because they are fighting the last battle against European imperialism.
Customers enter Aeon's Shinagawa Seaside store in Tokyo for a Black Friday sale in 2022.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 29, 2024

Master this double negative to better express your Black Friday urges

What better time to learn how to say you can't resist a deal than on a weekend of discounted shopping.
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (right) moves with the ball while being guarded by the Pacers' Andrew Nembhard during a game in Dallas on Nov. 4, 2024.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Feb 3, 2025

Mavericks defend stunning move to send superstar Luka Doncic to Lakers

In his first reaction to the move, Doncic on Sunday thanked Mavericks fans and looked forward to the next phase of his career.
A Ukrainian rescuer walks by a burned car in front of damaged building at the site of a missile attack in Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Apr 14, 2025

Bangladesh families seek sons feared fighting for Russia

Around a dozen families have contacted Dhaka's embassy in Moscow to seek help bringing back their sons they allege were duped into joining the Russian army.
An aerial photo taken on March 20, 2025, shows part of the original site of Lang Nu village in Vietnam's Lao Cai province, after it was wiped away in a landslide triggered by Typhoon Yagi's devastating heavy rains last year.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 23, 2025

Vietnam village starts over with climate defenses after landslide

She and dozens of survivors have been relocated to a site that authorities hope will withstand future climate change-linked disasters.
A man places a lit candle at a vigil at 41st and Fraser street in Vancouver on Sunday, a day after a car drove into a crowd during the Lapu Lapu Festival, killing at least 11. The suspect in the attack has been charged with murder.
WORLD
Apr 29, 2025

Filipino 'caring culture' hit hard by Canada truck-ramming that killed 11

Many have carved out their place in Canada by raising other people's children while others tend to the elderly or have found careers as medical technicians.
Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone strike in Kyiv on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jun 11, 2025

Russia launches one of war's largest air attacks on Kyiv

The overnight strikes were part of what Moscow says is retaliation for attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russia.
Urawa's Samuel Gustafson (center) celebrates scoring the winning goal against Yokohama FC at Saitama Stadium 2002 on June 1.
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 16, 2025

Urawa Reds ready to take on the Club World Cup's bigger stage

Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa has no doubt that this year’s Club World Cup will offer a much bigger stage.
Wimbledon will not employ line judges for the first time in its 148-year history this year.
TENNIS
Jun 27, 2025

Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges

Jamie Baker, the tournament director says
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso speaks to midfielder Arda Guler during the team's Club World Cup semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Jul 11, 2025

Xabi Alonso ready for fresh start with Real Madrid after Club World Cup exit

Alonso was appointed at the end of May, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti after a successful 2½ years at Bayer Leverkusen.
Spanish forward Lamine Yamal prior to a match between Spain and Portugal in June.
SOCCER
Jul 16, 2025

Barcelona star Yamal faces probe into dwarf entertainers at 18th birthday

Guests were not permitted to film at the birthday party but a video emerged of a group of people with dwarfism heading into the event.
Italy's players celebrate after their quarterfinal win over Norway  at Euro 2025 in Geneva on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Jul 17, 2025

Italy celebrates after ending 28-year wait to return to Euro semifinals

The raucous Italian crowd urged their players on, with chants of "forza Italia" and the Stade de Geneve lit up when Cristiana Girelli found the net twice in the second half.
Mark Dytham
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Aug 7, 2025

Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings

Mark Dytham established Klein Dytham Architecture in 1991, quickly gaining industry recognition and awards for innovative architectural projects
Kinga Skiers (left) co-founded the Tokyo chapter of Food Not Bombs in 2023. The organization aims to provide the capital’s homeless population with food and other essentials.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Aug 18, 2025

Solidarity with Tokyo’s homeless residents, one day at a time

Since 2023, the Tokyo chapter of Food Not Bombs has been supplying vegetarian meals and everyday goods to homeless people across the city.
Sakurazaka46, the idol pop outfit formerly known as Keyakizaka46, wrapped up an an 11-night nationwide tour this month.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 29, 2025

Sakurazaka46 wants the world to dance along

The 33-member idol group takes its spectacle-heavy performances on the road — and abroad.
In the “Kojiki,” the origins of the Japanese archipelago are attributed to the coupling of Izanagi and Izanami, two kami from the Plain of High Heaven.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Sep 20, 2025

Humanity's tales of creation, cataclysm and kami

Cultures the world over have invented their own distinctive creation myths since antiquity. In Japan, the “Kojiki” offers insight into premodern perspectives on the nation.
Bill Gates, chairman of the Gates Foundation, visits Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Aug. 19.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 21, 2025

The world needs Japan’s leadership in life sciences

For decades now, Japan has understood the value of global health investment better than almost any other country on the planet.
Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller pitches against the Blue Jays in the first inning during Game 1 of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs in Toronto on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 13, 2025

Mariners beat Blue Jays to open MLB AL championship series

Mariners pitching mystified the hosts, allowing only two hits and none after the second inning.
A boat piloted by a Philippine fisherman is intercepted by Chinese coast guard boats as they tried to enter the Scarborough Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 25, 2023

With bullhorns and water cannons, Chinese ships wall off the sea

The world’s most brazen maritime militarization is gaining muscle in the South China Sea, waters through which one-third of global ocean trade passes.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes