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BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 17, 2023

Makoto Kadowaki lifts Giants to important win over Swallows

Makoto Kadowaki connected on his first walk-off hit to give the Giants a win over the Swallows.
Burnt olive groves following a wildfire in the village of Dikella, west of Alexandroupolis, Greece, on Aug. 29. Nature-based investment aims to back projects that tackle land degradation, rectify biodiversity loss and combat climate change.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 22, 2023

Japan an outlier as interest in nature-based investment grows

Such investments aim to back projects that tackle land degradation, rectify biodiversity loss and combat climate change.
Tokyo now boasts five different Quidditch teams, while universities in Osaka and Kyoto also play host to their own clubs.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Nov 4, 2023

'Accio broomstick!' Quidditch is back and open to everyone

From relatively humble beginnings, Quidditch has continued to grow in popularity across Japan.
David Joiner’s books all share a detailed focus on local arts and crafts . In his latest book, “The Heron Catchers,” "kutaniyaki" ceramics of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, take center stage.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2023

Location is everything in 'The Heron Catchers'

Author David Joiner ties the local crafts and literary history of Ishikawa Prefecture's Yamanaka Onsen into his new novel.
Japan’s national bar exam was held on Nov. 8 with a pass rate of 45%. Though for decades the pass rate was much lower, this seeming improvement has come on the back of several regulatory blunders.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2023

The failure behind Japan’s bar exam pass rate

The pass rate for Japan's bar exam has fluctuated, with this year's level coming on the back of several misguided interventions.
The Euro trophy in front of the drawn groups for the 2024 edition of the tournament, in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday
SOCCER
Dec 3, 2023

Germany to take on Scotland in Euro 2024 opener as draw set

The Germans, three-time winners, will kick off the one-month tournament in Munich on June 14, with the final on July 14 at Berlin's Olympic stadium.
A consumer market in New Delhi on Dec. 12, 2023. Long-term investment in India by businesses is stagnant, and foreign money is falling, even as the government is driving growth with infrastructure spending.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 2, 2024

India is chasing China’s economy. Something is holding it back.

While money is flying into India’s stock markets, long-term investment from overseas has been declining.
Just over 100 days after Oct. 7, enduring pain is a key reason why polls in Israel show consistently high support for its military offensive in Gaza.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 19, 2024

Enduring pain keeps public support for Gaza war strong in Israel

The support comes despite optimism fading over whether Israel can achieve its stated goals.
Lewis Hamilton arrives at a news conference in Sao Paulo in November ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Feb 4, 2024

Racing for Ferrari fulfills a childhood dream, Lewis Hamilton says

Britain's seven-time Formula One world champion stunned the sport when his move on a multiyear deal was announced on Thursday.
Dodgers' pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches during the first inning of his MLB debut in Seoul. The outing was one to forget for the former Orix Buffaloes ace.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 22, 2024

Yamamoto shelled in debut as Dodgers lose to Padres

Yamamoto, who joined the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million deal in December, was taken out of the game after just one inning.
Haruko Obokata speaks to reporters in the city of Osaka in 2014. Ten years after the STAP scandal, structural problems that led to the scandal persist, leaving ample room for researchers to tamper with research data, experts say.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 9, 2024

Little change in Japan’s research sector 10 years after stem cell fraud

A decade after the STAP scandal, there is still a lot of leeway for researchers to tamper with data.
Naomi Osaka serves to Yulia Putintseva during their women's singles match in a qualifying tie between Japan and Kazakhstan for the Billie Jean Cup finals, in Tokyo on Friday.
TENNIS
Apr 13, 2024

Osaka wants to play at Paris Olympics 'if they let me'

The four-time Grand Slam champion may need to go through an appeals process missing previous chances to play for Japan at the Billie Jean Cup.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting in St. Petersburg on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2024

Putin’s war will soon reach Russians’ tax bills

The move reflects both the burgeoning costs of his war in Ukraine and the firm control he has over the Russian elite.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a press conference, in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2024

Hong Kong seeks details on overseas trade office official detained in U.K.

Hong Kong leader John Lee confirmed one of the men was a university classmate who was photographed with him in a group graduation photograph in 2002.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan attends a meeting with Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez (not pictured) at the Federal Legislative Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela April 22, 2024.
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Why a prosecutor went public with arrest warrant requests for Hamas and Israeli leaders

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan accused Netanyahu and his defense minister of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Amid the rising popularity of saunas, the Consumer Affairs Agency is urging users to exercise caution following a spike in the number of sauna-related accidents.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 7, 2024

Japan's consumer watchdog warns of accidents in the sauna

Users are urged to exercise caution to avoid severe injuries amid a spike in accidents as saunas become more popular.
The members of bed are (from left to right) vocalist Une, guitarist Joneu, bassist Shinji and drummer Shun.  
CULTURE / Music
Jun 23, 2024

Don't sleep on bed's genre-melding mayhem

The band co-runs a rave called Uzu, and an event series at clubasia called “bedroom” that features an impressive roster of names from the Japanese music scene.
A gyrotron, which is used to heat plasma for nuclear fusion reactions, developed by Kyoto Fusioneering
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Jul 7, 2024

Kyoto Fusioneering looks toward a 'Made in Japan' approach for nuclear fusion

Although it recognizes that international collaboration is key, the startup sees the country playing an integral role in the fusion ecosystem.
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Jul 14, 2024

The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

Great pianists aren't made overnight, it takes years of practice. It can all be undone in a matter of days, however, due to a medical condition called dystonia.
Gold medalist Pan Zhanle of China celebrates on the podium after winning the men's 100-meter freestyle event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS / Swimming
Aug 1, 2024

Chinese swim fans hit back at doping claims as Pan takes gold

Pan burnished his reputation in his home country with a world-record time of 46.40 seconds, beating the previous fastest time of 46.80 he had set in February.
Haruka Kitaguchi competes in the final of the women's javelin on Saturday at the Paris Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 11, 2024

Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi secures javelin gold with opening throw

Last year Kitaguchi needed her final throw to take the world gold in Budapest, but there was little suspense at the Stade de France on Saturday.
The Milky Way, known as "ama no gawa" in Japanese, is seen above Mount Fuji.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 18, 2024

Comets and constellations: The language of stargazing

Whether it's telling someone to look at a shooting star or describing the difference between stars and planets, the vocabulary of space is vast and interesting.
Cameron Lew, who makes music under the name Ginger Root, recently released “Shinbangumi,” an album that was influenced by the glimmering pop echoes of Japan in the 1980s as well as the nerviness of Devo, the loose rock-pop of Hall & Oates and even Haruomi Hosono’s ’70s explorations of exotica.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 5, 2024

Ginger Root expands on effervescent retro sound

New release "Shinbangumi" comes after a whirlwind year for the American artist who blends glittering pop echoes of 1980s Japan with a mish-mash of Western influences.
Novak Djokovic attends a news conference at the Australian Open on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jan 20, 2025

Novak Djokovic gets apology from TV host after 'insulting' comments

Djokovic said he would boycott interviews with the TV station until he got an apology.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in Ipswich, England, on Sunday. Guardiola has appeared drained and depressed by City's recent struggles.
SOCCER
Jan 21, 2025

Revitalized Manchester City confident for PSG 'final': Guardiola

Pep Guardiola's side is languishing in 22nd place in the 36-team Champions League table with two games left.
Documentary director Kaku Arakawa’s filming style — naturalistic, intimate and unobtrusive — proved essential to portraying anime powerhouse Hayao Miyazaki as a man as flawed and human as he is a visionary artist in “Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron.”
CULTURE / Film
Jan 31, 2025

Two decades of unparalleled access into the world of Hayao Miyazaki

Documentary director Kaku Arakawa has spent years filming the anime powerhouse to reveal the man beyond the myth.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shows a picture of him with U.S. President Donald Trump during a joint news conference at the White House on Friday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 12, 2025

Ishiba navigates the low expectations for Japan’s foreign policy

The summit proceeded well enough, but some will argue that this is only because Ishiba had a low bar for his engagement.
Discussion that took place at the the reconstruction and future creation conference
ESG CONSORTIUM
Feb 18, 2025

NRI helps Noto town of Anamizu grow back better following quake

The major earthquake that jolted Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024, drew attention to the area’s severe issue of an aging and shrinking population, but efforts to revive the Anamizu Town, which is in the center of the Noto Peninsula, will aid the overall recovery, according to...
U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, on Saturday
WORLD
Mar 22, 2025

Trump’s makeover of U.S. diplomacy leaves many allies at a loss

Like with most things in Trump’s tenure so far, the president’s second-term playbook on diplomacy marks a significant shift from the past.
Alexandra Eala waves to the fans after her defeat in the semifinals of the Miami Open on Thursday.
TENNIS
Mar 28, 2025

Eala's dream run ends as Pegula sets up final with Sabalenka

In an enthralling battle over nearly 2½ hours, fourth-seeded American Pegula emerged with a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 win over Eala.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.