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High school student Soa Ono, 17, assists an elderly woman during a recreational activity at a nursing care facility in Nagoya in late February.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 7, 2025

Caregiver apprenticeship for high school students expanding in Aichi

The program allows apprentices to earn an income while acquiring knowledge and skills through hands-on experience.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks and signs tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2025

With Trump’s tariffs, the chasm between allies and the U.S. widens

Trump’s plan, which he unveiled on Wednesday and is calling "reciprocal,” would impose a wave of tariffs on dozens of countries.
A child welfare center in Naha in May 1966
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Apr 14, 2025

In Okinawa, war trauma carried by orphans still lingers

“War orphans were pushed to the margins of society after the war," says one academic.
Tokyo Humanities Cafe was launched in 2017 by Laurence Williams (left) and Alex Watson, professors at Sophia and Meiji Universities, respectively.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Apr 7, 2025

Tokyo Humanities Cafe feeds hungry minds

A free quarterly event invites everyone to explore what it means to be human.
Bento boxes and other food items attract visitors at the Sera roadside station in Hiroshima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 21, 2025

10 years on, Hiroshima-Shimane highway boosts logistics and tourism

The Chugoku Yamanami Highway has played a crucial role in regional development since its full opening in 2015.
Yumi Watanabe (right), head of the residents' association of the Tsubamesawa public housing complex in Sendai, delivers a meal to a resident.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Apr 21, 2025

Disaster public housing complexes in Sendai work to boost interactions

Residents are working with volunteers to organize a children’s cafeteria and other events.
Noriko Shakti has been living in Goa, India, since 2020 and specializes in the tabla, a traditional hand drum from the Indian subcontinent.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 12, 2025

Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’

The India-based DJ and producer talks about bridging Indian and Japanese traditions in electronic music and advocating for women’s representation in the industry.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gives instructions to Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa (third from left) and others at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2025

Japan braces for talks on yen and BOJ in trade negotiations with U.S.

Ryosei Akazawa, who is heading the task force, is reportedly set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week.
Cargo is uploaded onto a China-Europe freight train at the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base in Lianyungang, China, on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Apr 12, 2025

Jolted by Trump, EU woos new partners from Asia to Latin America

The EU has embarked on a charm offensive to diversify its alliances, with summits lined up back-to-back and trade talks launched in all directions.
The Bank of Japan will likely postpone raising interest rates due to uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff measures that could deal a blow to Japan’s economy, a former executive director said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2025

BOJ will likely put rate hike aside for now, ex-official says

"They will be in a wait-and-see mode for a while,” said Kenzo Yamamoto, a former executive at the Bank of Japan.
Students practice dance during a project activity at Hotei Junior High School in Konan, Aichi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 28, 2025

'Voluntary' school clubs face reform amid excessive burdens

Club activities have long been a standard part of junior high and high school life in Japan, but some schools now struggle to form teams.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato listens to a question during an interview at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2025

Japan's finance minister is 'deeply concerned' over impact of Trump's tariffs

The minister also voiced concern over volatile market moves that Trump's tariffs triggered, saying they could hurt Japan's economic recovery.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to pass against the Jaguars during their game in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 15, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 18, 2025

Aaron Rodgers noncommittal about NFL future due to issues in personal life

Rodgers said he was somewhat taken by surprise when the Jets opted to release him in March.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (third from left) flanked by several members of his Cabinet in Magelang, Central Java, on Oct. 25, 2024. Prabowo's first six months in power have triggered alarm bells for activists worried about a return to the country's authoritarian roots.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 21, 2025

'Pandora's box': Alarm bells ring in Indonesia over rising military role

The developments have critics anxious that the country could hark back to the days of dictator Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for decades.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami frigate is docked at the MSDF's base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, earlier this month.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 21, 2025

Japan and Indonesia continue frigate talks looking to boost defense-industrial ties

Ambassador Heri Akhmadi said Jakarta’s growing ties with Tokyo reflect its nonalignment policy, as it looks to avoid taking sides between China and the United States.
U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent says a de-escalation between the U.S. and China will come in the very near future.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 23, 2025

Bessent expects tariff standoff with China to deescalate

The U.S. Treasury secretary is optimistic that tensions could cool in the coming months but cautioned that a larger deal could take longer.
Asuka Tsuzuki (left), the principal of Linden Hall School's secondary school, and Kota Sugimoto, the school's head chef, display the Japanese Agricultural Standards certificate the school obtained for its lunches.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
May 5, 2025

In a national first, Fukuoka school obtains organic lunch certificate

A Fukuoka school has become Japan’s first to earn JAS certification for organic school lunches, using seasonal and local produce to promote environmental education.
On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 26, 2025

‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives

Prolific writer Yuko Tsushima explores themes of militarization, colonialism and occupation through the identities of mixed-race orphans in postwar Japan.
As in other cultures, when someone shares bad news in Japanese it’s best to respond with supportive words.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 26, 2025

How to bring up bad news in Japanese

A few grammatical structures can help you talk about being sick, but set phrases will come in handy when the illness is more severe.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump at St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday.
WORLD
Apr 26, 2025

Trump and Zelenskyy meet one-on-one in Vatican basilica to seek Ukraine peace

The meeting, their first since an angry encounter in Washington in February, comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the war in Ukraine.
Keiichi Uchida, a member of a team of Japanese doctors who performed a colostomy reversal surgery on the younger of a pair of Vietnamese conjoined twins 30 years ago, shows a postcard he received from his former patient, Nguyen Duc, in February in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2025

Japanese pediatrician recalls Vietnamese twin he operated on 30 years ago

The younger of a pair of conjoined twins — believed to have been affected by chemicals used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War — underwent colostomy reversal surgery in Japan.
Apartments in the district of Miyazato in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, where many students live
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
May 12, 2025

Rents soar in northern Okinawa ahead of Junglia theme park opening

While large-scale hiring may help to revitalize the area, it is also creating a housing supply shortage, affecting students and others who are moving in.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (center) welcomes Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to the Government Office in Hanoi on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 28, 2025

Ishiba pledges deeper economic ties with Vietnam as Trump tariffs bite

Both countries face unprecedented economic turmoil as a result of the U.S. tariffs and are seeking ways to mitigate potential damage.
Podcast hosts Terence Chia (left) and Haresh Tilani discuss their show "Yah Lah But" in their studio in Singapore.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 30, 2025

Mic check: Singapore's podcast boom amplifies opposition voices

Mainstream election coverage of Singapore's opposition parties has improved over the past decade, with its news podcasts showing a willingness to feature alternative voices.
Shimane University adopted colorful and stylish furniture in classrooms at its new building for the Faculty of Materials for Energy. The university has been improving facilities to be more appealing to female students.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 12, 2025

Japanese universities expanding female quotas in science

The initiative is aimed at correcting a gender imbalance in science-related fields, but also raises concerns over discrimination.
A screenshot from the website for Alt's AI conference, which was canceled after the company disclosed an investigation into its sales figures.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 1, 2025

Don't send in the clones: AI event nixed as Alt accounts get reality check

An artificial intelligence conference set for May 16 that was to introduce digital clones has been canceled after the company involved was accused of accounting irregularities.
Since 2017, Kotomi Li has won some of Japan’s top literary awards and built a formidable career in the face of persistent online harassment. “Authors are tenacious creatures to begin with,” she says.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
May 5, 2025

Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'

The Taiwanese writer reflects on the importance of queer community, her ascent in Japan’s literary world and her ongoing battles against online harassment.
Elementary school children receive checkups from dental students in Tra Vinh, Vietnam, in March.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional voices: Chubu
May 19, 2025

Dentists pass Japan-style oral health care to children in Vietnam

Surveys show nearly 90% of elementary school students in Vietnam have tooth decay.
Japan climbed four positions from last year, with Reporters Without Borders noting that "the principles of media freedom and pluralism are generally respected" in the country.
JAPAN
May 3, 2025

Japan ranks 66th in press freedom, lowest among G7

Reporters Without Borders noted that "the principles of media freedom and pluralism are generally respected" in the country.
Princess Aiko speaks at the opening ceremony of the 23rd meeting of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 3, 2025

Princess Aiko delivers first official address

The princess spoke at the opening ceremony of the 23rd meeting of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Tokyo.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past