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Bourgeois is perhaps best known among the general public for her giant steel spider sculptures, particularly in Tokyo, where a nearly 10-meter tall bronze cast of the original spider has loomed over the walkway in Roppongi Hills since 2003.
CULTURE / Art
Oct 4, 2024

Japan’s biggest Louise Bourgeois exhibit yet leans into ambivalence

At Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, a large-scale retrospective of the visionary artist emphasizes her complex feelings toward femininity, memory, parenthood and the human body.
A destroyed mosque in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City on Monday, the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 8, 2024

Nothing new on the Middle Eastern front

While Israel claims self-defense, this concept can be problematic when considering similar situations in other conflicts, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Cider in Japan doesn't have as long a history as other alcoholic beverages, but with consumer preferences shifting, it might be just the easy sip for drinkers sick of stiff tipples.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 13, 2024

As Japan shuns stiff drinks, cider aims for a bigger share of the market

Sake brewer Isamu Yoshii was the first person in Japan to produce cider as an alcoholic drink in 1954, paving the way for a possible cider boom in the future.
Eight warriors fight to end a curse placed on a samurai clan in “Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 31, 2024

‘Hakkenden’ has fun with Edo-era pulp fiction

The film presents both a bio of Takizawa Bakin, whose writing had a large impact on Japanese pop culture, and a snazzy live-action digest of his influential novel.
Dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, with their reliance on basic algorithms, often lead to superficial connections, but AI could improve this by analyzing deeper data for more meaningful matches.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

AI dating might actually not be so bad

While still in development, these AI-driven match-making tools aim to reduce the fatigue of online dating and foster more genuine connections.
Residents from coastal areas take shelter at an evacuation center in Legaspi City, south of Manila, on Saturday, ahead of Super Typhoon Man-yi's landfall.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 16, 2024

Tens of thousands flee as Super Typhoon Man-yi nears Philippines

Around 255,000 people have fled their homes ahead of Super Typhoon Man-yi, which is expected to make landfall later Saturday or early Sunday.
A poster in the Tamil language advertises smartphone assembly roles outside a shop in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, in India, on Oct. 28.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 18, 2024

Foxconn tells India recruiters: Nix marital status in iPhone job ads

The move follows an investigation published June 25 that found Foxconn excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone assembly plant.
Australia rugby head coach Joe Schmidt ahead of his team's clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 19, 2024

Australia not focusing on Grand Slam sweep after thrashing Wales

Sunday's result condemned Wales to a national record 11th consecutive test defeat.
People arrive with flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the Zhuhai Sports Center in the city of Zhuhai, in China's Guangdong province, on Nov. 13, two days after 35 people were killed when a man drove a car into a crowd.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2024

A mass killing tests China's crime narrative

A spate of random acts of violence is challenging the Communist Party's it-knows-best narrative.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk (second from right) jumps to head the ball during an English Premier League clash against Manchester City in Liverpool, England, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Dec 3, 2024

Liverpool players prepared to 'go to war' for each other: Van Dijk

The captain believes the mentality within the squad is a crucial factor in its recent success.
While Donald Trump’s legacy and the future ideological direction of the country remains uncertain, the U.S. still retains a democratic future and a dynamic character.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2024

The post-cold war era is finished. Liberalism and democracy will go on.

For now, the weirder, stranger future the U.S. is entering still looks like a democratic future.
This threat of H5N1 avian flu has been exacerbated by inadequate testing, delayed genetic data and insufficient containment measures, with powerful agricultural interests influencing the response.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 4, 2024

A bird flu pandemic would be one of the most foreseeable catastrophes in history

The threat of H5N1 avian flu has been exacerbated by inadequate testing, delayed genetic data, and insufficient containment measures.
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti looks on during a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Atalanta and Real Madrid in Bergamo, Italy, on Monday.
SOCCER
Dec 10, 2024

Real Madrid heading for Champions League playoffs, says Ancelotti

Real is languishing four points off the top eight in 24th, the last spot that earns a place in the playoffs.
Japan’s national sport made its second foray into Western Europe, and first to the U.K., with a five-day tournament at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall in October 1991.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 11, 2024

London calling: Sumo's U.K. trip brings back memories of 1991

Such was sumo’s popularity in the U.K. in the late '80s and early '90s that all five days at the 5,000-seat Royal Albert Hall sold out quickly.
For the 20 Questions column this year, writers asked their interview subjects about everything from their lives in Japan to their thoughts on news topics.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 28, 2024

There were plenty of hot topics to opine on in 2024

We take a look back at some of the best answers that our interviewees gave for 20 Questions from throughout the year.
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes near Sanaa airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 27, 2024

Israel hits Houthis in Yemen in response to slow escalation

Among targets hit Thursday included military infrastructure at the Sanaa International Airport and in the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations.
Sales of Ibiden's AI-use substrates are robust, with customers buying up all the company can sell.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 30, 2024

Nvidia supplier Ibiden weighs faster expansion for AI demand

Sales of the 112-year-old company’s AI-use substrates are robust, with customers buying up all that Ibiden can sell, CEO Koji Kawashima said in an interview.
A customer uses a bank card at a contactless payment terminal on a stall at the Bauveau Market in Paris on Feb. 15, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 30, 2024

Drama-prone fintechs face mixed regulatory environment in 2025

The incoming U.S. administration has made financial deregulation a policy priority for the next four years while European policymakers continue to take a cautious approach.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on a pair of Orion augmented reality glasses at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 8, 2025

Meta shelves fact-checking in policy reversal ahead of Trump inauguration

It plans to implement on Facebook, Instagram and Threads a system of "community notes" similar to that used on rival X.
Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, speaks during the 2025 CES event in Las Vegas on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 8, 2025

Nvidia slides after unveiling leaves investors wanting more

Though Nvidia’s latest announcements gave an upbeat view of the company’s long-range prospects, there wasn’t as much near-term upside as some investors had sought.
Animated series “Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi” premiered on Cartoon Network on Nov. 29, 2004, and ran for three seasons. The show is based on real-life J-pop band Puffy.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 24, 2025

The cartoon chaos of ‘Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi’ was ahead of its time

Love for the J-pop duo’s zany Cartoon Network series has endured online for over 20 years since its premiere.
The Tiffany & Co. store on Fifth Avenue in New York in 2023
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2025

Tiffany workers mock forced 'joy' that exacerbated staff exits

When Tiffany & Co. executives were looking for ways to boost staff morale, they rolled out an internal social app called "Tiffany Joy.” It didn’t take long to turn into a chore.
Harris English plays his shot from the fairway on the 15th hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament in San Diego, California, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jan 28, 2025

PGA Tour's slow pace rears head after pedestrian start to season

The PGA Tour has said it expects slow play to improve from next year due to smaller fields being introduced for many events.
Scottie Scheffler competes during the The Presidents Cup in Ile Bizard, Quebec, on Sept. 29, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jan 30, 2025

No. 1 Scheffler ready to go in season debut at Pebble Beach

A freak Christmas dinner accident, while using a wine glass to shape ravioli, resulted in a wound to his hand that required surgery and delayed Scheffler's start to the campaign.
The Jackson State marching band performs at halftime of their game against South Carolina State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 14, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Feb 3, 2025

Dynamic Black marching bands are Super Bowl stalwarts

At least 13 Super Bowl halftime shows have included HBCU marching bands.
Recording artist Kendrick Lamar speaks at a press conference for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 9, 2025

Kendrick Lamar promises 'storytelling' at Super Bowl show

Speculation abounds as to whether the rapper will perform his award-winning diss track, "Not Like Us."
Tokyo Koon stands at the forefront of tackling the so-called 2025 issue, also known as the “Magnetic Tape Alert.”
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Feb 17, 2025

The race to save 20th-century history

Analog recordings are at risk of disappearing as old tech breaks down and spare parts run out.
Mike Sunda at a concert in Haikou, China
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Feb 20, 2025

Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’

Creative strategist Mike Sunda talks about his influences and the filming of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi” music video.
Entomal Biotech Sdn Bhd CCO Yanni Ching with samples of BSF dried larvae and frass.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Feb 28, 2025

Turning waste into wealth with insect-based biotech

Entomal has treated over 22.5 tons of food waste to date, preventing roughly 55 tons of carbon emissions.
Disaster was the word European officials used as Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s long-sought meeting with Donald Trump descended into a livestream of raised voices and angry bickering.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 1, 2025

Zelenskyy-Trump blowup leaves U.S. allies facing disaster

Kyiv’s European allies, who’ve spent weeks trying to talk Trump out of rushing into a quick deal to end the war on Putin’s terms, were aghast.

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