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Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 27, 2022

The making of Vladimir Putin

As China rose, as the U.S. fought and lost its forever wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as technology networked the world, a Russian enigma took form in the Kremlin.
A cargo ship at the port of Oakland, California, on Aug. 4
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 6, 2025

U.S. trade deficit narrowed 16% in June as high tariffs cast shadow on services

Days after reporting that the goods trade deficit fell to its lowest since September 2023, the U.S. said the full deficit including services was also its narrowest since then.
Hisaaki Ikeuchi (right), chief of Shiga Prefectural Police department, bows in apology to former nurse Mika Nishiyama (left) during their meeting in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 7, 2025

Shiga police chief apologizes to ex-assistant nurse acquitted after prison term

The apology came after a local court ruled that the prefectural police's investigation was illegal.
Ichiro speaks during a ceremony to retire his number a T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 11, 2025

Mariners to honor Ichiro with statue at T-Mobile Park in 2026

The Seattle Mariners will unveil a statue of franchise legend Ichiro Suzuki at T-Mobile Park during the 2026 season.
A terrace of a shopping mall overlooking the central business district of Beijing on Monday. An extension of a trade truce between Washington and Beijing buys crucial time for the autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season, including electronics, apparel and toys, at lower tariff rates.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 12, 2025

U.S. and China extend tariff truce by 90 days, staving off surge in duties

The timing of the extension buys crucial time for the seasonal autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season at lower tariff rates.
Filmmakers interview the general manager of a Bald Men's club for an upcoming Flix Oven documentary that will be available via the streaming platform Samansa.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 14, 2025

Samansa bets on commuter cinema

As attention spans get shorter, a Japanese startup is banking on short films as easily digestible entertainment.
Venus Williams will be making her 25th appearance in the singles draw at the U.S. Open this year.
TENNIS
Aug 14, 2025

Venus Williams receives wild card for U.S. Open

The 45-year-old American recently returned from a 16-month layoff after a serious health scare.
Former U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps testifies before Congress during a hearing on anti-doping measures in Washington on June 25.
MORE SPORTS / Swimming
Aug 15, 2025

U.S. legend Michael Phelps slams USA Swimming and calls for overhaul

Phelps traced his frustrations back through his competitive career, saying he often felt that his voice went unheard.
Chef Kei Kobayashi is France's only Japanese chef with three Michelin stars.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 15, 2025

In Paris, chefs Chizuko Kimura and Kei Kobayashi make their mark

One is the world’s first Michelin-starred female sushi chef, while the other is France’s only three-Michelin-starred Japanese chef.
In what is billed as the first major production in English of Hisashi Inoue's "The Face of Jizo,” the Japanese play will have performances at the Seymour Centre in Sydney both in English and in Japanese.
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 22, 2025

'The Face of Jizo': Hisashi Inoue's play staged in Sydney commemorates WWII victims

Billed as the first major English-language production of the play, "The Face of Jizo" also increases the variety of roles for Japanese actors in Australia.
Artist Nikita Kadan and dancer Min Tanaka modeled their art and choreography respectively on prosthetic limbs as commentary on the island’s history of being a center for isolating people with Hansen’s disease.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 23, 2025

Healing Oshima Island's history of disease with a touch of art

Min Tanaka opened the Setouchi Triennale’s summer session on Oshima, Kagawa Prefecture, with a site-specific dance at Nikita Kadan’s sculpture, an allegory for support.
Takemasa Kinjo, who was a high school student when his mother was killed by a U.S. Marine in 1974, looks on at the construction site of the new Henoko military base for U.S. forces near his residence in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in June.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 25, 2025

Decades after WWII, Okinawa is a reluctant host for U.S. troops

A string of incidents over the years involving American troops and base personnel, including sexual assault cases, have angered residents.
Novak Djokovic prepares to throw signed balls into the crowd after beating Learner Tien in the first round of the U.S. Open in New York on Sunday.
TENNIS
Aug 25, 2025

Novak Djokovic overcomes blisters to get off to winning start at U.S. Open

Djokovic won 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to launch his latest quest for a record 25th major title.
The education ministry plans to implement reskilling programs to achieve wage hikes for essential workers and the employment ice age generation.
BUSINESS
Aug 25, 2025

Japan to promote vocational reskilling to target wage increases

The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with companies specializing in digital technology and will help participants acquire productivity-boosting skills.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba presents Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on Monday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2025

Ishiba presents Japan's Grand Cordon Honor to ex-Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba presented the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Singaporean Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.
Upper House lawmaker Akira Ishii
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 27, 2025

Upper House member's office raided over alleged fraud

Akira Ishii is suspected of receiving public funds by filing a report about hiring a government-paid secretary who never actually worked for him.
Naomi Osaka celebrates after her win over Hailey Baptiste in the second round of the U.S. Open in New York on Thursday.
TENNIS
Aug 29, 2025

Naomi Osaka shines on way to third round at U.S. Open

Osaka needed just 70 minutes to complete a lopsided win over Hailey Baptiste.
The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office searches the office of Upper House lawmaker Akira Ishii in the city of Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 29, 2025

Nippon Ishin lawmaker's alleged fraud likely totals ¥8 million

Akira Ishii is suspected of receiving salaries for a state-paid public secretary who actually did not work for him.
A building which houses the Hokuhoku Financial Group headquarters in Toyama.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 30, 2025

Best-performing Japan bank plays BOJ outlook with short debt

The president of Hokuhoku Financial Group said he expects the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in October or December if "things go smoothly.”
Andriy Parubiy delivers a speech during a NATO session in Budapest in 2015. The Ukrainian lawmaker, who formerly served as speak of parliament, was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 30, 2025

Andriy Parubiy, a leading political figure in Ukraine, shot dead

Parubiy was a former speaker of Ukraine's parliament and was a top figure in the country's pro-European protest movements in 2004 and 2014.
The latest version of Tamagotchi, called Tamagotchi Paradise, is awarded the best digital toy at Tokyo Toy Show on Aug. 28.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 2, 2025

Tamagotchi hatches 100 million shipments worldwide thanks to ’90s nostalgia

Fueled by nostalgia and "kidults," the Tamagotchi boom shows no sign of slowing.
Venus Williams competes in the women's doubles quarterfinals alongside Leylah Fernandez on Tuesday at the U.S. Open in New York.
TENNIS
Sep 3, 2025

Venus Williams exits U.S. Open in style after age-defying run

The seven-time Grand Slam singles winner said she intends to keep playing for the foreseeable future, opportunities permitting.
“Swallows” examines the intersections of class and reproductive issues with a focus on its protagonist who is talked into becoming a surrogate for a wealthy couple.
CULTURE / Books
Sep 5, 2025

‘Swallows' untangles the murky ethics of selling motherhood

“Swallows” examines the intersections of class and reproductive issues with a focus on its protagonist who is talked into becoming a surrogate for a wealthy couple.
Montreal Canadiens legend Ken Dryden speaks at the funeral for former teammate Jean Beliveau in Montreal in December 2014.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Sep 6, 2025

Legendary Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden, a six-time Cup winner, dies at 78

Known for his intellectual pursuits off the ice, Dryden played only eight seasons in the NHL, but won the Stanley Cup in six of those seasons.
Italy's Jannik Sinner hugs Spain's Carlos Alcaraz after the Italian won Wimbledon on July 13.
TENNIS
Sep 7, 2025

Machine-like Sinner meets magician Alcaraz for U.S. Open crown

The stakes could hardly be higher in the marquee meeting at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the world No. 1 ranking also on the line.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson during a game against the Tigers in Detroit in July 2013.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 7, 2025

Three-time World Series champion Davey Johnson dies at 82

Johnson was a four-time MLB All-Star second baseman and also played for the Yomiuri Giants in the 1970s.
Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
SPORTS / Longform
Sep 8, 2025

The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight

Two Japanese athletes reveal how their pursuit of excellence in sports led to eating disorders, and how recovery is reshaping their lives.
Princess Aiko (center) attends the 10th national conference on disaster management held in the city of Niigata on Sunday.
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2025

In imperial family first, Princess Aiko attends disaster-related conference

Princess Aiko joined two sessions, both of which were related to the January 2024 major earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Jannik Sinner in the U.S. Open final in New York on Sunday.
TENNIS
Sep 8, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz outshines rival Jannik Sinner to capture U.S. Open crown

Alcaraz will reclaim the world No. 1 ranking from Sinner, returning to the top spot for the first time since September 2023.
Paris Saint-Germain players and officials celebrate with the Champions League trophy at the Elysee Palace in Paris in June.
SOCCER
Sep 14, 2025

PSG begins title defense as Champions League kicks off

PSG ended over a decade of disappointment in continental competition when it lifted the trophy in May, tearing Inter Milan apart in the final.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’