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Yuka Kagami celebrates with her medal after winning the women's 76-kg freestyle wrestling event on the final day of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2024

Japan finishes third on medal table after strong showing at Paris Olympics

Japan won 20 gold medals at the Paris Olympics for its best showing at an overseas Games.
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands crosses the line to win gold in the Olympic women's marathon on Sunday in Paris.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 12, 2024

With marathon gold, Sifan Hassan tests the limits of endurance

Hassan had described her grueling Olympic schedule — which included three long-distance events — as one driven by curiosity.
Polina Oba enjoys the food in Fukuoka, but still finds herself traveling to Tokyo often as that’s where most of the decision-makers are based. 
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 12, 2024

Polina Oba: ‘Try quick, fail quick, learn quick and you need to always pivot’

Networking is at the core of Polina Oba's GourmetPro startup. Not only is it great meeting new people but you'll never know where those connections may lead.
Health minister Keizo Takemi fields questions from reporters in March after a Cabinet meeting to deal with health problems caused by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's beni kōji red yeast rice supplements.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 14, 2024

Health Minister Keizo Takemi on how to improve Japan's health care system

Digitalization, hiring high-skilled foreign workers and increasing wages are among the steps that Japan could take.
Naomi Osaka reaches for a ball during her loss to Elise Mertens at the WTA Tour stop in Toronto last week.
TENNIS
Aug 14, 2024

Naomi Osaka perplexed by power struggles after Cincinnati setback

The 26-year-old was beaten by Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of qualifying for the Cincinnati Open, the latest setback in a patchy run of form.
Japan is divided into many different regions, sometimes distinguishing areas of the country by old borders or climate.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 16, 2024

When it comes to Japan, do you know your 'Kanto' from your 'Kanto-koshin'?

Japanese people tend to travel to their hometowns around this time of year, and asking where they went is an easy conversation starter.
The volunteer lifesavers of Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club never know what's in store at the start of their day.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 19, 2024

It's no simple day at the beach for Japan's volunteer lifesavers

Protecting beachgoers from drowning, heatstroke and possible tsunami, lifesavers are seeking formal recognition for what they do.
Hideki Matsuyama poses with the FedEx Cup TPC Southwind Champion trophy during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship golf tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Aug 19, 2024

Matsuyama survives wobble to clinch St. Jude Championship

The win was the 10th on the PGA Tour for Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters winner, and his second this season.
Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during her match against Iga Swiatek on day seven of the Cincinnati Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday.
TENNIS
Aug 19, 2024

Sabalenka ousts No.1 Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final against Pegula

Four-time Cincinnati semifinalist Sabalenka will rise to second in the WTA rankings with a week to go before the start of the U.S. Open.
If there is one person who can tell you all about the building that used to be the Bank of Japan's Hiroshima branch, which survived the atomic bombing, it's Yasuhiro Nanba.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Aug 19, 2024

A building that survived the A-bomb, and the man who tells its story

A security guard's fascination with the Bank of Japan's Hiroshima branch led him to compile personal accounts of people who were there when the bomb was dropped.
Xander Schauffele hits from the sand on the 18th fairway during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship golf tournament at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Aug 21, 2024

Xander Schauffele: No. 1 ranking is motivator, not inflated purses

Schauffele said that there's a different motivating factor on his mind at this stage of his career — turning that No. 2 into a No. 1.
Ahmad Bin Quasem, an opposition activist and lawyer who was recently released after the expulsion of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, speaks during an interview in Dhaka earlier this month.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 21, 2024

Disappeared Bangladeshi lawyer recounts Hasina's secret jail

Throughout his long incarceration, Quasem was shackled around the clock in windowless solitary confinement.
Okayama and Tottori prefectures are some of the least-visited regions in Japan among foreign tourists — which is why they offer such a welcome break from crowd-clogged cities like Tokyo and Kyoto.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 23, 2024

In Japan’s flyover country, 72 hours of hidden gems

Some of Japan’s least-visited prefectures among foreign tourists host opportunities for peace, quiet and rural beauty.
Three Tokyo restaurants claim to be the inventor of Japan's 'katsu karē' (breaded and fried pork served with Japanese curry), but Ginza Swiss' take (pictured) may be the most unique.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 25, 2024

Japan’s dueling ‘katsu’ curry creators are just happy to see the dish thrive

1918? 1921? 1947? The dish’s origin is uncertain, but its popularity today both within and beyond Japan is unassailable.
Dutch driver Max Verstappen has not lost at a home race since Formula One returned to Zandvoort, Netherlands, in 2021.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 23, 2024

Max Verstappen wary of rivals ahead of 'very close' Dutch Grand Prix

The Red Bull driver has never lost in front of his home fans since Zandvoort was returned to the F1 circuit in 2021, but says the feeling this weekend is very different.
Keiichi Tanaami died on Aug. 9 after a 60-year career as a Pop Art pioneer. He was 88.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 24, 2024

Remembering Keiichi Tanaami's surreal grotesqueries

The Pop Art pioneer passed away at age 88 on Aug. 9. His posthumous retrospective, “Adventures in Memory,” turns nightmare into fantasy.
Naomi Osaka serves during a match in Toronto earlier this month.
TENNIS
Aug 25, 2024

Two-time champion Osaka aims for U.S. Open comeback boost

Osaka is hoping a return to the hard courts of Flushing Meadows will mark a turning point in what has been an erratic tennis comeback.
Britain's Lucy Shuker competes at a tournament in Eastbourne, England, in 2022.
PARALYMPICS
Aug 25, 2024

Paralympian Lucy Shuker indebted to wheelchair tennis for giving her some 'joy'

Just 21 years old when she suffered the life-changing injury, Shuker, now 44, has become one of the finest doubles players in the world.
Naomi Osaka serves during her match against Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New York.
TENNIS
Aug 28, 2024

Tearful Osaka triumphs in U.S. Open return

Osaka cruised in her first round match while wearing a Harajuku-inspired outfit that quickly attracted attention on social media.
John McFall, a former Paralympian, has been cleared for future space missions with the European Space Agency.
PARALYMPICS
Aug 28, 2024

World's first 'parastronaut' hails Paralympics' 'powerful platform'

John McFall will be taking a stand for sports and space this week after becoming the first person with a physical disability to be cleared for missions by the ESA.
Daniel Evans battles Karen Khachanov in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.
TENNIS
Aug 28, 2024

Proud Evans out-lasts Khachanov in longest ever U.S. Open match

In front of a lively crowd, Britain's Evans beat the 23rd seed from Russia 6-7 (6), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4, in a five-hour epic.
Nicholas Tarasenko trains at Minato stable in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday. Tarasenko’s potential in sumo was made obvious when he won U18 gold in the 90-kg weight class at the 2023 Baruto Cup in Estonia despite being four years under the age limit and having only had a total of one hour of sumo training before the meet.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 28, 2024

This English schoolboy has big dreams of becoming yokozuna — and more

Nicholas Tarasenko may only be 15 years old, but he is already making big plans for his burgeoning sumo career.
Anna Sawai's performance as Lady Mariko in the FX series "Shogun" landed the actor an Emmy nomination for best actress in a drama.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 29, 2024

In ‘Shogun,’ Anna Sawai drew on the power of silence. And Mozart.

“It gives me confidence,” Sawai says about her first Emmy nomination, for best actress in a drama. “I have such bad impostor syndrome.”
Novak Djokovic hits a shot against Laslo Djere during their match at the U.S. Open in New York on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Aug 29, 2024

Novak Djokovic advances at U.S. Open after Laslo Djere retires

Djokovic was up 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 when Djere pulled the plug on a gritty encounter.
Jonah Ndeuludila (right) is studying at Tochigi Prefecture's Asian Rural Institute in order to bring skills back to his job at Namibia's Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Sep 2, 2024

Over half a century, seeds of change grow at a Tochigi farm

Founded by Toshihiro Takami in 1973, ARI promotes organic, subsistence farming methods and the practice of servant leadership.
Since arriving in Japan, Adrian Bianco has dedicated himself to exploring the country’s many subcultures at the website sabukaru.online.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 30, 2024

Adrian Bianco: ‘Leaving your comfort zone keeps you alive’

Upon relocating in Tokyo after a stint with the Vice empire in Germany, Adrian Bianco has explored Asia's underground via his website Sabukaru Online.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton announced in February that he will race for Ferrari next season.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 30, 2024

Lewis Hamilton preparing for final Italian Grand Prix before moving to Ferrari

Hamilton announced in February that he will leave Mercedes to race with the Italian team next season.
Naomi Osaka hits a return against Karolina Muchova during the second round of the U.S. Open in New York on Thursday.
TENNIS
Aug 30, 2024

Naomi Osaka reflects after losing to Karolina Muchova in second round of U.S. Open

Osaka, who won the title in 2018 and 2020, missed last year's edition after the birth of her daughter.
The protagonist of “The Colors Within” is Totsuko (voiced by Sayu Suzukawa), a cheerful young woman who views the world in a unique way: Everyone she sees gives off their own distinct color that represents their personality.
CULTURE / Film
Aug 30, 2024

'The Colors Within' tunes into everyday moments of love

Director Naoko Yamada's new anime film, which explores themes of acceptance and communication without words, was born from a creative relationship of complete trust.
Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Enmarket Arena during a two-day campaign bus tour in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 30, 2024

Seven takeaways from Harris’ first major interview

The vice president answered questions in the CNN interview without causing herself political harm or providing herself a significant boost.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami