Search - 2023

 
 
Trafficking experts have raised concerns over how satellite internet technology may hamper efforts to crack down on scam centers in Asia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Apr 25, 2025

Portable internet helps Asia scam centers bypass blackouts

Trafficking experts have raised concerns over how satellite internet technology may hamper efforts to crack down on scam centers.
Nomura is looking to deepen its foothold in its traditional Wall Street businesses by weighing a return to offering cash prime-brokerage services in the United States and Europe.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2025

Nomura weighs return to prime brokerage four years after Archegos

Prime brokerage, which involves banks lending cash and securities to hedge funds, has become an increasing money maker for Wall Street in recent years due to high equities prices.
The "customer harassment" rate for officials of prefectural and municipal governments shown by the internal affairs ministry's first-ever survey on the matter far exceeded the 10.8% for private-sector employees found by the labor ministry in its survey in fiscal 2023.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2025

'Customer harassment' faced by 35% of local government officials

A survey found that 17.5% of cases were prompted by officials' work at customer service counters, such as mistakes.
Katia Beeden, life coach and campaigner for white South Africans who want to apply for U.S. refugee status, speaks at her residence in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday.
WORLD / Society
Apr 25, 2025

U.S. eyes persecution claims as white South Africans seek resettlement

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a Feb. 7 executive order that called for the U.S. to resettle Afrikaner refugees.
Pope Francis, a reformer known for his humility, inclusivity and focus on social justice, passed away at 88, leaving behind a divided church and a legacy of advocating for humanity's most vulnerable.
EDITORIALS
Apr 25, 2025

The Catholic church loses a lion

Francis’ spirit of inclusion should define who we are as human beings and his compassion should be the lodestar for action, both personal and political.
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.
Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda after a meeting in Beijing last month
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2025

Toyota chairman proposes record buyout of its supplier at $42 billion valuation

The proposal values Toyota Industries, which makes looms for textiles as well as parts for Toyota’s cars, at a premium of 40% over its closing stock price on Friday.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga speaks during an interview at the IMF-World Bank Group spring meetings at IMF headquarters in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 26, 2025

Developing countries should fast-track U.S. trade deals, World Bank chief says

"You need to negotiate trade systems with the U.S. at the earliest possible (opportunity)," Ajay Banga said. "If you delay, it hurts everyone."
As Japan gears up for the trade talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also seeking to cushion the blow that the U.S. tariffs may have on the domestic economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 26, 2025

Japan to resist Trump efforts to form trade bloc against China

Any demands from Washington on Tokyo to downgrade its economic relationship with China would potentially deal Japan a major economic blow.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders prepares to throw during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Boulder, Colorado, last November.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 26, 2025

Focus shifts to defense in NFL draft as Shedeur Sanders continues to wait

Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders, passed for 14,347 yards with 134 touchdowns in his college career.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at Rengo's May Day event alongside the union's chief, Tomoko Yoshino, on Saturday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Apr 26, 2025

Ishiba vows wage hikes that keep up with inflation at May Day event

Ishiba's participation marks the third year in a row for a Japanese prime minister to attend Rengo's May Day event.
Thick, black smoke billows behind rescuers near the source of an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas in the Iranian province of Hormozgan on Saturday.
WORLD
Apr 27, 2025

Suspected chemical blast at Iran port kills at least 18, injures hundreds

The explosion occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman, but there was no indication of a link between the two events.
Chris Eubank Jr. (right) fights Conor Benn during their middleweight bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Apr 27, 2025

Chris Eubank Jr. beats Conor Benn on points in thrilling middleweight bout

All three judges scored the non-title fight 116-112 after a pulsating 12-round slugfest, with both fighters setting a ferocious pace.
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Apr 27, 2025

Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children

AI-generated content is not explicitly covered under the country's legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
Vehicles travel along the 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. California's GDP has overtaken Japan's to become the world's fourth largest economy, according to the U.S. state.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 27, 2025

California says it overtakes Japan to become world’s No. 4 economy

Japan's annual GDP was surpassed by China in 2010 and Germany in 2023, positioning the country in fourth place.
A person wears a sign with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and U.S. President Donald Trump on it, at an inauguration party held outside the U.S. embassy in Budapest on Jan. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

'Trump tornado' leaves Hungary’s Orban and other far-right leaders reeling

Far-right leaders must now calculate whether unflinching support for Trump will damage their domestic popularity at a time of growing economic pain.
Lebanese emergency teams cordon off the perimeter of a fire at the site of Israeli strikes following evacuation orders, in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday.
WORLD
Apr 28, 2025

Israel strikes Hezbollah missile storage facility in Beirut suburb

The Israeli Air Force fired three missiles at the target, causing damage to buildings and cars in the area, said Lebanon’s state-run news agency NNA.
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 28, 2025

Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’

Some 45% of full-time employees are doing just the bare minimum at work, according to a survey by job-matching company Mynavi.
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
BASEBALL
Apr 28, 2025

Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave

The Dodgers star went on MLB’s paternity list for the birth of his daughter. MLB is the only major North American sports league that guarantees paternity leave to its players.
A pipeline to transport seawater, part of the facility for releasing treated radioactive water to sea from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2025

Tepco finishes first round of fiscal 2025 treated water release

In fiscal 2025, Tepco plans to release a total of about 54,600 metric tons of treated water in seven rounds.
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.
Pope Francis prays in front of a candle lit to remember victims of abuse by the church, inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin, Ireland on August 25, 2018.
WORLD / Society
Apr 28, 2025

Abuse victims say they saw progress under Pope Francis, just not enough

For abuse survivors, Francis' legacy on the issue is a mixed one of powerful words and at times underwhelming deeds.
Despite China’s 30-year propaganda campaign that peace would be ensured if cross-strait disputes were settled internally, Beijing’s actual behaviors suggest otherwise.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2025

Placating China won't prevent it from invading Taiwan

Many Taiwanese misperceive China’s rational logic behind potential invasion risks, influenced by Beijing’s propaganda and exacerbated by Taiwan's current political landscape.
A car with curtains drawn, one of two, is seen leaving Hong Kong's Shek Pik prison just before sunrise on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 29, 2025

First batch of Hong Kong democrats freed after four years in jail

Four former pro-democracy lawmakers, including Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan, were driven away from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 29, 2025

Trump administration targets scientists behind key climate assessment

Dismissal of nearly 400 contributors leaves the future of the U.S. National Climate Assessment in doubt under Trump's administration.
A USB-type charging connector of a laptop was burned during charging due to foreign objects also being in the charging port.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2025

Technology institute warns of digital device accidents amid a series of fires

The warning comes as some students interact with electronic devices for the first time under the "giga school" initiative of distributing information devices to every student.
Police officers cordon off the scene after several people were killed in a shooting at Vaksala Square in central Uppsala, Sweden on Tuesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 30, 2025

Sweden stunned by new deadly gun attack

A shootout at a Swedish hair salon left at least three people dead, police and media said.
Germany's Alexander Zverev hits a return to Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo during their fourth round match at the Madrid Open on Tuesday.
TENNIS
Apr 30, 2025

Zverev crashes as Swiatek scrapes into Madrid Open quarterfinals

Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 21st, beat the German — a two-time former winner in Madrid — to repeat his feat from last year.
Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura speaks during a news conference on Monday about Nagoya's preparations for the 2026 Asian Games.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 30, 2025

MMA to make Asian Games debut next year in Japan

Cricket was also formally approved for inclusion at the Games during a meeting in host city Nagoya on Monday.
A branch of Nomura Securities, a unit of Nomura Holdings, in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2025

Nomura’s China losses narrow as brokerage seeks turnaround

The China unit has been undergoing an overhaul after its initial ambition to grow its wealth management business veered off track during the pandemic.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building