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Chinese leader Xi Jinping joins Russian President Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders at a ceremony at the Kremlin’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
COMMENTARY / World
May 12, 2025

Beijing talks peace in Ukraine while aiding Putin’s war

China benefits strategically as long as the war stays within Ukraine, the nuclear risk remains low and its “unlimited partner,” Russia, does not lose.
A policeman stands guard near a polling station during national mid-term elections in Buadiposo town, Lanao del Sur province, on the southern island of Mindanao on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 13, 2025

Dutertes outperform in Philippine midterms in blow for Marcos

Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte looks set to become mayor of Davao City despite his detention by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
Japan's Takefusa Kubo competes for the ball with Luca de la Torre of the U.S. during a friendly in September 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
SOCCER
May 14, 2025

U.S. to take on Japan in World Cup warmup

On Sept. 9, the Americans will play Japan at the home of the Columbus Crew in Ohio.
A model of the proposed Roshn Stadium inside a Saudi Arabia World Cup bid exhibition in Riyadh on Dec. 11
WORLD
May 14, 2025

Human Rights Watch warns of migrant worker deaths in Saudi Arabia

The NGO, which has studied nearly 50 cases of deaths in Saudi Arabia, said Saudi authorities had "failed to adequately protect workers from preventable deaths."
Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump walk during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka on June 28, 2019.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2025

Putin and Trump to skip Ukraine's peace talks that Russian leader proposed

The absence of the Russian and U.S. presidents lowers the expectations for a major breakthrough in the war Russia started in February 2022.
Kyoto's gaming landscape is dominated by Nintendo's headquarters, but a contingent of foreign-born indie developers is also working in the gaming giant's shadow.
LIFE / Digital
May 17, 2025

In Nintendo’s backyard, foreign indie game devs are thriving

“Of course, we’re all in the shadow of Nintendo, but we’re also here because of Nintendo,” says one British indie game developer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks on the phone ahead of a meeting at the European Political Community summit, at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
May 17, 2025

Ukraine calls on allies to keep pressure on Russia after ceasefire talks fall short

Russia is presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters."
Wholesalers added ¥7,593 on average to their selling prices for stockpiled rice, far more than the ¥2,206 to ¥4,689 added for the 2022 rice.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2025

Wholesalers may be behind elevated retail rice prices

Larger gaps between wholesalers' procurement and selling prices, which represent their costs and profits, may be a factor, a government survey has suggested.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper arrives for a news conference in London on May 12.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 18, 2025

British police charge three Iranians as part of spying probe

The three men have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist Iranian intelligence service between August 14, 2024, and February 16, 2025.
Unlike Silicon Valley, many Asian societies, due to their penchant for risk aversion, need more government support to boost early-stage deep-tech innovation.
COMMENTARY / World
May 18, 2025

Government capital is not just 'silly money'

Unlike Silicon Valley's predominantly private-sector-driven ecosystem, many Asian societies exhibit greater risk aversion, necessitating proactive government involvement.
Akemi Tao talks on behalf of late hibakusha Masahiro Kunishige during an event to pass down the memories of the atomic bombing experiences at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in February.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 20, 2025

'Memory keepers' pass on Hiroshima A-bomb survivors' stories

Becoming a memory keeper requires about two years of training. Applicants study the realities of the U.S. nuclear attack and practice public speaking skills.
Boxing great Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship in Las Vegas on July 19.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 22, 2025

Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for WBC title

Pacquiao is the only boxer to win world championships in eight weight divisions.
A worker sorts plastic waste for recycling at Minato Resource Recycle Center in Tokyo in 2019. Japan has been criticized by environmental groups for its strategy on plastics, which is heavily reliant on recycling instead of reduction.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
May 25, 2025

Are microplastics hurting our fertility?

While a lot remains unknown about how microplastics affect our health, scientists in Japan and around the world broadly agree there's an urgent need to reduce plastic production.
Modern pentathlete Ayumu Saito competes in the laser run at nationals in 2022.
MORE SPORTS / Modern Pentathlon
May 25, 2025

2028 Olympic hopeful giving modern pentathlon some time in the sun in Japan

As modern pentathlon takes on a Japanese flavor with a "Sasuke"-inspired event, Ayumu Saito is working to raise the sport’s profile in Japan.
Fighters starter Hiromi Ito pitches against the Hawks in Fukuoka on April 29.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
May 26, 2025

Fighters already showing last season's playoff run was no fluke

Nippon Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo has dialed back his antics lately, and perhaps with good reason — because it looks like the players are ready to take center stage.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walk to attend a press conference, following their talks at the Chancellery in Berlin on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 29, 2025

Putin's demands for peace include an end to NATO enlargement, sources say

Kyiv and European governments have accused Moscow of stalling while its troops advance in eastern Ukraine.
Stockpiled rice arrives Thursday at a rice-milling factory operated by a subsidiary of household appliance company Iris Ohyama in the town of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics
May 30, 2025

Some retailers hesitant to buy stockpiled rice on quality concerns

Smaller shops in Japan are worried that older batches might not taste as good, which could cause customers to take their business elsewhere.
Elon Musk boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland in March. As Musk became one of Donald Trump's closest allies last year, he was also using drugs far more intensely than previously known, according to people familiar with his activities.
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2025

On the Trump campaign trail, Elon Musk juggled drugs and family drama

Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use and also came as he dealt with personal drama related to his growing number of children.
After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 2, 2025

How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic

Labor shortages and shifting mindsets are driving younger Japanese workers to challenge the country’s traditional office culture.
Elden Ring Nightreign sees a developer following up its greatest commercial and critical outing with a game that struggles to find its stride.
LIFE / Digital
Jun 2, 2025

In Elden Ring Nightreign, the FromSoftware formula goes awry

Released on May 31, the studio’s first purely multiplayer effort struggles to grasp what makes its newly chosen genre great.
The Eagle S oil tanker is seen near a Finnish border guard ship and tugboat off the Porkkalanniemi Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland in December. Finland seized the Russian-linked vessel on suspicion it damaged undersea cables amid growing concerns over sanctions evasion and maritime security.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2025

Braving the storm: It’s time to board Russia’s shadow fleet

European sanctions against the Kremlin’s oil vessels are futile without actual enforcement.
Arrows lead to the tax-free counter at a branch of discount retailer Don Quijote in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 4, 2025

Is Japan ready to say goodbye to tax-free shopping?

Amid widespread abuse of Japan’s tax-free shopping system, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers are mulling over its possible abolition.
After the appellate court ruling in the shareholders' lawsuit over the Tepco Fukushima No.1 nuclear accident, plaintiffs hold up signs reading "Unjust Ruling" on Friday in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 6, 2025

High court overturns ruling against ex-Tepco executives

The count found the executives were unable to predict the tsunami that triggered the triple reactor meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
Coco Gauff from the U.S. celebrates after winning the French Open women's singles final match against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on Saturday.
TENNIS
Jun 8, 2025

Gauff continues American renaissance by stunning Sabalenka for French Open glory

The 21-year-old's victory helped her become the first American to capture the singles trophy in Paris since Serena Williams in 2015.
Officials and government leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin (center right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow on May 9.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 9, 2025

Secret Russian intelligence document shows deep suspicion of China

Some officials believe Beijing is trying to recruit Russian spies and steal sensitive military tech, at times by luring disaffected Russian scientists.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (center) and his wife, Kim Hye-Kyung, arrive for a ceremony to mark the 70th Memorial Day at the Seoul National Cemetery on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 9, 2025

South Korean president's election law violation trial postponed indefinitely

The Seoul High Court cited the constitution for its decision to put off the hearing without specifying a date.
Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s Chief of the Defense Staff, attends an interview with The Japan Times on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2025

Japan ‘priority’ as Canada eyes bigger Asian footprint, military chief says

Ottawa's concerns about what it sees as growing challenges to the current world order are driving its Asia push.
China’s expanding military presence and frequent exercises around Taiwan and Japan require Tokyo to strengthen the country’s defenses and diplomatic efforts against Beijing’s aggression.
EDITORIALS
Jun 13, 2025

A belligerent China hones its tools of intimidation

Recent exercises underscore the ability of the People’s Liberation Army to project power ever farther from the country’s shores.
The skyline of Astana, Kazakhstan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Kazakhstan for the third time since 2020, making the country of 20 million people one of his favorite destinations in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed his global travels.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 16, 2025

Xi visits Kazakhstan for talks with Central Asian leaders

The summit in the Kazakh capital Astana is taking place in parallel to the Group of Seven's event in Canada.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (left) looks to pass the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall defends during the third quarter at FedExForum on April 18.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 16, 2025

Magic acquire Desmond Bane in blockbuster trade with Grizzlies

Memphis will receive guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan