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Goro Miyazaki joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed films including 2006's "Tales from Earthsea" and 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill."
CULTURE / Film
Apr 2, 2025

AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says

Goro Miyazaki says that though nothing can replicate the depth of his father's work, new technology brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge."
Anti-Yoon protesters hold up placards reading "Let's build a democratic government!" during a rally in Seoul on Friday after South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2025

Yoon's ouster prompts Japanese concerns about ties with South Korea

Japan is worried that Yoon's removal from power will undo the improvements in bilateral relations made under his administration.
Marriage proposals in Japan look a lot like those in other countries, but there are traditions that are specific to the country that some people still adhere to.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 18, 2025

Voicing intentions and a peek into a traditional Japanese engagement ceremony

While the basics of a marriage proposal are similar to what happens in most countries, an extra ceremony requires specific gifts.
Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (left) congratulates Alex Ovechkin after his goal against the Penguins on in Pittsburgh on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice hockey
Apr 18, 2025

Capitals great Alex Ovechkin seeks ultimate prize to cap historic season

The race for the history books captivated fans and propelled the Capitals to the top of their division for the first time in five years.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 29, 2023

Iori Yamasaki wins fourth straight start as Giants top Dragons

The Giants held off the Dragons at Tokyo Dome to earn their third straight win.
As zombies take over the world, a salaryman (Eiji Akaso) decides to live his best life before his inevitable demise in “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 3, 2023

‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead’: Zombie comedy has no bite

Netflix’s adaptation of the manga series about a salaryman making the most out of a zombie apocalypse is like scrolling through a mediocre Instagram feed.
A deceased schoolgirl lures members of pop group Generations into her world with a killer earworm in “Sana.”
CULTURE / Film
Aug 10, 2023

‘Sana’: Boy band horror flick is largely fan service

Takashi Shimizu’s film about a deadly ditty infecting members of J-pop group Generations offers generic scares with real-life concert footage.
Residential buildings under construction at Tahoe Group's Cathay Courtyard development in Shanghai
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 17, 2023

China’s housing slump is much worse than official data shows

Industry insiders and economists say China’s official home-price indexes are likely understating the depth of the downturn.
NASA and the Department of Defense are collaborating with Lockheed Martin to build and test a nuclear rocket engine by 2027.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2023

NASA’s $500 million rocket gamble is worth it

Nuclear rockets are worth pursuing, but only with careful safeguards and international cooperation.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen drives during the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 18, 2023

Max Verstappen looks ahead to Japan after end of record win streak

"I think we will be quick in Suzuka," Verstappen told reporters after a race that also ended his team's run of 15 successive wins.
Ireland's Garry Ringrose scores a try during his team's Pool B match against Scotland at the Rugby World Cup in Saint-Denis, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 12, 2023

Ireland not weighed down by No. 1 ranking ahead of All Blacks clash

Ireland can match the top-tier record for winning streaks with its 18th straight victory on Saturday.
BASEBALL
Oct 14, 2023

Marines too much for Hawks in Game 1 of Climax Series

The Marines can advance to the final stage against the PL champion Orix Buffaloes with a victory.
Communicating over the phone, a necessity for businesspeople, is a headache for many young people.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Nov 27, 2023

Many young people in Japan scared of telephone calls

For some, their heart skips a beat when they hear phones ringing and they hesitate to make calls, fearing they might be considered a nuisance.
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons celebrates after sacking Commanders quarterback Sam Howell at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Nov 24, 2023

Cowboys dominate Commanders in Thanksgiving showdown

Jordan Love led the Packers to a Thanksgiving Day surprise with a win over the Lions.
"Concussed: Sport's Uncomfortable Truth" by author Sam Peters details the issue of concussions in sports, particularly rugby.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 17, 2023

Rugby in denial over concussion problem, author Sam Peters says

Peters' book includes a section on the damage of repeated heading in soccer but is predominantly concerned with rugby.
British lawmakers are calling for billions of dollars of government contracts with Fujitsu to be reexamined amid public outrage over the scandal, ignited by a hit TV drama aired last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 11, 2024

Japan tech firm Fujitsu in firing line over U.K. Post Office scandal

Its faulty software had resulted in hundreds of local post office managers being wrongly convicted for theft and false accounting between 1999 and 2005.
This year was set to be a tumultuous one for global markets, with unpredictable swings as economic fortunes diverge and voters in more than 50 countries go to the polls. But there’s one unforeseen reversal already underway: a change in perception among investors about China and Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 26, 2024

As China’s markets stumble, Japan soars toward record highs

China has not struggled for economic growth like Japan, but a protracted property market collapse has shredded consumer and investor confidence.
A young family member of Palestine defender and captain Musab al-Battat cheers as she watches the live television broadcast of the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup football match between Qatar and Palestine, in al-Dhahiriya, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on Monday.
SOCCER
Jan 30, 2024

West Bank fans proud of Palestine's Asian Cup progress

Some of the Palestinian squad have lost loved ones or have relatives trapped in Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden has come under intense pressure from Republicans to take strong action, up to attacks directly on Iranian assets or territory.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 2, 2024

The world waits as Biden telegraphs attack on Iran-backed groups

The U.S. has accused Iran of funding groups that have attacked American bases and personnel in the region.
When Fighters interpreter Shinju Sakuma set her mind on becoming a language liaison in sports, she picked a sport she enjoyed watching and an employer who thinks outside the box.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 26, 2024

Rookie female interpreter provides voice for foreign baseball stars in Japan

Shinju Sakuma, who will graduate from Rikkyo University in Tokyo this spring, is believed to be the first female interpreter in NPB history.
France's Matthis Lebel carries the ball against Italy during their Six Nations match in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Feb 26, 2024

France coach Fabien Galthie denies talk of crisis after close call against Italy

Galthie's side was hammered by Ireland in the tournament opener before edging Scotland earlier this month.
Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus addresses the media as he prepares to leave after filing an appeal for the extension of his bail at the Labor Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka on Sunday.
WORLD / Society
Mar 4, 2024

Bangladesh Nobel winner fears for future as woes mount

Several of Muhammad Yunus' firms have been "forcefully" taken over, weeks after his conviction in a case his supporters say was politically motivated.
Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Fumio Kishida delivers a speech during the LDP's 91st party convention in Tokyo on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2024

What is being missed about the funding scandal

In discussions about the LDP funding scandal, certain considerations are missing. Beyond lambasting the party, these must be addressed for a clear vision.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with a Palestinian child evacuated from the Gaza Strip at a hospital in El-Arish, Egypt, on Saturday.
WORLD
Mar 24, 2024

U.N. chief calls conditions in Gaza a ‘moral outrage’

For months, aid organizations have struggled to transport and distribute sufficient food and other supplies in Gaza.
Pakistan finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad on March 22
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

Pakistan’s finance minister leaves behind banker's life and pay to fix economy

The country has Asia’s fastest inflation, anemic growth and one of the lowest tax-collection rates in the world.
Badminton star Kento Momota leaves a news conference after announcing his retirement from Japan's national team, in Tokyo on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Badminton
Apr 18, 2024

Former No. 1 Kento Momota retires from international badminton at 29

Momota was once badminton's undisputed king, winning 11 titles in 2019 and losing just six of the 73 matches he played that year.
A woman reacts at a memorial set up for victims victims of a stabbing attack at Westfield shopping mall in Bondi Junction in Sydney, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Apr 21, 2024

Doctors cite unmedicated mental illness in Sydney mall attack

No one can know the mind of Sydney shopping mall killer Joel Cauchi, but psychiatrists say one underlying cause of his rampage is evident: he had schizophrenia, stopped his medication and fell out of treatment.
Yokohama F. Marinos coach Harry Kewell watches the AFC Champions League semifinal first-leg soccer match between his team and South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai FC in Ulsan, South Korea, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Apr 23, 2024

Kewell tells Yokohama to summon spirit of Istanbul to reach final

The former Leeds and Liverpool winger took over as Yokohama coach at the start of this year.
The carp-shaped streamers you see flying in the wind around the start of May are connected to Children's Day. The carp is a symbol of strength and success, which is why it is used in connection to the holiday.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 25, 2024

Getting extremely emotional with grammar ahead of Children's Day

Certain Japanese grammatical structures can help enhance emotions in conversation and writing, conveying the idea of "unbearably."
In his book "It’s Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life," Buddhist priest Jikisai Minami sprinkles in surprising declarations such as “Stop taking care of yourself,” “It’s okay not to have friends,” “People can live without hopes and dreams.”
CULTURE / Books
Apr 29, 2024

Buddhist priest grounds new book with practical advice and cheeky declarations

"It’s Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life" by Jikisai Minami addresses the ills of modern life by revealing the true nature of suffering.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.