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M-Sys President Masao Takikawa stands in front of a Yakiton Daikoku izakaya pub that opened in Sendai's Kokubuncho entertainment district.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Aug 15, 2023

Sendai pub chain boosts performance with better work conditions

Sendai-based M-Sys has implemented a policy of offering monthly pay of ¥300,000 to new hires.
“Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” centers on a woman who overcomes past difficulties by finding comfort and human connection at her uncle's charming bookstore.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 19, 2023

Satoshi Yagisawa’s novel has all the charm of a Jimbocho bookshop

“Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" is a heartwarming coming-of-age tale that will delight fans of Japanese literature.
Rice planting in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture. Satellite data could greatly improve how global farmers respond to climate change.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 21, 2023

How satellites are helping farmers adapt to global warming

Farther than the eye can see, advances in satellite data are giving global farmers the tools to better manage their fields in a rapidly changing climate.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 21, 2023

Festival organizer files criminal complaint over DJ Soda groping

TryHard Japan filed the report to the police against two men and a woman over their alleged groping of the DJ’s breast and hugging of her without consent.
Solar panels at a proof-of-concept site for green hydrogen production in Vredendal, South Africa
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2023

The key to greening heavy industry

If the world’s vast ocean resources can be tapped directly to produce hydrogen, there will be no holding back the green transition.
A law enforcement officer works at the site of a plane crash near the village of Kuzhenkino, Russia. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was believed to be on board the plane and is presumed dead.
WORLD
Aug 27, 2023

Old video sparks wild theories on fate of Russia's Yevgeny Prigozhin

In the 40-second clip, the mercenary boss alluded to a plane crash and said he would rather be killed than lie to his country.
China's Peng Zhou on Wednesday after his team's defeat. China's women's team is a global powerhouse, but the men have failed to meet expectations in recent years despite an infusion of naturalized players from overseas.
BASKETBALL
Aug 31, 2023

Chinese fans despair over Basketball World Cup result

China needed to win their final group match on Wednesday night and hope the other results went their way, but were outclassed 107-89 by Puerto Rico.
A South Korean teacher reacts as others chant slogans during a protest to demand better protection of their rights and to mourn a young teacher found dead in July in an apparent suicide, in Seoul on Monday. The signs read "Vote for an agreement on the protection of teachers' rights."
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 6, 2023

South Korean teachers want an end to parents’ harassment

Teachers say they often face pressure from parents who make excessive or impossible demands of them, including favoritism for their children.
An All Nippon Airways employee escorts a group of Chinese tourists through Haneda Airport in Tokyo last month.
BUSINESS
Sep 7, 2023

Fukushima water release won’t deter Chinese tourists: ANA CEO

The number of inbound visitors from China was about 300,000 in July, he said, compared with 30,000 in January, says Koji Shibata.
Wan Gang during the Munich Motor Show on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 7, 2023

China’s EV strategy architect sees future for hydrogen vehicles

Fuel-cell vehicles will be key especially in China’s northwest, where distances between cities are long and electric-car adoption remains low, he said.
Aziz Umerov looks at a portrait of his sister Leniye Umerova, a Ukrainian from Russian-annexed Crimea arrested in Russia, on August 11.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 7, 2023

Arrest, detain, repeat: Russian war critics in jail 'carousel'

Consecutive jailings aren't illegal, as Russian law allows judges to order "administrative" detentions of up to 30 days for minor infractions.
The typical priority seat section on a Japanese train will be well marked in numerous languages.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 8, 2023

The priority seats: Are they fair game on an empty train?

Japan is a society with many unspoken rules. Are you aware of the norms that govern your place of business?
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends what state media report was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 8, 2023

North Korea holds ceremony for new ‘tactical nuclear’ submarine

The country’s state media released photos Friday of a ceremony for the vessel, which appeared to have 10 missile tubes, attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet ahead of the Group of 20 leaders' summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 11, 2023

Will India’s name go the way of Turkey?

If India changes its name to Bharat, it will stumble on the same hurdles that Turkey has faced in getting its new appellation, Turkiye, to stick.
Fukuoka, known for its outdoor food stalls, is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, but now it's starting to draw more international travelers, too.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 9, 2023

Beyond its yatai, Fukuoka hosts travel pleasures aplenty

Tourists come for the city’s lauded cuisine, its casual atmosphere, vibrant arts and nightlife scenes and temperate climate.tk
Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales' forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso drew global protests from women's rights advocates.
SOCCER
Sep 12, 2023

Luis Rubiales quits, but women’s soccer in Spain is still troubled

Even after the federation chief's resignation over his forcible kiss of a player, pay disputes are threatening to disrupt domestic leagues.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2023

More companies move away from Johnny’s over sex abuse scandal

Many firms say they won't work with the agency again until it hears how Johnny's will help the victims and prevent further incidents.
Olive producers check a tree surrounded by a living cover crop in an olive grove in Santiesteban del Puerto, near Jaen, Spain.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 15, 2023

In climate fight, Europe's farmers turn to tech and tradition

Spain and Italy are the world's top producers of olive oil, but the industry is under threat from desertification and drought.
A car is buried in rubble and debris in the aftermath of a devastating flood in al-Bayda, Libya, on Saturday.
WORLD / Science & Health / FOCUS
Sep 17, 2023

'They knew': Warnings went unheeded before deadly Libya flood

Many Libyans are angry that warnings were ignored that could have possibly prevented the worst disaster in the country's modern history.
A man in a business suit walks past activists during Climate Week in the Financial District of New York on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Sep 20, 2023

In New York, investors fill gaps left by inaction on climate change

Wealthy nations have famously dragged their feet on meeting a pledge of contributing $100 billion per year to developing nations, now four years overdue.
Yuki Tsunoda takes part in a practice session on Day 1 of the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 22, 2023

Tsunoda races into Suzuka as his F1 career reaches critical stage

The driver's homecoming to a track he knows all too well comes as his long-term future at the pinnacle of motorsport remains uncertain.
The city of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2023

'Insect tourism' launched in rural Fukushima city

Tamura, located in the center of the Abukuma plateau, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles.
Rupert Murdoch in his office in New York in 2007. Murdoch's decision to step down from the boards of News Corp. and Fox Corp. marks the end of a decadeslong media career.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 25, 2023

Rupert Murdoch, the last of the press barons

No living person has influenced the media landscape like Rupert Murdoch. Should we view his career in a favorable light, or is his legacy one of darkness?
Kamila Valieva's doping case has divided the figure skating community since it first came to light during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Sep 26, 2023

Top sports court to hear Russian skater Kamila Valieva's doping case

Tuesday's hearing follows Valieva's exoneration by Russia's anti-doping agency, which ruled that she bore "no fault or negligence" for the positive test.
The Brave Blossoms train at Ernest-Wallon Stadium in Toulouse, France, ahead of their Rugby World Cup game against Samoa on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 27, 2023

Stakes high for Brave Blossoms as crucial Samoa clash looms

The scene is now set for the tussle in Toulouse, a city where rugby is baked into every terracotta tile and coral-colored shopfront.
Jessica Gerrity says kyūdō is for everyone. It's just a matter of finding a dojo that fits you best.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 30, 2023

‘Archery gives me a chance to decompress from a busy life’

Gerrity is trained in several forms of traditional Japanese martial arts and works to promote Japanese culture as a tourism ambassador.
A video grab shows the acting President of Myanmar's National Unity Government, Duwa Lashi La, speaking during an interview from an undisclosed location in Myanmar, in November 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 2, 2023

Myanmar resistance leader claims majority control over territory

Violence has intensified as the military dictatorship faces a crumbling economy, growing dissent and a multi-front conflict.
The PayPay app now seeks to keep its pace of double-digit growth with help from other SoftBank portfolio companies.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2023

SoftBank’s PayPay app showcases Masayoshi Son’s clout in Japan

Seen to be next in SoftBank’s initial public offering pipeline, the startup now holds two-thirds’ share in QR-code payments in Japan.
In principle, children can be admitted to children's homes if they are at least 1 year old and can stay in the facilities until the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 22 years old.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 10, 2023

Japan to scrap upper age limit for use of children's homes

Currently, residents are required to move out of the facilities by the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 22 years old.
Fire and smoke rises above buildings during an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2023

Israel security forces face questions over intel after Hamas attack

Israel's security apparatus appeared to break down as a force of Hamas gunmen estimated in the hundreds broke through security fences.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years