Search - 2022

 
 
Filmed in black and white, concert film “Opus” focuses on the physicality of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s performance.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 7, 2023

Ryuichi Sakamoto's last performance captured by son in Venice 'Opus'

In late 2022 celebrated Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, stricken with terminal cancer, spent nine days at a Tokyo studio performing 20 of his much-loved pieces from across his career.
The AI initiative is part of Morgan Stanley's strategy to drive its wealth division, where net revenue surged 16% to a record in the second quarter and new client assets grew $90 billion.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 8, 2023

Morgan Stanley to launch AI chatbot to woo wealthy

The bank will roll out a generative artificial intelligence bot this month, developed with the makers of ChatGPT, OpenAI
A joint study by consultant McKinsey and data firm NielsenIQ earlier this year found that 78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 8, 2023

Shoppers say they want sustainable goods, but won't pay more

When push comes to shove, manufacturers sometimes find consumers aren't buying their sustainable products.
Mizuho Financial Group has been expanding its presence in the United States to tap the world’s biggest fee pool, becoming one of the four global investment banks leading Arm's IPO.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023

Mizuho's SoftBank ties boost Wall Street ambitions via Arm IPO

The bank has been expanding its presence in the U.S. to tap the world’s biggest fee pool, even as deals slump globally following the pandemic.
Rachel Culin, a disenchanted Toyota owner, standing between her Toyota Prius and new Chevy Bolt at her home in Mesa, Arizona. The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell all-electric vehicles, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023

Toyota, a hybrid pioneer, struggles to master electric vehicles

The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell EVs, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
The Man effigy looms over the Burning Man encampment after a severe rainstorm left tens of thousands of revelers stranded in mud in the festival's Black Rock City in the Nevada desert.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2023

Burning Man 2023 is a climate-crisis parable

At first, Burning Man festivalgoers shunned environmental protesters. Then the climate crisis, and extraordinary rains, caught up with them.
SUMO
Sep 8, 2023

Young ozeki duo will be in spotlight at Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament

The Autumn Basho is shaping up to be another unpredictable event.
Harvard historian Calder Walton says U.S. leaders have ignored China’s massive, multifront intelligence push.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2023

The vulnerability of open societies to foreign espionage

Are Western nations, with their open societies, making the same mistake with China as they did with the Soviet Union?
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 9, 2023

Japan top diplomat makes first visit to Ukraine since war's start

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met with a number of high-ranking officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Residents watch the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, last month.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
Sep 9, 2023

Conspiracy theories falsely link wildfires to 'smart cities'

Disinformation about deadly wildfires in the United States and Canada has run rampant across social media.
A woman takes a picture as she attends an exhibition displaying destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk as part of the upcoming celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion, in central Kyiv, on Aug. 21.
WORLD
Sep 9, 2023

Russia ramps up artillery production, but still falling short

Russia may be able to increase production of artillery in the next couple years to about 2 million shells annually, a Western official has said.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Sep 10, 2023

Yama-no-no: Orix ace puts world on notice with second no-hitter

The right-hander's superb form for the PL-leading Buffaloes is expected to bring him more awards this offeseason — as well as a bidding war by MLB clubs.
A family plays the Monster Catcher crane game at Happy Land Marina amusement arcade in Hiroshima.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Sep 18, 2023

Crane games win hearts at amusement arcades with limited-edition prizes

Thanks to the growing popularity of anime, crane games have become a popular family pastime and are also attracting foreign visitors.
A Russian rescuer speaks on his mobile phone next to a wall bearing an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a polling station during local elections organized by the Russian-installed authorities in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 11, 2023

As war rages, Kremlin sends Russians, and Ukrainians, to vote

Along with local voting, Russian authorities also held elections in the four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed a year ago in illegal referendums.
Luis Rubiales, seen after the Women's World Cup final, stepped down as head of the Spanish soccer federation on Sunday.
SOCCER
Sep 11, 2023

Luis Rubiales steps down amid scandal over unsolicited kiss

Rubiales announced his resignation in a statement in which he said his position had become untenable.
China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu gives a speech in Kubinka, in the outskirts of Moscow, on Aug. 15
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 11, 2023

Xi stresses military unity as rumors over defense minister swirl

Rumors have been swirling social media over Defense Minister Li Shangfu's whereabouts. His last public appearance was on Aug. 29.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden upon his arrival at the Bharat Mandapam convention center for the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 11, 2023

At G20 summit, India sought to loosen China’s grip on Global South

The U.S. and other G7 members stayed largely in the background at the gathering, allowing India to take a global leadership role.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 11, 2023

Economists question the wisdom of Kishida's new minimum wage target

Japan aims to lift the minimum wage to ¥1,500 by the mid-2030s, but macroeconomic factors could undermine that target.
The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) fires missiles into the Sea of Japan off South Korea, in July 2017. The ATACMS under consideration for shipment to Ukraine would propel around 300 or more bomblets.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 12, 2023

Ukraine could get long-range missiles armed with U.S. cluster bombs

Greenlighting the weapons transfer would give Kyiv the ability to cause significant damage deeper within Russian-occupied territory.
Nvidia's corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, California. The company dominates the market for chips that work with massive amounts of language data.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 12, 2023

Nvidia's dominance in AI chips deters funding for startups

Nvidia's supremacy in building computer chips for artificial intelligence has chilled venture funding for would-be rivals, investors have said.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 12, 2023

Japan steps up efforts to prevent suicides among children

The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and senior high school students has been on the rise, reaching 514 in 2022.
The yen remains vulnerable to sharp movements and government intervention even after its rally at the start of this week.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 12, 2023

Imminent Fed meet keeps yen intervention on agenda despite rally

U.S. inflation figures set to be released Wednesday are expected to show price growth accelerating for a second month in August versus a year earlier
Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki speaks during an interview in his Tokyo office on September 7
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 12, 2023

Japan's opposition struggles to move beyond political fragmentation

The leadership race for the DPP has reignited debate over the state of the opposition, with calls for a united front clashing with divisions over policy.
According to Justice Ministry statistics, about 20% of the inmates who ended up in prisons and other correctional facilities nationwide in 2021 were suspected of having intellectual disabilities.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2023

'Osaka Model' for aiding disabled lawbreakers reaches crossroads

The "Osaka Model" for aiding lawbreakers with disabilities has reached a crossroads due to challenges with securing welfare and personnel.
Asep Muizudin Muhamad Darmini was recently discharged from a hospital in Jakarta after being treated for a respiratory illness caused by the city's air pollution.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Sep 13, 2023

Breathless Indonesians irate over pollution crisis in Jakarta

Air pollution is hardly a new phenomenon in the city, but monitors and activists say the effects have been even worse than usual this year.
Bottles of whisky sit on display behind the bar at the Door XXV private club in the Golden Equator Group office in Singapore.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Asia takes over the world’s whisky market

Yearslong efforts by Pernod, Diageo and other major whiskey producers to get Asian drinkers to spend more on their premium spirits are finally paying off.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson is aiming to end a 30-year drought for the Americans in Europe.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Sep 13, 2023

Zach Johnson ready for blame if U.S. should fall at Ryder Cup

Many of the U.S. players have visited the Marco Simone host course near Rome for a sneak peek at the challenging layout they will face.
Campaign leader Hiske Arts speaks during a meeting of climate group Fossielvrij Nederland in Amsterdam in August.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Airlines face a storm over climate claims

A growing number of lawsuits, consumer complaints and rulings from advertising regulators are seeing to restrict airlines' sustainability claims.
The sudden resignation of BP CEO Bernard Looney may mark a crossroads clean energy, as Looney was seen as pushing for a transition more aggressively than his industry peers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

BP chief’s surprise exit leaves questions over green strategy

BP said Tuesday that the 53-year-old CEO was departing after failing to fully disclose to the company board past relationships with colleagues.
Arata Oshima follows the events of Sept. 27, 2022 — the day of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s funeral — to capture the state of the nation in the documentary, “The Day of the State Funeral.”
CULTURE / Film
Sep 14, 2023

‘The Day of the State Funeral’ bears witness to the end of the Abe era

Arata Oshima’s documentary about the official send-off for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a portrait of a nation adrift.

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