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The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kaga destroyer has undergone the first stage of modifications to turn it into a de facto aircraft carrier for F-35B stealth fighter jets.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 13, 2024

MSDF’s Kure base expanding mission as it marks 70th anniversary

The unit has increased its activities not only in national defense, but also in disaster relief operations and overseas missions.
Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge (center) among his pacers during a training session in Kaptagat, Kenya, on Saturday.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
May 8, 2024

Kipchoge's road to third Olympic gold starts in Kenya's Rift Valley

"I'm feeling good. But I think the next months will be more interesting," the athlete said after a training session.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks to reporters on Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office following a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2024

BOJ’s Ueda tweaks weak yen remarks in possible hint of rate hike

Yen weakness has escalated despite Japan’s first interest rate hike since 2007 in March.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (center right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) during a welcoming ceremony at Belgrade Airport on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 8, 2024

China's Xi Jinping visits Serbia on anniversary of 1999 NATO bombing

Three Chinese nationals were killed and 20 wounded in the attack, which prompted outrage in China and an apology from then U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Seigo Saito with his father, Kabutoyama Oyakata, at Isenoumi stable in Tokyo in December 2022
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 8, 2024

Wakaikari out to etch his family's place into sumo's history books

The 19-year-old from Tokyo is ranked near the top of the third tier for the upcoming summer tournament.
Philippine Marines wave to Philippine Navy personnel and the media during a resupply mission at their military outpost, the BRP Sierra Madre, a warship run aground in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, in the South China Sea, in March 2014.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 8, 2024

Stormy seas ahead as Beijing and Manila trade barbs over secret deal

China has accused the Philippines of reneging on a "gentlemen's agreement" concerning activities in the South China Sea.
An ambitious high school freshman recruits three girls from her region to create an “idol” group from scratch in “Trapezium.”
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2024

‘Trapezium’: Being an idol isn’t always a dream come true

The anime adaptation of a book by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka46, offers an authentic look at the pressures of show business.
Archaeologists say a 1,600-year-old wooden coffin at the Tomio Maruyama tumulus in the city of Nara was kept in good condition probably because it was protected by a layer of clay and copper ions that had seeped out of the mirrors that were buried together.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
May 9, 2024

How the discovery of a giant sword in Nara offers clues into ancient Japan

Experts say a series of surprise finds at the burial mound could help untangle the many mysteries surrounding the rulers of fourth-century Japan.
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Rafah on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 10, 2024

Israel strikes eastern Rafah as cease-fire talks end with no deal

A senior Israeli official said the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo had ended, and Israel would proceed with its attack on Rafah.
Ryo Wakabayashi, a distal myopathy patient, lives alone in the city of Fukushima.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Tohoku
May 20, 2024

Persistence pays off with approval of distal myopathy drug

The disease is estimated to affect only 300 to 400 people in Japan.
People walk near the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on April 26.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 10, 2024

BOJ must avoid raising rates to combat weak yen, says ex-official

Higher borrowing costs would hit consumption and services inflation, said Tsutomu Watanabe, an expert on price trends.
Many women suffer abuse for decades, afraid to speak out for fear of being stigmatized or blamed.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
May 10, 2024

'Everyone around you loses': How domestic abuse hurts economies

Research suggests the global cost of all violence against women could be about 2% of gross domestic product, or the size of Canada's economy.
Former Manchester United star David Beckham arrives at the world premier of a documentary about the team in Manchester, England, on Thursday.
SOCCER
May 10, 2024

David Beckham urges Manchester United players to show more spirit

David Beckham has urged Manchester United's players to prove they are motivated to play for the troubled club.
A customer uses a mobile phone at a contactless payment terminal in a pub in London. As with so many other industries, technology has been a primary driver of the change.
WORLD / Society
May 10, 2024

American-style tipping is testing British pub culture

Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars, account for more than 90% of tipping across the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese leader Xi Jinping review troops at the Tarbes Airport in southern France on Tuesday. Some experts believe Xi wants to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States with his European tour.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2024

It’s ‘divide and conquer’ as Xi courts Europe

Xi wants to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States, or at least inhibit their convergence on a policy that identifies China as a threat.
Palestinians sit on an animal-pulled cart as they move to safer areas in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Friday amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
WORLD / Politics
May 11, 2024

U.S. working to keep Israel and Hamas engaged in Gaza truce efforts

The United Nations warned that aid for Gaza could grind to a halt within days after Israel seized control of the Rafah border crossing.
Voters register at a polling station in Gujarat, India, on May 7.
WORLD / Politics
May 13, 2024

Low turnout and acrimony coloring Indian election at halfway point

India began its seven-stage election on April 19, with voting scheduled to end on June 1.
Tokiko Shimizu, the Bank of Japan's first and only female director, has been replaced by Kazushige Kamiyama after finishing a four-year term.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2024

BOJ slips backward on diversity with all-male executive lineup

The BOJ slipped to 156th on an index of gender balance among central banks released this year.
The official whistleblower protection system is not well-known among workers in Japan, a survey finds.
JAPAN
May 14, 2024

Less than 40% of Japan's employees know about whistleblower protection system

The survey showed a tendency for larger companies to have more employees familiar with the system.
French President Emmanuel Macron during an interview on the fringes of the Choose France summit in Versailles, France, on Monday
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024

Macron puts French banks in play with plan to transform Europe

Macron has been trying to persuade his EU partners to embrace reforms that he says would turn the bloc into a more united and powerful economic force.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi (left), and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul walk with other officials during their talks in Beijing on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2024

South Korea and China's top envoys eye trilateral summit with Japan

Seoul has not formally announced the date for the summit — the first since 2019 — but media reports have said it will take place on May 26 and 27.
Natural gas burns on a domestic kitchen stove in London.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024

As war stems Russian gas, Norway's Equinor gains outsized market impact

Norway now supplies 30% of Europe's gas, and roughly two-thirds of Norway's exports last year were sold by Equinor.
Even a slightly high blood pressure raises the risk of strokes and other diseases, a study finds.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 14, 2024

Even slightly high blood pressure ups vascular disease risks

According to the Japanese Society of Hypertension, the country has an estimated 43 million hypertension patients.
Lee Hsien Loong steps down as Singapore's prime minister on Wednesday, passing the baton to his deputy Lawrence Wong, the second non-member of the Lee family to lead the wealthy Asian nation.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2024

Lee Hsien Loong, the scion PM who modernized Singapore and stifled dissent

He has left his own imprint on the wealthy city-state after steering it through a global financial crisis and pandemic while diversifying its economy.
Relations between Russia and Western nations have been in the deep freeze since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Norway has been keen to keep some limited cooperation alive through the Arctic Council.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2024

West and Russia manage limited cooperation in Arctic despite chill in ties

Norway has been keen to keep some limited cooperation between Russia and the West alive.
People offer prayers for the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake at an evacuation shelter in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on March 1.
JAPAN / Society
May 15, 2024

30 deaths recognized as indirectly caused by Noto quake as panel probes cases

The families of more than 100 deceased people have filed for such recognition.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen drives during the Miami Grand Prix on May 5.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
May 16, 2024

Formula One leader Max Verstappen hoping to get back on track at Imola

Max Verstappen will being trying put his friend Lando Norris back in his place among the chasing pack when Formula One returns to Italy.
Tesla's charging network is widely viewed as a signature achievement for the EV maker and a key driver of its sales. Tesla Superchargers account for more than 60% of U.S. high-speed charging ports, federal statistics show.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2024

The inside story of Elon Musk’s mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff

Former charging chief met Musk expecting the go-ahead for a massive expansion of the charging network, but ended up getting fired along with her 500-member team.
Tyson Fury (left) and Oleksandr Usyk pose during a news conference in Riyadh on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
May 17, 2024

Confident Tyson Fury ready to meet Oleksandr Usyk for undisputed crown

Tyson Fury declared himself ready to face Oleksandr Usyk and said he'd pray for his Ukrainian rival before their undisputed heavyweight clash on Saturday.
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
JAPAN / Politics
May 17, 2024

Son of LDP heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai to run in Lower House election

Nobuyasu Nikai's decision to throw his hat into the ring also has larger implications for the Liberal Democratic Party.

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