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The turmoil affecting global markets came on the heels of Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s decision to raise rates, but you can't fault him given the volatile worldwide economic conditions.
COMMENTARY
Aug 6, 2024

Tokyo market rout — oops, the BOJ did it again

Japan’s central bank isn’t responsible for the bloodbath. But it’s reliving a terrible habit of hiking rates at the worst possible time.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the White House in Washington on July 3.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 6, 2024

Harris picks Minnesota's Tim Walz for vice president, sources say

Walz is a progressive policy champion and a plain speaker from America's heartland who may help Harris win over rural, white voters.
South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik on during an interview in Seoul on Wednesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

South Korean nuclear weapons would break U.S. ties, defense chief says

The idea of another term for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who complained about the cost of the U.S. military presence in South Korea, has fueled the debate.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks to reporters on July 3.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2024

Bank of Japan’s surprise rate rise a real head-scratcher for some analysts

Some analysts are skeptical about consumption actually being stimulated, saying that positive wage growth will not necessarily guarantee that.
A demonstrator carries a cross during the annual "March for Life" in Washington on Jan. 19.
WORLD / Society
Aug 8, 2024

U.S. public schools are becoming the new religious battleground

The religious movement is fueled by opposition to what conservatives call liberal curricula in school, including a focus on diversity and LGBTQ rights.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan decides the schedule of its presidential race, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

CDP presidential election in September puts party future in focus

Key questions surrounding the election start with the issue of what the CDP's relationship should be with the Japanese Communist Party.
The Nagasaki Municipal Government, which is hosting the city's annual peace ceremony, said it did not extend an invitation to the Israeli ambassador due to security concerns.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024

Nagasaki peace ceremony overshadowed by diplomatic wrangling

Ambassadors of Group of Seven countries are set to skip Friday’s ceremony after the city’s decision not to invite the Israeli envoy to Japan.
Former Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi (right) and Satoshi Yamane, the new president, bow in apology over health problems caused by its beni kōji products, during a news conference in the city of Osaka on Thursday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 8, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma to withdraw from beni kōji product segment

The firm said it would offer compensation to those who suffered health problems linked to their products and prevent a recurrence of the incident.
Japan, once a secondary player in Southeast Asian regional integration, now needs to balance strengthening ties with ASEAN while navigating its position between the U.S. and China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 8, 2024

Japan takes a soft diplomatic approach to ASEAN ties

Shifting dynamics in Southeast Asia are compelling Japan to carefully navigate its role amid intense U.S.-China competition.
Barley (right) has successfully made the move from pup waiting for his forever home to convincing his foster mom to take him permanently into her own house.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Aug 12, 2024

Barley has gone from foster pup to family member

Now at his new forever home, days are easy for Barley. A bit hard of hearing, this pup curiously has no problem hearing the rustle of a wrapper coming off a treat.
An electronic board displaying Topix and the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Aug 9, 2024

Tokyo’s Monday stock crash an afterthought by Friday

Concern remained, and the search for a coherent explanation as to why Tokyo stocks crashed and shook investors globally was ongoing.
A nature experience program at the Global Mizuiku Summit in Vietnam.
ESG CONSORTIUM
Aug 12, 2024

Suntory nurtures water, forests and future generations

Just like Suntory Holdings says in its corporate philosophy, “To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature,” the company contributes to the enrichment of people’s lives beyond merely selling food and beverages globally. Although responsive to...
Junya Ito (right) plays in a friendly match between Machida Zelvia and Stade de Reims at the Machida Gion Stadium in Tokyo on July 31.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 9, 2024

Japanese soccer player Ito avoids indictment over sexual assault

Two women filed a complaint in January accusing the 31-year-old soccer player of making them drunk and sexually assaulting them.
Ukrainian servicemen drive an infantry vehicle near the Russian border in the Sumy region on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 11, 2024

Russia pushes back at Ukraine’s cross-border assault, but Kyiv presses on

The assault surprised both Moscow and Washington, as well as other Western partners and analysts who follow the war’s troop movements.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled a four-day visit to Central Asia from Friday to prioritize responding to a higher quake risk.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 11, 2024

Concerns over Central Asia diplomacy after Kishida cancels trip

Some regret that Japan missed an important opportunity to increase its presence in Central Asia.
Members of the French police stand guard on the roof of Paris' commercial court prior to the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 12, 2024

French police win plaudits after high-risk Olympics

The operation was like no other in recent French history, with the around 75,000 police, soldiers and private security guards mobilized on opening night.
Sanae Takaichi (left) and Seiko Noda attend a debate session in Tokyo for the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in September 2021. While both Takaichi and Noda are seeking to run again this year, they must first secure the necessary recommendations from at least 20 party lawmakers.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 12, 2024

Calls grow within LDP for female presidential candidates

Amid headwinds from a political funding scandal, the party hopes to refresh its image by presenting the possibility of Japan having its first female prime minister.
California Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, the first Sikh-American politician to be elected in the California State Legislature, poses for a picture with fellow assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva while attending a luncheon gathering in Artesia, California, on June 8.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2024

Some U.S. Sikhs fear Modi government is threatening them

Some Sikhs in the U.S. described experiencing online harassment and surveillance at their homes.
J-pop act Atarashii Gakko! is set to deliver a jubilant performance at Summer Sonic this weekend.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2024

Summer Sonic bets on a more local lineup

The international music festival seeks to boost attendance figures with more domestic and Asian acts such as Atarashii Gakko!, Number_i and Creepy Nuts.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’

The surprise move came amid growing criticism from rank-and-file party members and bad poll numbers.
People walk past a banner with a picture of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a street in Tehran on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Only Gaza cease-fire can delay Iran's Israel response, Iranian officials say

Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, could launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations.
Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro (right) speaks during a joint press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at a hotel in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Aug. 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Manila looks beyond Asia for defense support

Germany is the latest Western power to announce plans to deepen security ties with the Philippines amid Manila's escalating territorial disputes with China.
A Plug Power hydrogen plant in Woodbine, Georgia
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Aug 14, 2024

Why almost nobody is buying green hydrogen

Many of the projects now touted with great fanfare by countries vying to become 'the Saudi Arabia of hydrogen' will likely never get built.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the presidential office in Taipei on Tuesday
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Is it fifth time's the charm for Shigeru Ishiba?

Ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential race, a short trip to Taiwan is allowing the former defense minister to burnish his foreign policy chops.
What began as a nonviolent student protest against Bangladesh’s highly politicized system of public-sector job quotas quickly escalated into an anti-government Gen Z revolution.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2024

The fall of Bangladesh’s iron lady

What began as a student protest against the country’s highly politicized system of public-sector job quotas quickly escalated into an anti-government Gen Z revolution.
Christian Musema, a laboratory nurse, takes a sample from a child declared a suspected case mpox — an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that spark-off a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever; at the the treatment center near Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on July 19.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 15, 2024

WHO calls mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency

The WHO last called mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022
Bales of hard-to-recycle plastic waste piled up at Renewlogy Technologies in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 17, 2021.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Aug 15, 2024

In shift, U.S. backs global target to reduce plastic production, source says

The change away from earlier calls to leave such decisions up to each country puts the U.S. in direct opposition to countries like Saudi Arabia and China.
As if moving isn't stressful enough, Japan requires a host of paperwork to accompany your switch to a new apartment — a process that may get a little simpler in the near future.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 16, 2024

Online banking consortium to slash the busywork of moving in Japan

The free service is expected to launch in February 2025, with even more functions available online by 2026.
Palestinians inspect the damaged following overnight Israeli bombardment of a house at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 16, 2024

Gaza cease-fire negotiations extend another day as death toll exceeds 40,000

This round of negotiations opened on Thursday, and the talks would resume on Friday for a second day, Qatari and U.S. officials said.
Only two other class of persons were treated with anything like the merciless ferocity meted out to lovers: subversives and Christians.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Aug 17, 2024

Love was a most subversive affair in Edo Japan

As the shogunate required order in society, love was seen as a threat to rational thinking — something that you might die for.

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