Search - 2021

 
 
A visitor to an American college fair at a Marriott Hotel in Beijing poses for a souvenir photo next to an eagle mascot on Sept. 23. Students have been traveling between China and the U.S. for generations, propelled by ambition, curiosity and a belief that their time abroad could help them better their and their countries’ futures.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 29, 2023

Can U.S.-China student exchanges survive geopolitics?

Official rhetoric belies obstacles both governments have continued to erect, driven by the same nationalism and concerns about national security.
Tiger Woods during the second round of The Masters in Augusta, Georgia, in April
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Nov 29, 2023

'Rusty' Tiger curious about form at 'pain-free' comeback

Woods, a 15-time major winner, will play in the Hero World Challenge starting Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 29, 2023

Despite low approval ratings, Kishida likely to keep top job

While the situation around the government warrants no optimism, experts agree the prime minister has no reason to fret.
Elon Musk waits backstage before being interviewed at the 2023 New York Times DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 30, 2023

Elon Musk says advertiser boycott may kill X

Earlier this month, Musk agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a "dialectical hatred” of white people.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton arrives at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi ahead of the race on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Nov 30, 2023

After difficult F1 season, Hamilton admits to self-doubt

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, last won a race in Saudi Arabia in December 2021 when he was battling Red Bull's Max Verstappen for the title.
Argentina's President-elect Javier Milei has frequently referred to both his study of the Torah — the Jewish scripture that is also the first part of the Christian Bible — and his identity as a Catholic.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 30, 2023

Javier Milei's spirituality: Catholicism, Torah and a 'libertarian' God

Argentine President-elect has offered glimpses into how his seemingly contradictory spiritual practices influence his idiosyncratic worldview.
A sign at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 6
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 7, 2023

How AI fits into China's raft of global initiatives

The administration of President Xi Jinping has recently attached great importance to AI technology and is actively set on promoting it.
Singapore is again the world's most expensive city to live in, an honor it shares with Zurich this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 30, 2023

Singapore and Zurich are the world's most expensive cities

Tokyo fell to 60th place while Osaka dropped to 70th amid a weak Japanese yen.
Rabbits are supposedly easier to get through quarantine, but Japan’s outgoing quarantine rules for our fluffy friends actually take a fair bit of time.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 1, 2023

Hare today, gone tomorrow: Another cautionary tale for expats headed home

In another piece about leaving Japan, our departee learns some hard truths about the country’s quarantine guidelines for animals.
Yuki Fukui (center) squares up against a student during a training session at a judo dojo in Thimphu, Bhutan.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 2, 2023

'The people of Bhutan think differently, and that has changed me'

Originally from Sendai, 26-year-old Yuki Fukui is the fifth Japanese judo coach for the Bhutanese national team.
Chef Masato Nishihara chose Nara as the site for his restaurant, Tsukumo, for its antiquity, its proximity to nature and its ancient connections with overseas cultures.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Dec 3, 2023

Tsukumo: Japanese cuisine inspired by Nara's ancient roots

Like the treasures housed inside Nara's Shosoin repository, it may be years before chef Masato Nishihara reprises some of his exquisite dishes at Tsukumo.
Members of the German national soccer team train in Vienna on Nov. 20.
SOCCER
Dec 1, 2023

Germany hosts Euro 2024 draw as contenders wait to learn fate

Saturday's draw marks the start of the real countdown to the European Championship for the 20 nations who have so far qualified alongside hosts Germany.
Offshore wind turbines at the Scroby Sands Wind Farm, operated by E.ON SE, near Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom.  Foreign wind power companies say Japan's development process for offshore wind power takes much longer than in other countries, leading to more uncertainty and risks.
BUSINESS
Dec 1, 2023

Foreign wind power players urge Japan to scale up offshore auctions

"If you want to create appetite from investors you need to propose larger plants"
JAPAN
Dec 1, 2023

Japan to tighten regulations on over-the-counter drug sales

The plan comes in response to the spread of overdoses mainly among young people.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 1, 2023

Japan’s 2023 buzzword of the year is all about winning

A.R.E — based on the Japanese word “are” (“that”) — took the top spot, after the Hanshin Tigers popularized the term as an indirect reference to victory.
New Zealand's Ardie Savea (right) in action with South Africa's Jean Kleyn at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on Oct. 28
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 1, 2023

All Black Savea eager to test himself with Japan move

The All Blacks loose forward has signed for Kobe Steelers on a one-season deal that means he will not miss any games for his country.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 1, 2023

Abe's former faction in focus as LDP political fund scandal deepens

Prosecutors are investigating the faction as part of a scandal involving the alleged underreporting of funds by groups within the ruling party.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida prepares to speak at a COP28 session in Dubai on Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2023

Japan pledges to end construction of new unabated coal plants

The pledge comes after some nations called on attendees at COP28 to agree to immediately end new unabated coal-fired power generation.
Damaged houses following the deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel.
WORLD
Dec 2, 2023

Israel's most wanted: The three Hamas leaders it aims to kill

Sources familiar with Israel's thinking have said that the offensive in Gaza was unlikely to stop until three top Hamas commanders are dead or captured.
A coworking space at Tokyo Venture Capital Hub
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 3, 2023

Tokyo’s new venture capital hub aims to boost ties among investors

Mori Building hopes that the large-scale hub for venture capital firms will ratchet up investment for startups and strengthen cooperation among investors.
A truck unloads tons of coal inside a warehouse in Tondo, Metro Manila, in 2016. Independent show ample potential for renewables in Japan and Southeast Asia.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Dec 3, 2023

How Japan's renewable underestimates are impacting Asia's energy transition

Contrary to Japan's stance, independent projections paint a picture in which renewables can power the fast developing region.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 3, 2023

Second LDP faction suspected of breaching political fund law

The allegation came after a similar practice at the faction previously led by the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to light recently.
Chinese vessels gather near Whitsun Reef in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday. The Philippines said Sunday that more than 135 Chinese "maritime militia" vessels were "swarming" the reef.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 3, 2023

Philippines says Chinese boats 'swarming' reef in South China Sea

Manila said that more than 135 Chinese “maritime militia” ships were “swarming” a reef that it claims sovereignty over in the disputed waterway.
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian troops.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 4, 2023

Despite rising demand, arms sales hampered by production woes: study

COVID-derived labor and supply-chain issues had a significant impact on manufacturers, experts say.
Scottie Scheffler, seen during the Ryder Cup in September, won the Hero World Challenge on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 4, 2023

Scottie Scheffler wins Hero World Challenge; Tiger builds confidence

Scheffler fired a bogey-free 68 on Sunday for a three-shot win in the Hero World Challenge.
Evergrande has become a poster child for China’s property crisis since the builder defaulted two years ago. It reported a combined loss of $81 billion in 2021 and 2022.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 4, 2023

Evergrande winding-up hearing in Hong Kong adjourned again

The world’s most-indebted property developer now has eight weeks to convince offshore bondholders to agree on a restructuring.
Pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow is released in June 2021, after serving nearly seven months in prison for her role in Hong Kong's 2019 anti-government protests.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 4, 2023

Prominent Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow flees to Canada

Chow, who was jailed for months in a crackdown on pro-democracy activists, cited her physical and mental health as reasons for not returning to the city.
Bitcoin’s revival from the 2022 crypto crash has weathered a U.S. crackdown that put Sam Bankman-Fried behind bars for fraud at FTX and handed top crypto exchange Binance and its founder Changpeng Zhao rap sheets and big fines.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 4, 2023

Bitcoin hits $40,000 level for the first time since May 2022

The token added as much as 2.9% to reach $40,867 and was just shy of that mark Monday in Singapore, taking its 2023 jump to 146%.
Tiger Woods hopes to play in one tournament each month in 2024.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 4, 2023

Tiger Woods sets target to play one event per month in 2024

Woods made his return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge.
A woman sits on a swing attached to a giant McDonald's sign outside its themed exhibition in Beijing on Monday.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2023

McDonald’s raises China bet amid Western derisking trend

The move contrasts sharply with the prevailing trend of multinational corporations reeling back investments in China or even exiting altogether.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami