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Cider in Japan doesn't have as long a history as other alcoholic beverages, but with consumer preferences shifting, it might be just the easy sip for drinkers sick of stiff tipples.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 13, 2024

As Japan shuns stiff drinks, cider aims for a bigger share of the market

Sake brewer Isamu Yoshii was the first person in Japan to produce cider as an alcoholic drink in 1954, paving the way for a possible cider boom in the future.
An aerial view shows people paddling through a flooded street in South Daytona, Florida, following the passage of Hurricane Milton on Friday.
WORLD
Oct 13, 2024

Hurricane Milton’s floodwaters are hiding a dirty secret

Even though the risks from rising, fast-moving water is past, standing water remains treacherous to navigate and likely harbors dangerous diseases.
The Iron Dames car shared by Rahel Frey, Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting is pushed into the garage during the World Endurance Championship race in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Oct 15, 2024

While motorsports' inclusivity has improved, there's still work to be done

The Iron Dames team is among those battling for a more welcoming motorsports environment for women.
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attends a spring garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2024

Over 1,900 people invited to Japan's autumn imperial garden party

The list of invitees includes meritorious individuals and local government officials.
Australian Giselle Shaw, 18, competes at the All-Japan Women's Sumo Championships in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, on Sunday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 16, 2024

Foreign wrestlers add international flair to All Japan Women’s Sumo Championships

From an experienced world champion down to a teen looking to make her mark, the tournament in Kyoto Prefecture showcased a wide range of talent.
A billboard displaying pro-Russian slogans in the Russian-controlled city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. The billboard reads: "We are the one people. We are together with Russia."
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2024

Like in magic, Moscow is playing a game of distraction

Defying common sense, the Kremlin continues to proclaim with a straight face that its attack on Ukraine was an act of self-defense.
New and strengthened rules aim to make street drinking a thing of the past in Shibuya's nightlife center — but the reality may not be that simple.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Oct 21, 2024

Can you drink in Shibuya and Shinjuku this Halloween? It depends.

Shibuya and Shinjuku are both planning on cracking down on street drinking this Halloween and beyond. But the problem might be bigger than a night of drunken revelry.
Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Oct. 7. The number of Japanese nationals who traveled abroad in the first half of this year totaled 5.8 million, a 60.4% increase from the same period in 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 18, 2024

Mid- to long-term foreign residents in Japan hit record high

A total of 3.31 million foreign nationals were residing in the country for three months or longer as of the end of June, up 5.8% from the end of 2023.
Kamala Harris speaks during a CNN Town Hall in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 24, 2024

Harris calls Trump a fascist in bid to sharpen 2024 contrast

The town hall comes amid a frenzied media and campaign blitz less than two weeks before Election Day.
In Japan, terms like "progressive," "liberal," "conservative," and "nationalist" may sound familiar but do not align with their meanings in other democracies.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 25, 2024

How to understand labels in Japanese politics

The issues that define political labels are often unique to Japan. As a result, quite a few Western authors will pick them up and use them.
Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 27. A sophisticated breach of American telecommunications systems has extended to the presidential campaigns, raising questions about the group behind the attack and the extent of its efforts at collecting intelligence.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 27, 2024

What to know about the Chinese hackers who targeted the 2024 campaigns

The far-reaching operation has been linked to the Chinese government and attributed to a group experts call Salt Typhoon.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman celebrates with two-way player Shohei Ohtani after hitting a two run home run against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the World Series in New York on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 29, 2024

Dodgers beat Yankees to reach brink of World Series crown

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was back in the leadoff role as designated hitter after suffering an injury on Saturday.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako speak with Hifumi Abe (third from right), an Olympic judo gold medalist, at a fall garden party on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Oct 31, 2024

Emperor and empress meet Paris Games gold medalists at garden party

A change at the fall party saw the husbands and wives of guests referred to by name, rather than simply as spouses.
The government will introduce a new business trip allowance system for civil servants in April, under which up to ¥19,000 will be paid for a stay in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

Up to ¥19,000 eyed to cover Tokyo hotel costs for government workers

The payment cap will be set at ¥19,000 for hotels in Tokyo and at ¥13,000 for those in Osaka Prefecture.
Familiarizing yourself with different types of honorifics and formal verb structures will be crucial to successfully completing a job interview in Japanese.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 2, 2024

Get to know basic honorifics before you head into that Japanese job interview

Honorific language, or “keigo,” is something you’ll want to get a handle on before you head out to hunt for a job in Japan.
A worker clears away snow as last-minute grocery shoppers leave a Market Basket supermarket during a fast-moving winter storm in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Feb. 13.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 5, 2024

In a changing climate, retailers turn to weather data predictions

Weather data, once used strictly for inventory planning, is now helping retailers localize advertising and decide when to discount seasonal items such as sweaters.
The disparity in adoption of artificial intelligence will cause uneven economic growth, with AI-driven sectors becoming cheaper and more efficient while AI-resistant sectors may slow overall economic progress.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2024

AI’s effect on the U.S. economy will be wildly uneven

Businesses vulnerable to competition will face heavy pressure to adopt the new technology, but in government and education, adoption will be slower.
The Finance Ministry noted firm private consumption in raising its economic assessments in the Kanto region and other areas.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 7, 2024

Government upgrades economic views for five regions

In a quarterly report, the Finance Ministry raised its views for the Kanto, Hokuriku, Tokai, Shikoku and Okinawa regions.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, walks on stage during a campaign rally at Huntington Place in Detroit on Oct. 18. President-elect Trump is not known for adherence to a disciplined and rigorous personnel selection process, but behind the scenes his advisers and allies have been preparing lists of candidates for the most important jobs in his administration.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2024

Trump weighs key personnel choices, schooled by his first-term experience

The president-elect held his first formal transition meetings and has been given lists of candidates, but is calling around to friends and allies for ideas.
Ryuichi Sakamoto
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 9, 2024

Late Ryuichi Sakamoto's final solo piano work nominated for Grammy

"Opus" has been nominated for the award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category.
KitKat packets manufactured by Nestle in London
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 12, 2024

Nestle's KitKat signs Formula 1 deal as CEO Freixe seeks broader appeal

The aim of the deal was to improve KitKat's global reach and appeal to shoppers under 30 years old.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe is one of seven people running to become the next president of the International Olympic Committee.
OLYMPICS
Nov 14, 2024

Presidential hopeful Sebastian Coe says IOC needs clear stance on gender

Coe believes the IOC is a movement that needs modernizing.
Sergio Garcia tees off on the second hole during the final round of the LIV Golf Chicago tournament at Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook, Illinois, on Sept. 15.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Nov 19, 2024

Garcia reapplies for DP World Tour membership, boosting Ryder Cup hopes

Garcia had resigned from the DP World Tour in 2023 after being sanctioned for breaching conflicting tournament regulations.
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 20, 2024

Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year

Just 37% of respondents in Japan said they were satisfied with their romantic and sexual relationships, according to a survey from Ipsos.
The Marines' Roki Sasaki practices at Es Con Field in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, on Oct. 11.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 26, 2024

When Roki Sasaki signs his deal, Latin American amateurs will suffer

His chosen team will likely use its entire bonus pool on him, breaking preexisting verbal commitments with some other amateur players.
SoftBank is unhappy that Moody's continues to issue ratings on the company.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 28, 2024

SoftBank blasts Moody’s for unsolicited ratings

It says it is considering legal action against the agency, which has continued to publish unsolicited ratings of the company over the past several years.
Discovered in the 1930s, the Geisha coffee plant came to worldwide fame in the early 2000s and now represents some of the best coffee on the planet — Tokyo's top cafes included.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 30, 2024

The Geisha bean is the leading lady of Tokyo's coffee scene

Named for a region of Ethiopia (and not Japan’s kimono-clad performers), Geisha has become the crown jewel of Tokyo’s flourishing specialty coffee scene.
Should Trump-o-phobes emulate Ellen DeGeneres, the comedian and ex-talk show host, who has apparently bolted for Britain to avoid the incoming administration?
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 27, 2024

Do you dislike Trump so much you’d quit the U.S. like Ellen?

DeGeneres’s escape from Trump may look like a political statement, but she’s not really a desperate pilgrim in reverse, risking all for new beginnings.
Political funds reports have shown that Japanese political parties and other lawmakers were keen to utilize social media and the internet for their political activities last year.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 1, 2024

Social media use rising among politicians: funds reports

Political parties see smartphones and online messaging as a vital way of reaching voters and affecting their voting behavior.
Japanese creatives, athletes and activists saw their efforts recognized on the world stage in various ways this year. At the Oscars (left) Takashi Yamazaki and his team took a prize for “Godzilla Minus One,” while later in the year Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada (center) took Emmys for their work in “Shogun.” Shohei Ohtani (right) was arguably the biggest Japanese star of the year.
CULTURE / 2024 in Review
Dec 4, 2024

Japan's soft power soared to new heights in 2024

From Oscars and Emmys to a Nobel Peace Prize, it was a year of awards and triumphs in key cultural fields.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.