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U.S. officials have insisted that Washington remains committed to NATO, an alliance that has seen American military might underpin Western security for over seven decades.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 2, 2025

NATO presses to keep Trump on board, but is he hobbling alliance?

As the Trump administration savages Europe, undercuts Kyiv and warms to Russia, there is fear that even if the alliance is salvaged, it runs the risk of being hollowed out.
Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, speaks to reporters after surpassing the record for the longest Senate speech at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD
Apr 2, 2025

Cory Booker condemns Trump’s policies in longest senate speech on record

Cheers broke out in the chamber when the senator passed Strom Thurmond's record for longest speech.
Declining birth rates in China are driven by a myriad of causes, such as a shrinking childbearing-age population, lifestyle changes, the one-child policy’s lasting effects, an oversupply of men and high youth unemployment.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 30, 2025

Why China’s marriage crisis matters

According to China’s 2020 census, 61% of babies are born to women aged 20 to 30. But the number of women in this cohort dropped from 111 million in 2012 to 73 million in 2024.
New vehicles parked at a pier in Yokohama on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 2, 2025

'Give me a break': Trump tariffs threaten Japan auto sector

The 5.6 million people employed directly or indirectly in the auto sector are now fearful about their future.
Goro Miyazaki joined Studio Ghibli in 1998 and directed films including 2006's "Tales from Earthsea" and 2011's "From Up on Poppy Hill."
CULTURE / Film
Apr 2, 2025

AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says

Goro Miyazaki says that though nothing can replicate the depth of his father's work, new technology brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge."
Trump tosses a MAGA hat to the crowd during an event in which he unveiled new tariffs in the White House on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2025

Trump unveils 10% global tariff, with Japan levy set at 24%

The higher "reciprocal” rates are based on a government tally of levies and nontariff barriers that countries impose on U.S. goods.
Israeli soldiers conduct operations in Gaza on Wednesday.
WORLD
Apr 3, 2025

Israel ‘carving’ new corridor in south Gaza, Netanyahu says

As mediators try to cobble together another ceasefire and hostage-release deal, Israel has been carrying out attacks with a new threat to seize land.
People visit the graves of relatives as is customary on the first day of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, at the damaged cemetery of the Yarmuk camp for Palestinian refugees in Damascus on Monday.
WORLD
Apr 3, 2025

Syria says deadly Israeli strikes a 'blatant violation'

Syrian state media said the strikes hit close to a defense research center in Damascus, among other sites, while a war monitor reported four dead.
Brooks Koepka is a five-time major winner who will be seeking his first Masters title next week.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Apr 3, 2025

LIV Golf stars look ahead to Masters

"It's almost a religious experience every time you set foot on Augusta National," said Phil Mickelson.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks and signs tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2025

With Trump’s tariffs, the chasm between allies and the U.S. widens

Trump’s plan, which he unveiled on Wednesday and is calling "reciprocal,” would impose a wave of tariffs on dozens of countries.
People enjoy running and yoga on Tokyo Expressway’s KK Line, a 2-kilometer elevated expressway cutting through the capital’s commercial Ginza district, when it was opened as a pedestrian space in May last year.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2025

Tokyo’s KK Line to close for decadelong overhaul as public greenway

The line will become a pedestrian-focused green space called Tokyo Sky Corridor, with sections opening in phases before its full relaunch in 2035.
Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda speaks during a news conference for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 3, 2025

Yuki Tsunoda feeling relaxed ahead of blockbuster Red Bull debut 

The veteran of 89 Formula One races appeared at ease in his new colors, exuding the quiet confidence that he’s had since making his debut in the series in 2021.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
WORLD
Apr 3, 2025

U.S. to remain in NATO, Rubio says, but higher defense spending needed

Rubio said Washington’s goal is for member states to prioritize defense spending to enable the alliance to become “stronger and more viable.”
Anti-Yoon protesters react after the Constitutional Court's verdict on the impeachment of South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 4, 2025

South Korea upholds Yoon impeachment, prompting snap election within 60 days

The move, while deepening a divide in South Korea between conservative and progressive voters, could also have broad implications for relations with neighboring Japan.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after his walk-off home run against the Braves at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 4, 2025

Dodgers look almost unbeatable after latest heroics from Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani's walk-off home run on Wednesday night in Los Angeles lifted the Dodgers to a dramatic 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Braves.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) address a news conference after bilateral talks on Thursday in Budapest.
WORLD
Apr 4, 2025

Israeli leader Netanyahu applauds Hungary's ICC exit on Budapest visit

Hungary has rejected the idea of arresting the Israeli prime minister and has called the warrant "brazen."
While tariffs and value-added taxes seem similar, a VAT would be a more effective, long-term solution for boosting the U.S. economy.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 4, 2025

Europe’s VAT hurts the U.S.? Retaliate with a VAT.

Maybe misconceptions about tariffs and trade can be turned to America’s advantage.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s JASM plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. Ensuring stability in the semiconductor supply chain is a matter of national security and must be based on cooperation between the government and private sector.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 4, 2025

Identifying choke points in the semiconductor supply chain

Addressing bottlenecks in chipmaking is essential for Japan's economic security and requires public-private collaboration, including aimed at information sharing.
A man places a sign outside a Tesla dealership during a protest against its CEO Elon Musk, in Los Angeles, California, last month.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Apr 4, 2025

Tesla investors brace for further sales decline as Musk backlash grows

Protests in many countries against Musk's involvement in the Trump administration and far-right politics in Europe have tarnished the image of the once-leading EV brand.
Containers and cranes at the international port of Manila on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 4, 2025

Philippines sees benefits as Trump tariffs hit peers harder

The Philippines is striking an optimistic tone amid global anxiety over President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff move.
Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, on March 30.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 4, 2025

Veteran driver Denny Hamlin showing no signs of slowing down

On Sunday, Hamlin tied 1989 Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time wins list with 55 Cup Series victories.
Unexploded U.S. military ordnance found in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture, on March 24
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2025

Unexploded ordnance still haunts Okinawa 80 years after WWII battle

Despite decades of clearance efforts, roughly 1,900 metric tons of deadly remnants are estimated to remain buried beneath the land.
The city of Kurayoshi in Tottori Prefecture celebrated the opening of its public art museum with festivities such as a parade that drew 1,000 revelers.
CULTURE / Art
Apr 4, 2025

Tottori takes a bold leap forward in the arts

The prefecture's new art museum aims to engage the community through interactive activities rather than merely showcasing boundary-pushing art.
Momoka Matsui and her co-worker Saki Matsumoto take photos of acrylic stand figure models of their favorite idols with cakes and teas, which they ordered at a Tokyo cafe where Matsui’s favorite boy band stopped by.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Apr 5, 2025

Can Japan's take on fandom help drive spending?

The explosion of "oshikatsu" (supporting favored celebrities or characters), which entered the mainstream during the pandemic, has economists and the Bank of Japan taking note.
Japanese stocks have been falling for two days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs. This picture was taken on Thursday, the first trading day in Tokyo after the U.S. president's announcement of the tariffs.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 4, 2025

Tokyo stocks fall for another day as reality of Trump tariffs sets in

Some analysts say financial markets will likely be volatile in the short term, but their longer-term outlook remains optimistic.
Since April marks the start of a new fiscal period in Japan, there is a good chance you’ll be meeting new colleagues this month.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 5, 2025

Meeting new colleagues and introducing yourself in Japanese

Get off on the right foot at work or school with a few set phrases that are easy to memorize.
Sasami has had a connection to Japan since childhood as her mother's side of the family is Zainichi Korean and has lived in Japan for years. The musician grew up listening to city pop and watching Japanese TV.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 5, 2025

Sasami is in her pop era, and she’s not overthinking it

As the singer explores Tokyo, she reflects on identity and her latest album, “Blood On the Silver Screen.”
A man identified by Jennifer Vasquez Sura as her husband, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, in custody at a notorious maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 5, 2025

Judge orders return of wrongly deported Maryland man to U.S. from El Salvador

The U.S. has already acknowledged Kilmar Abrego Garcia — a Salvadoran migrant who lived in the U.S legally with a work permit — was deported in error.
Anti-Yoon protesters hold up placards reading "Let's build a democratic government!" during a rally in Seoul on Friday after South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2025

Yoon's ouster prompts Japanese concerns about ties with South Korea

Japan is worried that Yoon's removal from power will undo the improvements in bilateral relations made under his administration.
The Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin holds up the puck representing his 894th career goal in the locker room after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin scored the 893rd and 894th goals of his career, tying Wayne Gretzky for most all-time goals in the NHL.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Apr 5, 2025

Ovechkin scores 894th career goal to tie Gretzky's all-time record

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin scored his 894th career NHL goal on Friday to tie the once-thought-unbreakable record set by Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan