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Characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise adorn the front of Super Potato, a well-known retro game shop in Akihabara.
LIFE / Digital
Sep 20, 2023

Let the gaming begin: A guide to Tokyo's video game landmarks

Whether it's arcades, retro finds or chip-tune nightclubs, Japan's capital won't disappoint gamers wanting to geek out.
Leaves of marijuana plants from which hemp fibers are extracted at Japan's largest legal marijuana farm in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on July 5, 2016
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 21, 2023

Does a university cannabis scandal point to a larger trend?

A drugs scandal at Japan’s biggest university draws attention to a troubling statistic: Cannabis use among young people is on the rise.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a high-level Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly, at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 22, 2023

As Kishida takes center stage, Japan's diplomacy enters a new phase

The prime minister looks set to take on a larger role in representing the country on the world stage as he struggles to build a legacy domestically.
Meetings will be held regularly at the vice-minister level, with officials reporting back to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, according to the Treasury.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 23, 2023

U.S. and China form economy working groups in sign of better ties

Meetings will be held at the vice-minister level, with officials reporting back to U.S. Treasury chief Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Gold has often been seen as the quintessential "anti-dollar” — a place to turn for those who distrust fiat currency.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 25, 2023

Yields spike and gold shrugs. What’s driving bullion now?

As inflation-adjusted rates soared this year to the highest since the financial crisis, bullion has barely blinked.
An exterior view of MGM Grand hotel and casino, after MGM Resorts shut down some computer systems due to a cyberattack earlier this month, in Las Vegas, Nevada
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 25, 2023

'Power, influence, notoriety': The Gen-Z hackers who struck MGM and Caesars

Experts say they appear to be more sophisticated, disciplined and organized than many cybercriminal actors, and probably between 17 and 22 years old.
People take part in a protest against the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's redevelopment project for the Meiji Jingu Gaien district in Tokyo in February.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 25, 2023

Petitioners try to halt razing of thousands of trees in historic Tokyo park

Tokyo's percentage of public green space is far lower than other major cities such as New York, Seoul and London.
An aerial view of part of the 95,000-hectare Rio Preto-Jacunda State Nature Reserve, in Rondonia State, Brazil, after it was burned down, on Sept. 6.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 25, 2023

Arson turns Amazon reforestation project to ashes

A project that replanted trees in an illegally deforested nature reserve in Brazil was allegedly torched by land-grabbers.
Kamila Valieva's doping case has divided the figure skating community since it first came to light during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Sep 26, 2023

Top sports court to hear Russian skater Kamila Valieva's doping case

Tuesday's hearing follows Valieva's exoneration by Russia's anti-doping agency, which ruled that she bore "no fault or negligence" for the positive test.
A weak yen, ultraeasy monetary policy and hopes for stable inflation have helped push the Topix to its highest level since 1990.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 26, 2023

Japan’s stock boom to drive equity sales through 2024, BofA says

A weak yen, ultraeasy monetary policy and hopes for stable inflation have helped push the Topix to its highest level since 1990.
Zaein, created by artificial intelligence company Pulse9, is one of South Korea's most active virtual humans.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 26, 2023

In South Korea, AI-driven virtual humans go mainstream

Digital humans have been created for some of the country's largest conglomerates, with research indicating the tech could be worth $527 billion by 2030.
U.S. President Joe Biden poses for a photograph with Pacific Islands Forum leaders on the South Portico of the White House in Washington on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 26, 2023

Biden seeks to reassure Pacific islands in push to counter China

U.S. President Joe Biden sought to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to the Pacific islands as he again hosted leaders from the region at the White House.
Ukrainian refugees arrive at Haneda airport in Tokyo on April 5, 2022.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2023

Japan to introduce new residency status for asylum-seekers

A program to offer a long-term residence status that will allow asylum-seekers to work in Japan will be introduced in December.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at the Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Sep 27, 2023

Macron is pushing the EU into $900 billion fight with China

The bloc's new approach is being shaped by French concerns that Beijing’s trade practices have started to pose a critical threat to core industries.
LIV Golf's reported preliminary schedule for the 2024 season features more events booked opposite those of the PGA Tour.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 27, 2023

No Trump courses on preliminary 2024 LIV Golf schedule: report

The Saudi-backed upstart series will have hosted five events on Trump layouts in its first two seasons.
China Evergrande Group Chairman Hui Ka Yan
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023

Evergrande’s billionaire chairman Hui under police surveillance

Hui was taken away by Chinese police earlier this month and is being monitored at a designated location. It’s not clear why he is under surveillance.
Philippine fishermen catch fish as the sun rises near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on Sept. 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 27, 2023

Tensions with China cross a new line in the South China Sea

The Philippines is pushing back against China’s territorial claims. But Beijing's response has raised fears about an escalation in their ongoing row.
MUFG Bank is aiming to foray into space by investing in startups.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023

MUFG Bank among firms to lead $290 million Sierra Space fundraising

Sierra Space is among a handful of space industry players attempting to build a private space station.
ASML is the world’s only maker of very high-end semiconductor lithography equipment and is one of Europe’s most valuable technology companies.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 27, 2023

ASML to open Hokkaido facility as Japan's chipmaking push gathers steam

The maker of high-end chip equipment, which currently has eight sites in Japan, plans to grow its headcount by around 40%.
A cryptocurrency mining center in Russia
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2023

Bitcoin’s power-hungry history offers lessons for AI’s future

As AI grows, so does its energy footprint, but its developers needn't look much further than bitcoin's recent past to find climate-friendly solutions.
Demonstrators during a Women's Day march in Tokyo on March 8
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 28, 2023

Consent issue casts shadow on safe abortion in Japan

The law stipulates that abortion must be carried out in the early stages of pregnancy with the consent of one's spouse.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen attends the launching ceremony of Hai Kun, the island's first domestically built submarine, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 28, 2023

How Taiwan's new subs could complicate a Chinese invasion

The way in which Taipei deploys what is set to be a fleet of eight new attack submarines will be crucial in its efforts to deter or counter Beijing.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 28, 2023

Japanese universities move up in global rankings

The overall improvement is due to a change in methodology by Times Higher Education.
Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter. The social media platform said it was cutting half of its global team dedicated to monitoring and limiting disinformation and fraud around major elections.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 29, 2023

Musk culls X's election integrity teams ahead of major votes

The job cuts appear to contradict recent statements by X's CEO Linda Yaccarino.
The race to develop ever bigger and more efficient wind turbines may have been too hasty, some executives and analysts said.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2023

Wind power industry drifts off course

The race to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is putting pressure on manufacturers and supply chains
Jessica Pegula of the U.S. serves against Maria Sakkari of Greece during their semifinal match at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Saturday.
TENNIS
Sep 30, 2023

Pegula books clash with Kudermetova in Tokyo final

The American, gunning for her second title of the season following her triumph in Montreal, will take on Russian Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday.
A farmer at his cocoa farm in Gabeadji near San Pedro, Cote d'Ivoire, in January
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 1, 2023

Chocolate could get even pricier if Africa’s cocoa crop flops

Cocoa prices have soared on fears that bad weather and crop disease will hurt output in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, which make up two-thirds of world supply.
People's National Congress candidate Mohamed Muizzu speaks during a news conference in Male, Maldives, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 2, 2023

Pro-China winner vows to unite Maldives and releases ex-leader

The result upends the outgoing leader's efforts to revert to alliances with India since taking office five years ago.
Self-driving vehicles featuring level-4 capabilities in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture. The limited availability of autonomous driving in Japan stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 2, 2023

Autonomous driving remains a distant reality in Japan

The limited availability of autonomous driving stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China, where robotaxis already roam the streets in some cities.
A Palm Sunday procession makes its way toward a government-sanctioned Catholic church in Youtong village in China's Hebei province
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2023

The Holy See shows how to deal with China

In China, the relationship between politics and religion is unique, and the Holy See has adopted a sophisticated approach to diplomacy with Beijing.

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