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“Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again” fully articulates the intentions behind the creation of Japan’s most infamous "kaijū" (monster) before Toho Studios releases the newest chapter in the “Godzilla” saga.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 29, 2023

‘Godzilla’ novellas expand on infamous monster’s origins

Shigeru Kayama’s entertaining and informative stories delve deep into the underlying pacifist beliefs of the entire “Godzilla” franchise.
Toyota’s gigacast rear component. The company plans to employ the gigacasting technology in making electric vehicles.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2023

Tesla’s latest disruption in carmaking draws followers in Japan

Carmakers in Japan are starting to embrace gigacasting as they seek to make up for lost ground in the shift to EVs.
South Africa's Malcolm Marx scores a try during a Rugby World Cup warmup game against New Zealand in London on Aug. 25.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 30, 2023

Injured Springbok Marx to miss Japanese club season

Marx, 29, was forced to leave the Springboks' World Cup-winning squad after only one game in France following an injury to his knee during training.
A rally in support of Israel is held in Tokyo on Oct. 11 during which participants, including Israelis living in Japan, demanded the immediate release of all hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2023

A primer on the Israel-Hamas war


Japan's image of Israel is shallow and distorted, as many people fail to understand the existential threat that Hamas' aggression poses.
A vegetable store on the Asagaya shopping street in Tokyo on Sunday
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2023

Japan warns Middle East situation could hit economy

The government added the developments in the Middle East to factors requiring close attention, as it "could pose a downside risk to the Japanese economy."
Striking United Auto Workers union members embrace at the end of their picket shift outside the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2023

UAW reaches deal with GM, ending strike against Detroit carmakers

Some analysts have said recent deals will place the Detroit Three at a disadvantage compared with Tesla and foreign brands such as Toyota.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends an extraordinary session at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2023

Prime Minister Kishida and a month of misery

The challenges Fumio Kishida faces are eroding confidence in his leadership and are likely to influence policy decision-making.
A man stands next to a robot in use at ROLEC Gehause-Systeme in Rinteln, Germany on Oct. 6
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2023

As baby boomers retire, German businesses turn to robots

Small and medium-sized companies are turning to automation as the gradual retirement of the post-war "baby boom" generation tightens the labor squeeze.
Jesse Ehrenfeld, the board chairman of the American Medical Association, in Chicago in 2019. The F.D.A. has approved many new programs that use artificial intelligence, but doctors are skeptical that the tools really improve care or are backed by solid research.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 1, 2023

Doctors wrestle with AI in patient care, citing lax oversight

Are AI programs likely to identify something a doctor would miss?
An employee works on the production line of the Kohara Gear Industry Co. factory in Kawaguchi, Japan, in 2019.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 1, 2023

Asia's factories grapple with rising costs amid Israel-Hamas war

The numbers look bad a the global economic recovery now threatened by the Israel-Hamas war and potential for wider conflict.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting in New York in September.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2023

Japan top envoy faces diplomatic test on trip to Israel and Jordan

One of the key focuses of Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa's trip will be the role Japan can play in easing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters wave Palestinian flags as they walk over Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament in London on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2023

Immigration, politics and the West's foreign policy

On the same day that a 100,000 strong pro-Palestinian march took place in London, the police pressured a pro-Israeli prayer walk to cancel the event.
An Israeli man attends a day of prayer in the Old City of Jerusalem on Oct. 19 where attendees called for the safe return of hostages taken by Hamas militants earlier in the month. 
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2023

Israel’s own 9/11 moment

Israel needs to prepare now for when the fighting stops. Will it look to the Palestinian Authority to administer Gaza? What role will the U.N. play?
The Chairman's steamed flower crab with aged Shaoxing wine and chicken oil
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 5, 2023

Seeking 'the perfect combination of Chinese and French cuisine'

Chefs Daniel Calvert and Danny Yip are old friends, but for the first time this month, they're collaborators.
From left: Yusuke Nagai, Taiyo Someya and Kaori Sakakibara formed their band Lamp in 2000, developing a cult following over the years with their own blend of 1960s pop harmonies, ’70s folk craft and ’80s bossa nova brightness.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 3, 2023

The slow and steady rise of Lamp, a cult favorite

With new album 'Dusk to Dawn,' the folk rockers bring light to the new Japanese music canon.
New Zealand's openside flanker and captain Sam Cane (right) walks on the field with his silver medal after South Africa won the France 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in Saint-Denis, France, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 3, 2023

All Blacks captain Sam Cane to join Suntory

Cane has taken a sabbatical option in his New Zealand Rugby contract.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is saluted by Maritime Self-Defense Force members during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the MSDF, at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, on Nov. 6, 2022.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2023

Weak yen forces Japan to cut back on historic military spending

Officials and industry sources said Japan will begin cutting back on aircraft purchases in 2024, the second year of the buildup plan, due to the weak yen.
Yukimasa Ida’s first major museum exhibition showcases a young artist in full command of his craft but still looking for something deeper to say.
CULTURE / Art
Nov 4, 2023

‘Panta Rhei’: Yukimasa Ida is still searching for his own voice

Kyocera Museum of Art's major exhibition finds a young artist sampling great works of the past but looking for something deeper to say.
Occupy Wall Street protesters hold a rally in front of the U.S. Federal Reserve bank in downtown Denver in November 2011.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2023

When minority rule by neoliberals fails

Left-leaning movements and progressive ideas and policies have gained ground in the United States, altering the perception of free markets.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during qualifying on Friday ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Nov 4, 2023

Max Verstappen on pole after 'insane' Brazil qualifying

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc joined Verstappen on the front row as qualifying was cut short by inclement weather.
Blair Masters and Talisker Scott Hunter pose for a photo with their kei truck, nicknamed “KT,” outside Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Nov 6, 2023

The little truck that could: A fresh way to tour Japan's north

Travelers have documented almost every corner of Japan. Perhaps a new kind of adventure would be doing those same journeys by different means.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks during the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 5, 2023

China premier vows to boost imports and widen foreign market access

The Asian powerhouse's No. 2 official also vowed "to protect the rights and interests of foreign investors in accordance with the law."
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of the White House in Washington on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 5, 2023

The global consequences of the Israel-Hamas war

The EU’s shambolic response to the Israel-Hamas war has made China’s forceful reaction all the more notable.
A WeWork co-working space in New York
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 5, 2023

WeWork's troubles darken outlook for embattled office market

Media reports suggest the New York-listed flexible workspace provider — once valued at $47 billion — may petition for bankruptcy next week.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 5, 2023

Buffaloes to allow ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to move to MLB

The move was widely expected before the Buffaloes made it official.
Fujio Mitarai, chief executive officer of Canon, during an interview in Tokyo on Oct. 30
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023

Canon’s chipmaking technology promises advanced chips for less

The Tokyo-based firm’s new nano-imprint technology could open doors for smaller semiconductor manufacturers.
China's dominance in the electric vehicle market has prompted the European Union to take action regarding economic security.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Nov 7, 2023

How electric vehicles became subject to EU economic security

The bloc has felt the pressure from China in the EV market, leading it to take steps to better protect vehicles, batteries and materials.
Steam rises from the cooling towers of the coal power plant of RWE, one of Europe's biggest electricity and gas companies, in Niederaussem, Germany.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023

Just 4% of top firms meet U.N. climate target guidelines, study says

The pace of change among governments and corporations is set to form a central part of the COP28 climate talks starting later this month.
Blackstone's headquarters in New York
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023

Blackstone sees most Asia deal activity in Japan and India in 2024

The world’s largest alternative asset manager expects India and Japan to be its most active markets in Asia next year based on capital allocation.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 6, 2023

Sheldon Neuse and the catch that ended the Tigers' 38-year drought

For the American, a win in the Japan Series was a perfect ending to a year that did not go the way he had hoped during the regular season.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji