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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to Brendan Carr, his intended pick for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as he attends a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, on Nov. 19.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 31, 2024

Social media companies face global tug-of-war over free speech

Trump’s return to the White House is expected to widen the free speech divide that has long existed between the United States and Europe.
Japan's 2024 Word of the Year, "futehodo," is a phrase tied to a Netflix show and highlights the broader decline in the cultural significance of such awards, with recent selections often seen as superficial or promotional.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 31, 2024

Japan’s 2024 word of the year has no rizz

Some critics wondered why the word of the year award was, essentially, functioning as advertising for a TV show that is still available on streaming.
On the first day of the 2000s, the world was relieved that the Y2K computer glitch was mostly nothing. And in Russia, Vladimir Putin came to power.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Jan 1, 2025

Japan Times 2000: Japanese celebrate new year

Check out what was on the front page on Jan. 1 in 1925, 1950, 1975 and 2000.
People offer silent prayers in the Asaichi-dori morning market area in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, the time a huge earthquake hit the prefecture on Jan. 1, 2024.
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2025

Remembering the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake

The death toll from the New Year's Day quake came to 504, including those who died during evacuation or from other indirect causes.
A massive ring-shaped roof at the venue of the Osaka Expo
JAPAN
Jan 2, 2025

Advanced medical and AI technologies to be showcased at Osaka Expo

The event is scheduled to kick off on April 13.
Incorporating modern technologies into your Japanese classes might be a way to connect with younger students.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 3, 2025

Start the new year with a fresh approach to teaching Japanese

It’s important for language instructors to update their methods to best appeal to their younger students.
Tonoike Sake Brewery has been gearing their brewery toward tourism since the late 1980s, attempting to lure tourists to the town of Mashiko.
LIFE / Travel
Jan 3, 2025

Traveling for sake's sake: The emergence of brewery tourism in Japan

While sake consumption has declined in Japan, breweries across the nation are taking advantage of a rise in overseas interest to promote themselves as tourist destinations.
An attendee looks at a prototype of a 2-nanometer gate-all-around wafer produced by Rapidus and International Business Machines Corp. at the Semicon Japan exhibition in Tokyo in December.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 3, 2025

Japanese chip industry poised for a comeback

Chipmakers will either begin operating a pilot line or start production at new plants this year.
Ami Yuasa won the B-Girl competition during the breaking event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Jan 3, 2025

Breaking’s big year that wasn’t

Beyond music insiders or Olympic aficionados, most would struggle to recall the winners of the inaugural breaking competition at the Games.
A recovery in the olive harvest in Spain and elsewhere is easing the olive oil crisis, but depleted stocks and rising global demand mean prices will likely stay higher than pre-crisis levels.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 3, 2025

The olive oil crisis is over — but fears continue to linger

Prices for the golden commodity are set to drop thanks to a bountiful harvest this season. That doesn’t solve all its problems.
People demonstrate against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Panama City on Tuesday as the country marks the 25th anniversary of the United States' handover of the interoceanic Panama Canal.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 2, 2025

MAGA goes to Panama

The Panama Canal was an American idea and the U.S. has had difficulty letting go of it ever since.
Asian tech leaders are spearheading AI's shift to robotics, with China, Japan and South Korea leading global innovation in hardware.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 19, 2024

AI robots are coming, and they’ll be made in Asia

Citigroup projects that there would be 1.3 billion AI robots globally by 2035 and 4 billion by 2050, doing everything from household chores to delivering parcels.
The path forward for the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal is unclear. The companies could sue the U.S. government, another buyer could swoop in for U.S. Steel, or Republicans who favor the deal could urge U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to find a way to approve it.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jan 4, 2025

What's next for the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal?

The companies could sue the U.S. government, another buyer could swoop in, or those who favor the deal could urge Trump to find a way to approve it.
Tech in 2025 will face growing resistance to AI, social media and streaming saturation alongside political and cultural shifts driven by Elon Musk, Trump and controversies like a potential U.S. TikTok ban.
COMMENTARY
Jan 5, 2025

AI, Musk and Trump add up to a turbulent 2025 for tech

If the steady stream of tech CEOs visiting Mar-a-Lago is any indication, we can expect Silicon Valley to be more willing to do Trump’s bidding in 2025.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the graves of fallen soldiers at a cemetery in Lviv on Dec. 17, where defenders of Ukraine who died in the war with Russia are buried.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2025

Supporting Ukraine is in Trump’s interest

A sovereign, secure Ukraine is in Donald Trump's interest. Otherwise, Vladimir Putin — and others — will smell weakness.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 6, 2025

Italy plans $1.6 billion SpaceX telecom security services deal

In 2024 alone, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has added more than 20 nations to its Starlink satellite internet service.
The Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher takes a selfie with fans after her team's match against Gloucester-Hartpury in Bristol, England, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 6, 2025

U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher draws record crowd in debut for Bristol

She came off the bench for the final 20 minutes at Ashton Gate to huge cheers but was unable to make a major impact.
The United States team celebrates after defeating Poland in the United Cup final in Sydney on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jan 6, 2025

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz carry U.S. past Poland in United Cup final

The Americans also won the 2023 title in the inaugural edition of the tournament, which serves as a tuneup for the Australian Open.
Australia captain Pat Cummins (left) receives the trophy after clinching the series on Day 3 of the fifth test match against India in Sydney on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Cricket
Jan 6, 2025

Pat Cummins expresses pride after Australia tops India to win 'everything'

The six-wicket victory in the fifth test in Sydney also secured the right to defend the World Test Championship (WTC) title against South Africa at Lord's in June.
Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Auckland Classic final on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jan 6, 2025

Naomi Osaka 'very optimistic' about playing at Australian Open

Osaka returned to the Top 50 in the world rankings on Monday.
"Shogun" actors (from left) Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Hiroyuki Sanada and Tadanobu Asano pose in the press room with the award for best drama television series during the 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 6, 2025

'Shogun,' 'Hacks' win top TV honors at Golden Globes

FX's historical epic won four awards in total, including best actor and actress for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, respectively, and best supporting male actor for Tadanobu Asano.
A pedestrian walks past air conditioning units in Tokyo in July. The year 2024 was the hottest for Japan since records began, the Meteorological Agency said.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2025

Japan says 2024 hottest year on record

The average temperatures from January through December were 1.48 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 average, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Nippon Steel had touted the takeover of U.S. Steel as a lifeline for a company that is long past its heyday, but opponents warned that the Japanese owners would slash jobs.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2025

Ishiba warns blocked U.S. Steel deal could impact investments

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said that U.S. President Joe Biden's decision had sparked worries over future Japanese investments in the world's largest economy.
Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher takes a selfie with fans after a match against Gloucester-Hartpury on Sunday in Bristol, England.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 7, 2025

Rugby 'superstar' Maher on a mission to promote women's game

The 28-year-old has signed a three-month contract with English women's Premiership side Bristol.
Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzi (second right) celebrates with teammates during a One Day International cricket match between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Dec. 17.
MORE SPORTS / Cricket
Jan 7, 2025

England urged to boycott Afghanistan match by British politicians

Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban's return to power in 2021.
Many Japanese dating apps have ways to detail specific interests that can be as narrow as one particular TV show, game or an artist.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 7, 2025

Swiping in Japan: How Gen Z is changing the dating app game

The once-stigmatized apps are flourishing as a new normal for dating among Gen Z in Japan, albeit with a different approach to before.
Nissan's Ariya electric crossover sport utility vehicle on the production line at the company's plant in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2025

Japan’s carmakers vow closer ties to regain ground in China

Japan’s automakers are united in their struggle to regain ground they’ve lost to the flashy offerings that have turned China into a global EV superpower.
China's Zheng Qinwen competes at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November.
TENNIS
Jan 8, 2025

Zheng looks to emulate Li's Australian Open success

The achievements of Li Na gave rise to predictions of Chinese superstardom in women's tennis. Ten years later, Zheng Qinwen appears ready to follow in her footsteps.
The Toyama City Library, designed by Kengo Kuma, in November. The library is part of a building called Toyama Kirari that also houses the Glass Art Museum.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 8, 2025

New York Times chooses Toyama and Osaka as top places to go in 2025

The city of Toyama was praised by the Times as a place where tourists could “enjoy cultural wonders and culinary delights while skipping the crowds.”
Taiwanese authorities are investigating a Chinese-owned cargo ship suspected of dragging its anchor over an international subsea telecoms cable northeast of the island.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 9, 2025

China says Taiwan 'hyped' sea cable damage claims

Taiwanese authorities said they were investigating a Chinese-owned ship suspected of dragging its anchor over an international subsea telecoms cable.

Longform

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