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SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 14, 2022

High school hopefuls make leap into professional sumo

While university graduates have dominated headlines at recent tournaments, just one of eight new wrestlers entering the sport ahead of the New Year Basho boasts a college background.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 7, 2022

Japan business mood up as global slowdown weighs on outlook

The monthly poll found large manufacturers expected business conditions to hold steady in the coming three months, while the service-sector had a worsening outlook.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Dec 5, 2022

Armed with anime avatars, Japan bids to conquer the metaverse

The nation's penchant for online anonymity and well-established love of virtual idols could boost adoption, but early attempts offer cautionary tales.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 2, 2022

Amgen has a contender in the weight-loss drug wars

Amgen's obesity drug offers a new twist on proven methods to help people lose unwanted pounds.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Smart Countryside
Dec 1, 2022

Is it a bus or a taxi? For some small Japanese towns, the answer is both

Hybrid mobility services are helping cater to Japan's older citizens, many of whom live in areas where traditional forms of public transport are lacking.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 29, 2022

Lionel Messi faces Cristiano Ronaldo in World Cup fan coin showdown

The growth spurt in fan tokens comes at a time of tumult in the crypto market, which is reeling from the collapse of major exchange FTX earlier this month.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Longform
Nov 28, 2022

Wood spirits: How Japan made the world’s first liquor from trees

History is being made by a technology that may help aging rural populations, reinvigorate the nation's struggling forestry sector and shake up the global alcohol industry in unforeseen ways.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 24, 2022

‘Motherhood’: More soap opera than psychological thriller

Erika Toda and Mei Nagano offer contrasting perspectives on a frosty parent-child relationship in Ryuichi Hiroki's “Motherhood.”
JAPAN / Explainer
Nov 20, 2022

As 'twindemic' looms in Japan, here is what to do if you have a fever

This winter, the cause of flu-like symptoms could be the coronavirus, the flu or the respiratory syncytial virus.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 19, 2022

COP27 talks on verge of collapse after EU threatens to walk out

The EU's ultimatum throws talks into jeopardy just days after the bloc proposed to establish a finance facility to pay for the loss and damage caused by events like flooding and hurricanes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022

As recession looms, British business sends out lending SOS

Banks are increasingly nervous about extending credit to small companies, as rising costs put the business case of lending to such companies under unprecedented strain.
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2022

Investors wary of greenwashing in Japan’s $140 billion bond plan

The ambiguous name and a lack of details over what the proceeds would be used for are sparking concerns among investors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2022

New weight-loss drugs work, but who's paying?

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly say they can treat obesity with a weekly injection. But insurers aren't yet on board.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Nov 14, 2022

From bad to worse? Next year’s economic risks are already here.

History says the Federal Reserve's high-speed interest-rate hikes may well tip the U.S. into recession in 2023. Few will be surprised if spiraling natural-gas prices do the same for Europe.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 14, 2022

Japanese pianists win first and fourth prizes in Paris contest

Japanese musicians won the first and fourth prizes in the piano category of the Long-Thibaud-Crespin international music competition in Paris.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 12, 2022

China says it’s refining COVID-19 rules, not relaxing control

Officials said a strict attitude toward stamping out infections remains China's guiding principle.
SUMO
Nov 11, 2022

Only certainty about upcoming Kyushu Basho is uncertainty

Predicting who will emerge victorious in the 2022 Kyushu Basho is almost impossible, but another first time champion or unexpected career breakout performance is a safe bet.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2022

Half a million U.K. workers drop out of workforce, citing long-term illness

The increase in long-term sickness started in 2019, before the pandemic, before rising sharply by 363,000 between early 2020 and the three months to the end of August 2022.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 9, 2022

Should the Japan Sumo Association reconsider the Kyushu Basho?

While better ticket sales and increased income could potentially be found elsewhere, the value of holding a tournament in Fukuoka isn't just monetary.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 5, 2022

G7 urges China to abstain from threats and use of force

The U.S. touted the countries' increasingly aligned approach toward dealing with Beijing, but a mildly worded communique was the best the grouping could muster at the end of their meeting.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 2, 2022

Centuries-old records test sumo’s modern superstars

Autumn Basho champion Tamawashi is 11 tournaments away from becoming sumo's all-time ironman, but there are other marks in the sport widely expected to remain untouchable.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2022

Democrats were smart to meddle in GOP primaries

Democrats' meddlingu00a0in GOP primaries is aimed at helping extremist Republican candidates advance in order to improve the general election chances of Democrats.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 23, 2022

Dietrich Mateschitz, marketing pioneer of Red Bull, dies at 78

A pilot and skiing enthusiast, he built a sports and marketing empire, along with a multi-billion-dollar personal fortune.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Oct 13, 2022

Former skater Sarah Abitbol 'feels punished' for speaking out about sexual abuse

Former figure skating star Sarah Abitbol lifted the lid on sexual abuse in sports in France by revealing she was raped by her former coach as a teenager — but says she feels she was "punished" as a result.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 12, 2022

It's Shotime!: Shohei Ohtani and the future of baseball

Sports writer Jason Coskrey and editor Dave Cortez join new Deep Dive host Jason Jenkins to discuss baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani and the future of the sport he has committed his life to mastering.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 7, 2022

Yoshio Osakabe: ‘There are probably a lot of old fans who actually don't want Murakami to win the Nobel’

Coined 'Harukisuto,' or 'Haruki-ists,' for their passionate devotion to Haruki Murakami, one fan talks about the joy he gets from the work of one of Japan's most-treasured authors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 5, 2022

Lack of scrutiny on 'green' bonds offering firms cheap finance while derailing climate action

That firms set their own objectives to evade interest penalties incentivizes them to aim low, as so-called greenwashing enters a $22 trillion corporate bond market.

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