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JAPAN
Jul 8, 2022

Shock, anger and grief reverberate across world after Abe’s assassination

Japanese politicians and foreign leaders reacted with shock, condemnation, prayers and an outpouring of support in the wake of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's killing.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2022

Hong Kong is unrecognizable after two years under new security law

The landscape for free expression in Hong Kong after Beijing enacted the National Security Law has become increasingly desolate, and conditions are set to worsen.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 6, 2022

The ‘nuclear’ terms you should know when discussing current affairs

Nuclear issues are always in the news. If you want to get into discussions on these topics, it's good to know your vocabulary.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 27, 2022

Japan is losing people, but is it all bad?

Staff writer Alex Martin joins to discuss Japan's declining population, and why one town in Saitama thinks it's not all bad news.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 16, 2022

Kim Jong Un gives North Korea’s most famous TV anchor a luxury home

Ri Chun Hee, who delivers the news with a soaring, bombastic tenor, received a two-story apartment in a riverside complex from the country's leader, apparently for her loyalty.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 11, 2022

Russia’s independent journalists need help

Even before the war, committing journalism in Putin's regime had become a hazardous task.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 25, 2022

Biden’s misery index doesn't bode well for Democrats' political fortunes

Democrats are rightly worried that surging inflation will hurt them in the midterm congressional elections this November — and possibly even in the 2024 presidential election.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 24, 2022

Japan relaxes its border restrictions

Japan's strict border policies are finally relaxing — at least a little bit — and from March, new entrants will be allowed to come to the country once again.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Feb 13, 2022

At Beijing press conferences, the questions tell their own story

There were 12 questions asked in English on Saturday, and 11 were about a doping scandal. There were seven questions asked in Chinese, and they were about, basically, anything else.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 8, 2022

Putin warns the West and Ukraine, but keeps his intentions a mystery

The Russian leader is an avid geopolitical tactician, and talks Monday showcased his ability to force the West to pay attention to the Kremlin's long-standing grievances.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Jan 11, 2022

'Colonial wine from new, authoritarian bottles': Hong Kong retools sedition law

The Hong Kong government is expanding its use of a long-dormant sedition law in what some lawyers and democracy advocates say is intensifying a squeeze on press freedom.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 28, 2021

Naomi Osaka’s Olympics exit dashes her hopes of gold on home turf

While the first days of competition have brought some cheer for Japan, the loss of Osaka dealt a sharp emotional blow and generated discussion over the state of her game.
OLYMPICS / Longform
Jul 5, 2021

Twists and turns: Retracing Tokyo’s tumultuous path to the Olympics

Games organizers have been forced to confront ballooning costs, accusations of plagiarism and bribery, and — to top it all off — a crippling global pandemic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jul 4, 2021

Video game expo E3 expands its digital presence, though Sony sits out

With E3's announcements and press conferences going virtual, the latest news from companies like Nintendo and Square Enix is more accessible than ever.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jun 19, 2021

Japanese reporters largely cede the game to the West on Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka's willingness to speak out on issues such as Black Lives Matter sets her apart from other Japanese athletes working internationally.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 8, 2021

Websites rumble back to life after Fastly-linked outage

High traffic websites including Reddit, Amazon, CNN, Paypal, Spotify and the New York Times were listed as experiencing problems by outage tracking website Downdetector.com.
Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump, including Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (center), Republican Florida Rep. Cory Mills (center right) and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (second from right), listen as Trump speaks after court proceedings ended for the day in his trial at Manhattan criminal court, on Tuesday in New York.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2024

Rule No. 1 to be Trump’s running mate: Defend him, but don’t steal the show

Donald Trump’s search is still in its early stages, but he is said to be leaning toward more experienced options who can help the ticket without seizing his precious spotlight.
A woman walks past a television at a railway station in Seoul on Tuesday showing a news broadcast with NHK footage of a projectile that exploded into a fireball a day earlier, following Pyongyang's failed attempt to put a second spy satellite in orbit.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 28, 2024

Pyongyang’s fiery space-race failure cold comfort as more launches expected

The launch failure was also viewed as a possible symbolic success in being disruptive just as a rare summit involving Japan, South Korea and China was concluding.
Israeli soldiers ready a tank near the border with Gaza on Thursday. The Jewish state's victory in the Gaza conflict will depend on addressing Palestinian despair.
COMMENTARY
Jun 4, 2024

Israel will always be held to a different standard

Arrest warrants, campus protests and genocide accusations were not inevitable. These were the direct results of Netanyahu’s choices.
Group of Seven leaders and officials look to the sky during a ceremony involving paratroopers at Borgo Egnazia Golf Club San Domenico in Savelletri, Italy, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics / First person
Jun 17, 2024

In perspective: a firsthand account of this year’s G7

In an increasingly multipolar world, the bloc's relevance comes into question, but any attempt to foster dialogue and ease tensions should be welcomed.
U.S. President Joe Biden greets agency employees after a press conference on extreme weather at the D.C. Emergency Operations Center in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 3, 2024

Biden to meet with governors and sit for an interview to calm backlash

The hope is to counter brewing discontent among leading Democratic donors, aides and elected officials over U.S. President Joe Biden's debate performance.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 7, 2024

As Biden digs in, more supporters look to push him out

Interviews with dozens of Democrats illustrated an imminent clash between a defiant president and those who question his ability to win.
One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 22, 2024

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Homeless influencers, fantasy boyfriends and bubble-era bars — Kabukicho seems to have it all.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 9, 2024

Trump offers three September debates against surging Harris

Donald Trump has found himself on unfamiliar ground as something of a bystander, eclipsed by Kamala Harris' rise as he has scaled back his own campaigning.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump points to supporters as he holds hands with his wife, Melania, before claiming victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election during a rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2024

Trump defeats Harris, returning U.S. to era of uncertainty

Kamala Harris congratulated her rival on a win expected to have a dramatic impact on the United States' relationships with allies like Japan and rivals like China.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2024

False report on Yasukuni Shrine visit 'extremely regrettable,' top spokesperson says

Kyodo news had reported on unconfirmed information that a parliamentary vice foreign minister had visited the shrine in 2022.
Kim Seongmin, president of Free North Korea Radio, edits content for the station at his home on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, on Nov. 21. Kim has cancer and was recently told that he has months to live.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 3, 2024

A North Korean voice that Kim Jong Un would like to silence

North Korean defectors have been infiltrating the North with outside media for two decades, through balloons floated across the border or radio broadcasts.
Members of the Wajima City Morning Market Association pose for a group photograph on the site where the market once stood.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Dec 30, 2024

In the wake of disaster, the revival of Wajima's market brings hope

Wajima's morning market on the Noto Peninsula was devastated a year ago. Now, led by women vendors and bold ideas, it is rising as a symbol of resilience.
Fuji TV executives take questions during a news conference on Monday in Tokyo in which some participants became unruly.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 31, 2025

Fuji TV’s go-big PR strategy wins grudging praise globally

Fuji TV held a marathon 10-hour news conference on Monday to address allegations of sexual misconduct by Masahiro Nakai, a celebrity and former presenter for the broadcaster.

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