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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.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 5, 2021

North Korea’s Kim appears in public for the first time in a month

Periods of prolonged absences have become a bit more frequent for Kim since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The current break is believed to be his seventh since 2020.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 29, 2021

Can a celebrity wedding set the mood for romance?

Yui Aragaki and Gen Hoshino announced they will be getting married, proving the idea that you can't find romance after 30 is an outdated one.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
May 26, 2021

Death threats and arrests: Belarus opposition media struggles at home and abroad

The Belarusian Association of Journalists says 477 journalists were detained in 2020.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
May 18, 2021

AT&T-Discovery deal highlights media's thirst to be like Netflix

Discovery brings a global footprint with its pan-European television sports network Eurosport, as well as a portfolio of broadcast channels across Europe.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 29, 2021

Will the U.S. end its ambiguity over Taiwan?

Tokyo should think seriously about Japan's options to deal with a Taiwan contingency.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 26, 2021

Does Google Translate make foreign language learning unnecessary? Not quite

Idioms and other turns of phrase are often taken literally when left to Google Translate to make sense of things. That means translator jobs are safe for now.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 17, 2021

Clubhouse’s founder is in a state of perpetual motion

Over the past 15 years in Silicon Valley, the Clubhouse chief executive officer has explored the depths of how technology can be used to connect people in new ways.
JAPAN
Feb 23, 2021

Lost in translation: Japan fumbles pandemic communication with foreign communities

Growing concern over access to up-to-date, accurate official information highlights the government's larger struggle to convey pandemic-related policies and support.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 21, 2021

Israel secretly agrees to fund vaccines for Syria as part of prisoner swap

To secure the release of an Israeli civilian held in Syria, Israel agreed to finance a supply of Russian-made COVID-19 vaccines for Damascus, an official said.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 23, 2021

New virus variant may be somewhat deadlier, U.K. warns

The evidence on the fatality rate is worrisome but not yet solid, scientists said. It contrasts with news that Britain is vaccinating its people at a promising pace.
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.
How Fuji TV responds to the results of a third-party probe will be crucial to restoring public trust — and could determine whether sponsors, whose TV ads are the company's main source of revenue, choose to return.
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2025

Fuji TV returns to spotlight as deadline for scandal probe looms

How Fuji TV responds to the report will be crucial to restoring public trust — and could determine whether sponsors choose to return.
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, in April.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

Trump’s polls decline near 100-day mark, raising tax-plan stakes

Polls show that voters perceive Trump to be falling short on his core campaign promise to strengthen the economy.

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