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BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 29, 2023

Buffaloes bounce back against Tigers to pull even in Japan Series

The Buffaloes rebounded to beat the Tigers 8-0 in Game 2 of the Japan Series after losing by the same score in Game 1.
Yogendra Puranik, the first person from India to win elected office in Japan, at the Indian cultural center he manages in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward in October 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 6, 2023

Japan needs Indian migrants. How can it attract them?

India can help fill the domestic labor gap, but for migrants to succeed, Japan must embrace a genuinely intercultural approach.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa attend a working dinner during G7 ministerial meetings, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 7, 2023

G7 support for Ukraine will not waver due to Gaza crisis, Japan says

The G7 nations, as well as the European Union, meet in Tokyo on Nov. 7 to 8 to discuss issues including the Ukraine war and the Israel-Gaza crisis.
Kawasaki's Kyohei Noborizato (left) fights for the ball with Pathum United's Danilo during their Asian Champions League match on Tuesday in Kawasaki.
SOCCER
Nov 8, 2023

Second-half goals see Kawasaki stay perfect in Asian Champions League

The win has Kawasaki Frontale a step closer to the Asian Champions League last 16.
Armando Aroca, environmentalist, former guerrilla and current nursery manager of the Common Community Multi Active Cooperative (COMUCCOM) farm, points to a mural with the image of murdered environmentalist Jorge Santofimio in Puerto Guzman, Colombia, on June 27.
ENVIRONMENT
Nov 16, 2023

How the murders of activists hurt Colombian ecological preservation

Conservationists are targeted as their work poses a threat to illegal activities
Akina Shu has visited around 50 countries as a speaker and ambassador on the digital nomad lifestyle since 2020.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Nov 27, 2023

Japan is enticing for digital nomads, but visa hurdles remain

While the country does not offer a digital nomad visa, the government is working on introducing one sometime in 2024.
Japan is aiming to boost renewable power capacity to help achieve its 2050 goal of becoming carbon neutral.
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2023

Three groups picked for second round of offshore wind power tender

Japan's offshore wind power market is set to grow as the government aims to have 10 gigawatts of offshore wind farm deals by 2030.
Haru (Kengo Kora) and two childhood friends are haunted by a murder that occurred during their youth and its aftereffects in "Sin and Evil."
CULTURE / Film
Feb 8, 2024

‘Sin and Evil’: Small town idyll masks decay in ambitious film

Yuki Saito’s debut feature about the lingering effects of past transgressions is overplotted but draws sharp performances from its adult leads.
At the new teamLab Borderless museum, the crowd-favorite room of lamps from Borderless 1.0 has evolved into a room of light bubbles, which interact with each other and the bodies passing by.
CULTURE / Art
Feb 8, 2024

Have we reached teamLab saturation?

The art collective re-opens its Borderless museum in Azabudai Hills. But the experience is starting to feel stale.
Deer that are kept in a fenced-off area in the city of Nara
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2024

Nara Prefecture to expand area for culling iconic deer

The prefectural panel will discuss culling methods and other details to draw up a new protection program in fiscal 2025.
BASEBALL / Sac Bunts
Apr 22, 2024

Resurgent Tomoyuki Sugano off to strong start on mound for Giants

Sugano is off to a 2-0 start in three outings this season.
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda is among the 4,108 people recognized for this year's spring honors.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2024

Former BOJ head among 4,108 people receiving spring honors

Haruhiko Kuroda, who led the central bank's unprecedented monetary easing, was given the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers participate in a seminar to prevent harassment at the GSDF's Camp Asaka in Tokyo on April 16.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 13, 2024

Japan's military needs more women. But it's still failing on harassment.

Nine months after the Defense Ministry pledged to take drastic measures, it has no plans to implement a national system for reviewing training standards.
The colored patterns of Tsuguru "nuri," made in Aomori Prefecture, are achieved by applying multiple coatings of lacquer, which are later polished down to reveal layers of colors beneath.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
May 18, 2024

A new initiative rethinks old Tohoku crafts

Described as “collector's items,” the works are being kept under wraps until their debut at a May 24-25 exhibition at Kudan House in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward.
"Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California" is a welcome reminder of how Japanese basics are best done and, perhaps, how to get a little closer to how things still should be.
LIFE
May 26, 2024

A California dreamin’ cookbook of 'izakaya' favorites

In an age where traditional knowledge is being forgotten, “Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California” is a treasure trove.
Ko Maung Saungkha, center, a poet who is a rebel commander in Myanmar, on the first day of training for new recruits in Karen State, on May 7.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 17, 2024

In the war against the junta in Myanmar, a poet commands a rebel army

Myanmar is a country entranced by poetry, with poets treated like celebrities and verse that has long been political used to galvanize the masses.
Shoko Miyata had been set to lead the Japanese women's gymnastics team at the Paris Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jul 19, 2024

Japanese gymnast Shoko Miyata leaves Olympic team over drinking and smoking

The decision to have Miyata leave the team appeared to strike some observers as being overly harsh.
Keiichi Tanaami
CULTURE / Art
Aug 21, 2024

Keiichi Tanaami, pioneering Pop Art visionary, dies at 88

Known for his vivid kaleidoscopic visuals, which blended traditional Japanese motifs with Western pop culture, Tanaami was a pivotal figure in postwar Japanese art.
Inside a gallery influenced by famed architect Kengo Kuma, Nakamura Ningyo's Hakata dolls represent a little-seen side of Japanese crafts.
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 7, 2024

From Godzilla to martyrs, Hakata doll-making knows no bounds

Since its establishment in Fukuoka in 1917, Nakamura Ningyo has been a cornerstone of the Hakata doll tradition.
Few in Japan may be more passionate about the 'onigiri' (rice ball) than Yumiko Ukon, owner of an onigiri specialty shop in Tokyo's Otsuka neighborhood.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 8, 2024

‘When I die, I would like to come back as a rice ball’

There’s no denying the cultural significance of the ‘onigiri’ (rice ball). But there comes a point where an onigiri is surely just an onigiri.
Swallows star Norichika Aoki announced his plan to retire on Friday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 13, 2024

Swallows great Norichika Aoki to retire

Veteran Tokyo Yakult Swallows outfielder Norichika Aoki, one of the best hitters Japan has ever seen, plans to retire at the end of this season, he announced on Friday.
New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (front center) and other Cabinet ministers pose for a commemorative photo after an appointment and certification ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 1, 2024

New Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba unveils Cabinet as LDP divide emerges

His Cabinet, made up of lawmakers largely untainted by an LDP political funds scandal, has appeared to open up a rift in the ruling party.
With projections indicating a population drop in Japan from around 125 million to 63 million by 2100, traditional solutions like immigration and labor reforms are unlikely to be effective in time.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 15, 2024

Japan should master, not resist, its demographic destiny

Japan needs a strategic reorientation toward accepting and mastering its demographic changes rather than resisting them.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba bows to Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the party recorded disappointing results in the Lower House election.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 29, 2024

A disastrous poll puts Japan politics on shaky path

The Japanese public was crying out for change, but Ishiba entirely failed to offer it, instead using warmed-over catchphrases from Kishida.
Nissan’s filing said Suntera (Cayman) is the buyer of the 2.5% stake and listed Suntera as a trustee of ECM Master Fund.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 12, 2024

Nissan surges after firm linked to hedge fund takes 2.5% stake

The jump is a remarkable turnaround for Nissan’s stock, which plunged last week after the carmaker slashed jobs and said it would cut manufacturing capacity by a fifth.
Children play mahjong during a class held at Satsukigaoka community center in the city of Hiroshima.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chugoku
Jan 14, 2025

Mahjong enjoys new wave of players that spans generations

Once associated with gambling, mahjong is becoming a popular pursuit for all ages, boosted by pro leagues, apps and "healthy mahjong" for cognitive and social benefits.
One of conductor Seiji Ozawa’s most enduring contributions is the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, which brings together young musicians and seasoned artists. The maestro passed away in February.
CULTURE / Entertainment news / 2024 in Review
Dec 27, 2024

The cultural luminaries we lost in 2024

While Japan’s culture marked notable triumphs at home and overseas, the year also saw the passing of many greats in the arts.
Hobonichi's 'techō' notebooks come in both set and customizable formats, and a thriving community of enthusiasts means there are even extensive guides on how to make the journal even more unique to your individual approach to journaling.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 10, 2025

American stationery nerds are fueling a Japanese notebook boom

A Japanese-made paper planner from the 1980s has reblossomed in the post-COVID era.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions during a Lower House plenary session on Monday. Ishiba needs to secure passage of the annual budget to demonstrate he can run policy effectively with his minority government.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 28, 2025

Japan's opposition DPP to block budget without higher tax allowance

The ruling LDP and Komeito are also negotiating with Nippon Ishin no Kai, who want the government to make school education free for all students.
"Uketsu" is a completely anonymous writer and YouTuber whose odd books — which blend mystery and horror — have become a smash-hit publishing phenomenon in Japan.
CULTURE / Books
Feb 7, 2025

'Uketsu': The internet phantom haunting Japan's bestseller lists

Anonymous author and YouTuber "Uketsu" deals in a quiet horror that has delighted millions of readers.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building