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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a Cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2025

Pension bill makes it to parliament after two-month delay

Internal resistance from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party toward certain proposals in the draft bill led to the delay.
Tesla's story about keeping used cars for "robotaxis" fits a long pattern of unfulfilled promises to deploy self-driving vehicles — most recently announced for June in Austin, Texas.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2025

Tesla took back leased cars for use as 'robotaxis,' but sold them instead

Despite repeated promises, the robotaxis never came and Tesla flipped many of the off-lease cars to new buyers.
A Palestinian man carries the body of a child killed in Israeli strikes,‏ in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Friday.
WORLD
May 17, 2025

Rescuers say 100 dead as Israel launches fresh Gaza offensive

The army said on Telegram it had begun the "initial stages" of the offensive, known as Operation Gideon's Chariots.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with members of the media as he arrives for the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2025

U.K. and EU wrangle over students and travel ahead of reset summit

Hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scheduled to host EU leaders on Monday, the U.K. and the EU had still not agreed on plans for a youth exchange program.
A woman inspects damage from a tornado in London, Kentucky, on Saturday. More than 25 people have died after severe storms swept through the southern U.S. states of Missouri and Kentucky, officials and local media reports said.
WORLD
May 18, 2025

Severe storms and tornadoes kill more than 25 in south-central U.S.

More than 100,000 people have been left without power in Kentucky, and five counties have declared a state of emergency.
Laurent Patouillet, the CEO and president of Agnes b. Japan, says the focus of its business is to remain independent, and evolve and adapt.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2025

Agnes b. Japan CEO hopes to evolve the brand with focus on sustainability

Laurent Patouillet, who has headed the brand's Japanese operations since 2018, believes there is more that it can do to be environmentally sustainable.
A Mexican Navy training ship is seen near the Manhattan Bridge after it slammed into the nearby Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday.
WORLD
May 18, 2025

Mexican Navy training ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge, killing two

Nineteen others were injured after the ship lost power and hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.
Some of the photos related to Aum Shinrikyo, taken by Seiichi Takeuchi, are displayed at an educational facility in Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.
JAPAN
May 18, 2025

1,400 photos donated to remember horrors of Aum Shinrikyo cult

Kamikuishiki resident Seiichi Takeuchi, 97, waged a battle against the group from the time the cult set up the base in the village's Fujigane district in 1989.
Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate for South Korea's conservative People Power Party, attends an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 19, 2025

South Korean conservative presidential candidate open to discussing U.S. troop costs

South Korea's conservative presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo said on Monday he was willing to discuss sharing more of the cost of stationing the U.S. military in the country.
A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 19, 2025

That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb

A tragic accident in Saitama shows how aging pipes, soft soil and climate threats are straining the country’s infrastructure.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te (center) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (right) take part in a flag-raising ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei, on Jan. 1.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 19, 2025

Taiwan's Lai Ching-te tied up by political chaos after year in office

Analysts say the current dysfunction is distracting lawmakers and eroding public confidence — to the benefit of Beijing.
The crowded center circle of the Kansai Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, featuring photos and videos of various prefectures
JAPAN
May 25, 2025

Osaka Expo highlights uniqueness of Kansai region

The Kansai Pavilion offers numerous experiences to allow visitors to understand the rich history and culture of the region.
Police officers stand guard on May 7 outside Todaimae Station in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward after a random stabbing that injured a University of Tokyo student.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 19, 2025

Random stabbing cases in Japan raise fears: Could the next victim be me?

Experts say these incidents often reflect a deeper issue at the societal level.
Agriculture minister Taku Eto has come under fire for saying at the weekend that he receives so much rice from his supporters that he has enough to sell it.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2025

Amid rice shortage, farm minister comes under fire for saying he gets plenty

Agriculture minister Taku Eto reportedly said at a fundraiser that he gets so much rice from supporters, he has enough to sell it.
Ursula von der Leyen (left), president of the European Commission, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (center) and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, visit the HMS Sutherland frigate as part of the U.K.-EU summit in London on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
May 20, 2025

Britain’s big EU reset turns out to be just the start of talks

Most of the "renewed agenda” unveiled at a summit in London amounted to an agreement to keep negotiating.
Palestinians carry their belongings through the town of Jabalia as they flee the southward toward Gaza City on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2025

Trump plan or not, Israel is letting more Palestinians leave Gaza

The easing of restrictions parallels the Israeli government's stated goal of facilitating the resettlement of Gaza's population in other countries.
Brazilian real and a U.S. dollar notes are seen in this illustration taken on Dec. 18, 2024
BUSINESS / Markets
May 20, 2025

Dollar set for more weakness as 'Brand USA' falls further out of favor

Investors see the currency losing more of its luster as the greenback comes back to earth from lofty valuations.
For Nintendo, it’s been a challenge making sure it can produce enough Switch 2 gaming devices to meet demand.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2025

Nintendo turns to Samsung to make chips for Switch 2

The Kyoto-based company is pivoting to Samsung because the Nvidia-based chipset that the Switch 2 employs was optimized for the Korean company’s manufacturing systems.
Singaporean Ambassador to Japan Ong Eng Chuan says his country hopes to “collaborate closely” with Japan in the area of quantum computing technology.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 20, 2025

Singapore envoy eyes stronger cyber and digital links with Japan

Quantum computing is one particular area of interest as Japan develops its technical capability via a collaboration with Intel.
China has faced spates of extreme weather events, from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods, for several consecutive summers.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2025

Record May heat scorches north and central China

China has endured spates of extreme weather events, from searing heat and drought to downpours and floods, for several summers running.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is looking to make the cost of base service fees in water utility bills free during the summer, hoping the financial support will allow residents to turn on their air conditioners and protect themselves against heatstroke.
JAPAN / Society
May 20, 2025

Tokyo to cover cost of base service fees for water utilities through summer

By lowering utility fees, the metropolitan government hopes to give residents a sense of security that they can accommodate other necessary expenses.
Kimihiro Matsuzaki prepares dishes at his half-century-old restaurant, Yanagi, in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Jun 2, 2025

Profitable Fukushima companies closing due to lack of successors

According to Teikoku Databank, more than a third of the companies that went out of business in the prefecture in 2024 were in the black.
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2025

Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe

Taku Eto resigned from the post after coming under fire for bragging about how much rice his supporters give him.
Military vehicles drive their way from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border into the Gaza Strip, as seen from Israel on Tuesday.
WORLD
May 21, 2025

Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza as international criticism of Israel grows

The war, now in its 20th month, has left Gaza in ruins and its population facing a worsening hunger crisis.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, gestures during an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday. Officials in Tokyo are closely watching Lee’s remarks for hints of how bilateral relations could shift if he is elected.
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2025

South Korean presidential front-runner says he's not hostile toward Japan

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung has in recent months sought to highlight a more centrist agenda ahead of the presidential election.
Born and raised in Japan, Joshua Thomson has been making videos on YouTube and Instagram to poke fun at stereotypes and challenge assumptions about — or from — Japanese society.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 23, 2025

Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’

The bilingual YouTuber talks about his hybrid cultural heritage and his aspirations in the entertainment industry.
SoftBank Group’s investments in AI will be financed through a loan in which Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and JPMorgan Chase serve as lead underwriters, highlighting the Japanese tech investor's ability to secure funding for its outsize ambitions.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

SoftBank taps Mizuho, SMBC and JPMorgan to lead $15 billion loan

The move is a sign of the Japanese tech investor’s ability to secure financing for its outsize ambitions.
The focus of the election in Tokyo next month will be whether the Liberal Democratic Party can remain the biggest force in the 127-seat assembly.
JAPAN
May 21, 2025

More than 270 candidates to run in Tokyo assembly election

The focus of the election will be whether the Liberal Democratic Party can remain the biggest force in the 127-seat assembly.
U.S. President Donald Trump hands papers to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 22, 2025

Trump accuses South Africa of white genocide in Oval Office meeting

The carefully choreographed onslaught against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was reminiscent of his February ambush of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 22, 2025

Israel open to 'temporary ceasefire' in Gaza to free hostages, Netanyahu says

The remarks come as international pressure intensified over Israel's renewed offensive and aid blockade in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan