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A meeting of the Lao-Lao liquor cooperative held in the village of Xai in Attapeu Province in June.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 19, 2024

Co-op Okinawa nurtures Laos farmers' cooperatives to encourage growth

By setting up cooperatives, farmers can prevent unfavorable price negotiations by sharing information with one another.
An archival photo depicting a CWAJ board meeting from April 6, 1966
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Aug 15, 2024

From the division of war, 75 years of intercultural aid

Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the mission of the College Women’s Association of Japan remains straightforward yet ambitious: Women supporting women.
Across Japan, sports fans are sacrificing a good night’s sleep to catch their favorite Olympics events and beloved athletes.
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2024

Sleepless in Japan: How to recover from ‘Olympic fever’

The Paris Olympics are just about done, so sleep-deprived sports junkies can take comfort in the fact that they’ll soon be able to get a full night’s rest.
A Goku balloon from the “Dragon Ball” anime series takes part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan in November 2018. Japan’s creative industries are under threat as AI tools make it easy to mimic anime, manga and other forms of the nation’s artistic output.
COMMENTARY
Aug 9, 2024

Japan’s soft AI stance is betraying its anime artists

From Studio Ghibli to Pokemon, the country’s creatives have driven its influence and must be protected.
Ukrainian service members ride an infantry fighting vehicle near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 10, 2024

As Ukraine pushes deeper into Russia, Moscow sends reinforcements

The flurry of movement underscored the extent to which Ukraine’s attack had introduced an unpredictable new element into the war.
A new white paper is set to mention that the number of outpatients with mental illnesses such as depression, adjustment disorder and eating disorder, totaled about 5.86 million in 2020, while noting that stressors are diversifying, ranging from online abuse, work, child rearing and caregiving.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 10, 2024

Japan report to show mental health concerns tripled since 2004

According to an outline of the 2024 white paper, the ministry will point out that it is important to face up to mental health at all life stages.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company facility in Phoenix. The tech giant modeled its facility in Phoenix on one at home. But bringing the company's highly complex manufacturing process to America has been a bigger challenge than it expected.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2024

What works in Taiwan doesn’t always work in Arizona, a chipmaking giant learns

Bringing TSMC's highly complex manufacturing process to America has been a bigger challenge than it expected.
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 10, 2024

Israel airstrike on Gaza school kills more than 100, Hamas-run media office says

The strike came as mediators were pushing to resume cease-fire talks. Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center.
Hamas named Yahya Sinwar as new political leader earlier this month.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 10, 2024

Israel's hunt for Hamas' elusive new chief Sinwar

Israeli commanders believe Sinwar, 61, is hiding in a labyrinthine maze of tunnels that Hamas has built under the Gaza Strip over the years.
Gold medalist Imane Khelif of Algeria kisses her medal.
OLYMPICS / Boxing
Aug 10, 2024

Algeria's Khelif delights newfound devotees with statement win at Paris Games

Khelif is the first Algerian woman to earn an Olympic boxing title and the first from her country to claim gold since Hocine Soltani at Atlanta 1996.
Gold medalist Sakura Motoki during the medal ceremony for the Olympic women's 62-kg freestyle event at Champs de Mars Arena in Paris on Saturday.
OLYMPICS / Wrestling
Aug 11, 2024

Sakura Motoki adds to Japan's wrestling gold rush in Paris

Her victory against Ukrainian Iryna Koliadenko in the 62-kg final extended Japan's big lead in the wrestling medal table.
“Ghost Cat Anzu” centers on an 11-year-old girl who travels to hell and back with a walking, talking, moped-driving, human-sized cat.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 11, 2024

Two hidden gems hint at a path to more diversity in anime

“Ghost Cat Anzu" and “A Few Moments of Cheers” stand out from blockbuster hits by finding creative partners abroad and embracing techniques old and new.
Canada's Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim, competes in the men's breaking competition at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 11, 2024

Canadian B-boy Phil Wizard wins first men's Olympic breaking gold

Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim, beat French B-boy Dany Dann in the final as Japan's Shigekix finished fourth.
Ukrainian servicemen drive an infantry vehicle near the Russian border in the Sumy region on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 11, 2024

Russia pushes back at Ukraine’s cross-border assault, but Kyiv presses on

The assault surprised both Moscow and Washington, as well as other Western partners and analysts who follow the war’s troop movements.
Ami competes in the women's breaking competition at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 11, 2024

Is breaking a sport? Even among competitors, the answer depends on who you ask.

There was not even consensus from the B-girls — though all agreed that it belongs in the Olympics.
Palestinians survey the damage after an Israeli strike on a school where people were sheltering on Saturday in Gaza City.
WORLD
Aug 11, 2024

Israeli strikes on schools pose a life-or-death choice for civilians

Missile attacks on school grounds appear to reflect a shift in the Israeli military's strategy for driving Hamas out of Gaza.
And Instagram page posts about information about the members of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military's suicide attack units during World War II. The screen-grab image was provided by a Tokyo-based group that aims to hold memorials for deceased members of the units.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2024

Tokyo group begins Instagram posts on WWII suicide attack units

The public interest group was established in order to hold memorials for deceased members of the units and to pass down their stories to a new generation.
Although markets can promote economic efficiency under the right conditions, there is no “invisible hand” to deliver solidarity, agency, material sufficiency and environmental sustainability.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 11, 2024

A new worldview for troubled times

The problem is not that humans are predominantly ignorant or evil. Most people abhor social discord, abject poverty and environmental destruction.
A man makes his way along an earthquake-damaged street in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in January. With last week's tremors in Kyushu and the nature of the Nankai Trough, some experts believe that the omens of a disaster can be seen.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 11, 2024

Japan is living in the shadow of the megaquake

People tend to view the quake threat in the abstract. It’s kind of like thinking about death — I know I’ll die someday, but I hope it won’t be today.
High water levels in the Nagauchi River in the city of Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, on Monday 
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2024

Tohoku on alert as Tropical Storm Maria moves over region

Level 5 is the highest alert level, indicating a life-threatening situation and that residents should take immediate action to protect their lives.
Brittney Griner (left) celebrates with teammates after the U.S. won gold in the women's Olympic basketball competition in Paris on Sunday.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Aug 12, 2024

Brittney Griner says Olympic gold ‘means everything’

Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia for nine months in 2022, didn't try to hold back the tears as she stood with her U.S. teammates after winning Olympic gold.
Ukrainian service members pose for a picture as they repair a military vehicle near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, on Sunday.
WORLD
Aug 12, 2024

Ukraine's shock Kursk attack was to pressure Russia, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine's largest incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war has left southwestern parts of Russia vulnerable.
Protesters countering the far right gather in London on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 12, 2024

White supremacists turn U.K. riots into online recruiting pitch

Using messaging app Telegram and social media platform X, they promote conspiracy theories and incite violence in their bid to lure new members.
Officials of the transport ministry speak to a driver suspected of engaging in illegal taxi operations at a tourist spot in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Aug 12, 2024

Gifu struggles to crack down on illegal cabs at tourist hot spots

Cashless payments make it hard to catch such drivers in the act and some are worried they may be mistaken for a legal ride-hailing service.
There are now more than a dozen apps aimed at helping users keep tabs on their individual emissions.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 12, 2024

Steps, calories … CO2? Emissions-tracking apps are on the rise

Carbon-tracking services walk a fine line between highlighting purchase emissions and suggesting individuals alone can solve the problem of climate change.
Hindus block the streets as they protest against violence in their community in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 12, 2024

Bangladesh government is working to 'resolve' attacks on minorities

After Sheikh Hasina's abrupt resignation and flight abroad, there were numerous reports of attacks against Hindu households, temples and businesses.
This photograph released Sunday from the official Telegram account of Igor Kutsak, mayor or Kursk, Russia, shows a fire at a residential building following a missile attack.
WORLD
Aug 12, 2024

Ukraine's Kursk rout sparks panic along its border with Russia

For Ukraine, the offensive has also been a morale boost at an otherwise perilous moment in the war.
Posters of hostages kidnapped during Hamas' deadly attack on Oct. 7 last year in Tel Aviv on Sunday
WORLD
Aug 12, 2024

Addictions on the rise in wartime Israel

Health professionals have reported a surge in drug and alcohol abuse as well as other addictive behaviors since Israel's war with Hamas began.
The Bank of Japan won't be able to introduce another rate hike this year, according to former board member Makoto Sakurai.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2024

Ex-BOJ board member rules out another rate hike this year

Recent market upheaval and the BOJ’s reaction to it are making market participants wary about the outlook.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a summit in Bangkok in November 2022. Despite Japan-China relations stagnating in recent years, Xi's administration presents some interesting opportunities for an overture between the two countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 12, 2024

Will Japan and China’s relations continue to stagnate?

Japan and China have historically been at odds and relations have stagnated. This pattern can be broken by seizing the moment, one that offers some key opportunities.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years