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Kabul is diverse and culturally rich, like the rest of Afghanistan. Yet the country has struggled with political inclusivity.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2023

Japan can help pave the way for an inclusive Afghanistan

A new generation of Afghan leaders wants to be included in the country's future. Japan is well-positioned to facilitate dialogue with the Taliban.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Sep 16, 2023

Rugby turns 200: A history of the sport in Japan

As the sport of rugby turns 200, Japan hopes to celebrate its own success in a game that first arrived in the 1860s.
Ichiro Miyashita arrives at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday after being named the new minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a Cabinet reshuffle the same day.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 17, 2023

Japan aiming to diversify export markets to cut risks

New agriculture minister Ichiro Miyashita has expressed his intention to work on diversifying export destinations to reduce risks.
Minoru Kihara
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023

New Japan defense chief 'very concerned' about Chinese military moves

Minoru Kihara called trilateral cooperation with South Korea and the U.S. “the cornerstone” of Tokyo’s response to the regional security concerns.
The Philippine military says it’s escalating maritime surveillance after detecting a "resurgence” of Chinese vessels around the West Philippine Sea.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2023

Philippines says Japan and Australia keen on joint naval patrols

The Philippine military says it’s escalating maritime surveillance after detecting a "resurgence” of Chinese vessels around the West Philippine Sea.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Sep 18, 2023

Debate grows in Japan over proposed background checks for teachers

The Children and Families Agency is proposing to make screening for criminal convictions mandatory for people looking to work in schools or nurseries.
Nobody wishes for a medical emergency, but preparing for one while you're in a foreign country can only make things easier.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 18, 2023

How to avoid medical purgatory when hospitalized in Japan

Much like a legal will, a visit to the hospital is the last thing for which you want to prepare — yet doing so will save you stress and worry.
A tanker used for shipping liquefied natural gas sits near the Yamal LNG plant, operated by Novatek, in Sabetta, Russia.
BUSINESS
Sep 19, 2023

Japan to ensure stable energy supply despite U.S. sanctions

The latest sanctions on the Arctic LNG 2 project are part of several economic measures the U.S., Europe and their allies have taken against Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Monday in New York.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 19, 2023

Japan’s new top diplomat makes international debut

On the sidelines to the U.N. General Assembly sidelines, new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa gets off to a quick start.
The U.S Navy's Ranger unmanned vessel docks at Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. The ship is one of two U.S. Navy unmanned prototype vessels that were recently dispatched to Japan as part of a long-range deployment exercise.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 21, 2023

Unmanned U.S. Navy vessels make Japan debut

The U.S. Navy debuted the unmanned prototype vessels as it prepares to increase both the number and use of drones amid growing tensions with China.
A model of a new fighter jet of the Global Combat Air Programme led by Britain, Japan, and Italy, is seen at the DSEI defense event in London on Sept. 12.
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2023

HQ for multilateral jet fighter project to be placed in U.K.

Japan and Britain will dominate design and manufacturing on the project.
The new invoice system, which goes into effect Oct. 1, is forcing many freelancers in Japan to choose between raising their prices or suffer a 10% loss in revenue.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 25, 2023

Freelancers aren’t happy with Japan’s new invoice system

For many freelancers and small businesses, the result will amount to a 10% increase in taxes.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2023

Hokkaido seafood piles up in freezers following China ban

Scallops and other products are amassing in freezers at processing facilities in the prefecture, costing businesses more for storage.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 22, 2023

Is this the end for Japan’s iconic Studio Ghibli?

It’s tough to find an appropriate analogy for the Ghibli sale; the only one that comes close is Disney's purchase of Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 24, 2023

One month on, Chinese import ban hits Japanese food exports

Food exports to China plunged 41.2% in August from a year before — but the full effect of the ban after the Fukushima water release has yet to be felt.
Paternity leave has not taken root in Japan due to concerns over decreases in income and disruptions to the work side of life.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023

Japan local governments working to encourage paternity leave

From Saga to Yamanashi, local officials are trying a variety of policies to give their male employees a chance to better participate in family life.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 25, 2023

Syphilis cases in Japan top 10,000 for second year in 2023

It is unclear why new cases have shot up, reaching 10,000 two months earlier than last year.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 25, 2023

As Japan OKs Alzheimer's drug, issue of side effects comes into focus

There are big challenges ahead for the use of lecanemab, particularly on how to control side effects such as brain swelling and bleeding.
Ukrainian refugees arrive at Haneda airport in Tokyo on April 5, 2022.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2023

Japan to introduce new residency status for asylum-seekers

A program to offer a long-term residence status that will allow asylum-seekers to work in Japan will be introduced in December.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023

Coalition party leader seeks China visit this year to mend ties

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, abandoned a planned trip last month as friction worsened with Japan’s biggest trading partner.
Locally caught seafood at the Hamanoeki Fish Market and Food Court in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 31
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023

Russia considers banning Japanese seafood imports

Russian food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said it had discussed Japanese food exports with its Chinese counterparts.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2023

Ex-LDP member's indictment puts spotlight on green energy goals

A Lower House member and the former president of a major offshore wind-power company were each charged with bribery by Tokyo prosecutors.
Students from Yanagawa High School and its Thai-affiliated junior high school pose for a photo during an exchange event in August.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Oct 2, 2023

Pioneering Thai-Japanese school aims to nurture global minds

Yanagawa Junior High School Thailand is affiliated with a school in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Demonstrators during a Women's Day march in Tokyo on March 8
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 28, 2023

Consent issue casts shadow on safe abortion in Japan

The law stipulates that abortion must be carried out in the early stages of pregnancy with the consent of one's spouse.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2023

Second round of Fukushima wastewater release to start next week

In the first phase around 7,800 tons of water were released into the Pacific out of a planned total of 1.34 million tons.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2023

Japan universities split over new IT section on entrance exam

Universities in Japan are divided in their responses to a new subject — covering the basics of programming, information and communications networks, and databases — on the standard university entrance examination to be held beginning in January 2025.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 29, 2023

As drug use rises in Japan, government eyes prevention plans

The ministry reported that by the end of August, around 300 stores in the country were found to be selling quasi-legal products known as “kiken drugs.”
Two Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers escort the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during a transit mission in the Philippine Sea in April 2017.
EDITORIALS
Sep 29, 2023

The South China Sea is a test for Japan

The maritime standoff between the Philippines and China risks breaking out into open conflict, one that could ensnare other countries, including Japan.
The Mikomotojima Lighthouse in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, was designed by Richard Henry Brunton, a Scotsman who was employed by the Meiji government to build lighthouses across Japan in the 19th century. In "The Japan Lights," author Iain Maloney connects his personal travels and experiences in Japan to Brunton's pursuits.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 1, 2023

'The Japan Lights' traces a journey of self-discovery in the wake of 3/11

Iain Maloney's wise book connects his travels in Japan to the pursuits of Richard Henry Brunton, a Scotsman who built lighthouses across the country.
Tohoku Imperial University, the predecessor of Tohoku University in Sendai, opened its doors to three women in 1913, who became the first female university students in Japan.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2023

Ceremony marks 110 years of women at Japan universities

The predecessor of Tohoku University in Sendai opened its doors to three women in 1913, who became the first female university students in Japan.

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