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JAPAN
Jan 15, 2023

Russia-Hokkaido relations another casualty of Ukraine invasion

'If the prefecture continued to promote exchanges with our Russian counterparts now, there would be the risk of a public backlash,' one official said.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 15, 2023

Electronic music pioneer Yukihiro Takahashi of YMO dies at 70

Yukihiro Takahashi's output for Yellow Magic Orchestra would go on to influence early New York rappers and techno acts from Detroit and the U.K.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 15, 2023

Iran executes British Iranian dual national accused of spying

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was 'appalled' by the execution of the British Iranian citizen.
Japan Times
Special Supplements / Davos special 2023
Jan 14, 2023

Hiroshima’s rebound from atomic bomb to prosperous regional hub

The G7 summit will take place from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima — the first city in the world to have suffered the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear bomb during war.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 14, 2023

Brazil top court to investigate Jair Bolsonaro's role in Brasilia riots

Brazil's Supreme Court will probe the former president for allegedly encouraging anti-democratic protests that ended in the storming of government buildings by his supporters.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 13, 2023

Japan beer sales grew for the first time in 18 years in 2022

But total sales were still down around 10% compared with 2019 despite a recovery in sales to restaurants and bars as COVID-19 restrictions eased.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2023

Pope Benedict and the art of strategic retirement

Joseph Ratzinger wasn't supposed to be pope. As pope emeritus, he was supposed to go quietly into history. He may be more influential after death.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2023

Japanese officials question South Korean war labor compensation plan

Korean plaintiffs in wartime labor lawsuits want the Japanese companies themselves to pay compensation, not have a foundation paying on behalf of them.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2023

Jobs vs. membership: Making sense of Japan's system of employment

A family-based 'membership-type' system of work underpins Japanese society, but the conditions and traditions attached to it aren't always favorable — or easy to understand.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023

Pessimism over Osaka Expo opening grows after construction head criticizes organizers

There is growing pessimism about the fate of the expo, with speculation that postponing the starting date might now be necessary in order to get everything completed.
Spanish far-right Vox party leader Santiago Abascal (center) greets supporters as he arrives to deliver a speech at the party headquarters in Madrid on Sunday after Spain's general election.
WORLD
Jul 25, 2023

Setback for Spain's Vox points to limits of European far-right advance

Vox's share of seats fell to 33 from 52, suggesting an electoral ceiling for some European far-right parties even though their rise has worried leaders from Brussels to Berlin.
The nuclear-powered USS Annapolis submarine makes a port call at South Korea's Jeju Island on Monday. It was the second such visit by a U.S. submarine to the country in the span of about a week.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2023

Nuclear Consultative Group strengthens Northeast Asian deterrence

The logic for trilateral coordination between the U.S., Japan and South Korea is compelling. The NCG is an important first step toward that goal.
Crunchyroll, now owned by Sony Group Corp., is setting its sights on India as a major growth market.
LIFE / Digital
Jul 15, 2023

Former piracy site Crunchyroll cashes in on anime's global appeal

Crunchyroll expects the anime industry will have more than 800 million fans globally by 2025 outside markets in China and Japan.
A general view inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. Tourists wishing to see the area should expect far stricter supervision if visits to the border resume.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 26, 2023

Travis King crossing puts North Korea border tours under scrutiny

Some predict changes could include making the tours smaller, keeping groups behind glass or back away from the border where troops from both sides stand almost face to face.
Bronny James, son of NBA legend LeBron James, is in stable condition after suffering a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles.
BASKETBALL
Jul 26, 2023

Teenage son of LeBron James in stable condition after cardiac arrest

Bronny James committed to playing for the USC Trojans in May after becoming one of the top prospects in U.S. high school basketball.
International Monetary Fund chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 26, 2023

IMF urges BOJ to move away from yield control and prepare for future tightening

The remarks came ahead of the BOJ's meeting on Friday, where the board will release price forecasts and debate whether to adjust policy.
Qin Gang
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 25, 2023

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang removed from office after one-month absence

The report did not give a reason for Qin's removal, but said President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order to enact the decision. Top diplomat Wang Yi will replace him.
A man watches as Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks during a special statement on television at a restaurant in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, said he will resign and hand power to his son, after almost four decades of hardline rule.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 26, 2023

Cambodia’s leader of four decades signals retirement after vote

Hun Sen is widely expected to hand over power to his son after indicating on Chinese TV that his succession will take place within weeks.
Two F-15 fighter aircraft from the ASDF fly alongside two Rafale jets and an A400M transport aircraft from the French Air and Space Force as the two forces kicked off Wednesday their first-ever joint fighter exercise in Japan
JAPAN
Jul 26, 2023

France and Japan expand defense ties with first joint fighter jet drills

The drills are scheduled to run from Wednesday to Saturday in the airspace around the Kanto region and the ASDF’s Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 27, 2023

Hoshoryu's Nagoya triumph shows enduring power of Mongolian rikishi

Kirishima and Hoshoryu’s promotions to ozeki have shown that the Mongolian era of sumo dominance isn’t close to concluding just yet.
Contrary to some news reports, the movie "Oppenheimer," starring (left to right) Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh, has not been banned in Japan.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 27, 2023

'Oppenheimer' spurs debate on the atomic bombings

Christopher Nolan’s biopic has triggered a debate on the rights and wrongs of dropping the bomb. It could lead to a more useful discussion in Japan — assuming it’s ever released here.
Lighting fireworks on Myeongpa Beach, where families can camp near the DMZ border, in Goseong-gun, South Korea, on July 30, 2022. ​In recent years, northern counties of South Korea have become unlikely tourist destinations, attracting people drawn to the history of the DMZ.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 27, 2023

Life along the Korean DMZ, 70 years after the fighting ended

After nearly eight decades of living separated across the tightly sealed border​, many South Koreans see reunification as a distant dream.
BASEBALL / MLB / Sac Bunts
Jul 27, 2023

Angels would be taking major gamble by keeping Shohei Ohtani

The Angels have reportedly decided to not trade Shohei Ohtani, setting up the possibility of losing him for nothing in the offseason.
Jingu Gaien is a famous landmark, park and sports center in Minato Ward, Tokyo. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 26, 2023

Tokyo's tree-razing drama shouldn't stymie transformation

Residents are raging over a redevelopment plan. But while other cities become stuck in time, Tokyo's best projects can combine the spirit of the past with the hope for the future.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023

Repair fraud scandal spotlights cozy ties between Bigmotor and insurers

Japanese used car dealer Bigmotor's scandal over fraudulent auto insurance claims has spotlighted its cozy relations with major insurers.
John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, during an event in Hong Kong on April 15
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 28, 2023

U.S. should invite Lee to summit after report he’s barred: Hong Kong

Chief Executive John Lee and other top Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials were sanctioned by the U.S. for their role in the crackdown on civil liberties in the city.
A destroyed Russian tank in the village of Novodarlivka, Ukraine, which was recaptured by Ukrainian forces, on July 6.
WORLD
Jul 28, 2023

Ukraine counteroffensive and Russia’s strikes on grain push war into new phase

With Moscow also stepping up a long-range missile campaign, both sides are intensifying their attacks as Kyiv seeks a decisive breakthrough on the ground.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear