Search - 2021

 
 
Shibuya’s iconic scramble crossing has helped put the district on the map globally.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2025

Shibuya, Tokyo's coolest ward, offers startups a leg up in Japan

It's offering international entrepreneurs free space, a good address and a wide range of support services.
The AUKUS submarine deal was flawed from the start, and its possible collapse offers Australia a chance to rethink its defense strategy, reclaim sovereignty and pursue more practical, cost-effective alternatives.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 18, 2025

Cross your fingers, Australia, and hope the AUKUS deal collapses

Some analysts assume that the U.S. Defense Department review is just another Trumpian extortion exercise designed to extract an even bigger financial commitment from Australia.
Eddie Jones began his second stint as Japan coach in 2023.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jun 19, 2025

Wales' Josh Macleod expects stiff challenge from Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms

Wales travels to Japan having lost 17 straight tests — a record for a major nation — since it last enjoyed a victory.
A firefighter works during the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 8.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 19, 2025

Warning signs on climate flashing bright red: top scientists

Greenhouse gas emissions hit a new high in 2024 and averaged a record 53.6 billion metric tons per year of CO2, they reported in a peer-reviewed update.
The Lakers' LeBron James stands on the team's logo during a game against the Mavericks in January 2024.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 19, 2025

Buss family to sell Lakers to Dodgers owner in record-shattering deal

The Buss family is selling its controlling interest in the team to billionaire Mark Walter, who already owns a minority stake in the franchise.
People participate in a rally in support of Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar, in 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 19, 2025

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi marks 80th birthday in junta jail

No formal celebrations are planned in junta-held parts of Myanmar, but followers in military-controlled Mandalay city staged a spontaneous protest ahead of her birthday.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2025

SDF planes fly to Djibouti to aid return of Japan nationals from Israel and Iran

There are currently around 1,000 Japanese people in Israel and 280 in Iran, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani pitches against the Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 20, 2025

Shohei Ohtani to make second start for Dodgers on Sunday

A rusty Ohtani pitched one inning in his Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on Monday.
The total amount of unpaid costs for the construction of the German, Serbian and Romanian pavilions at the ongoing 2025 World Exposition are said to reach hundreds of millions of yen.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 20, 2025

Construction costs allegedly unpaid for three more expo pavilions

The total amount of unpaid costs for the German, Serbian and Romanian pavilions are said to reach hundreds of millions of yen.
The HMS Spey, a patrol vessel for Britain's Royal Navy, conducted a routine navigation through the Taiwan Strait that was part of a long-planned deployment and took place in full compliance with international law, the Royal Navy said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 20, 2025

China calls British warship's Taiwan Strait transit an attempt to 'cause trouble'

Britain's Royal Navy said the patrol vessel conducted a routine navigation through the narrow waterway that was in full compliance with international law.
At Mount Zine’s gallery in Komazawa, Setagaya Ward, one wall is for exhibiting, while another is for zines for sale.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 21, 2025

A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats

In a world now dominated by digital media, small handmade books are a return to analog media and offline connection.
In Tokyo, at least 562 people have been taken to the hospital for suspected heatstroke so far this month.
ENVIRONMENT
Jun 20, 2025

What happened to the rainy season?

The mercury has climbed across much of Japan in recent days, but the seasonal rain front is expected to return early next week.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito speaks to reporters last month in Kobe.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 20, 2025

Hyogo governor referred to prosecutors over alleged vote-buying

The move follows a criminal complaint that was filed last December over alleged payments to a public relations company for campaign activities.
Hirohide Mori (left), head of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office's public security division, and Tetsuro Kamata, deputy superintendent-general of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department, bow toward former Ohkawara Kakohki executive Junji Shimada (second from right) and company President Masaaki Okawara on Friday in Yokohama.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 20, 2025

Police and prosecutors apologize to Ohkawara Kakohki after illegal probe

The company's president underlined the need to fully examine the case that hit his company and make sure that similar incidents never happen again.
Turn your old rice into a simple, delicious meal by cooking it with other ingredients.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jun 22, 2025

One way to bring back the mojo in ‘old old old rice’

Go against the grain by turning stockpiled or “komai” rice into a delicious meal — the trick is to mix it with other ingredients.
Grown in the town of Moroyama in Saitama Prefecture, Katsuragi yuzu is believed to be Japan's oldest cultivated yuzu variety.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 22, 2025

The juicy tale of Saitama's prized yuzu

Locals are supporting the country’s oldest cultivation of the Japanese citrus via creative ways like ownership schemes and turning the fruit into various sips and savories.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Army's 250th anniversary parade in Washington on June 14.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 21, 2025

Trump confirms Republic of Congo-Rwanda peace deal, gripes about Nobels

"This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World!" Trump said in a Truth Social post confirming the breakthrough.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach waves to the crowd during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Games in August 2021.
OLYMPICS
Jun 22, 2025

Outgoing IOC President Thomas Bach faced mammoth challenges

From state-sponsored doping by Russia to the COVID-hit Tokyo Games, the 71-year-old German lawyer faced many challenges during his time in power.
Belarus opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski  and his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speak with released prisoners Sergei Sheleg, Ihar Karnei, Natalia Dulina and Kirill Balakhanov, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Saturday in this screen shot taken from social media video.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 22, 2025

Belarus opposition leader freed from jail in U.S.-brokered deal

Lukashenko issued pardons for all those released in response to a U.S. request, the president's spokeswoman, Natalya Eismont, said in a statement.
A person who contracted HIV after losing access to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, works out at a gym in Awka, Nigeria, on June 1.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 22, 2025

Trump aid cuts deal a blow to HIV prevention in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the epicenter of the AIDS pandemic.
A banner announcing the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is displayed at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 23, 2025

Koike-backed party gains seats as LDP dealt setback in Tokyo assembly poll

Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First), supported by Koike as a special adviser, remained the biggest party, taking 31 seats, up from 26.
Shareholders enter a venue of Honda's annual general meeting in Tokyo on Thursday. Companies are seeking to build shareholder support as activists inundate them with an unprecedented number of proposals.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2025

Japanese companies offer gifts to boost their ranks of loyal retail investors

A survey by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank showed 11% of firms gave out gifts at shareholder meetings in 2024, up from 4% in 2021.
Minjee Lee poses with the winner's trophy after the final round of the Women's PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 23, 2025

Minjee Lee wins Women's PGA Championship to capture third major

Lee began the day with a four-stroke advantage over Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul and was never seriously threatened.
A replica of a great white shark is driven around the island of Martha's Vineyard during the "Jaws" 50th Anniversary celebration on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2025

Fifty years after 'Jaws,' the water’s not safe ... for sharks

The apex predator has had half a century of bad press.
About 41% of LGBTQ+ teens could not find people or places they could consult with about their struggles with gender identity or sexual orientation.
JAPAN
Jun 24, 2025

Over half of LGBTQ+ teens in Japan have considered suicide, survey finds

Of the 90% of junior high and high school students who said they had experienced harassment at school, 64% said such harassment came from teachers.
A recent study on the eating habits of Japanese workers has found that those who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2025

Washoku may prevent depression, Japan study says

Participants who ate the most washoku were 17% to 20% less likely to show symptoms of depression compared to those who ate it the least.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis shoots a free throw during a playoff game against the Knicks on May 7.
BASKETBALL
Jun 25, 2025

Hawks reportedly acquire Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis in three-team trade

Porzingis averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in only 42 regular-season games last season.
Many recent video games, including Breath of the Wild and Planet of Lana, have borrowed from the pastoral aesthetic of Studio Ghibli films like “Princess Mononoke.”
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2025

Studio Ghibli’s majestic sensibility is drawing imitators

Forty years after the Japanese animation studio was founded, game creators are embracing its legacy of moral integrity.
Elementary school teacher Seiichi Yabushita (Go Ayano) is taken to court for allegedly driving one of his students to attempt suicide in Takashi Miike’s “Sham.”
CULTURE / Film
Jun 25, 2025

‘Sham’ flirts with ambiguity, then picks a side

Takashi Miike’s legal drama draws from a real-life incident and makes a clear but frustratingly simplified case.
Rie Usui has been working to help people with disabilities get jobs, and now runs a talent agency for disabled people.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 29, 2025

Tokyo woman working to help people with disabilities secure jobs

Rie Usui's talent agency represents about 40 models and television personalities who feature in advertisements and TV drama series.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji