Search - 2021

 
 
Held from June 7-8, the Japan Rapid Chess Championships is the latest major event put on by the country's chess supporters who hope to capitalize on the game's global momentum.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 14, 2025

Under shogi’s shadow, Tokyo’s chess lovers make their move

Japan has long resisted the lure of chess, but the stage is being set for the country’s first-ever grandmaster, one expert says.
People gather for a campaign speech in Tokyo's Suginami Ward on June 1.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 13, 2025

Parties to test political waters in Tokyo election ahead of Upper House vote

The election is seen as an early indicator of how voters nationwide might cast their ballots in next month’s Upper House poll.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton speaks during a news conference ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Jun 13, 2025

Lewis Hamilton defends Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur ahead of Canadian GP

Ferrari is second overall but has yet to win in nine races so far this season and there has been media speculation in Italy that Vasseur could be replaced.
A man holding a baby wades through a flooded road following heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, China, in July 2021.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 13, 2025

Natural disasters may be shaping babies’ brains

The findings signal how new generations of children may be marked by climate crises that occur before they were born.
A vehicle believed to belong the suspected gunman, who was impersonating law enforcement, is towed away from the home of the late State Rep. Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 15, 2025

Authorities hunt suspect in deadly shooting of Minnesota Democratic lawmakers

The shootings by a gunman posing as a police officer killed a senior Democratic state assemblywoman and her husband and wounded a second lawmaker and his spouse.
Anthony Albanese
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 15, 2025

Australia PM Albanese to meet with Trump on G7 sidelines in Canada

Australian leader Anthony Albanese will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada for talks on the AUKUS defense pact and tariffs.
Sam Burns prepares to putt on the 16th green during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 15, 2025

U.S. Open leader Burns eyes first major title at historic Oakmont

The 28-year-old American will carry a one-stroke lead into Sunday's final round after firing a 1-under-par 69 on Saturday.
The oceans have absorbed most anthropogenic heat and carbon dioxide emissions since the start of industrialization. But their capacity to do so is not unlimited.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2025

The ocean is not just a carbon sink

Reducing the value of three-quarters of our planet to the singular role of carbon sink overlooks the ocean’s vast contributions to food security, cultural identity and economics.
Eating locally grown food could be part of a decokatsu lifestyle that's both good for the planet and your wallet.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Jun 15, 2025

Decokatsu could save you money and help the planet. But you probably haven't heard of it.

The ambitious government program aims to get people to live in ways that are healthier for the planet without being restrictive about it.
A defiant U.S. President Donald Trump attend the 44th Group of Seven gathering in Charlevoix, Canada, in 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2025

Trump returns to G7 he once loathed as Iran crisis intensifies

President Donald Trump arrives in Canada as the center of attention for a Group of Seven summit of world leaders whose main purpose will be to mollify him.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says that the world's nuclear powers are "upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions."
WORLD / Politics
Jun 16, 2025

World faces new nuclear arms race, researchers warn

Researchers warned that the trend since the Cold War of there being a decrease in the overall number of warheads was likely to be reversed in the coming years.
A screenshot of a submarine cable map on TeleGeography’s website shows a network of cables connecting with Japan.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 16, 2025

The underlying risks to Japan’s undersea cables

What exactly are undersea cables, and how real is the threat of disruption in Japan?
The skyline of Astana, Kazakhstan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Kazakhstan for the third time since 2020, making the country of 20 million people one of his favorite destinations in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed his global travels.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 16, 2025

Xi visits Kazakhstan for talks with Central Asian leaders

The summit in the Kazakh capital Astana is taking place in parallel to the Group of Seven's event in Canada.
The primary causes for long-term sick leave among women in their 20s included mental illness, such as depression and anxiety disorders, a survey has found.
JAPAN
Jun 16, 2025

Women in their 20s have higher rate of long-term sick leave, survey finds

The primary causes included mental illness, such as depression and anxiety disorders, as well as pregnancy-related problems.
Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (left) looks to pass the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall defends during the third quarter at FedExForum on April 18.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 16, 2025

Magic acquire Desmond Bane in blockbuster trade with Grizzlies

Memphis will receive guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swap.
Local authorities in Tokyo are resorting to unconventional measures to raise voter turnout, including partnering with public bathhouses amid Japan’s ongoing sauna boom and collaborating with high school students to create promotional materials.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 16, 2025

Tokyo teams up with bathhouses to boost voter turnout for assembly election

The previous election in 2021 showed a much lower turnout rate among younger demographics.
After decades of dominance by foreign wrestlers, last month Onosato became just the second Japanese this century to be named to sumo's highest rank of <i>yokozuna</i>.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 17, 2025

The national sport of Japan wrestles with a generational change

As one legend departs, another star is rising. In a new era, sumo is grappling with its future.
Japan will be the newest addition to the list of countries where TikTok Shop is available, which already includes the U.S. and the Philippines.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 17, 2025

TikTok Shop to launch e-commerce service in Japan as soon as this month

The service, already available in several other countries, allows users to purchase promoted products directly from the social media app.
Masuiyama competes during a tournament in Tokyo in May 1980.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jun 18, 2025

Music star Masuiyama, a former ōzeki who died Sunday at 76, blazed unique trail

Masuiyama was unique in the world of sumo in that he gained as much fame — if not more — for what he did outside of the ring.
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.

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell