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Taro Aso, a former prime minister and current vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2023

Taiwan situation ‘tilting toward emergency,’ former Japan PM says

Taro Aso said this shift was “definitely not out of the blue” but was now “more evident,” pointing to military exercises by China around Taiwan.
The Azabudai Hills development in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2023

Mori Building to open Azabudai Hills complex in Tokyo in November

The company hopes the project will boost the capital’s competitive edge over metropolises overseas.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2023

End of the line for snack carts on Tokyo-Osaka shinkansen

End of popular service comes amid a looming labor shortage and the trend of more people buying food before boarding.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 8, 2023

Nihon University chairwoman apologizes for student drug scandal

Mariko Hayashi denied reports that she was kept in the dark about facts surrounding the case, which involves the university's American football team.
Containers stored at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai in 2020
BUSINESS
Aug 9, 2023

Not decoupling, but West and China drift apart

Official data showed a 14.5% drop in July exports amid weak consumer demand in the world markets served by China — the fastest decline since the pandemic.
A shopper at a Beijing grocery store in 2022. China's consumer and producer prices have both declined from 12 months ago, indicating that the world’s second-largest economy may be weakening.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 9, 2023

China shows signs of deflation as consumer and factory prices fall

A prolonged property market slump, plunging demand for exports and subdued consumer spending are weighing on China's economic recovery.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023

Tropical Storm Khanun lashes southern Japan as second storm nears

As Khanun pounds the south, Tropical Storm Lan may threaten Tokyo just as thousands prepare to travel during a peak holiday season.
A Chinese military plane H-6 bomber
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 9, 2023

Taiwan reports second large China air force incursion this week

The island's Vice President William Lai visits Paraguay this week, with a transit in the U.S., which has angered China.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 9, 2023

Japan prefectures drift away from posting disaster warnings on X

A growing number of prefectures have stopped posting disaster warnings on the platform due to limits on the number of free posts allowed.
The Pentagon on Tuesday looked to soften the blow of an explosive report that Chinese hackers had infiltrated Japan's most sensitive defense networks, saying that it was "confident” about sharing intelligence with Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023

U.S. ‘confident’ in Japan intel sharing, but Taiwan concerns linger

The Pentagon has moved to soften the blow of a report that said that “shockingly bad” hacking had been uncovered by the U.S. in the fall of 2020.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 9, 2023

Sumo still failing to provide adequate medical care for wrestlers

An incident involving maegashira Tobizaru at the ongoing regional tour shows that sumo lags behind other sports, including rugby, in emergency treatment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with NATO’s leaders at the bloc’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12. 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2023

How Russia could benefit from Ukraine’s NATO membership

While Russian leaders have cited NATO enlargement as a justification for invading Ukraine, ordinary Russians have much to gain from Ukrainian membership.
Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists walk a picket line outside of Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. Hollywood actors and writers are currently on strike, effectively bringing the giant movie and television business to a halt in the first industry-wide walkout in 63 years.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Aug 10, 2023

The Hollywood strike is a wake-up call to Japan's film industry

With Hollywood writers and actors on strike, what lessons can creatives in the Japanese film industry learn from the fray?
The "furoshiki" style of wrapping gifts takes advantage of a fabric that can be used more than once.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 10, 2023

Eco-friendly eating with a healthy helping of Japanese

Sustainability-related vocabulary isn't the only way to get your thoughts across on sustainable food practices in Japanese.
A WeWork co-working office space in San Francisco on Wednesday. WeWork has said there's 'substantial doubt' about its ability to continue operating, citing sustained losses and canceled memberships to its office spaces.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2023

WeWork’s ‘substantial doubt’ about its future marks a stunning fall

The New York-based company is bleeding cash, and customers of its office rentals are canceling their memberships in droves.
Boxers Anthony Joshua (left) and Robert Helenius face off during a news conference on Wednesday to promote their upcoming bout.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 10, 2023

Anthony Joshua calls on boxing to find solution to doping problem

Anthony Joshua is certain boxing faces a doping problem but the former world heavyweight champion is uncertain whether longer bans are an ideal solution.
Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te makes a speech at the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) annual congress in Taipei on July 16.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 10, 2023

U.S.-Paraguay trip to test Taiwan VP’s foreign policy skills

The key trip will test his skill to both reassure Washington of his status-quo policies and signal to Beijing that he has the confidence of the U.S.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 10, 2023

Three hurdles stand between Osaka Expo and 2025 opening

Broadly speaking, the expo faces three high hurdles in its dash toward the finish line, and having everything ready for the April 13, 2025, opening.
The Gacha Pop playlist on Spotify offers a wonderfully scattered collection of J-pop chart-toppers, long-running favorites and next-generation names, reflecting the global ambitions of homegrown artists.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 11, 2023

The summer of Gacha Pop

Spotify’s curated playlist encapsulates J-pop’s diverse range, but more than that, it shows how Japanese music travels in the world today.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 10, 2023

Strong storms likely to affect Bon holiday plans

Plans to travel or meet with friends or family may need a rethink as strong storms approach Japan.
Swapping out soybeans for chickpea flour puts a unique twist on this classic Japanese dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Aug 13, 2023

Recipe: Deep-fried chickpea tofu with 'devil's dung'

Unlike soy tofu, where proteins are coagulated from soy milk, Shan tofu uses heat-set starch with ochre-hued chickpea flour.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at an event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 11, 2023

New U.S. rules on China investments fail to offer clear guidance

The Treasury Department’s 46-page notice released alongside the order includes at least 80 separate questions about how it should structure the program.
Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa controls the ball during a training session in Auckland on Tuesday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 11, 2023

Rejuvenated Nadeshiko Japan 'ready to fight against anyone'

Japan, a sagging power suddenly revived, might be the most impressive contender remaining in the Women's World Cup.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2023

Japan to conduct quick tritium tests on Fukushima wastewater

The rapid analysis system will enable test results to come out as early as the following day.
As long as coal plants are still operating, it is a good idea to make them capture their carbon dioxide emissions. But the sooner that coal is replaced by renewables, the better it will be for the planet.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 11, 2023

Carbon capture and the changing economics of power generation

Carbon capture policies could unwittingly extend the life of dirtier energy sources.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, leaves a U.S. district courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, in July.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 12, 2023

Hunter Biden gets special counsel, setting up election issue

The developments reinforce that legal issues, including those of Donald Trump, will figure prominently in the U.S. presidential election.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 13, 2023

Japan Wind Development chief likely to admit bribing lawmaker Akimoto

It was newly found that Akimoto received ¥30 million, separately from the suspected bribe, from around 2019 for applying to the Japan Racing Association.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol meet during the Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima on May 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2023

U.S. and Japan set to announce pact on missile interceptors, report says

The U.S. and Japan earlier this year said they plan to strengthen defense cooperation on growing concern about the challenges posed by China and Russia.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2023

Legislation on assisted reproductive technology delayed in Japan

Currently in Japan, the right of children born through fertility treatment to know their biological parents is not guaranteed
JAPAN / Society
Aug 13, 2023

Akita faces debris collection challenge month after massive flooding

The delay in debris collection is hampering disaster reconstruction in Akita, a city official said.

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