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A World Series public-viewing event in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, on Wednesday.
BASEBALL
Oct 30, 2024

'A treasure': Win or lose, Ohtani is a hometown hero in Iwate

Anticipation was high among the roughly 60 supporters who gathered early in the morning to watch Ohtani and the Dodgers try to clinch the World Series.
The Miyagi Prefectural Government Building in Sendai. The prefecture plans to expand the option for a four-day workweek to all prefectural employees from fiscal 2026.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2024

Miyagi Prefecture to introduce four-day workweek for all employees

The program aims to reduce rising turnover and attract more applicants to government roles in Miyagi, the prefecture said.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra on stage during its launch in Beijing on Tuesday. The Chinese tech company made its foray into the EV industry earlier this year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2024

Xiaomi launches faster version of flagship EV in a challenge to Tesla

Xiaomi entered China's crowded EV market in March with the launch of its hit SU7.
The price of gold offered by Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo rose ¥173 from Tuesday to ¥15,104 per gram, including tax.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 30, 2024

Gold prices in Japan top ¥15,000 per gram for the first time

Concerns about political uncertainty following next week's U.S. presidential election is another reason for people to buy gold.
After a two-day meeting of the Bank of Japan policy board ends on Thursday, Gov. Kazuo Ueda is likely to stick to the script and repeat almost verbatim his previous remarks.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 30, 2024

Bank of Japan set to stay course with Ueda seen sticking to script

Deviations from expectations in the statement could have an impact on markets, analysts say.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2024

Ishiba Cabinet's approval rating sinks to around 30%

Public support for the LDP and its ruling coalition partner Komeito dropped significantly after they lost their Lower House majority on Oct. 27.
DPP head Yuichiro Tamaki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday. Tamaki has reportedly rejected a request for a meeting with Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2024

All eyes on DPP ahead of prime minister vote in Lower House

The party — which has quadrupled its seats to 28 — is expected to sway the outcome of the vote, potentially in a way that would benefit Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
A man at a rail station in Seoul watches a news broadcast on Thursday with file footage of a North Korean missile test.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 31, 2024

North Korea fires off ICBM with longest flight time yet

The missile, which flew for 86 minutes, fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, landing in waters some 300 kilometers west of Hokkaido's Okushiri Island.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, on Aug. 25, 2019
WORLD / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

Canada-India tensions could escalate cyber threats and hinder immigration

Canada's deepening dispute with India over its alleged campaign of violence against Sikhs in Canada has so far had no immediate impact on trade.
The number of female directors among firms in the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market will need to more than double in the next six years to meet the government target of having women make up 30% of board members at major firms by 2030.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2024

Rush for female directors stumbles on weak pipeline in Japan

With almost no women rising to become internal directors, companies will have no choice but to recruit them from outside.
Mike Tyson is scheduled to fight Jake Paul in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 15.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Oct 31, 2024

Mike Tyson brushes off criticism of upcoming fight against Jake Paul

British promoter Eddie Hearn dismissed the bout as "dangerous, irresponsible and disrespectful to boxing."
A 15,000-pound undersea cable for transportation to Brazil, at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on June 8, 2009.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

U.S. agency to launch review of undersea cables and national security risks

More than 400 subsea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying more than 99% of the world’s data traffic.
Lions receiver Jameson Williams catches a touchdown pass against the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Oct. 13.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Oct 31, 2024

Lions coach Dan Campbell voices support for embattled receiver Jameson Williams

Campbell came to the defense of Williams as the latest off-field issue — and possible arrest — involving the former first-round pick came to light.
A local resident watches Ukrainian rescuers clear debris on the site of a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

U.S. sanctions entities in India, China and Turkey over Russia war supplies

The U.S. and its allies have piled thousands of sanctions on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, yet Russia’s GDP is projected to grow 3.5% to 4% in 2024.
Tech entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Masayoshi Son made his fortune by becoming a bridge between California's technology culture and Japan.
COMMENTARY
Oct 31, 2024

Masayoshi Son may be the oddest of the oddball billionaires

Masayoshi Son made his fortune by becoming a bridge between Californian tech culture and Japan.
With the next prime minister needing to be selected soon after the recent election, there are questions about whether the Democratic Party For the People and Nippon Ishin no Kai will support Shigeru Ishiba in his bid to remain Japan’s leader.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2024

Ishiba's future in question as support from allies wavers

The question now is whether the DPP and Ishin will support the LDP nominee to ensure victory, or if they will nominate their own candidates.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Henderson, Nevada, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 1, 2024

Trump says he has big lead over Harris, setting stage for 2024 doubts

Donald Trump is painting a reality for his faithful where he’s got a clear lead and is on track for a resounding victory that only malfeasance can derail.
Vietnamese technical interns work at a food processing factory in Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN
Nov 1, 2024

Criteria revealed for technical interns in Japan looking to change jobs

Applicants can select from a wide range of specific "unavoidable" situations, such as being the victim of harassment, set out in a list attached to the application form.
Cream-filled 'maritozzo' buns are just one of the many sweet treats on offer at Japanese convenience stores.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 3, 2024

Exploring the ‘B-gourmet wonderland’ of Japanese convenience stores

Tourists who obsess over 7-Eleven and FamilyMart can seem a bit absurd, but there's no denying the integral role these stores have in daily life in Japan.
Kabocha are harvested in the summer, but they don't reach peak flavor until they mature in the months leading up to fall and winter.
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Nov 3, 2024

A perfect dish for peak kabocha season

This dish is an interesting alternative to potato salad and also makes a great appetizer to go along with some pre-dinner drinks. 
Korey Kito, left, stands with his father Brian Kito in front of their confectionery, Fugetsu-Do, in Los Angeles.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 4, 2024

How Fugetsu-Do survived the evolution of Little Tokyo in LA

In addition to selling mochi and other treats out of the storefront, Fugetsu-do also stocks other Japanese specialty food stores across California.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. addresses the Summit of the Future in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City in September.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 2, 2024

Palau leader says China pushing for Taiwan switch

Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. also accused China of violating the exclusive economic zone of his nation, which is located north of Australia.
Akira Oishi (left) and Shinichi Okanobori have taken on the responsibility of surveying the flora and fauna of Mount Tenran and Mount Tonosu in Saitama Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Nov 2, 2024

Inside Japan's 100-year project to monitor its deteriorating biodiversity

With researchers and an army of volunteers on its side, the Monitoring Sites 1,000 project aims to bring attention to our fragile ecosystems.
The Meteorological Agency said that, as of 2:10 p.m Saturday, a total of 188 observation points in western and central Japan had recorded their largest-ever 24-hour rainfall for November
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2024

Western and central Japan drenched by record rainfall for November

The heavy rains saw the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, issue the highest-level alert and urge nearly 190,000 residents to evacuate to shelters.
Leaders of Japan’s political parties pose for a group photo at the start of a debate at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Oct. 12. Sunday’s Lower House election saw the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party take a drubbing.
EDITORIALS
Nov 1, 2024

The balance of power shifts in Japan’s politics

Despite the LDP's losses at polls, the recent election didn't exactly indicate popular support for an opposition-led government either.
The closing session of the United Nations' COP16 summit in Cali, Colombia, on Friday
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Nov 2, 2024

Talks on halting nature loss run into extra time in Colombia

A closing plenary session started more than four hours late as groups of negotiators huddled behind closed doors seeking to iron out their differences.
Kemi Badenoch, the newly named leader of Britain's Conservative Party, speaks in London on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 2, 2024

Badenoch beats Jenrick to succeed Sunak at helm of U.K. Tories

The former business secretary now faces the daunting task of picking Britain’s main opposition party up from the ruins of July's catastrophic election loss.
David Cooper (left), executive secretary of COP16, Colombian Environment Minister and COP16 President Susana Muhamad (center), and Astrid Schomaker, secretary of COP16, attend the closing session of the conference in Cali, Colombia, on Saturday.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Nov 3, 2024

U.N. talks on saving nature stumble on finance hurdle

COP16 was suspended after negotiations ran nearly 12 hours longer than planned and delegates started leaving.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 3, 2024

Climate skeptics are hatching big plans for a second Trump term

Pushed to the fringes during the Biden administration, they are now preparing to revive coal, gut the EPA and limit the tools used by climate scientists.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, face off in an election Tuesday that will have wide-ranging implications for Japan.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2024

Status quo or disruption? Breaking down the U.S. election's impact on Japan

Regardless of who wins, Washington is likely to have limited bandwidth to change tack in a significant way with its most important Asian ally.

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