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A fishing boat patrols the sea for poaching off the port of Yomogita, Aomori Prefecture, on the night of Sept. 13.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Oct 30, 2023

Aomori sea cucumber fishermen hit hard by China’s seafood import ban

Twenty-seven cooperatives in the prefecture have suspended operations in October, when the fishing season for sea cucumbers starts in a normal year.
A pedestrian walks past an electronic signboard showing data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and on the Japanese yen after the currency rebounded slightly after hitting ¥150 to the U.S. dollar in overnight trading, along a street in central Tokyo on Oct. 4.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2023

Germany set to eclipse Japan as No. 3 economy in 2023, IMF says

The yen’s widely watched depreciation has played an outsized role in its projected slide in position.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Oct. 3
WORLD / Politics
Oct 24, 2023

China-linked 'spamouflage' targeted Canadian PM and lawmakers

The campaign, using networks of new and hijacked social media accounts to post bulk messages, took place in August and September.
A Hello Kitty balloon is paraded down 6th Ave during the 91st Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in November 2017.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 24, 2023

Soft power and Japan's role in a complex world

While hard power zeroes in on what can be physically controlled such as an empire by force, soft power is an empire by invitation.
The role of cryptocurrencies in terrorist financing has once again come into focus after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
BUSINESS / Tech / EXPLAINER
Oct 25, 2023

Crypto's role in terrorist financing comes under renewed scrutiny

Cryptocurrency's role in terrorist financing has come under renewed scrutiny following a deadly attack in Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Voice actors record their parts for a radio drama at a radio station studio in Manila.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 25, 2023

Filipino listeners cheered by last surviving radio dramas

A small team of voice actors and technicians produce shows that are broadcast in Tagalog by DZRH, one of the oldest radio stations in the country.
U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana
WORLD / Politics
Oct 25, 2023

U.S. Republicans try, try again with fourth speaker nominee

Congress has been at a standstill and unable to address multiple global crises, as well as the fast-approaching threat of a government shutdown.
Much of the focus on Meta stemmed from a whistleblower's release of documents in 2021 that showed the company knew Instagram, which began as a photo-sharing app, was addictive and worsened body image issues for some teen girls.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 25, 2023

Lawsuits against Meta in 33 states claim Instagram harms children

Children have long been an appealing demographic for businesses, which hope to attract them as consumers at ages when they may be more impressionable.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 18.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 25, 2023

Biden treads tightrope on Israel-Hamas cease-fire

The balancing act is becoming tougher by the day, with reports that Washington is concerned about Israel's plan of action for a Gaza invasion.
Relief pitcher Paul Sewald celebrates with catcher Gabriel Moreno after the Diamondbacks defeated the Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 25, 2023

Diamondbacks cap NLCS comeback to stun Phillies in Game 7

Corbin Carroll collected three hits and two RBIs as the Diamondbacks advanced to the World Series by beating the Phillies 4-2.
Baby soap donated by sanitary products company Saraya to the city of Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, has been distributed at child care support facilities in the city.
BUSINESS
Oct 26, 2023

Donation platform matches firms with local governments in Japan

The platform not only helps improve the welfare of residents, but also allows companies to make effective use of inventories.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his annual policy address at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Wednesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 25, 2023

Hong Kong's leader says to create new national security law in 2024

Pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for more autonomy from China.
Japan’s Naoya Inoue holds a news conference to announce his next bout, in Yokohama on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Oct 25, 2023

'Monster' Inoue eyes second undisputed crown against Tapales

The boxer last year became the first undisputed bantamweight world champion in half a century, before vacating his belts to move up to superbantamweight.
Participants hold a giant rainbow flag during a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Parade in Hong Kong
WORLD / Society
Oct 25, 2023

How nations allow or restrict legal gender change

A small number of countries have made it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, while other nations have restricted such changes.
Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2023

Commercial asteroid mining has a astronomical cost issue

Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
Despite shifts in the global economy and trade, the world remains highly integrated and globalization is far from over.
COMMENTARY
Oct 25, 2023

Globalization’s demise has been greatly exaggerated

Trade flows, allocation of dollars, and supply chains are evolving, but these changes are not uniform and can be challenging to predict.
Munakata Shiko's "Oshira-sama: The Flying Silkworm Deities" (1968)
CULTURE / Art
Oct 26, 2023

Major retrospective traces hero's journey of 'Japan's van Gogh'

An exhibition of Shiko Munakata's works shows evidence of a charismatic character and a career that reflects Japan's changing relationship with the West.
A concierge-in-training (Natsumi Kawaida) learns the ins and outs of working at an upscale department store in “The Concierge.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 26, 2023

‘The Concierge’: Frivolous fun with vintage charm

Yoshimi Itazu’s anime set in a department store for animal clientele offers a glittering experience with fluid animation and a vivid color palette.
A fledgling film director (Mayu Matsuoka, center) returns home to make a film about her dysfunctional family in “Masked Hearts.”
CULTURE / Film
Oct 26, 2023

‘Masked Hearts’: Catharsis comes out of familial discord

Yuya Ishii returns to his indie roots with a comedy-drama that comes from a personal and painfully real place.
Tents for displaced Palestinians at a camp, operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, in western Khan Younis, Gaza, on, Oct. 17.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 26, 2023

Record 114 million people now displaced worldwide, says U.N.

Almost one-third of all displaced people originated from just three countries: Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine.
Members of the United Auto Workers outside Ford's Michigan Parts Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Sept. 26. The U.S. auto workers union announced a tentative agreement with the firm late on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 26, 2023

Ford and UAW reach tentative deal to end strike by auto workers

Including compounding and cost of living, worker pay will rise about 33% to over $40 an hour over the life of the contract.
An increasing number of middle-aged men are using currency trading apps to buy and sell the yen to get short-term profits.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 26, 2023

Middle-aged salarymen exploit volatile yen with smartphone trades

Smartphone traders amplify volatility in currency markets by seizing on intraday moves, departing from a previous focus on interest rate differentials.
Servers inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, in March 2019
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 26, 2023

China swaps Western tech for domestic options as U.S. cracks down

The telecom and financial sectors are considered the next focus for the drive, with digital payments seen as particularly vulnerable to Western hacking.
U.S. President Joe Biden toasts with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an official state dinner at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 26, 2023

U.S. and Australia seek military drone cooperation with Japan

The moves comes as the nations aim to maintain an edge in the face of China's growing military might.
A poster for Uber displayed at a Tokyo subway station reads: "Meeting inbound demand together with Japan's taxis." It also notes that its service is used in 71 countries.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 26, 2023

Japan weighs allowing ride-hailing amid taxi industry opposition

The taxi industry is opposed to any change, arguing that allowing ride-hailing is just a temporary fix that will take jobs from taxi drivers.
Chinese astronauts attend a see-off ceremony at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China, on Thursday
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 26, 2023

China's youngest-ever crew of astronauts heads to space station

The spacecraft and its three passengers lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Oct 26, 2023

All-Kansai Japan Series offers new chance to remember foreign aces

The 1964 Japan Series featured two of the best foreign pitchers in Japanese baseball history.
The simplest option for many Japanese industries facing labor shortages might be to do what the taxi sector is doing — keep people in the workforce longer.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 26, 2023

Octogenarian taxi drivers to the labor-crunch rescue

An option for many Japanese industries facing labor shortages might be to do what the taxi sector is doing — keep people in the workforce longer.
SUMO
Oct 26, 2023

Takakeisho heads to Kyushu Basho with yokozuna promotion in sight

The 27-year-old has put himself in line for elevation to the sport’s highest rank following the upcoming Kyushu meet.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2023

Auto union boss victorious over Ford with unorthodox playbook

Bible-quoting, tough-talking Shawn Fain scored his first big victory against the Detroit Three through a tentative labor deal with Ford.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo