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Japan's core inflation stayed above the central bank's 2% target in December but slowed for a second straight month, reinforcing expectations it will be in no hurry to phase out its massive monetary stimulus.
BUSINESS
Jan 19, 2024

Japan’s slowing inflation supports case for BOJ to wait longer

Growth in consumer prices excluding fresh food slowed to 2.3% in December from a year earlier.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week declared the South his country's "principal enemy," jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 19, 2024

North Korea says tested 'underwater nuclear weapon system'

The test was made in response to joint naval exercises by the U.S., South Korea and Japan that involved an aircraft carrier earlier this week, Pyongyang said.
A worker builds a home in Lillington, North Carolina, in June. Appetite among Japanese companies in the U.S. homebuilding market is growing as they struggle with a declining population at home.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2024

A $4.9 billion Japan deal for a U.S. builder heralds more M&A

Appetite among Japanese buyers in the U.S. homebuilding market is growing as they struggle with a declining population at home.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 19, 2024

Debate grows over whether expo funding should go to Ishikawa recovery

It has been suggested it would be better to postpone, or even cancel, the troubled 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
Rie Qudan speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday after being awarded the Akutagawa Prize.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 19, 2024

Akutagawa Prize draws controversy after win for work that used ChatGPT

Rie Qudan won Japan’s most important prize for early career writers for “Tokyo-to Dojo-to,” a novel that “exposes the prophecy of the AI generation.”
Honda’s sales in the United States soared 33% last year and the firm anticipates continued growth but at a more modest pace.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2024

Honda sees 2024 U.S. sales climbing 10% with boost from hybrids

Honda’s sales in the U.S. soared 33% last year to 1.3 million vehicles — with one-quarter of that total coming from hybrid models.
A mid-19th century ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi depicts Xu Fu’s voyage in search of the elixir of life. He can be seen near the left side of the image, with what looks to be Penglai, or Mount Fuji, in the background.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Jan 20, 2024

Eternal pursuits: A history of Japanese quests for immortality

Whether it's a permanent state of meditation or feasting on mermaid, the quest for immortality in Japan isn't too far off from those in other cultures.
Taiwan's election results reflect the democratic aspirations of its citizens but is a cause for disappointment in Beijing.
EDITORIALS
Jan 19, 2024

The winner of Taiwan's election was democracy

The biggest disappointment was felt in Beijing, where inducements, threats and warnings failed to sway Taiwan’s voters.
The health of China's economy will always be a factor in how other Asian economies fare, and some of those are doing OK despite their larger neighbor’s woes.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 19, 2024

The latest indignity for China’s flawed recovery

Neighbors whose economic fortunes were supposed to be tied to the heft of China’s rebound from the pandemic seem to be doing pretty well without it.
Left-wing activists take part in a rally in Dhaka on Jan. 3 to demand a new election under Bangladesh's caretaker government.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 18, 2024

Weeks into 2024 and the world seems on edge

The global system that emerged after World War II is giving way to a world without order.
A single mom in Kobe moonlights as a sleuth in Simon Rowe’s “Mami Suzuki: Private Eye.”
CULTURE / Books
Jan 21, 2024

'Mami Suzuki: Private Eye': Kobe sleuth's colorful mysteries take readers around Japan

Simon Rowe’s straight-talking detective cuts a sophisticated figure as she solves matters the police won’t touch, all while looking after her young daughter and mother.
A group of Pikachu, three riding a Dragonite, play with Woopers, a Bulbasaur and other resort guests in “Pokemon Concierge.”
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 20, 2024

Pikachu just wants to help you relax these days

On Netflix’s “Pokemon Concierge,” the hyperactivity of the original gives way to soothing sights and tones that can help grown-up fans calm down.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 19, 2024

LDP turmoil continues as three major factions announce dissolution

Lawmakers from the 98-member political faction that was previously led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the decision during a meeting Friday night.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli war Cabinet, as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 20, 2024

Biden speaks with Netanyahu on Gaza attacks and Palestinian state

Biden's call with Netanyahu was the first in nearly a month, the White House said, noting the discussions focused on Israel's ongoing strikes in Gaza.
Paul Patterson, Fujitsu's European head, leaves after giving evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in central London on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 20, 2024

Fujitsu says Post Office knew about Horizon bugs from the start

Errors from the firm's software led to the wrongful conviction of hundreds of people for theft and false accounting.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House during an event to welcome mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in Washington, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 20, 2024

Biden open to asylum changes to clinch Ukraine and border deals

The U.S. president said he is open to "massive changes” in border policy, including to asylum laws, in order to secure a deal that would unlock Ukraine aid.
Microsoft said a Russian-linked hacking group attacked its corporate systems, but said the group doesn’t appear to have accessed customers’ systems or Microsoft servers that run outward-facing products.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 20, 2024

Microsoft says Russia-linked group hacked employee emails

The company said it’s acting immediately to fix older systems, which will probably cause some disruption.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves against China's Shang Juncheng during the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.
TENNIS
Jan 20, 2024

Awesome Alcaraz reaches second week at Melbourne for first time

In the unusual position of playing someone younger than himself, two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz simply dominated 18-year-old Shang.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 20, 2024

Sungoliath leave it late to see off Dynaboars in classic

The Sungoliath, who came back late to win a week earlier, repeated the trick for their fifth win from six games.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 20, 2024

Record-low public support sends shockwaves through LDP

The falling support for the LDP is primarily due to a political funds scandal involving the party's powerful factions.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with local residents during a walkabout with Conservative MPs in Winchester, England, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 20, 2024

Why Sunak’s Conservatives are talking about the 1993 Canadian election

A week of Tory rebellions and cataclysmic polls has left members of Sunak’s governing party plumbing new depths of despair over their prospects of staying in power.
Rougned Odor, a 10-year MLB veteran, has reportedly signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.
BASEBALL
Jan 21, 2024

Rougned Odor signs deal with Yomiuri Giants, report says

Odor, 29, played in 59 games for the San Diego Padres in 2023 before he was released in July, batting .203 with four home runs and 18 RBIs.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty in Taipei. There are markers all over Taiwan of its courtship of the United States.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 21, 2024

Taiwan’s doubts about America are growing. That could be dangerous.

Will deepening skepticism about the United States as a trustworthy nation diminish Taiwan’s belief that it could fend off China?
Families of hostages and supporters protest to call for the release of those kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 21, 2024

Israeli protesters demand return of hostages and early elections

Demonstrators marched through Tel Aviv's Habima Square, a frequent protest site, with some carrying signs calling Netanyahu "the face of evil."
Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner walks past an honor guard during the arrival ceremony at Western Command, in Puerto Princesa, on the Philippine island of Palawan last August.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 21, 2024

Manila gets tough in the South China Sea as a showdown looms

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken a tough stance on territorial disputes with China — and he is backing this up with bold moves.
An offshore wind turbine off the coast of Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2013. Japan aims to increase its offshore wind power capacity to 10 GW by 2030.
ENVIRONMENT / OUR PLANET
Jan 21, 2024

As Japan makes major investments in wind power, some residents are pushing back

In a sense, the city of Ishikari represents the idealized, natural version of Hokkaido for many Japanese. Some residents say massive wind turbines will destroy that image.
Salmon farming can be a nasty business. Breeding involves removing eggs and sperm from anesthetized fish, and typically euthanizing males after extraction.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Jan 21, 2024

Scotland’s salmon farms navigate troubled waters for global industry

Despite pitching the red-fleshed fish as a more environmentally friendly alternative to beef, producers haven’t yet figured out how to scale sustainably.
Journalist Shiori Ito sheds a tear as she speaks to reporters outside the Tokyo district court on Dec. 18, 2019, after hearing the ruling on a damages lawsuit by her, accusing a former TV reporter of rape.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 21, 2024

Japanese journalist brings lonely #MeToo battle to Sundance

Shiori Ito's fight for justice is the subject of "Black Box Diaries," a documentary she herself directed.
Mark Rutte, the Netherlands' prime minister, during an interview on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17
WORLD / Politics
Jan 22, 2024

Rutte’s backers are pushing to lock him in as NATO’s next leader

The Dutch leader is already the strong favorite to succeed current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg when his term ends in October.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a rally in advance of the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 22, 2024

Trump’s 2016 win shook markets. Traders won’t get fooled again.

Wall Street is already starting to game out the impact of Trump’s possible return to the White House.

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