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Nobuko, younger sister of Kotaro Nishizawa, who died at his clinic in Osaka during an arson attack, hugs one of the audience members following a memorial concert for the victims held in the city on Dec. 3.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 17, 2023

Deadly arson attack in Osaka remembered two years on

A piano concert was organized as an opportunity for bereaved relatives to connect and heal.
A contingency in the event that China invades Taiwan is emerging as a key focus in Japan’s new defense policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 17, 2023

Will Japan intervene in a Taiwan contingency? It depends.

If Taiwan puts up a fight against a Chinese invasion, it would likely engender a U.S. intervention that would not be possible without Japan’s assistance.
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Aug. 23.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 18, 2023

Ohtani becomes first Japanese player to win Hank Aaron award

The award is given to the hitter with the most outstanding performance in each of the American League and the National League.
Packages of tofu on the production line at the Yamami factory in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2023

Tofu-maker Yamami sees shares surge after automating ancient craft

At its newest factory at the foot of Mount Fuji, the company, one of the few that’s listed, can produce 15,000 units of the bean curd each hour.
A woman who is against the proposed new constitution holds up a banner as she reacts to results of the referendum on a new Chilean constitution, in Santiago on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 18, 2023

Weary Chileans reject second proposed constitution

With 99% of votes counted in the referendum, 56% rejected the text while 44% backed the document.
A supporter of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi reacts after presidential election results in Cairo on Dec. 18.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2023

With few challengers Egypt's el-Sissi secures third term as president

Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called the vote a rejection of the "inhumane war" in neighboring Gaza.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meet during a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2023

NATO's delicate balancing act in the Indo-Pacific

Japan and NATO are already working together on new technologies and on efforts to safeguard the new domains of cyber, outer space and other vectors.
Buildings in Xiamen on mainland China across the Taiwan Strait from anti-landing barriers on a beach in Kinmen, Taiwan.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 20, 2023

Taiwan’s ability to defend against Chinese invasion questioned

For all the support given by Washington, the reality is that when it comes to both civil and military defense, Taiwan still has a lot to do.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 20, 2023

Stablemaster Shikoroyama's lasting sumo legacy

The stablemaster √ leaves behind a legacy as a popular star who fostered respect for the sport and its participants among the general public.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 20, 2023

Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April

Drivers will be allowed to operate in specific areas at certain times under the guidance of taxi companies when there is a lack of rides available.
Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki speaks at a news conference at the prefectural government office on Wednesday. The prefecture is set to begin charging people to climb Mount Fuji.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2023

Yamanashi Prefecture to collect fees from Mount Fuji climbers

The prefecture will also control the number of climbers to ease congestion and prevent visitors from climbing through the night.
Former education minister Kisaburo Tokai, who has been tapped as Liberal Democratic Party policy chief, speaks to reporters Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 21, 2023

Kishida makes more LDP leadership changes in bid to restore trust

The changes come a week after he dismissed four key members of his Cabinet who were also Abe faction members suspected of receiving unreported funds.
A woman lights a candle in front of the Charles University main building following a shooting at one of the university's buildings in Prague on Thursday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 22, 2023

Gunman kills 14 in attack at Prague university

The gunman is also suspected in the killings of another man and his 2-month-old daughter who were found shot dead last week.
A look into what used to be the Koyamacho neighborhood in Tokyo's Minato Ward may reveal what Japan stands to lose from not protecting its recent past.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 25, 2023

Mita facelift paves over another slice of Tokyo history

The death of Koyamacho shows that Japan needs to begin preserving some parts of its modern history for future generations.
JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft is expected to land on the lunar surface in early 2024.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 21, 2023

One small step for a JAXA spacecraft, one giant leap for exploration

In 2024, we can look forward to the arrival on the moon of JAXA's SLIM spacecraft. Its groundbreaking accuracy could further propel space exploration.
A U.S. Steel coke works in Clairton, Pennsylvania
EDITORIALS
Dec 22, 2023

A steel deal that’s good for Japan and the U.S.

Nippon Steel’s announcement that it plans to purchase U.S. Steel has triggered an uproar in the United States.
Ukraine passed a law in July to move the celebration of Christmas to Dec. 25 — the day when most of the Christian world marks the birth of Jesus.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 24, 2023

Ukrainians defy Moscow with first Dec. 25 Christmas

The move to celebrate the birth of Jesus on the day most Christians do deviates from the Orthodox Church observance of Jan. 7, seen as Russian heritage.
Physical strength among children is on a recovery track as a whole, which the Japan Sports Agency said was a reflection of more opportunities for physical exercise following a relaxation of restrictions related to COVID-19 in the country.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 24, 2023

Physical strength of Japan junior high school girls at record low

Male students, however, scored better in the Japan Sports Agency's annual physical fitness survey for this year.
Demonstrators rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Buffalo, New York, in February 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 26, 2023

It’s past time scientists admitted their COVID-19 mistakes

In 2019, 13% of Americans were distrustful enough to say they weren’t confident in scientists to act in the public’s best interest. Now it is 27%.
An ambulance (left) carrying the body of South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun leaves a park in central Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," was found dead in an apparent suicide, Yonhap news agency reported.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 27, 2023

'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead amid drug allegations

Lee had been under investigation amid an ongoing government crackdown on illegal drug use.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa attends the 10th trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 26.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 27, 2023

It's time to consider a woman to take Japan's top job

Is a controversial call for Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa to become the LDP's first female prime minister a Hail Mary or a masterstroke?
Prime minister Fumio Kishida reviews Japan Self-Defense Forces troops at Camp Asaka in Tokyo in November 2021.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 27, 2023

Reviewing Japan's security moves in 2023

With Japan's economic malaise and scandals eroding political capital in Tokyo, 2024 may yield an extended waiting period for new security measures.
Veteran politician Alan Leong in the now-empty headquarters of the Civic Party, once the city's second largest opposition party, in Hong Kong. Six lapel pins bearing the Civic Party's founding date are all Hong Kong veteran politician Alan Leong kept when the once-prominent opposition group cleared its headquarters and shuttered its doors days before the new year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 28, 2023

Hong Kong's former second-largest opposition party shuts down

Since China imposed its security law, the Civic Party has seen members jailed, elected politicians unseated and a former lawmaker listed as a fugitive.
Fighters of the Wagner private mercenary group, many of whom were recruited from prisons, are deployed in June near the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2023

Vladimir Putin’s killer patriotism

Pardoning violent convicts to get more soldiers onto the battlefield is not desirable, but for Putin, the alternative would be even worse.
Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates a goal during a match in January. The Premier League standout will be among the stars on South Korea's squad for the upcoming Asian Cup.
SOCCER
Dec 29, 2023

Son Heung-min to lead South Korea squad 'ready' to win Asian Cup

Son will captain a squad that also includes Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae and 22-year-old Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Lee Kang-in.
Salesforce headquarters in San Francisco.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 29, 2023

Software companies finally had to care about profit in 2023

The pressure was acute for money-losing companies.
Police officers examine a scene where South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead at a park in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 29, 2023

In South Korea, an unrelenting stance on drugs batters suspected users

Treatment experts say that authorities focus too much on punishment rather than rehabilitation.
A wafer is pictured at Semicon Taiwan in Taipei
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 30, 2023

This startup shows it won't be easy to contain China's chip industry

The story of Seida illustrates the challenges the West faces in thwarting Chinese development of advanced microchip technology.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 31, 2023

The outlook for 2024 appears grim — but nothing is preordained

Given the complex landscape of 2024, we can expect to navigate uncertainty, geopolitical shifts and a myriad of pivotal elections.
The ASML headquarters and factory in Veldhoven, Netherlands
WORLD / Politics
Jan 2, 2024

U.S. pushed Dutch tech company to block Chinese sales

ASML had licenses to ship three top-of-the-line deep ultraviolet lithography machines to Chinese firms until January, when new Dutch restrictions took full effect.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji