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"Great Japan History Briefing Session, the 15th Empress Jingu." Expedition in Korea. The legendary Empress Jingu setting foot in Korea. Painting by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi in 1880.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Apr 18, 2024

What would Sigmund Freud have thought of Japan’s largely peaceful history?

In an exchange of letters, Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud discussed human nature when it comes to why people go to war. How does Japan fit in?
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest on the day he appeals in a British court against his extradition to the United States, in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 20.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2024

Assange extradition approaches as U.S. provides U.K. with assurances

The U.S. says that a sentence of death will neither be sought nor imposed.
An electronic board shows stock indexes at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai on March 21, 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2024

China's money managers lament loss of quality research amid analyst cutbacks

A prolonged market slump has reduced trading commissions as authorities tighten limits around what research analysts are allowed to publish.
A member of Ukraine’s 17th Tank Brigade on patrol near the front line in the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine on Jan. 4.
WORLD
Apr 17, 2024

Ukraine’s big vulnerabilities: Ammunition, soldiers and air defense

Even if outside aid comes through, Ukraine's third year pushing Russia back will be extremely tough as they continue to be outgunned.
Ryoma Shimoseki (90) was playing at Kosei Gakuen High School in Tokyo when he was discovered by NFL Academy coaches.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Apr 17, 2024

Japanese NFL hopeful gets dream chance on football field in U.K.

Ryoma Shimoseki was recently announced as the newest addition to the NFL Academy as he bids to become the first Japanese to make an NFL roster.
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 18, 2024

'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV

Min Tanaka plays a powerful political fixer in the 10-episode show, which centers on the behind-the-scenes machinations of "kuromaku."
Protesters hold images of Aung San Suu Kyi and a flag of Myanmar during a demonstration outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2023, to mark the second anniversary of the coup in Myanmar.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 17, 2024

Jailed Myanmar leader Suu Kyi moved to house arrest

During her months-long trial, Suu Kyi reportedly suffered dizzy spells, vomiting and at times had been unable to eat because of a tooth infection.
A new study has found that women with long COVID had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2024

Sex differences could be key to the successful treatment of long COVID

New research links testosterone levels to the severity of long COVID in women.
A worker inspects solar panels that provide electrical power to Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, in December 2023. High-ranking scholars and clergy have issued fatwas, or edicts, on how to rein in climate change. On a smaller scale, Muslim activists are telling their friends, family and neighbors that their duty to save the environment is embedded in the Quran.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 17, 2024

What can ‘Green Islam’ achieve in the world’s largest Muslim country?

Proponents of the movement say educating 200 million Muslims on environmental awareness could drive much needed change.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2024

Biden seeks higher tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum

The president was set to reiterate that United States Steel should remain American-owned.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday evening.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2024

Kishida agrees to further deepen ties with South Korea's Yoon

The prime minister informed the South Korean leader about his summit earlier this month with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The Palestinian push for full U.N. membership comes six months into a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

U.N. Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian U.N. membership

The United States — an Israel ally — is expected to block the membership request as it would effectively recognize a Palestinian state.
Children give a presentation on volcano studies during a workshop at Tairadate Elementary School in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, in February.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Apr 29, 2024

Raising awareness over Mount Iwate eruption urged as memories fade

Interest in preparing for possible volcanic eruptions is difficult to muster in a nation prone to other natural disasters.
Once one of the country’s biggest employers, Toshiba has been trying to cut costs in its sprawling operations and focus on its infrastructure and digital technology operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 18, 2024

Toshiba considers cutting thousands of jobs in Japan

The electronics and machinery maker plans to focus resources on its infrastructure and digital operations.
France's President Emmanuel Macron (left) and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (right) talk as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (center) uses a phone during an informal European Union leaders' summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

EU weighs response to Russian 'interference' in election run-up

Several EU states want to sanction Russia for their suspected disinformation campaigns ahead of European elections set for June.
Israel and its allies mostly shot down all missiles and drones and there were no deaths, but Israel says it must retaliate to preserve the credibility of its deterrents.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Israel will defend itself, Netanyahu says, as West calls for restraint

Israel said it must respond to a volley of attacks from Iran — which caused no deaths — to preserve the credibility of its deterrents.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the media in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Defying hardliners, Johnson presses ahead on Ukraine and Israel plan

The Republican leader outlined a $95 billion aid package after intense discussions with ultraconservatives.
Efforts by Russia and China to shape U.S. politics through propaganda and cyberattacks have been less pronounced during this year’s election cycle than they were in 2016 and 2020, Microsoft said on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Microsoft sees slowing in Russian and Chinese efforts to sway U.S. vote

Researchers concluded that there have been few signs of people being broadly swayed by sophisticated deepfake videos made with AI by the nation-states.
The Oxford English Dictionary contains 552 Japanese loanwords in English, a small number compared to the near 25,000 borrowings from French.
LIFE / Language
Apr 18, 2024

The unexpected ways in which Japanese words 'make it' into English

Thanks to new entries in the Oxford English Dictionary, pretty soon even your grandparents will know what "onigiri" and "omotenashi" mean.
An Iron Dome missile battery site in southern Israel on April 17
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

For Israel, Iran crisis tests limits of allies' aid and domestic unity

Rather than offering to fight for Israel as they have in the past, Western allies are suggesting that no one challenge Iran militarily just now.
Ayuko Kato, minister in charge of children's policies (right), stands after a bill on expanding child-rearing allowances clears a Lower House committee on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Lower House panel approves bill aiming to address low birthrate

The bill will expand child-rearing allowances, funded through a new system to collect additional fees on top of public medical insurance premiums.
A bill on expanding legal support for crime victims clears the Lower House on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 18, 2024

Japan enacts bill to help crime victims

The bill to revise the comprehensive legal support law was approved unanimously at a plenary session of the House of Representatives.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino speaks at the IISS Special Lecture in Singapore in March last year.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Aquilino to visit Japan as term set to expire

Adm. John Aqulino is expected to discuss a planned revamp to the command and control framework for U.S. forces in Japan with the SDF chief of staff.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield poses for a photo with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, on Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

U.S. envoy to U.N. uses Japan visit to bolster U.N. Security Council

“The Security Council of 70 years ago does not reflect the realities of today,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
South Korean officials count ballots following a parliamentary election on April 10. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s conservative bloc is set for a major setback in a vote for a new parliament, exit polls showed, likely meaning he will be in a weak position for the remaining three years of his term and face political gridlock.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Billionaire families lose hope for tax cut after Korean vote

South Korea’s regular maximum inheritance levy of as much as 50% is the second-highest among members of the OECD, after 55% in Japan.
Countries in Southeast Asia have implemented a range of counterterrorism policies and measures, each with their strengths and challenges. However, the effectiveness of such policies remains a subject of debate.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2024

Southeast Asia needs to step up its counterterrorism game

While Islamic State and al-Qaeda have lost ground in the region, they are still capable of recruiting and inspiring local groups to join extremist causes.
Ideal or not, the reality of the world is that one currency, the U.S. dollar, is first among equals.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2024

Asian currencies can't fight the dollar on a rampage

Markets tend to reflect economic performance. And ideal or not, the reality of a world is one currency, the U.S. dollar, is truly first among equals.
Polling officials arrive to collect their order of appointment of polling officers ahead of the first phase of the general election, in Tiruvannamalai, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

How AI tools could change India’s elections

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Indian National Congress party have accused each other of spreading election-related fake content.
LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi arrives for his faction meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Motegi faces bumpy road after faction dissolution

Motegi has never sought to conceal his aspirations for the top spot, but his prospects may now be dwindling.
The combination of subsidence and rising sea levels is set to be a defining problem for Chinese cities; last year thousands of residents were evacuated from apartments in Tianjin after nearby streets split apart.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 19, 2024

China’s cities are sinking below sea level, study finds

An estimated 16% of the country’s major cities are losing more than 10 millimeters of elevation per year.

Longform

"Shake hands with Lima-chan," a statue that shares the name of the Peruvian capital looks in the direction of Peru, where a sister statue, "Sakura-chan," is located. Erected in Yokohama's Rinko Park in 1999, it commemorates Peruvian-Japanese friendship.
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan