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Mazuki Takarada, who was arrested last month in connection with the murder of a 75-year-old man in Yokohama, is believed to be part of a series of robberies that have taken place in and around Tokyo since the summer.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 10, 2024

Japanese police seize over 100 smartphones stolen in serial robberies

The police are making gradual progress with more than 50 arrests, but the ringleaders remain at large due to the group's system of anonymity.
Japanese organ builder Itaru Sekiguchi is helping to restore the Great Organ at Paris' Notre Dame cathedral.
JAPAN
Nov 17, 2024

Japanese organ builder 'honored' to restore voice of Notre Dame

Itaru Sekiguchi had dreamed of having a chance to work on the "voice" of the masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides a military demonstration in North Korea on March 13.
WORLD
Nov 11, 2024

What would North Korean soldiers do in Ukraine?

Their presence alongside Russians fighting Ukraine raises tactical and military questions, leading some to wonder about their effectiveness and ultimate objectives.
Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
BUSINESS / Longform
Nov 11, 2024

A boom for business tourism in Japan?

Japan’s MICE sector is expanding rapidly, adapting with tech upgrades, flexible venues and sustainable initiatives as the Osaka Expo approaches.
Dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, with their reliance on basic algorithms, often lead to superficial connections, but AI could improve this by analyzing deeper data for more meaningful matches.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

AI dating might actually not be so bad

While still in development, these AI-driven match-making tools aim to reduce the fatigue of online dating and foster more genuine connections.
People walk along Wall Street in New York.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 11, 2024

Wall Street math wizards are decoding private-market returns

Decoding such illiquid investments is fraught with pitfalls, however, as many modeling mortgage bonds and derivatives before the financial crisis would testify.
Princess Yuriko in May 2023. At 101 years old, she is the oldest member of the imperial family.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2024

Imperial family members visit ailing Princess Yuriko at hospital

The health condition of the 101-year-old princess — the sister-in-law of the late former Emperor Hirohito — worsened suddenly on Friday.
Solar panels installed along the coastline of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. Due to the relative ease of starting solar power generation, mega solar power plants have been installed rapidly across the country.
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2024

Japan to mandate solar panel recycling when lifespan ends

The number of panels reaching the end of their lifespans is projected to start rising sharply in the mid-2030s.
Last year, cashews were responsible for 279 of 6,033 allergy cases, or 4.6%, making them the seventh most common allergenic food.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 11, 2024

Japan weighs mandatory allergen labeling for cashew nuts

Cashews nuts caused 37 cases of severe anaphylactic shock last year, making them the fifth most common trigger.
Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger, on April 13.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 12, 2024

Trump inherits waning U.S. strength in Africa

Biden made sweeping political promises to Africa that he has yet to keep, including visiting during his presidency, which ends in January.
Roki Sasaki in action for Japan against the Czech Republic in the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo in March 2023
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 12, 2024

Roki Sasaki and MLB: How effective would his pitching arsenal be?

Every team should be interested in Sasaki, who has been putting up some huge numbers in Japan.
The Dahon Horize Disc Shimano Altus 8-speed folding bicycle was produced in China and 734 units were shipped to Japan from August 2021 until January of this year by Akibo, the bike's importer.
JAPAN
Nov 12, 2024

Consumer watchdog warns against using faulty Dahon folding bicycles

The warning follows an incident in May where a man suffered severe injuries after his bike frame broke while he was riding.
A member of Pakistan's Airport Security Force stands guard near the wreckage of vehicles after an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Oct. 6.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

Beijing pushes to join security efforts for citizens in Pakistan, sources say

Last month's airport bombing that killed two Chinese engineers was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing's interests in Pakistan.
A screenshot of a suspicious job listing on Timee went viral on social media platform X. The job listing was later taken down by Timee.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 13, 2024

Alleged 'dark' part-time job listings popping up on reputable sites

Such jobs, which promise unusually high wages for ostensibly simple work, have been linked to a series of home burglaries and other crimes in recent months.
Blogger and marketer Alina Rzhanova, 33, adjusts clothes of her 8-month-old son, Igor, during an interview in their apartment in the city of Yaroslavl, Russia, on Oct. 3.
WORLD / Society
Nov 13, 2024

Russia bans 'child-free propaganda' to try to boost birth rate

Official data released in September in Russia put the birth rate at its lowest in a quarter of a century while mortality rates are up as Moscow's war in Ukraine rages on.
Digital minister Masaaki Taira, who has jurisdiction over a bill to introduce an “active cyberdefense” system, speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

Government set to postpone submission of cyberdefense bill to next year

The delay in the bill to introduce an "active cyberdefense" system follows the ruling bloc's election drubbing, which drained the prime minister's political capital.
The Democrats focused on issues like racial and gender inequality and overlooked the economic and social struggles of the working class, allowing Donald Trump to tap into this resentment.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 12, 2024

Voters to elites: Ignore the working class at your own peril

The redistribution of respect saw those who climbed the academic ladder celebrated with accolades, while those who didn’t were rendered invisible.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. He, 69, is a Politburo member and Beijing’s point person for U.S.-China economic and trade affairs.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Xi’s key players to lead China in another Trump trade fight

Donald Trump’s return to power makes Beijing’s potential negotiators some of the most important people in Xi Jinping’s government.
Nippon Steel Vice President Takahiro Mori is set to visit United States next week to meet with union members in a bid to move forward a U.S. Steel takeover deal.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 14, 2024

Nippon Steel’s vice president to meet steelworkers in Pittsburgh next week

The move shows the Japanese company is making a push to persuade union members that its bid to take over U.S. Steel will be good for workers.
The Tokyo District Court has found Nagumi Osada, 27, guilty of sexually abusing seven girls between the ages of 3 and 6.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 14, 2024

Former day care center worker given 14-year term for child sex abuse

The man was found guilty of abusing seven girls between the ages of 3 and 6 at day care centers where he worked and of filming the acts over a period of two years.
Hackers infiltrated the networks of multiple U.S. telecommunications companies to steal customer call records and compromise the communications belonging to a "limited number” of people in government and politics, officials said.
WORLD
Nov 14, 2024

U.S. accuses China of vast cyberespionage against telecoms

The hackers infiltrated the networks of multiple telecommunications companies to steal customer call records and compromise communications.
Taiwanese writer Yang Shuang-zi’s novel “Taiwan Travelogue” provides a portal to the past and allows the reader to explore a bygone world with their eyes, ears and stomach.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 15, 2024

The sentimental gastronomies of ‘Taiwan Travelogue’

Yang Shuang-zi’s layered tale of female companionship takes readers on an epicurean frolic through Taiwan's colonial era.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks in Phoenix, Arizona, on August 23, 2024. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is nominating Kennedy to be the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 15, 2024

Vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. vows to 'Make America Healthy Again'

Donald Trump announced he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become the next secretary of Health and Human Services.
Tulsi Gabbard's nomination has raised alarm among the ranks of intelligence officers.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 15, 2024

Trump's choice of Gabbard as U.S. intelligence chief vexes spy world

Donald Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard is among several high-level picks that suggest he may be prioritizing personal allegiance over competence.
The grey tabby cat Dorayaki is timid and cautious, but a gentle and patient person will certainly gain his trust over time.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Nov 18, 2024

Scaredy-cat looking for his safe place

Someone gentle, caring and patient would be the best fit to help this poor thing overcome the fears from his past.
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 18, 2024

In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation

The latest edition of the Japan Writers Conference was a friendly forum for anglophone writers to connect and converse.
A Ferrari F12tdf fetched a record-high price of ¥171,001,000 ($1.09 million) in a tax agency auction this week.
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2024

Ferrari sells for ¥171 million at Japanese tax sale

The gunmetal gray Ferrari F12tdf, registered in 2017 and with only 1,509 kilometers on the odometer, received 127 bids during the auction.
A SeaGuardian unmanned drone is seen at the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hachinohe Air Base in Aomori Prefecture in June last year.
JAPAN
Nov 16, 2024

MSDF to deploy U.S.-made SeaGuardian surveillance drones

The Defense Ministry said Friday it plans to procure a total of 23 SeaGuardian drones over the next 10 years or so.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during a rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27.
WORLD
Nov 16, 2024

Senators ask Pentagon and U.S. attorney general to probe Musk's alleged Russia calls

Musk, who has been appointed to a senior government role by Trump, oversees billions of dollars in Pentagon and intelligence-community contracts.
A factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture. Even among profitable small and medium-sized enterprises, it is not uncommon for business owners to shut down due to aging and a lack of successors.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Nov 16, 2024

Japan issues warning over bad-faith buyers in small business M&As

As M&As gain attention as a viable option for business succession, measures are being introduced to raise awareness and safeguard companies.

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