Search - new

 
 
Ground Self-Defense Force members participate in a seminar to prevent harassment at Camp Asaka in Tokyo in April.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jul 10, 2024

Spate of scandals threaten to tarnish Defense Ministry and SDF’s reputation

The emergence of multiple scandals is the latest challenge for the Defense Ministry as it seeks to strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games' opening ceremony, which will be held outside of a stadium for the first time in history, has attracted a lot of interest from Japanese fans.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 10, 2024

Japan fans shun pricey Olympics tickets even as top-tier packages sell out

Travel agencies report a noticeable drop in demand for Paris Olympics tours amid a weakening of the yen and the introduction of a new booking system.
A conceptual design of a potential Hokkaido Spaceport (HOSPO). HOSPO is aiming to become one of Japan’s major domestic spaceports for launching satellite-equipped rockets and spacecraft as well as for the aerospace industry to conduct research and development.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jul 22, 2024

Small Hokkaido town looks to the stars for future growth

Taiki, population 5,300, is home to what is billed as Asia’s first privately operated spaceport — Hokkaido Spaceport.
Plaintiffs in a series of lawsuits over forced sterilization and their lawyers hold banners that read "victory ruling," after the Supreme Court ruled in their favor in Tokyo on July 3.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 10, 2024

Amid discrimination, Japan's eugenics missteps could be repeated, expert warns

After a landmark ruling that finally declared Japan's defunct eugenics law unconstitutional, some may ask how Japanese society openly endorsed eugenics.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington in April. Both leaders face an uphill battle to stay at the helm of their respective parties and countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2024

Japan too is wrestling with a flawed leader

Questions about election prospects plague Biden in the U.S. and Kishida in Japan, with both trying to hang on to their commanding positions despite growing discontent.
Olympic rings are displayed on Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris ahead of the city hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. One way of reducing the carbon emissions of mega sporting events is to limit the attendance of spectators traveling by air.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2024

Only locals should be allowed to attend the Olympics

The single best way of reducing the carbon emissions of an Olympics? Limiting ticket sales to locals. Evidence from the Tokyo Games shows how far-reaching the impact is.
In order to emphasize its grandeur, architect Gonkuro Kume designed the entrance hall of Nikko Kanaya Hotel's Annex Building with "karahafu" curved gables.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 10, 2024

Nikko Kanaya Hotel: A gateway to the art of Meiji Japan in the hills of Tochigi

Over 150 years on, the structure stands as a remarkable example of Japanese art and architecture in an era known for rapid modernization.
George Clooney attends a premiere for the film "The Boys in the Boat" in Beverly Hills, California, on Dec. 11, 2023. Clooney, a lifelong Democrat who helped raised $30 million for U.S. President Joe Biden at an event last month, has now advocated for a new candidate.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

Hollywood turns against Biden as George Clooney warns ‘dam has broken’

Heavy hitters, including Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings and author Stephen King, have joined the chorus calling on Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (right) and Suni Williams pose ahead of the launch of Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 25.
WORLD
Jul 11, 2024

NASA astronauts are confident Boeing's Starliner will bring them home

Several issues with Starliner's propulsion system have extended the astronauts' mission indefinitely.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

NATO allies gloomy on Biden’s prospects seek out Trump circle

Leaders at the alliances summit watched Biden's every move for another gaffe that would further undermine his electoral hopes.
Shoppers pass food stalls at a night market in Taipei.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 11, 2024

Taiwan turns to Southeast Asian tourists as Chinese stay away

The trend, if it continues, could reshape a tourism sector long reliant on arrivals from China.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday before leaving for Washington for NATO meetings.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

Kishida and Yoon vow cooperation over Russia-North Korea ties

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense pledge with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (center-left) meets with Samoan Prime Minister Afioga Fiame Naomi Mata’afa (center-right) in Samoa in February. Like other Pacific island and Global South states, Samoa is caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-China rivalry.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 11, 2024

Japan can help Global South navigate U.S.-China clash

As Washington and Beijing adopt more inward-looking foreign policies, Japan can be a bridge to Global South countries, whose main concerns are security and growth.
An empty street in Fukiya, Okayama Prefecture. Japan may be both experiencing overtourism in some places and witnessing the opposite in others.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2024

Japan doesn't have too many tourists, statistics suggest. It just feels that way.

The country received 0.2 tourists per capita in 2023, compared with France's 1.5, Greece's 3.4, Portugal's 2.5 and Spain's 1.8.
Politicians pay their respects to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in the city of Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2024

Two years after Abe’s death, LDP's conservatives still lack direction

The absence of a figure who is able to embody conservative ideals and marshal widespread consensus within the party has weighed heavily on conservatives.
When Microsoft took a non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board in November, it triggered unease among antitrust watchdogs in the European Union, Britain and the United States over how much control it exerts over the artificial intelligence startup.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 11, 2024

Microsoft ditches OpenAI board observer seat to avert antitrust scrutiny

The move comes amid concerns among British and U.S. antitrust watchdogs over Microsoft's influence over OpenAI and the latter's independence.
Caeleb Dressel dives into the pool during the men's 100-meter freestyle event at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis on June 18.
OLYMPICS / Swimming
Jul 11, 2024

Swimming star Caeleb Dressel preparing to dive into uncharted waters in Paris

Dressel will defend two of his three individual titles at the Paris Games.
The Veolia Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility in London.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 11, 2024

Nestle quietly shifted recycling goals as plastics problem grows

Nestle changing its plastics goal means 280,000 metric tons of additional nonrecyclable plastic waste a year, according to the latest available data for 2022.
People attend a seminar, hosted by Daiwa Securities, on the new NISA tax-free investment program last November. Retail investors in Japan have been favoring international investments as they deploy funds held in their fast-growing NISA accounts.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 11, 2024

Yen takes hit as ¥1 trillion flows abroad monthly after NISA tweak

Many taking advantage of changes to the rules for Japan's tax-free savings accounts have been shifting their savings to international investments.
Public support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet marked a new low of 15.5% in July, Jiji poll shows.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 11, 2024

Kishida Cabinet's approval rating sinks to 15.5%, poll shows

The results marked a new low for the Liberal Democratic Party since it returned to power in December 2012.
Fast Retailing’s expansion into the U.S. and Europe is paying off, with a strong performance in those markets helping to make up for a sharp deceleration in China.
BUSINESS
Jul 11, 2024

Fast Retailing’s push into western markets softens China slump

The company behind popular brands Uniqlo and GU raised its full-year forecast for operating income to ¥475 billion ($2.9 billion) from ¥450 billion.
U.S. President Joe Biden attends a NATO event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the alliance in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2024

Why Joe won't go: Behind Biden's rejection of calls to leave the race

The reasons U.S. President Joe Biden won't step down range from the deeply personal to party politics.
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 15, 2024

No AC this summer? No problem (for me).

I do have a unit, and I dutifully clean the filters now and then, but over the past two or three years, I’ve learned to live entirely without it.
French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2024

Macron tries to reassure NATO allies despite French political limbo

Behind the scenes, French President Emmanuel Macron was keen to tell allies the result of the parliamentary election was not as bad as had been feared.
U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a U.S. House representative from Texas
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 12, 2024

U.S. lawmakers raise concerns over Microsoft deal with Emirati AI firm

The Republican lawmakers' letter is a sign of growing concern about the lack of regulations around the export of sensitive artificial intelligence models.
A down jacket that uses recycled feathers. An Environment Ministry survey has shown that around 60% of newly supplied clothing in Japan is expected to be discarded without being reused.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 12, 2024

Japan aims to recycle 50,000 metric tons of discarded clothing

Large amounts of clothes are being thrown away as a result of massive production amid the spread of fast fashion.
Japan's top currency official Masato Kanda speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 12, 2024

BOJ rate check fuels yen intervention speculation after a big gain

Several market participants said Japan's central bank had called and asked for indicative exchange rates against the euro.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in June.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 12, 2024

SoftBank buys struggling U.K. chip startup Graphcore in AI race

The deal marks Softbank's second acquisition of a U.K. semiconductor firm, following its 2016 purchase of Cambridge-based Arm Holdings.
Yuta Watanabe played in 34 NBA games this season, including five for the Grizzlies.
BASKETBALL / B. League
Jul 12, 2024

Jets signs former NBA player Yuta Watanabe for upcoming season

The 29-year-old forward and the team have a "basic agreement" on a contract for the 2024-25 season.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Many analysts say the central bank would want to avoid rushing policy moves as policymakers probably don’t want to be seen as being forced to act to boost the currency.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 12, 2024

Yen jump eases pressure on BOJ to tighten its policy, analysts say

If the Bank of Japan raised interest rates and announced fewer bond purchases, it could risk being seen as only driven by the volatile yen.

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