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Children stand next to the sea at the Kara Tepe camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece, in October 2020.
WORLD / Society
Dec 13, 2024

'Invisible' refugee children caught in Europe's migration red tape

In the first nine months of 2024, arrivals of unaccompanied children to the main entry points to the European Union were 8% higher, despite overall arrivals slowing.
Shohei Ohtani's prowress on the diamond translated into an outsized influence on Japan's consumer trends this year.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 13, 2024

The year that Shohei Ohtani achieved 'yokozuna' status … in the market

To qualify as a genuine "hitto" (hit), a product or service must harness some new concept or technology in a manner that significantly impacts the marketplace.
Farhan al-Khouli, a Syrian military conscript who deserted his post on the first day of the rebel offensive, works at a horse stable in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 13, 2024

Demoralized and abandoned by allies: Why Syria’s army failed to fight

Rampant corruption and a heavy reliance on foreign allies hollowed out Bashar Assad's once-feared army.
The U.S. Air Force's CV-22 Osprey displayed during Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on May 18
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2024

U.S. and Japanese Ospreys grounded this month after precautionary landing

While the details about the precautionary landing are not known, the incident has raised concerns over the vulnerability in Osprey components.
Efforts to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows in the U.K. using the feed additive Bovaer, proven safe and effective, have sparked public backlash fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2024

No, sanitizing cow burps won’t sour your milk or contaminate your cheese

The problem the project addresses is real enough. Beef and dairy products are extremely carbon-intensive food items.
Jay Rubin’s new translation of Haruki Murakami’s “End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland,” in part set in a walled city where inhabitants’ shadows are forcibly removed, speaks to the author’s quirky, exhaustive attention to detail when rendering his imaginative world on the page.
CULTURE / Books
Dec 16, 2024

Jay Rubin takes us back to Haruki Murakami's world

A new translation of “End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland” brings the fan favorite closer to the original Japanese text.
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani attends the 51st Gems and Jewellery Awards in Jaipur, India, on Nov. 30.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 16, 2024

Extradition of India's Gautam Adani seems unlikely, experts say

Adani Group has called the allegations against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani "baseless" and vowed to seek "all possible legal recourse."
Kioxia Holdings will debut on the market Wednesday, but its initial public offering may get a cooler reception than anticipated.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 17, 2024

Chipmaker Kioxia faces a tough debut in Tokyo’s busy IPO arena

Investment in Kioxia faltered as parent Toshiba wrestled with years of scandals and crippling losses at nuclear giant Westinghouse, making it a shadow of its former self.
New fencing was installed along the sidewalk near a convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Monday to prevent tourists from jaywalking and to improve safety.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2024

New fencing installed to help manage tourists at Mount Fuji photo spot

The area in Fujikawaguchiko, a popular photography spot because of how Mount Fuji rises behind the convenience store, has gained traction on social media.
Nobuo Hayasaka, president of Kioxia Holdings, reacts after striking a bell during the company's listing ceremony at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2024

Chipmaker Kioxia surges 12% in Tokyo debut after jumbo IPO

Shares in the producer of NAND memory chips extended gains in afternoon trading after initially dropping, valuing the firm at ¥877 billion ($5.7 billion).
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine's presidential adviser for sanctions policy, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 18, 2024

Ukraine concerned over Japanese parts in Russian weapons

Vlasiuk submitted to Tokyo a list of Japan-made parts that were found in Russian and North Korean missiles and other weapons.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami reviews military equipment during an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, on Oct. 17, 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 18, 2024

Iran's Revolutionary Guards extend control of oil exports, sources say

All aspects of the oil business have come under the growing influence of the Guards.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda gives a press conference in Tokyo on Oct. 31.
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2024

BOJ meets for final rate review this year as Trump risk clouds outlook

Sources have said the BOJ is leaning toward keeping interest rates steady at the two-day meeting concluding on Thursday.
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2024

Lula’s rival-turned-vice president finds himself in unwanted limelight

Many business leaders consider VP Geraldo Alckmin better equipped than Lula to respond to the growing economic and political challenges that are besieging Brazil.
Nomura Holdings and other major brokerages in Japan are raising compensation and benefits for senior employees age 60 or over.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2024

At Japan's brokerages, skills shortage improves conditions for older staff

Employees age 60 and above are increasingly getting paid for performance and given heavier responsibilities in line with their experience.
Jolene used to be so scared of humans, but has grown a lot calmer over time.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Dec 19, 2024

A green-eyed cutie who loves to eat

Jolene used to be terribly scared of humans, but she’s considerably calmer now — especially when it’s mealtime.
The average retail gasoline price is expected to rise by over ¥5 per liter as the government has announced that it will reduce subsidies to oil wholesalers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 19, 2024

Gasoline prices rise as Japanese government cuts subsidies

Until now the industry ministry has subsidized 60% of gasoline costs over ¥168 and under ¥185, but from Thursday the subsidy dropped to 30% for prices in that range.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (right) and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Dec. 10 prior to talks on political, trade and economic relations
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2024

Finnish PM seeks boosted military tech ties with Japan

“Finland is keen to deepen bilateral relations, and Japan is an important strategic partner for Finland,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told The Japan Times.
Fire trucks gather around a building in Sapporo’s Susukino entertainment district on Nov. 26.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 20, 2024

Sapporo arson suspect dies in hospital

Police still intend to submit the arson case to prosecutors and are committed to piecing together the events that led to the blaze.
A Meteorological Agency official speaks during a news conference held in Tokyo in August to announce the lifting of the government's emergency alert system for a megaquake that may occur in the Nankai Trough.
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2024

Japan improves public relations for Nankai Trough megaquake alert

The first such alert, issued in August, caused confusion and unrest as the system was not widely recognized.
Rossini No. 4
COMMUNITY / ADOPT ME!
Dec 2, 2024

Meet the tuxedo cat named after an opera maestro

Another handsome cat in ARK’s long line of operatic felines, 8-year-old Rossini comes with his own furry self-cleaning black-and-white tuxedo.
Emergency personnel work at a Christmas market after a car drove into a group of people in Magdeburg, Germany, on Friday, killing at least two.
WORLD
Dec 21, 2024

Death toll from German Christmas market car-ramming reportedly rises to four

The attacker was described as a 50-year-old male doctor from Saudi Arabia with permanent residency in Germany, where he had lived for almost two decades.
Ukrainian servicemen attach an anti-tank mine to a Vampire combat drone before flying over Russian troop positions, in the town of Chasiv Yar, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, in June.
WORLD
Dec 21, 2024

Ukraine collects vast war data trove to train AI models

AI has been deployed by both sides on the battlefield during Russia's invasion of Ukraine to identify targets, scanning images far quicker than a human can.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 21, 2024

Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says

The report added that Honda will also consider supplying hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of the potential merger, without mentioning the source of the information.
MLB Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Mariners and the Athletics in Seattle on Sept. 29.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 22, 2024

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s flamboyant ‘Man of Steal,’ dies at 65

Henderson holds the MLB career record for stolen bases with 1,406 — a mark unlikely to be swiped from him anytime soon, or perhaps ever.
North Korean special forces soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 22, 2024

North Korea aiding Russia where it needs it most, Canadian general says

Pyongyang's provision of troops as well as weapons and munitions that Moscow can't produce fast enough carries a symbolic element.
Steam rises from a geothermal plan in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture. Despite its long history and potential, geothermal provided just 0.3% of Japan's overall energy mix in the fiscal year from April 2023
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Dec 22, 2024

Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?

Japan boasts the world’s third-largest potential supply of geothermal energy, but this renewable energy resource has mostly been untapped.
The Japanese antitrust watchdog said that Google forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices, sources say.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 23, 2024

Japan accuses Google of violating antimonopoly law

The Japanese antitrust watchdog said the U.S. company forced smartphone makers to preinstall its search app on their devices.
Sorane Sakihama, a 22-year-old college student, speaks at a rally in the city of Okinawa on Sunday protesting against sexual assaults by U.S. soldiers.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2024

Okinawa people stage rally against sexual assaults by U.S. servicemen

The Okinawan protesters adopted a resolution demanding apologies for sexual assault victims, compensation and a revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.
Writer Baye McNeil and his wife, Miki, host a Kwanzaa gathering in Yokohama together. The end of the year at the McNeil’s home is a mix of several different holiday traditions, including those of Kwanzaa.
COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye
Dec 23, 2024

A holiday season built on creativity and care

Fusing African heritage with Japanese spirituality, our columnist crafted a holiday season that celebrates cultural understanding.

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