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Medipal is expanding into areas such as animal health products and drug development as margins from selling pharmaceuticals become squeezed in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2025

Medipal seeks to diversify amid falling drug margins

Japan’s largest drug wholesaler is seeking to boost profit, excluding extraordinary items, to ¥100 billion by March 2027 from ¥65 billion in the latest fiscal year.
East Japan Railway’s iconic Cassiopeia sleeper train arrives at Ueno Station in Tokyo Monday evening, completing its final journey.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2025

Cassiopeia luxury sleeper train ends final run after 25 years

Originally launched in 1999, the Cassiopeia gained a loyal following for its fully double-decker design and upscale sleeper accommodations.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons hopes the online memorial will "spur action for the total abolition of nuclear weapons."
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2025

Anti-nuclear group creates online memorial for children who died in atomic bombings

The online memorial features more than 400 profiles with details of the children's lives.
Matcha is added to beverages on offer at Kettl Tea in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 20.
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2025

Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan's tea farms dry

The boom is having to contend with a declining number of tea plantations in Japan and the threat of tariffs from the United States.
Sanseito supporters applaud Saya, Sanseito candidate for the Upper House election from Tokyo, and Manabu Matsuda, a candidate from proportional representation, at a public rally at Tsukiji Market on June 28.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2025

Sanseito touts 'Japanese First' rhetoric to gain support

Some observers say conservative voters who left the Democratic Party for the People are turning to the fledgling opposition party by default.
The plot of land in front of the Kyukyodo stationery shop in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district marked the nation's highest per-square-meter roadside land price for the 40th consecutive year.
JAPAN
Jul 1, 2025

Japan's roadside land prices rise for fourth year in a row

The plot of land in front of the Kyukyodo stationery shop in Tokyo's Ginza district had the highest per-square-meter roadside land price in the country for the 40th year in a row.
The Bank of Japan's latest <i>tankan</i> survey beat consensus forecasts as the economy held up better than expected.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2025

Large Japanese companies surprisingly optimistic as U.S. tariffs bite 

In the tankan survey, automakers and smaller companies were relatively pessimistic.
A tourist holding an umbrella to protect himself from the sun walks at Trocadero square next to the Eiffel Tower as an early summer heat wave hits Paris on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jul 1, 2025

France shuts schools as heat wave grips Europe

The Mediterranean Sea was up to 6 degrees Celsius warmer than usual for the time of year.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington on April 7.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2025

Trump urges Hamas to accept 'final proposal' for 60-day Gaza ceasefire

In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about the war in Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine "as soon as possible" as the two held their first known phone talks since 2022 on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2025

Macron and Putin discuss Iran and Ukraine in first talks since 2022

The two leaders also discussed Tehran's nuclear program, with French President Emmanuel Macron suggesting Moscow and Paris work together to de-escalate tensions.
A delivery driver takes a break in the shade during high temperatures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 2024.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 2, 2025

How much does a heat wave cost? Insurers and CEOs want to know.

Some believe a new market for heat insurance — driven in part by artificial intelligence and the need to cool data centers — is around the corner.
The Asaichi-dori morning market street in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, was devastated by a fire following an earthquake on New Year's Day in 2024.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2025

Noto quake-hit area sees biggest roadside land price drop

The roadside land price for a plot in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, plunged 16.7%, a stark contrast to a 4.5% decline in the previous year.
Tomonobu Kojima, admitted his involvement in the "Luffy" cases at the first hearing of his trial at Tokyo District Court on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 2, 2025

Senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring pleads guilty at hearing

Tomonobu Kojima, 47, said, "There is no mistake" regarding his charges of aiding robberies and committing fraud.
A 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander at the Chicago Auto Show in 2023. Last month, Toyota sold 11,577 Grand Highlander SUVs, which its head of brand sales in the U.S. said was the "fastest-turning product in the lineup.”
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 2, 2025

Toyota delays EV plans to boost gas-fueled SUV output

The postponement comes amid softening demand for EVs in the U.S.
World famous halftime act Red Panda performs during halftime of Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals in Denver, Colorado on June 12, 2023.
BASKETBALL
Jul 2, 2025

Halftime entertainer Red Panda injured during WNBA performance

Rong "Krystal" Niu has delighted basketball fans in numerous NBA, college basketball and WNBA venues since her debut in 1993.
Reito Watanabe, who allegedly stabbed his coworker, Daiki Yoshino, to death in a Tokyo law office, is escorted by police on Tuesday in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 2, 2025

Suspect in Tokyo law firm stabbing held grudge against victim, police say

The 50-year-old man, who is an employee of the firm, said unpleasant experiences at work involving the victim, his coworker, had brought him to his limit.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2025

Trump hammers away at Japan for a third day, threatening 35% duties 

The U.S. president said he might simply end negotiations and set a tariff rate for Japanese products.
For non-native speakers of the language, diving into Japanese books on a whim might just broaden your horizons and offer a fresh perspective on any topic imaginable.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 30, 2025

Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew

Whether you want to learn about regional geopolitics or the history of cheese, reading Japanese books can offer a whole world of new perspectives for non-native speakers.
A Self-Defense Forces tank unit takes part in parade at Camp Asaka, near Tokyo, in October 2018. The percentage of GDP spent on defense is a politically convenient but flawed metric that oversimplifies the complex realities of alliance management.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2025

In the Trump era, how much should countries really be spending on defense?

In truth, the “percentage of GDP” approach is a political one, not a practical one
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2025

A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend

The Japan Meteorological Agency has taken to social media to caution that "any such predictions should be considered unreliable.”
Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, speaks during an interview on Tuesday at the parliament building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025

DPP pledges to increase take-home pay ahead of Upper House election

The opposition party is looking to raise its seat count in the chamber to 21, which would enable it to independently submit bills needing budgetary measures.
Fiji's Albert Tuisue celebrates at the end of the match against Australia at World Cup 2023 in France.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jul 2, 2025

Fiji looks to soften up Wallabies before Lions series

Fiji's Australian coach Mick Byrne has brought a strong squad for Sunday's test in Newcastle, the hosts' last warmup before facing the British and Irish Lions.
Residents cool themselves in Parc Andre Citroen's fountains in Paris on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 2, 2025

Europe’s climate resolve faces big test as EU unveils 2040 goal

The European Commission is set to propose a binding law to slash emissions by 90% by 2040 as part of its overarching goal to reach climate neutrality by the middle of the century.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in June.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 2, 2025

Japan’s record tax haul leaves questions over Ishiba’s handout pledge

Ishiba’s plan to distribute cash handouts of ¥20,000 per adult is expected to cost around ¥3.5 trillion, according to his Liberal Democratic Party.
Police in Australia said Tuesday they had arrested and charged in May a 26-year-old child care worker from the state of Victoria with offenses relating child sex abuse involving eight victims between the ages of five months and two years.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jul 2, 2025

Australia vows tougher child care laws after worker charged with sex offenses

Australia's Education Minister Jason Clare has asked his department to urgently draft new laws on child care centers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speak as they stand with Mayor of Hiroshima Kazumi Matsui in front of the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima in May 2023.
JAPAN
Jul 2, 2025

Hiroshima mayor urges Trump to visit after atomic bomb comments

U.S. President Donald Trump should visit Hiroshima to see the effects of nuclear weapons, the city's mayor said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Ilam, Iran, on June 12. Pezeshkian formally enacted the suspension of Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

Iran ends cooperation with U.N. nuclear watchdog after Israel and U.S. strikes

Washington has described the decision as "unacceptable."
Naomi Osaka says she feels more comfortable on grass after reaching the third round at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Jul 3, 2025

Naomi Osaka finds comfort zone at Wimbledon after once being 'paralyzed' by fear

Osaka won her first two matches in straight sets.
Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima speaks during an interview on Jun. 27 at the Diet building.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

SDP campaign to focus on inflation and opposing military expansion, leader says

The SDP exists to prevent people from starving and the country from going into war, said party leader Mizuho Fukushima.
Switzerland's Pia Sundhage is by far the most experienced coach at Euro 2025.
SOCCER
Jul 3, 2025

Euro 2025 sets new record for female coaches

The 43.75% of female coaches is a major leap from Euro 2013, where just 18.75% of teams were coached by women.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past