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Japan's three megabank groups have estimated that the tariffs imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump could cut their fiscal 2025 profits by around ¥80 billion ($544 billion) to ¥110 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2025

Japan's five largest banking groups post 2.7% profit gains for April-June

The increase is partly due to growth in profits from the banking groups' lending operations reflecting the Bank of Japan's interest rate hikes.
Jamco, a Japan-based maker of airplane seats, toilets, and galleys that was recently acquired by Bain Capital, is betting its U.S.-based manufacturing hub will give it an advantage under President Donald Trump’s tariff regime.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2025

Bain’s Japanese plane seat-maker sees U.S. hub as shelter from Trump tariffs

Supply chain issues that have seen extended wait times for cabin fittings also present an opportunity to fill, Jamco Executive Chair Kate Schaefer says.
The Carp's Sandro Fabian hits an RBI single against the Swallows during the first inning at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on July 21.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 5, 2025

Central League votes to adopt designated hitter rule from 2027

The change means NPB’s two leagues will operate under the same set of rules for the first time since the Pacific League adopted the designated hitter in 1975.
On Monday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba offered his views of U.S. President Donald Trump and the American leader’s negotiating tactics — colorful comments that were unusual for their candor but not widely reported in Japan.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 5, 2025

'Not a normal person’: Ishiba shoots from the hip when it comes to Trump

It is extremely unusual for a sitting prime minister to publicly speak about the leader of the U.S. in a manner that could be construed as criticism.
Journalists next to heliostat mirrors at the site of Dunhuang Shouhang 100 megawatt Tower Solar Thermal Power Generation Project in Gansu province, China, in 2024
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Aug 5, 2025

China struggles to capitalize on record renewables build-out as grid work lags

The biggest renewables hubs, in the sparsely populated interior, rely on power lines stretching thousands of kilometers to the major cities of the east.
A surviving streetcar from the World War II atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima runs near the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on July 27.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2025

Hiroshima streetcars continue to serve and educate 80 years after atomic bombing

Streetcar service in Hiroshima resumed in some sections just three days after the bombing thanks to intense repair work, becoming a symbol of the city's reconstruction.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial stands as a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and the importance of deep compassion and empathy that can inspire efforts to build a more peaceful world.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 5, 2025

Nuclear destruction through the eyes of a 10-year-old

Still, I wasn’t sure how Max would react to the enormity of the human suffering that took place in Hiroshima.
Tokunoshima, Kametoku New Port. A coast guard patrol boat spotted the Taiwanese vessel conducting the suspicious activity at a point some 335 kilometers west-northwest of the island of Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture at around 3:50 p.m. Monday, according to the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2025

Taiwanese vessel suspected of conducting survey in Japan's EEZ for second time

The vessel was seen conducting suspicious activity around 335 kilometers west-northwest of the island of Tokunoshima in Kagoshima Prefecture on Monday.
Israeli tanks near the border fence with the Gaza Strip earlier this month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering whether to deploy the Israel Defense Forces into the 25% of the Palestinian territory not already under its control.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 6, 2025

Israel weighs full Gaza takeover despite concerns of armed forces

The plan would likely face considerable opposition by international governments fearful of the worsening humanitarian situation in the strip.
Taiwan has arrested six people on suspicions of stealing trade secrets from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. after the chipmaker reported a number of former and current staff to authorities.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 6, 2025

Taiwan arrests six in probe of TSMC chip technology leak

The chipmaker had reported a number of former and current staff to authorities on suspicion they illegally obtained core technology.
The Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima on July 24. Each year, some 10 million paper cranes are donated for display at the monument in memory of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died of leukemia following the U.S. atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 6, 2025

Passing on Hiroshima's message of peace, one paper crane at a time

Through recycling, the millions of paper cranes offered at a memorial each year in the city where an atomic bomb was dropped 80 years ago live on.
Naomi Osaka reacts after winning a point against Elina Svitolina in quarterfinal play at IGA Stadium in Montreal on Tuesday.
TENNIS
Aug 6, 2025

Sizzling Osaka to face Tauson in WTA Canadian Open semis

Osaka seeks her eighth WTA-level title, and her first since a maternity leave comeback last year.
Ukrainian emergency workers scour the rubble of a residential building in Kyiv after a Russian air attack on July 31.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 6, 2025

Russia weighs Ukraine air-truce offer to Trump without ending war

The Kremlin is weighing options for a concession that could include an air truce with Ukraine to try to head off the threat of secondary U.S. sanctions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he’ll increase the tariff rate for India "substantially” because of New Delhi’s refusal to halt the buying of Russian oil.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 6, 2025

Trump’s staffing gaps complicate India’s bid to ease U.S. tensions

It’s become urgent for New Delhi to make its case to Washington after being unexpectedly slapped with a 25% tariff and facing further threats over its ties with Russia.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a talk session with SoftBank group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son in Tokyo on February 3.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 6, 2025

OpenAI releases two ‘open’ AI models after DeepSeek’s success

The release is a new business strategy for the ChatGPT developer and allows users to customize and run AI systems themselves.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Taro Kono called for the Bank of Japan to tighten monetary policy to bolster the yen at a time when political leadership is under pressure after the ruling coalition lost its majority in the Upper House in an election last month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 6, 2025

LDP’s Kono adds to chorus urging BOJ to tighten policy

Taro Kono’s remarks come after several prominent executives made similar pleas, though no economists expect a move when the BOJ next sets policy on Sept. 19.
Camels in Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia, in January 2024. Nature is prominent feature of Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion bet on tourism.
WORLD
Aug 6, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s new tourism play trades skyscrapers for nature

The little-touristed province of Aseer, an area with a rich cultural heritage, forms the linchpin of the Saudi Arabia's $1 trillion bet on tourism.
National flags line a street to mark Swiss national day in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will impose a 39% tariff on imports from Switzerland, one of the steepest levies globally that threatens to leave the country’s key exports reeling.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 6, 2025

Switzerland’s go-it-alone approach tested by Trump tariff shock

For the pro-EU voices in Switzerland, the chaotic back and forth with the U.S. on trade will give them fresh reason to push the benefits of ties with the bloc.
In Kyoto, the former headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army's 16th Division is now the home of the Kyoto Seibo Gakuin school, one of the city's several remaining signs of World War II.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 7, 2025

Saved from the worst, Kyoto still bears scars of war

Contrary to popular belief, Japan’s ancient capital was not completely insulated from the consequences of war that devastated much of the country.
A musical genius (Takeru Satoh, second from right) recruits an unknown rookie drummer to play with Japan’s hottest band in “Glass Heart.”
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 7, 2025

'Glass Heart’: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit

Netflix’s drama series about a musical genius forming Japan’s hottest new band is glossy, shallow and strangely sanitized.
A port in the western state of Gujarat, India
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 7, 2025

India-U.S. spat over trade and oil threatens wider fallout

The tension could derail other areas of cooperation as domestic political pressures drive both sides to harden their stances, analysts say.
Son Heung-min holds an LAFC jersey during his introductory news conference with the club in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Aug 7, 2025

Son Heung-min 'here to win' after joining LAFC for record transfer fee

The 33-year-old will reportedly cost an MLS-record $26 million transfer fee.
Airbnb's second-quarter net income was $642 million, beating analyst expectations.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2025

Airbnb warns of slowing growth despite strong Q2 earnings

Results were surprisingly strong in the second half of last year, as travelers ultimately booked trips that they had delayed, which could make for tough comparisons.
The average wage hike rate among major Japanese firms this year hit 5% for the second straight year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2025

Major Japan firms set record with pay hikes above 5% for second year

This year's average raise of 5.39% was the second biggest since comparable data became available in 1976.
Students at the Taira First Elementary School in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, learn about the World War II "mock atomic bombs" during a special class given at the school in July.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2025

People work to pass on stories of U.S. 'mock atomic bombs' dropped on Japan in WWII

Over 400 people were killed by 49 of what are also called "pumpkin bombs" that the U.S. dropped on Japan between July 20 and Aug. 14, 1945.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates with third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a home run against the Cardinals during the third inning at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 7, 2025

Shohei Ohtani pitches and homers for 1,000th hit in Dodgers' loss to Cardinals

Ohtani joined newly minted Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui as the only Japanese-born players to reach 1,000 hits in the major leagues.
Naomi Osaka hits a return against Clara Tauson during the Canadian Open semifinals in Montreal on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Aug 7, 2025

Resurgent Naomi Osaka books spot in Canadian Open final

Osaka will be playing for her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open.
South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee (center), the wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, arrives at the special prosecutor's office in Seoul on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 7, 2025

Arrest warrant sought for former South Korean first lady Kim

If granted, the warrant would mark the first time in South Korean history that a former president and first lady are both arrested.
A street in Tokyo's Shinjuku district on Wednesday
JAPAN / Society
Aug 7, 2025

Biggest drop in Japanese nationals seen alongside record high in foreign residents

The number of Japanese nationals on Jan. 1 was 120.7 million, while the number of foreign residents had risen 10.65% in a year to 3.68 million.
Former Myanmar leader Myint Swe in 2013
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 7, 2025

Myanmar’s U.S.-sanctioned figurehead leader Myint Swe dies at 74

Myint Swe, a former lieutenant general, became the acting president after the military ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi during a February 2021 coup.

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