Search - news

 
 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 17, 2022

Banana Yoshimoto’s ‘Dead-End Memories’ is the literary equivalent of a lo-fi playlist

The award-winning author's collection of short stories is a comfort read that will transport readers to a melancholy world for an hour or two.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 16, 2022

Biden fist-bumps Saudi crown prince, then raises attacks on dissidents

On a trip to reset relations after the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. president said MbS had denied involvement in the murder and said he had held those responsible to account.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2022

Japanese Communist Party marks 100th anniversary

The opposition party faces a weakening of its organization and is struggling to form a united front with other opposition parties.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 15, 2022

Abortion at sea? Advocates in the U.S. get creative to protect access

To solve the problem of abortion access, one obstetrician-gynecologist is seeking inspiration from an unlikely source: riverboat casinos.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jul 15, 2022

Macro gamblers grapple with immovable Bank of Japan

Japan is now alone among major economies in its stance of enforcing near-zero interest rates, and hedge funds and momentum-chasers have made hay.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2022

Kishida sets high nuclear power target that Japan may struggle to meet

Unclear plans for restarts, combined with the threat of legal challenges and the need for inspections at operational facilities, could stymie efforts to bring more power stations online.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 15, 2022

Expect more hostage diplomacy from a desperate Iran

Recent episodes involving foreigners should be a warning to Western governments that their citizens are an easy target for a regime facing mounting domestic and international pressure.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2022

South Korea seeks to kick-start talks to resolve historical feuds with Japan

The high-level visit to Tokyo by South Korean officials comes amid concerns the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could disrupt efforts to mend ties.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2022

China growth slows sharply, putting GDP target out of reach

The 0.4% expansion in gross domestic product reported for the second quarter was lower than economists' forecasts of 1.2% growth and the weakest pace since 2020.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 15, 2022

Xi makes first Xinjiang visit since ‘strike hard’ campaign

Xi's visit to Xinjiang is his first since 2014, the year his government ordered authorities to 'strike hard” against violence in the region.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 22, 2024

Yamamoto back to drawing board after disastrous Dodgers debut

Yamamoto’s MLB career got off to a difficult start on Thursday night and the long-time Orix Buffaloes ace only lasted one inning.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 22, 2024

ASDF lieutenant general suspended over workplace bullying

It is the first punitive action against an ASDF lieutenant general for harassment.
Shoppers in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Mar 22, 2024

Historic day for BOJ will take some time to be felt by people in Japan

With future rate hikes likely, the yen and mortgages could still see a more substantial impact.
Russian emergency services vehicles are parked near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a mass shooting claimed by the Islamic State group outside Moscow on Friday.
WORLD
Mar 23, 2024

Gunmen kill at least 143 in attack at concert near Moscow, as IS claims responsibility

Russia has arrested 11 people, including four suspected gunmen, in connection with the rampage.
A view of the Legislative Council chamber with Chinese and Hong Kong flags reflected on the window is seen as the second reading of the Article 23 security law is read, in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 23, 2024

Hong Kong's new national security law comes into force

The United States, the European Union, Japan and Britain have been among the law's strongest critics.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini arrives in Egypt, near the border with the Gaza Strip, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2024

Japan considers resuming UNRWA funding

Japan, along with North American and European countries, had suspended its UNRWA funding in January.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Saturday.
SOCCER
Mar 24, 2024

Ex-Japan captain Miyamoto becomes youngest head of soccer association

Miyamoto, 47, is the youngest JFA president since the end of World War II, and the first JFA head to have played in the World Cup.
North Korea's Kim Song Nam, head of the International Department of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Cai Qi, head of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party, meet in Beijing on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 24, 2024

North Korea and China commit to bolster ties in high-level Beijing talks

A delegation led by senior North Korean official Kim Song Nam was among groups visiting regional countries last week.
A coal-fired power plant in Shanghai in October 2021. For years, analysts expected coal production to plateau after it hit a then-record in 2013. Then came 2021, when power shortages in China set Beijing on a path to order more mining to ensure energy security.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Mar 24, 2024

Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, is preparing for a long goodbye

Output hit a record last year, and producers expect a future where coal will be required to balance renewable energy for decades.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2024

Osaka drugmaker recalls dietary supplements linked to kidney disorders

The Osaka-based drugmaker announced Friday that, of the six hospitalized, two suffered symptoms serious enough to require temporary dialysis.
Then-U.S. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton tour the American Cemetery in Manila in November 1994, two years before the alleged assassination attempt.
WORLD
Mar 24, 2024

The al-Qaida plot to kill Bill Clinton that history nearly forgot

Four former U.S. officials, including the ambassador in Manila at the time, Thomas Hubbard, confirmed the foiled attack against Bill Clinton.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets soldiers as he inspects a tank unit of the Korean People's Army in a photo released on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 25, 2024

North Korean leader Kim inspects 'Seoul' tank unit

Inter-Korean relations are at one of their lowest points in years, with Kim's military recently conducting a string of banned weapons tests.
Nobuyuki Baba, head of Nippon Ishin no Kai (front, center), and party members attend a party convention in the city of Kyoto on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2024

Nippon Ishin to take aim at LDP-Komeito Lower House majority

Nippon Ishin has maintained its existing goal of becoming the largest opposition party in the next Lower House election.
A U.S. Marine prepares to demonstrate the use of night vision goggles to Ground Self-Defense Force troops at the GSDF's Camp Somagahara in Gunma Prefecture in March 2017.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2024

U.S. eyes revamped military command in Japan, reports say

The allies are expected to announce the landmark agreement when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits the White House next month.
A worker helps assemble the fuselage of a BK117 helicopter at Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Gifu plant in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture.
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Apr 1, 2024

Kawasaki Heavy’s Gifu plant produces helicopters for disaster aid

The company's BK117 aircraft has been adopted by Gifu Prefecture and many other municipalities for disaster aid.
Nissan Motor will launch 30 new models over the next three years, including 16 electrified models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024

Nissan to launch 30 new models by 2027 and boost global sales volumes

Nissan was a pioneer in EVs but the carmaker has been eclipsed by the likes of U.S. rival Tesla and Chinese leader BYD.
Legislative Council lawmakers in Hong Kong unanimously voted in favor of a new national security law on Tuesday. The legislation introduces penalties such as life imprisonment for crimes related to treason and insurrection.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2024

Is Hong Kong headed for a rubber-stamp legislature?

With the unanimous passing of the new national security law, Hong Kong's "patriotic" council has shown that its willingness to toe the government line.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among anti-graft probes into Hanoi’s top leadership.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2024

Vietnam could lose its 'China +1' appeal among political turmoil

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among a wider probe. This could compromise Hanoi's image as an economic alternative to Beijing.

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic