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German and U.S. soldiers participate in Allied Spirit 24, a multinational training exercise, in Hohenfels, Germany, in March 2024. Reforger, NATO’s massive Cold War-era exercise to rush U.S. troops to Europe, was shelved after the Soviet collapse. But with Vladimir Putin attacking neighbors, maybe it’s time to revive it.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 28, 2025

How can Europe deter Putin? Revive the ‘Reforger.’

The massive Cold War military exercise put a stop to Soviet aggression then, and it could do the same with Russia now.
Demonstrators hold signs during a protest in support of international students at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 28, 2025

Japanese universities urged to open doors to students blocked from Harvard

The education ministry has asked universities nationwide to support students affected by the White House's push against foreign enrollments at Harvard.
Despite the stereotypes, Japan is one of the most permissive places for non-residents to buy property.
COMMENTARY
May 27, 2025

It’s too easy for foreigners to buy Japanese property

Foreign buyers are driving up Tokyo housing prices amid Japan’s lack of property restrictions, sparking calls for tighter rules to protect residents and limit speculation.
U.S. President Donald Trump (right) listens to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington on April 10.
WORLD / Politics
May 29, 2025

U.S. to start 'aggressively' revoking visas for Chinese students

The move could disrupt a major source of income for American schools and a crucial pipeline of talent for U.S. technology companies.
Displaced Palestinians carry bags of food aid after storming a World Food Program warehouse in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
WORLD
May 29, 2025

Deadly break-in at U.N. warehouse as aid trickles into Gaza

The World Food Program appealed for an immediate scale-up of food aid "to reassure people that they will not starve."
An employee of Nissan Motor works on a Leaf electric car on an assembly line at its Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2025

Factory that symbolized Nissan's rise may become victim of its decline

Nissan faces a mountain of debt repayment and is scrambling to upgrade its aging lineup of vehicles, but hasn't said which of its 17 plants will be closed.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a keynote at Nvidia's GPU Technology Conference (GTC) at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on March 18.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2025

Nvidia eases concerns about China with upbeat sales forecast

"Every nation now sees AI as core to the next industrial revolution,” CEO Jensen Huang said on a conference call with analysts.
Products affected by the U.S. order to stop shipping goods to China without a license include design software and chemicals for semiconductors.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 29, 2025

U.S. curbs chip design software, chemicals and other shipments to China

The new restrictions appear aimed at choke points to prevent China from getting products necessary for key sectors.
People hold up signs during a rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society
May 29, 2025

Halt of U.S. visa process puts Japanese students' futures in question

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has confirmed that the embassy and U.S. consulate offices in Japan have suspended scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants.
Shipping containers from China at the Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro, California.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
May 30, 2025

Trump's tariff tally: $34 billion and counting, global companies say

Many companies said the erratic nature of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies has made it impossible to accurately estimate costs.
American Robert Jefferson runs a YouTube channel called The Kamakura Gardener that invites viewers to enjoy the pleasures of gardening, cooking and slow living.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 2, 2025

‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube

Veteran broadcaster Robert Jefferson has built up a following through his comforting video content about gardening, cooking and living in Kamakura.
The Hotaruan Royal Garden Suite, a renovated traditional "minka" home, will host the second iteration of the Minka Preservation Society's MinkaMeets event.
LIFE / Style & Design
May 31, 2025

Traditional home experts to gather at MinkaMeets event

Roof thatching expert Haruo Nishio is one of several experts scheduled to speak at the June 7-8 event.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on Wednesday.
WORLD
May 30, 2025

Ukraine renews demand to see Russia's peace conditions ahead of talks

Ukraine spoke out after Russia said it was still waiting for its rival to commit to new talks in Istanbul on Monday.
A rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on March 8
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2025

Pressure mounts on a reluctant Trump to impose sanctions on Russia

Trump has held off on such penalties for months, believing he could have fruitful dealings with Putin to end the war.
Silversea Cruises' culinary program takes guests on a rich gourmet experience at wellness retreat Zenbo Seinei, where the local produce is presented in an eight-course meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 1, 2025

Waves of umami: Awaji Island's culinary trove

Silver Nova, one of Silversea Cruises’ newest vessels, takes guests on a food excursion on the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea with an immersive gourmet program.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Hong Kong on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 30, 2025

China sets up international mediation body in Hong Kong

The mediation body aims to cement Hong Kong's presence as a top center to resolve disputes between countries.
Anime director Shunsuke Nakashige accepts the anime of the year award for “Solo Leveling” at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
CULTURE / Film
May 30, 2025

Anime's big night out is getting bigger — and more surreal

The soft-power spectacle at Crunchyroll's awards ceremony in Tokyo underscores anime's expanding global influence.
The Taiwanese military conducts its first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire test launch at the Jiupeng base in Pingtung, Taiwan, on May 12.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 30, 2025

Trump aims to exceed first term's weapons sales to Taiwan, officials say

If U.S. arms sales to Taiwan do accelerate, it could ease worries about the extent of Trump's commitment to the island.
Nippon Steel said it would build a new electric arc furnace — which uses scrap metal as a raw material — at its Kyushu works, while expanding and restarting capacity at two other sites.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 30, 2025

Nippon Steel plans $6 billion investment in its Japanese mills

The spending in Japan comes at a critical juncture for the firm’s 17-month push to acquire U.S. Steel.
A McDonald's restaurant sits shuttered in Moscow in May 2022 as a result of Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
COMMENTARY / World
May 30, 2025

Western businesses will not return to Russia

Russia’s much-touted “no-limits” partnership with China has proven an inadequate substitute for its largely severed ties to the West.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (center) attends a news conference at the Capitol on May 22 after the House narrowly passed a sweeping budget bill that some worry could add trillions to the country's deficit over the next decade.
COMMENTARY
May 28, 2025

The U.S. is about to discover if deficits actually matter

It turns out that this pattern — the bigger the debt, the less likely politicians are to address it — is lurking in the data, and not just in the U.S.
Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s push to slash rice prices could either mark a populist gesture or ignite a political revolution that challenges the entrenched agricultural lobby and the foundations of postwar conservative power.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 30, 2025

Can the 'rice man,' Koizumi, save the day?

Late last week, newly appointed farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that he aimed to bring the rice price range down to around ¥2,000 per 5 kilograms.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the U.S. Steel Corporation Irvin Works facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, on Friday
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2025

Trump to hike steel tariffs to 50% to aid Nippon-U.S. Steel

The U.S. president said the move would help protect American steelworkers during a visit to a United States Steel plant on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron gives the keynote address of the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 30, 2025

Macron calls for Europe and Asia to unite and resist ‘spheres of coercion’

The French president used a keynote speech at Asia’s top regional security conference to call on European and Indo-Pacific nations to avoid picking sides between China and the U.S.
Ukraine's air defenses shoot down Russian drones during a strike toward Kyiv in September 2024. Experts worry how long Ukraine can fend off the nightly attacks if Russia maintains — or escalates — its strikes.
WORLD
May 31, 2025

As Russia intensifies attacks, Ukraine air defenses under strain

Experts worry how long Ukraine can fend off the nightly attacks if Russia maintains — or escalates — its strikes.
Dancers perform ahead of Lee Jae-myung's campaign event in Incheon on May 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2025

K-pop and breakdance power South Korea’s high-stakes presidential race

Both major parties are leaning on Korean pop hits to energize voters, blending choreography and catchy lyrics with political messaging.
Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference at the White House on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2025

Musk vows to stay Trump's 'friend' in bizarre black-eyed farewell

As the world's richest person bowed out of his role, Trump hailed Musk's "incredible service" and handed him a golden key to the White House.
Elon Musk boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland in March. As Musk became one of Donald Trump's closest allies last year, he was also using drugs far more intensely than previously known, according to people familiar with his activities.
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2025

On the Trump campaign trail, Elon Musk juggled drugs and family drama

Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use and also came as he dealt with personal drama related to his growing number of children.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique celebrates after his club won the Champions League final over Inter Milan on Saturday.
SOCCER
Jun 1, 2025

No Mbappe, no problem as Luis Enrique completes PSG transformation with a bang

PSG's victory marked the culmination of a profound transformation, from a club defined by star power to one shaped by structure, tactical clarity and collective belief.
Jared Isaacman, U.S. President Donald Trump's then-nominee to be NASA administrator, testifies during a Senate panel confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 9.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 1, 2025

Trump pulls Musk ally's NASA nomination and will announce replacement

Isaacman's removal comes just days after Musk's official departure from the White House.

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