Search - time

 
 
Bangladesh's instability adds to the existing regional tensions in South Asia, which is already grappling with violence in Myanmar, terrorism in the Pakistan-Afghanistan area and political turmoil in the Maldives and Nepal.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2024

South Asia’s deepening political turmoil

The ouster of Bangladeshi's government is the latest example of political volatility in South Asia — a region struggling to achieve stability, let alone democratization.
Climbers converge in front of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on Aug. 11.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 20, 2024

Mount Fuji’s new measures bear fruit in tackling dangerous 'bullet climbing'

Restrictions implemented on the popular Yoshida trail have significantly reduced the number of "bullet climbers" and reduced bad behavior associated with the practice.
Yukio Edano, a former leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, speaks to reporters on Aug. 9 to express his intention to run in the party's leadership race.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 20, 2024

CDP faced with division as it heads into leadership race

The next CDP leader will be expected to unify the different groups within the party and cooperate with other opposition parties to increase its seats during polls.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to members of the press at the David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 21, 2024

U.S. push for Gaza cease-fire falls short on key points, officials say

Israeli and Hamas officials have downplayed the idea that a cease-fire deal could be imminent.
A glittering cast of Tokyoites comes together in a collection of dreamlike vignettes in Atsuhiro Yoshida’s novella “Goodnight Tokyo.”
CULTURE / Books
Aug 21, 2024

'Goodnight Tokyo': Late-night search for meaning become magical in the big city

Atsuhiro Yoshida's novella, composed of intersecting vignettes, is a fitting introduction to an atmospheric, visually adept writer known for his quirky worldbuilding.
Ahmad Bin Quasem, an opposition activist and lawyer who was recently released after the expulsion of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, speaks during an interview in Dhaka earlier this month.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 21, 2024

Disappeared Bangladeshi lawyer recounts Hasina's secret jail

Throughout his long incarceration, Quasem was shackled around the clock in windowless solitary confinement.
Lawmakers leave a Lower House plenary session after the chamber was dissolved in October 2021.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 21, 2024

Signs point toward November general election following LDP race

The advantage gained from the change in LDP leadership may diminish if the snap poll is not called soon after the party's presidential race.
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pays her respect to a picture of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn as she receives a royal endorsement to become the 31st prime minister in Bangkok on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Thailand’s democracy is on shaky ground

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is in the middle of yet another political crisis. Citizens deserve better.
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain, a deeply ingrained part of modern Japanese life, faces a potential takeover by Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard.
COMMENTARY
Aug 21, 2024

A 7-Eleven buyout would stretch Japan’s appetite for M&A

The country’s convenience stores have become essential to daily life. That has many fearing the prospect of a foreign takeover.
The ability of Xi Jinping's government to control China's  industrial overcapacity crisis is limited, and stimulating domestic demand is difficult amid geopolitical tensions.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Xi’s supply-side panacea has lost its magic

China’s excess capacity problem will have to fester until even its industry leaders call it quits. That may be some years away.
Novak Djokovic celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in men's tennis at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 4.
TENNIS
Aug 22, 2024

Novak Djokovic can distance himself from rivals at U.S. Open

Djokovic has nothing left to prove and can put more daylight between himself and his two historic rivals by winning another Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
European Union member flags are hoisted in front of the European Parliament building in Luxembourg. The country hosts key EU institutions and has recently concluded a working holiday visa program with Japan.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 22, 2024

Luxembourg opens door for Japanese working holiday visitors

The working holiday program is available to Japanese nationals between the ages of 18 and 30.
The yen's rebound is clouding an outlook for Japanese firms' earnings that have enjoyed a boost from the weak yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Yen’s rebound threatens earnings growth in Japan

Weak demand in China and the risk of a slowing U.S. economy are fueling worries about how sustainable their earnings growth will be.
Venezuelan opposition supporters participate in a global protest against Venezuela's disputed presidential election, in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Aug 17.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 22, 2024

Venezuela at a crossroads: Democracy or dictatorship?

The government of strongman Nicolas Maduro is doubling down on his disputed reelection victory while the opposition vows to resist "to the end."
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda is scheduled to respond to questions from lawmakers in parliament on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 22, 2024

BOJ governor set to face intense scrutiny after market chaos

Gov. Kazuo Ueda will respond to questions from lawmakers in the Lower House on Friday morning, and those in the Upper House in the afternoon.
Even when ships are docked, members of the Japan Coast Guard work on shifts on board. As such, the JCG is considering rehiring retired servicemen to allow crews to take sufficient holidays on land.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024

Japan Coast Guard promoting work style reform

The move comes as the agency grapples with a declining number of applicants as well as its rising turnover rate.
The real barrier to any reasonable peace settlement in the ongoing war is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remains committed to ensuring that a free and democratic Ukraine does not survive — and he has a long track record of violating treaties.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 22, 2024

How NATO can help end the Ukraine war

Even if Russia and Ukraine reached a peace deal, Vladimir Putin would readily abandon it and re-invade Ukraine at the first opportunity.
Letsile Tebogo holds his gold medal during a celebration in his native Botswana on Wednesday. Tebogo, who was being honored in the capital city of Gaborone, won gold in the 200 meters at the Paris Olympics.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 22, 2024

Letsile Tebogo sets new goals following 200-meter triumph in Paris

The 21-year-old is the first African to win the Olympic 200.
Hisako Tokuda left her office job to follow a passion for working with “bekko” (tortoiseshell) and says that even though it has been hard, she doesn’t regret it. 
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 23, 2024

Hisako Tokuda: ‘I believe making things is what makes us human’

After taking an interest in tortoiseshell works, Hisako Tokuda left her office job and pursued her passion as an artisan.
Robert C. Neff, passed away at after a long illness at 77 years old on July 31, 2024, at his home in Hayama, south of Tokyo.
COMMUNITY
Aug 25, 2024

The American journalist ahead of the game on an ascendant Japan

Neff was part of a golden age of magazine journalism as Tokyo bureau chief for Businessweek magazine and a lover of hot spring retreats.
A toppled sign reads "customs control zone" near a destroyed Russian border post in Sudzha, Russia, on Aug. 12.
WORLD
Aug 23, 2024

Kremlin seeks to play down Ukraine's incursion

Ukrainian officials said they hope the surprise incursion will force Russia to negotiate "on our own terms," but the reality is likely to be very different.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a news conference in Warsaw on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 23, 2024

Indian PM Modi set to visit Kyiv for talks with Zelenskyy

The visit, which follows a trip by Modi to Moscow in July, is important for Western-backed Kyiv.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food climbed 2.7% in July from a year earlier, accelerating slightly from 2.6% in June.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 23, 2024

Japan's core inflation picks up, but demand-driven growth slows

The "core core" index, which is closely watched by the BOJ, dipped below the key 2% line for the first time since September 2022.
Dutch driver Max Verstappen has not lost at a home race since Formula One returned to Zandvoort, Netherlands, in 2021.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 23, 2024

Max Verstappen wary of rivals ahead of 'very close' Dutch Grand Prix

The Red Bull driver has never lost in front of his home fans since Zandvoort was returned to the F1 circuit in 2021, but says the feeling this weekend is very different.
Eiffel Tower Stadium, which was used for beach volleyball during the Olympics, will host blind football during the 2024 Paralympics.
PARALYMPICS
Aug 23, 2024

Paralympians prepare to take center stage in Paris

Eighteen of the 35 Olympic venues will be used for the Paralympics.
The Tokyo District Court's Tachikawa branch is hearing a trial involving former university student Issei Nakanishi, 21, who is accused of robbery and the manslaughter of an elderly woman in the city of Komae in western Tokyo in January 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 23, 2024

Ex-student denies manslaughter charge over Tokyo woman's death

Issei Nakanishi, 21, is alleged to have conspired with others to rob the 90-year-old woman in her home in the city of Komae, western Tokyo, in January 2023.
Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region has potentially enhanced Kyiv's bargaining power, though it may not lead to immediate changes in either country’s strategic goals.
EDITORIALS
Aug 23, 2024

Ukraine makes gains, but the war won’t stop

Continued support for Ukraine is crucial to maintaining pressure on Russia and upholding international order.
Traditionally seen as a cautionary tale of collapse due to overpopulation, recent research suggests that Easter Island's population was likely small and that they adapted to environmental challenges through innovative agricultural practices.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 23, 2024

Easter Island collapse gets the fresh look it deserves

Once viewed as a cautionary tale of overpopulation, recent research suggests Easter Island's population was small and adapted through innovative agriculture practices.
Keiichi Tanaami died on Aug. 9 after a 60-year career as a Pop Art pioneer. He was 88.
CULTURE / Art
Aug 24, 2024

Remembering Keiichi Tanaami's surreal grotesqueries

The Pop Art pioneer passed away at age 88 on Aug. 9. His posthumous retrospective, “Adventures in Memory,” turns nightmare into fantasy.
Lufthansa Group decided to resume overflying Afghan airspace from early July, as airlines became concerned about the airspace in the Middle East.
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2024

Airlines fly over Afghanistan as Middle East becomes the greater risk

Carriers mostly stopped transiting Afghanistan, which lies on major routes between Asia and Europe, when the Taliban took over and air traffic control services stopped.

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