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Shigeru Ishiba's nascent administration is attracting something of a reputation for flip-flopping — and it hasn’t even been a week.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 4, 2024

Don’t take Japan's new leader literally. But should you take him seriously?

Ishiba will discover that his supply of capital with the public will run out quickly if he offers no break from his predecessor.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers his inaugural policy address to parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2024

LDP to endorse 'slush fund' lawmakers in general election

Opposition parties are turning up the heat on Ishiba, who had earlier signaled his intention to take action against those implicated in the scandal.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Worries about the implications of further BOJ tightening against a global backdrop of easing were again on display this week, with new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba saying Japan wasn’t ready for more rate hikes yet.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 5, 2024

Stepped-up global easing risks making it harder for BOJ to hike

Worries about the implications of further BOJ tightening against a global backdrop of easing were again on display this week.
Tomoyuki Sugano (left) with his Giants teammates during a game last month in Hiroshima.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 5, 2024

Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano announces plans to join MLB

The long-time Giants starter has won the Sawamura Award as NPB's best pitcher twice, in 2017 and 2018.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar looks on during an anti-Israel rally in Gaza City on Oct. 1, 2022.
WORLD
Oct 5, 2024

Hunted yet unrepentant: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar remains committed to Israel's destruction

For Sinwar, architect of the cross-border raids a year ago, armed struggle with Israel remains the only way to force the creation of a Palestinian nation.
Canadian Ambassador to Japan Ian McKay, who is also his country's special envoy for the Indo-Pacific, takes part in an interview with The Japan Times last week.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 6, 2024

Canada eyes joint coast guard patrols with more Asian partners, envoy says

Canada is recognized as a leader in terms of its "Dark Vessel Detection" technology designed to identify vessels fishing illegally in protected maritime areas.
Police in Osaka Prefecture arrested four people early last month for allegedly defrauding a "spot work" platform operator of about ¥680,000.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 6, 2024

Scammers in Japan take advantage of popularity of ‘spot work’

Police in Osaka Prefecture arrested four people early last month for allegedly defrauding a platform operator of about ¥680,000.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his dog, Dekopin, who delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game against the Orioles on Aug. 28
MORE SPORTS
Oct 6, 2024

The furry performance-enhancers that are sweeping the world of sports

Athletes from Shohei Ohtani to Naomi Osaka are using dogs to reduce stress and help enhance performance before and during high-stakes competitions.
A damaged road in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 6, after a major earthquake struck the area on New Year's Day
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Oct 6, 2024

Important tool or alarmism? Japan experts split on megaquake advisories.

Supporters say the advisories are about reducing risk, but critics see a system that isn’t based on science and one in which the cons outweigh the pros.
A flag with the logo of the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference in front of the Baku Olympic Stadium, the venue of the summit, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sept. 19
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 7, 2024

Environment takes center stage as global summits loom

The upcoming session isn't expected to break new ground but will take stock of progress since the last summit secured historic assurances for biodiversity.
A girl charges her phone at the Delpan Evacuation Center after Typhoon Kammuri hit Manila in December 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 7, 2024

Crowd-sourcing data could help Philippines tackle deadly floods

The Philippines is hit by around 20 large storms every year and, due to climate change, that is expected to only get worse.
Alex Lucitante, of the indigenous Cofan ethnic group, in Lago Agrio, Sucumbos Province, Amazon region, Ecuador, on Jan. 15, 2023. This small community is famous for having driven mining companies out of their Amazonian territory in northern Ecuador.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 7, 2024

Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of U.N. forum

COP16 organizers have said Indigenous representatives will have input in national action plans
Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine, much like those of past Soviet leaders, stem from a desire to be recognized as a global power and from perceived Western threats.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 7, 2024

The sources of Russian conduct

From Josef Stalin to Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leaders shared Putin’s desire for “great power” prestige.
Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square during the Angelus prayer in the Vatican on Sunday. The pontiff announced the appointment of 21 new cardinals on Sunday.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 7, 2024

Japanese archbishop named cardinal

Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, the archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo, will also be eligible to vote in a papal conclave.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato attends an interview with media outlets at the Finance Ministry on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 7, 2024

Japan's new finance minister vows to finish the job as deflation czar

Katsunobu Kato's message indicates that financial conditions might remain accommodative for some time.
Employees make pastries in the Princi bakery inside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery store in Shanghai in 2018.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 8, 2024

Starbucks cafes in Tokyo almost alone in keeping Princi baked goods

Starbucks is removing Howard Schultz's brand of Italian baked goods from many of its higher-end cafes, stepping back from an initiative championed by longtime leader.
Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has a strong influence over the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2024

LDP linchpin Moriyama has big influence over Ishiba

The newly elected president took his secretary-general's advice on several key matters, including party and Cabinet appointments as well as calling a snap election.
Speculative investors flipped to a net long position on the yen just before Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the nation wasn’t ready for further interest rate hikes, data shows.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 8, 2024

Hedge funds warming to yen caught out by biggest drop in 15 years

Many bought the yen just before cautious comments by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on rate hikes and strong U.S. nonfarm payrolls data.
Japan's has experienced a significant decline in global economic power, with its share of global gross domestic product dropping from 18% in the 1980s to an anticipated 3% by 2050.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 8, 2024

Japan needs more than mere economic strength

Japan, a country that has long relied on its economic prowess for international stature and standing, must change its perspective.
A bill to grant compensation to victims of forced sterilization clears the Lower House on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 8, 2024

Parliament clears bill to compensate all victims of forced sterilization

With the latest legislation, all victims — whether or not they are plaintiffs in related lawsuits — will be compensated, paving the way for resolution.
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Oct 9, 2024

Israel says it has killed Hezbollah leader's successors

Hezbollah is reeling after a spate of senior commanders have been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Hideki Makihara enters the Prime Minister's Office on Oct. 3 before being appointed as justice minister.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Japan's new justice minister admits ties with Unification Church

Such ties between Makihara and the controversial religious group had not been confirmed in a survey by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2022.
People line up to buy wood to protect their assets before the hurricane Milton, in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Oct 9, 2024

After Helene devastation, over 1 million people flee path of Hurricane Milton

Milton, which exploded Monday into one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, was forecast to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during an economic forum in Budapest on March 4.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Sparks fly as Orban berates EU 'elites' in parliament trip

As Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union, Orban's nationalist government is at loggerheads with its partners on a host of issues.
A sign in support of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump is displayed in Bad Axe, Michigan, on Sept. 30.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Election officials backing Trump’s 'Big Lie' stir unease in U.S.

Donald Trump's false ideas about voter fraud have become an article of faith among many Republican members of local election boards that certify results.
Eiji Maeda, former executive of the Bank of Japan
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 9, 2024

BOJ’s next hike likely to come in January, former official says

The central bank will be watching the U.S. presidential election, the trend in service prices this autumn and momentum ahead of next year’s annual wage talks.
Shonannoumi hits the dirt at the hands of Kotozakura during a bout in Tokyo in May. Shonannoumi is among the many top wrestlers who have dropped out of this month's regional tour due to injury.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 9, 2024

Spate of sumo tour dropouts highlights need to rethink wrestlers' health

While it would be foolish not to capitalize on sumo’s surging popularity, expanded tour schedules cut into recovery time and push wrestlers to their physical limits.
Even with the success of "Crazy Rich Asians" and improvements in on-screen representation, Asian actors still comprise just 18.4% of film roles, which is an improvement compared to 3.4% in 2007.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2024

To win back audiences, put more Asians behind the camera

The movie industry is losing out at a time when it can ill-afford to do so. Betting on Asian talent would help.
The Israeli success against Hezbollah and Hamas forces presents an opportunity for political change in the region, particularly if Israel can translate its military victories into diplomatic solutions. 
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2024

Capitalizing on the weakening of Hezbollah and Hamas

The significant setbacks for Hezbollah and Hamas — and the weakening of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” — needs to be seen in strategic terms.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba listens as Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda (right) speaks during a one-on-one debate in parliament on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 9, 2024

Opposition clashes with Ishiba over political reform

Political reform and the LDP slush fund scandal took center stage during the prime minister's showdown with opposition party leaders.

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