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Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2025

Japan won't recognize Palestinian state given U.S. ties: media report

Recent reports said the U.S. had prompted Japan to forgo the recognition through diplomatic channels, while France had urged the opposite.
Japan's exports slipped 0.1% in August from a year earlier, led by a 13.8% drop in the value of shipments to the U.S., with cars the main drag.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 17, 2025

Japan’s exports fall for fourth month as U.S. shipments tumble

Exports slipped 0.1% in August from a year earlier, led by cars and steel, the Finance Ministry reported Wednesday.
The Bank of Japan has maintained a wait-and-see approach for most of the year.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 17, 2025

Bank of Japan set to hold rates steady even as inflation remains high

It is expected to keep the policy rate at 0.5% at its meeting this week.
A scientist looks at scans of grains at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 6, 2023.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Sep 17, 2025

Japan’s front-line researchers see bright path ahead for dementia treatment

Four scientists at the forefront of dementia research speak about what kind of future they envision for people with the condition.
Ukrainan Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga (right) and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski (center) look at drones as they visit an exhibition showcasing Ukrainian unmanned vehicles in Kyiv on Sept. 12.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2025

Trump's public shrug over drone incursion in Poland fuels unease in Europe

Many NATO members already question U.S. President Donald Trump's commitment to their defense in the event of an actual Russian attack.
Israeli Border Police stand as Israeli Druze cross the border to check on their family members in Syria, amid the ongoing conflict in the Druze areas in Syria, in Majdal Shams, near the ceasefire line between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria on July 16.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2025

Under U.S. pressure, Syria and Israel inch toward security deal

Washington is pushing for enough progress to be made by the time of the U.N. General Assembly at the end of this month to allow President Donald Trump to announce a breakthrough.
Ukrainian soldiers fire toward Russian troops near a front line, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on Aug. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2025

Trump administration clears first Ukraine arms aid paid for by allies, sources say

Since taking office, the Trump administration has only sold weapons to Ukraine or shipped donations which were authorized by former President Joe Biden.
Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha delivers a speech during a send-off ceremony for the Indian athletes competing in the Asian Games in September 2023.
OLYMPICS
Sep 17, 2025

Drug cheats put India Olympic bid and careers at risk

The IOC has raised concerns about the number of Indian competitors taking performance-enhancing drugs — and so too has the country's best-known Olympian.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center)  arrives at the airport in Imphal, in the northeastern state of Manipur, on Saturday. He made his first visit to troubled state since more than 250 people were killed in ethnic clashes there two years ago.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 17, 2025

Modi fends off succession talk in India despite numerous setbacks

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates his 75th birthday, his party’s unofficial retirement age, his grip on India appears more secure than ever.
Sorato Shimizu competes at a meet in Hiroshima in July. Over the past few years, Shimizu has been like a superhero among teenage track and field athletes in Japan.
SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 11, 2025

The sky is the limit for Sorato Shimizu, Japan's great sprinting hope

The 16-year-old has already run the 100 in 10 seconds flat and could be an X-factor for Japan’s World Athletics Championships relay hopes.
Proxy-shopping services — companies that ship Japanese products ranging from cosmetics and snacks to limited-edition stationery on behalf of customers abroad — are already feeling the impact of the U.S. suspending de minimis exemptions.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 17, 2025

End of U.S. de minimis exemption causes headaches for some businesses in Japan

Companies that ship to the U.S. are hoping customers will tolerate higher costs or that the de minimis treatment will be restored, but many believe it's gone for good.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’