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Trumpism is attacking America's core institutions to gain unchecked power, and only a united civic uprising that defends and reforms these institutions can stop it and build a better future.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 27, 2025

Time for a civic uprising

What’s happening is not normal. America needs an uprising that is not normal.
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / Longform
Apr 28, 2025

If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami

Last year the government issued its first "megaquake" advisory. Ever since, those living in the areas it's expected to hit have been preparing for the worst.
There is strong demand for funding from Japanese companies as the economy emerges from years of deflation, and issuers are trying to pinpoint the best time to sell bonds before the Bank of Japan raises interest rates again.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 28, 2025

Revived corporate bond deals in Japan underline need for funding

Volatility is particularly tricky for Japan to navigate given that the market has been less exposed to extreme swings after years of rock-bottom interest rates.
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
BASEBALL
Apr 28, 2025

Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave

The Dodgers star went on MLB’s paternity list for the birth of his daughter. MLB is the only major North American sports league that guarantees paternity leave to its players.
Pope Francis prays in front of a candle lit to remember victims of abuse by the church, inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin, Ireland on August 25, 2018.
WORLD / Society
Apr 28, 2025

Abuse victims say they saw progress under Pope Francis, just not enough

For abuse survivors, Francis' legacy on the issue is a mixed one of powerful words and at times underwhelming deeds.
A general view of Muscat, ahead of the awaited negotiations between U.S. and Iran, in Oman on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2025

Iran proposes meeting with Europeans before next talks with U.S., diplomats say

Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday.
Farmer Moises Schmidt shows a cocoa bean at the Schmidt Agricola plantation in Riachao das Neves, Bahia state, Brazil, on Nov. 19, 2024.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2025

Brazil's would-be cocoa king aims to revolutionize industry with giant farm

The farmer's $300 million plan is the largest and the most innovative in the Brazilian state of Bahia, but not the only one.
Sunset at Dudley Page Reserve, in Dover Heights, Sydney, on April 21
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 29, 2025

Australia’s economic ‘miracle’ is ending no matter who wins vote

Polls suggest the May 3 election will be tight, with many pundits predicting the winner will lead a minority government.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates after a basket during Game 5 of Indiana's series against the Bucks, on Tuesday in Indianapolis.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 30, 2025

Haliburton leads comeback as Pacers advance past Bucks

The Pacers battled back from a 20-point deficit and then rallied again in overtime to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 and seal a 4-1 series victory.
Public transportation ridership across the U.S. hasn’t yet returned to its pre-COVID peak.
WORLD
Apr 30, 2025

A $6 billion shortfall has U.S. mass transit facing a death spiral

The Trump administration is drastically reining in federal spending, creating fear of job losses that could again decimate ridership.
Japan's proposed "one-theater" defense strategy, linking the East China Sea, South China Sea and Korean Peninsula has raised concerns, particularly in South Korea, about its implications for regional security.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 30, 2025

Japan’s ‘one-theater’ defense concept rattles South Korea

Continuing expansion of SDF roles and missions is consistent with adoption of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" construct that guides Japanese security policy.
Tapple, one of Japan's most popular dating apps, has launched the nation's first feature to verify a user's single status via their My Number card.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2025

Single, or not? Japanese dating app launches relationship verification system

With Tapple boasting over 20 million users, worries about dishonest relationship statuses were common.
The United States and Ukraine signed a minerals deal on Wednesday, offering a measure of assurance to officials in Kyiv.
WORLD / Politics
May 1, 2025

U.S. and Ukraine sign resources deal after fraught negotiations

The signing ceremony on Wednesday concluded weeks of contentious negotiations and pulled the two countries back from a rift.
Feelings of lethargy and anxiety can sometimes hit after the Golden Week holiday period has concluded. The Japanese call this the “May blues.”
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 1, 2025

Why the month of May feels tough and how language can help

The phenomenon known as the "May blues" can have serious ramifications if you don't deal with it.
Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party, makes a final speech during the party's presidential primary election in Goyang, South Korea, on April 27.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 2, 2025

South Korea presidential race rocked by court ruling and resignations

South Korea's third acting president in five months, Lee Ju-ho, said that he will ensure stable government ahead of a June 3 presidential election.
Since 2017, Kotomi Li has won some of Japan’s top literary awards and built a formidable career in the face of persistent online harassment. “Authors are tenacious creatures to begin with,” she says.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
May 5, 2025

Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'

The Taiwanese writer reflects on the importance of queer community, her ascent in Japan’s literary world and her ongoing battles against online harassment.
An open-pit mine in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on April 23. The financial payoff from the deal may take a decade or longer to materialize.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 2, 2025

U.S. and Ukraine may wait decade or more to see revenue from minerals deal

While the financial benefits from the deal are uncertain, officials in Ukraine believe it will help shore up U.S. support for Kyiv.
The Adachi Institute has been working on creating brand new ukiyo-e prints in collaboration with contemporary artists such as Yayoi Kusama, whose “Mt. Fuji in Seven Colours: When life boundlessly flares up to the universe” (2014) can be seen on display at “Ukiyo-e in Play.”
CULTURE / Art
May 2, 2025

'Ukiyo-e in Play' showcases traditional art carved anew

The Adachi Institute of Woodcut Prints keeps age-old methods alive by creating ukiyo-e prints in collaboration with artisans and contemporary artists.
Time Out Market Osaka, located in the basement of Grand Green Osaka's South Building, is the London-based media and hospitality business' first Asian edition of their food market.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 4, 2025

More than a food court: Time Out Market curates Osaka’s best flavors

After whetting appetites in cities like New York and Dubai, Time Out Market, the food event of the eponymous magazine and media group, has opened its first Asian edition in Osaka.
Firefighters want more funding and better incentives for the millions of volunteers who prop up the system.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 3, 2025

'Not sustainable': Europe's firefighters want more funds and staff

Wildfires fueled by hotter, drier weather and household fires are straining fire services across the bloc.
A Shein pop-up store in New York. Many goods imported from China now face a 145% tariff.
BUSINESS
May 3, 2025

Young Americans sour on Trump’s China tariffs despite election-year bump

For Republicans, the trade war is poised to reverse gains with a demographic that could be key to maintaining control of Congress.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peters Square in Vatican City on April 26.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2025

Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage

The U.S. president, who is not a Catholic, posted the image less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month.
A solar panel on display at a home improvement center in Bangkok
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
May 4, 2025

U.S. solar tariffs could drive Asia transition boom

China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80% of every stage of the manufacturing process.
Excitement for Nintendo's next console is high, but a vocal contingent of fans are voicing criticism over the company's pricing strategy.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 5, 2025

‘Drop the price’: Behind the pushback on Nintendo’s Switch 2

Nintendo games have never been cheap, but the company seems to be nickel-and-diming more than ever with its new console.
Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 5, 2025

A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan

How one artist is using history, culture and community spirit to revive a fading samurai legacy — and possibly reshape rural Japan’s future.
An Israeli soldier walks near tanks deployed at a position near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 5, 2025

Israel prepares to scale up pressure on Gaza ahead of Trump visit

The new ground operations will likely involve taking control of additional territory while stopping short of a full siege.
China's Bayan Obo rare earth mine in Inner Mongolia. As U.S.-China tensions strain critical mineral supply chains, Tokyo’s multipronged approach based on sovereignty, resilience and sustainability is gaining quiet relevance.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 5, 2025

Japan's resource security path may hold answers to trade turmoil

Critical mineral supply chains are made vulnerable by China's dominance and U.S. protectionism. Japan's strategy may provide clues as to how to secure these vital resources.
Kashmiri children sit on a bench at a marketplace as an Indian paramilitary soldier keeps guard along a street in Srinagar in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Sunday. Tensions between the nuclear-armed archrivals have soared since India accused Pakistan of backing a shooting that killed 26 civilians on the Indian side of the disputed territory on April 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 6, 2025

With militaries upgraded, risks multiply in any potential India-Pakistan conflict

Pakistan says India plans a military incursion after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on domestic tourists in Indian Kashmir last month.
Israeli tanks are positioned near the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel on April 23.
WORLD / Politics
May 6, 2025

Israel may seize all of Gaza in expanded operation, officials say

The newly approved offensive would move the territory's civilian population southward and keep humanitarian aid from falling into Hamas' hands.
Resident Fahed Abu Haidar speaks to Mwaffaq Abu Shash, a Druze cleric, following deadly clashes between Sunni fighters against armed Druze residents in Jaramana, Syria, on Monday.
WORLD
May 7, 2025

Druze near Damascus resist demand to turn in arms as tensions boil

Druze residents near Syria's capital are resisting a demand by the Islamist-led government to hand in their light weapons, saying authorities have yet to address fears of new attacks by Sunni Muslim militants after days of sectarian violence.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes