Search - information

 
 
Masashi Tanimoto arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman in Kobe, is sent to prosecutors on Sunday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 24, 2025

Man arrested in Kobe stabbing had been staying at hotel near victim’s home

The suspect, a resident of Tokyo, is believed to have followed the woman home from a nearby train station.
Hiroyuki Adachi, managing director of Shelter, a wooden architecture construction firm in Yamagata, speaks during a seminar in Sendai in July.
BUSINESS / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Sep 1, 2025

Wooden high-rise buildings increasing in Tohoku amid decarbonization trend

Major real estate developers and construction companies are focusing on wood, pushed by legislation and systems encouraging the use of domestically produced lumber.
The ministry of labor has suggested a 6% minimum wage increase, but most prefectures reporting so far are opting to go slightly higher.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 25, 2025

Japanese prefectures break with labor ministry on minimum wage

Many prefectures are choosing increases higher than the 6% suggested by the ministry.
The previous award ceremony
ESG CONSORTIUM
Aug 25, 2025

Yamagata film festival to gather documentaries from around world

This year’s YIDFF International Competition received 1,318 entries from 129 countries. Fifteen of them will be screened during the festival, competing for five awards.
A measles alert sign is posted outside the entrance to the Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York in March.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 25, 2025

‘Alternative facts’ aren't a reason to skip vaccines

Donald Trump’s health officials have been endorsing alternative facts in science to impose policies that contradict modern medical knowledge.
A journalist holds the blood-covered camera of Palestinian photojournalist Mariam Dagga, who was killed during an Israeli strike on Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, during her funeral on Monday.
WORLD
Aug 26, 2025

Israel hits Gaza hospital, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel deeply regretted what he called a "tragic mishap."
Founded in 1948, Puma reported €281.6 million in net income last year and €8.8 billion in sales, and counts a global workforce of roughly 22,000.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 26, 2025

Pinault family is exploring options for Puma, including a sale

Puma has been trying to revamp itself under new CEO Arthur Hoeld after failing to generate much enthusiasm for its products with consumers in recent years.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrives at a photo session for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reacts, in Yokohama, last week.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 26, 2025

Misinformation over JICA’s Africa ‘hometown’ initiative sparks controversy

Media reports claiming the initiative would include a special visa category for skilled Africans who want to come to Japan exacerbated the confusion.
A wildfire burns in Garano, northwestern Spain, on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 27, 2025

Record wildfires burn more than 1 million hectares of EU land this year

Spain and Portugal have been worst hit and together accounted for around two-thirds of the EU's burnt area.
Wrestlers approach the ring during a regional sumo tour in Misato, Saitama Prefecture in April 2016.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
Aug 27, 2025

Sumo’s grueling summer tour reveals wrestlers' true condition

The heat and length makes the summer tour by far the most physically taxing in sumo, giving fans greater clarity regarding the health of their favorite rikishi.
Koryo High School players greet their cheering section after beating Hokkaido’s Asahikawa Shiho in the first round of Summer Koshien on Aug. 7. The school withdrew three days later as a bullying scandal enveloped the team.
BASEBALL / FOCUS
Aug 27, 2025

Koshien’s dark summer forces reckoning for high school baseball

A young player’s dream was to play in the National High School Baseball Championship. A series of bullying incidents this year changed all of that.
First Lady Yoshiko Ishiba (center, in white and blue dress) hosts an event on Japanese culture with the first ladies of African leaders on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama on Aug. 21.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 27, 2025

Confusion over Japan’s ‘hometown’ plan overshadows African development event

Social media and news have focused more on the misinformation that Japan is accepting a large number of immigrants from Africa.
Sanrio characters Kuromi (left) and My Melody star as rival bakers in a big contest in Netflix’s “My Melody & Kuromi.” When mystical forces threaten their world, the pair team up to find a solution.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Aug 27, 2025

From foil to fan favorite, Kuromi embodies Sanrio’s darker side of cute

Once My Melody’s mischievous antagonist, Kuromi is now outshining her pastel-pink counterpart, with a rebellious personality that resonates with today’s audiences.
Liberal Democratic Party's election panel chair Ichiro Aisawa speaks at a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 27, 2025

Lawmakers must come clean on stance over possible Ishiba ouster, LDP panel says

LDP party executives have put pressure on lawmakers to take a clear stance on the issue.
Under an envisaged agreement, Tokyo and Canberra will vow to share information during an emergency and coordinate their evacuation plans during peacetime.
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2025

Japan and Australia to agree on evacuations from a third country

In the event of an evacuation, Japan and Australia are expected to accept each other's citizens to fill vacant seats on their respective chartered aircraft and buses.
Virtual singer Kaf got her start in 2018 by posting songs and covers to YouTube. Now, after having performed live shows at major venues including Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, she is turning to voice acting and starring in the new anime series “Kamitsubaki City Under Construction.”
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 28, 2025

Virtual singer Kaf's music becomes magic in 'Kamitsubaki City Under Construction'

After evolving from an online presence into a live performer, Kaf has now stepped into voice acting as part of a multimedia project built around a supergroup of virtual artists.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, in Kyiv on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Aug 28, 2025

Ukraine sees 'priceless' digital battlefield data trove as key to West's support

Since Russia launched its 2022 invasion, Ukraine has collected reams of meticulously logged battlefield statistics.
Despite coming from a difficult background that resulted in behavioral issues, Tosca has turned a new leaf with his new owners in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Aug 28, 2025

Tosca turns a new leaf in a new home

A dog with a troubled past has finally found his way to a loving family.
Anthropic, an AI startup founded in 2021, is one of the world’s most valuable private companies and competes with OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI as well as Google and Microsoft.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 28, 2025

Anthropic says attacker used AI tool in widespread hacks

The campaign demonstrated a "concerning evolution in AI-assisted cybercrime” in which a single user can operate like an entire cybercriminal team.
The ByteDance logo at the company's office building in Shanghai in 2023. The company plans to offer to buy back current employees shares at a price 5.5% higher than it offered in a previous repurchase program about six months ago.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 28, 2025

TikTok owner ByteDance sets valuation at over $330 billion in planned buyback

The latest buyback at a higher valuation will come as ByteDance consolidates its position as the world's largest social media company by revenue.
Sakurazaka46, the idol pop outfit formerly known as Keyakizaka46, wrapped up an an 11-night nationwide tour this month.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 29, 2025

Sakurazaka46 wants the world to dance along

The 33-member idol group takes its spectacle-heavy performances on the road — and abroad.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe stands on the track at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 29, 2025

Sebastian Coe confident gene testing will be completed for Tokyo worlds

Athletes who arrive at the global event without being tested can complete the process in the Japanese capital.
Headlining the second day of YouTube Music Weekend is Vocaloid artist Kikuo, who, with 1.46 million YouTube subscribers, is one of the most popular artists in the genre.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 29, 2025

YouTube Music Weekend is where Japan’s internet-born performers go global

YouTube's three-day weekend of online performances features a medley of Vocaloid, hyperpop, rock and pop artists in a supportive, cultural festival atmosphere.
A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer toward Russian troops in Ukraine's Kherson region in March.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 29, 2025

The 'land swap' that wasn't: Inside Trump's frantic dash for Ukraine peace

A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and a high ranking U.S. official set off a flurry of diplomatic activity.
At Kuro Mame, baristas customize the coffee according to the guest's preferences.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 29, 2025

Sip a bespoke coffee for ¥4,000 at Kuro Mame

Always wanted to have a barista customize your brew? Make a beeline for this premium cafe.
The National Police Agency in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. The agency is considering legal revisions to allow police to issue warnings against stalkers at their discretion even in the absence of requests from victims.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 29, 2025

Police look to issue stalker warnings even without requests from victims

The National Police Agency is considering legal revisions to allow the discretionary issuance of such warnings when victims hesitate to request them out of fear of retaliation.
Then-U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to board Air Force Two as she departs LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, in September last year.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 30, 2025

Trump withdraws Kamala Harris' Secret Service protection

The move comes just weeks before Harris is set to go on a tour to promote a new book about her failed presidential campaign against Trump last year.
Sukiya plans to cut prices for its beef bowls for the first time since 2014 starting on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2025

Sukiya to slash beef bowl prices for first time in 11 years

The move, which comes after a hike in March, will effectively bring prices back down to levels below its major rivals Yoshinoya and Matsuya.
An armed Yemeni man chants slogans during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and in condemnation of Israel and the U.S., in Yemen's Houthi-run capital, Sanaa, on Friday.
WORLD
Sep 1, 2025

Yemen's Houthi rebels detain at least 11 U.N. workers

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for their "immediate and unconditional release."
The Tokyo Stock Exchange requires companies exiting the market through management buyouts or acquisitions by controlling shareholders to provide explanations regarding procedures and price fairness.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 1, 2025

Tokyo Stock Exchange pressed for more disclosure on management buyouts

The book value of companies has been one area of focus for investors amid the TSE’s yearslong campaign to unlock higher returns to shareholders.

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’