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OpenAI said it fired chairman Sam Altman after it concluded that he was not candid with the company's board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 21, 2023

Profit, not progress, animates the tech world

Reliable sources said Altman's firing came amid difference in views about the speed at which OpenAI should push its artificial intelligence.
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation's new exhibition lets people experience life with robots.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 22, 2023

Miraikan science museum debuts new permanent exhibition on aging

Visitors will be able to experience various age-related challenges such as blurry vision and heaviness in the legs.
Up until very recently, the business of packaging semiconductors — encasing chips in materials that both protect them and connect them to the electronic device they’re part of — was, at best, an afterthought for the industry.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 22, 2023

A new front is opening up in the U.S.-China conflict over chips

The process of packaging semiconductors is increasingly seen as the "secret sauce" — a path toward achieving higher performance.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 22, 2023

Things get warmer with Xi; Johnny’s get the cold shoulder

While Japan and China look to ease tensions, NHK makes things tense with a Johnny’s-less “Kohaku” announcement.
A recently implemented tracking system shows the real-time position of all horses during the live broadcast of the spring Tenno Sho on April 30.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Nov 24, 2023

New technology enhances fan experience

A jockey camera and a tracking system introduced by the Japan Racing Association this past spring have proven popular with horse-racing fans.
At KIPI, a 1.06 gigawatt coal-fired plant will power the $2 billion Adaro Minerals Indonesia aluminum smelter due to begin operating in 2025.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 24, 2023

A coal-powered industrial boom is testing Indonesia’s green goals

The reality to support a low-emission ambition lies years in the future
Blue Bottle Studio Kyoto's tasting sessions combine excellent coffees, curated music and a technical display of barista-ship.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 26, 2023

Blue Bottle Kyoto gives coffee the 'kaiseki' treatment

The menu unfolds with each course crafted to present a different facet of coffee culture.
Toyosu, a reclaimed area and former industrial zone in the Tokyo Bay area, has become popular with a new wave of Chinese immigrants for its breathtaking views of the Tokyo skyline.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 28, 2023

A new wave of Chinese elites is flocking to Japan

Recent newcomers are affluent and financially savvy, and choose Japan after weighing the pros and cons of other potential overseas destinations.
More than a dozen countries have announced what has been described as the first detailed international agreement on 'secure by design' AI protocol.
WORLD / Society
Nov 27, 2023

U.S., Britain and others ink deal to make AI 'secure by design'

The agreement focuses on thwarting hackers and releasing new systems only after appropriate security testing.
Akina Shu has visited around 50 countries as a speaker and ambassador on the digital nomad lifestyle since 2020.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Nov 27, 2023

Japan is enticing for digital nomads, but visa hurdles remain

While the country does not offer a digital nomad visa, the government is working on introducing one sometime in 2024.
Yoko Huijs-Watanuki poses in the city of Fukuoka during a visit to Japan in October.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Dec 4, 2023

Oita woman helps Japanese Dutch, born in WWII, trace their roots

During the Pacific War the Japanese military occupied the Dutch East Indies, after taking the land from Dutch forces in 1942.
New Zealand's Ardie Savea (right) in action with South Africa's Jean Kleyn at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on Oct. 28
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 1, 2023

All Black Savea eager to test himself with Japan move

The All Blacks loose forward has signed for Kobe Steelers on a one-season deal that means he will not miss any games for his country.
Damaged houses following the deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel.
WORLD
Dec 2, 2023

Israel's most wanted: The three Hamas leaders it aims to kill

Sources familiar with Israel's thinking have said that the offensive in Gaza was unlikely to stop until three top Hamas commanders are dead or captured.
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani on deck against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Aug. 28
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 5, 2023

Shohei Ohtani decision expected 'within the week,' reports say

The free agent two-way star is projected to receive a record-setting contract worth more than $500 million.
Eiko Takeuchi talks about a traffic jam during last winter’s heavy snow along National Route 8 in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 18.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Dec 11, 2023

Evacuation plans for nuclear incidents called into question

Effectiveness of preparations as a “last line of defense” to save residents in the event of a nuclear disaster are in doubt.
American pop singer Caroline Polachek, who lived in Tokyo from the age of 1 through 7, held her first gig as a solo headliner in Japan at Toyosu Pit in November.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 7, 2023

A heady Tokyo homecoming for Caroline Polachek

The U.S. indie pop singer returns to her childhood home for her first solo gig in Japan and builds out her musical universe with maximalist emotions.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 10, 2023

Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers on record-breaking deal

Ohtani reached an agreement on a record-breaking deal worth $700 million with the Dodgers.
Drag queens (from left) Trinity the Tuck, Manila Luzon and Kylie Sonique Love headlined the most recent edition of Opulence, Tokyo's fast-growing drag performance extravaganza.
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 10, 2023

The opulence of Manila Luzon

The Asian American drag queen who rose to stardom after a stint on "RuPaul's Drag Race" pays things forward with her Philippines-based show "Drag Den."
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 11, 2023

G7 agrees in Japan to enhance cooperation against organized fraud

Ministers from the bloc agreed that their countries should strengthen support for developing countries from which fraudulent phone calls are made.
The Royal Theater in the city of Gifu screens 35-millimeter films.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 18, 2023

Mini-theater showing 35mm films is struggling to survive

Massive amounts of funds are needed to renovate the aged facility and people involved in the theater are seeking ways to keep the place alive.
A Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric vehicle charges at Chaevi Stay Charging Station in Seoul on Oct. 18
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 12, 2023

South Korean auto-battery firms cautious on challenging China rivals

Feeding their worries is slowing growth in electric vehicle sales, price competition and the potential for changes in United States subsidies.
Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” received Golden Globes nominations for best animated motion picture and best original score for a motion picture this week.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 12, 2023

'The Boy and the Heron' and 'Godzilla Minus One' win over U.S.

While both Japanese films broke records at the North American box office, Hayao Miyazaki's latest also received two Golden Globes nominations.
Naoya Maekawa, an associate professor at Fukushima University, speaks of the importance of passing on lessons from Japan's 2011 disasters.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Dec 18, 2023

Knowledge of 2011 disaster declining among young, survey shows

An academic behind the survey says memories of the disaster are fading.
SOCCER
Dec 13, 2023

Yokohama beats Shandong to book Asian Champions League last-16 spot

The last-16 lineup also features Japan's Ventforet Kofu and Kawasaki Frontale.
Toranosuke Katayama is a photographer who's photo assignments lead him to become a soba researcher with 70 publications on the cuisine.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 22, 2023

Toranosuke Katayama: ‘Soba is about saving history and identity’

A photographer who chose to document soba for a book soon found himself drawn into the deeper world of the buckwheat noodle.
While Hayao Miyazaki’s return to filmmaking, “The Boy and the Heron,” did not attain the ¥10 billion milestone that the beloved animator’s movies had once routinely surpassed, it debuted at the top of the North American box office and became the first original anime film to lead the box office in the United States and Canada.
CULTURE / Film / 2023 in Review
Dec 15, 2023

Japan’s auteurs and anime triumphed in 2023

From Hayao Miyazaki's “The Boy and the Heron” to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Monster,” the box-office hits kept coming.
Developed by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3, a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired action-adventure role-playing game, is the consensus game of the year.
LIFE / Digital
Dec 16, 2023

Critical success: Baldur’s Gate 3 wins Game of the Year honors

First presented in 2014, the Game Awards decides on winners through a voting jury of the news media and input from players.
Fujifilm has added the Instax Pal, a new palm-sized model, to its Instax instant camera lineup known as Cheki in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 15, 2023

Japanese camera-makers focusing on Gen-Z

Offerings tout unique features to appeal to those wanting something beyond smartphone photography.
Toyota dealer Hiroshima Toyopet has installed air conditioners at all 30 of its maintenance facilities in Hiroshima Prefecture to ensure mechanics can work comfortably during the summer.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Dec 25, 2023

Hiroshima car dealers seek ways to attract mechanics

Since many people use their cars as a daily means of transportation, it is essential to secure a stable pool of mechanics.
Dodgers owner Mark Walter puts a jersey on Shohei Ohtani during the superstar's introductory news conference on Thursday. The structure of Ohtani's contract could help the Dodgers get a full return on their investment in the two-way player.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 15, 2023

For the Dodgers, Ohtani's megadeal could end up being a bargain

The Dodgers have the makings of a juggernaut, and success on the field will allow the franchise to cash in on Ohtani’s transcendent marketability.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji