Search - life

 
 
A woman and her children at the Minnanouen Kitakagaya community garden in Osaka's Suminoe Ward
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Nov 5, 2023

How simple steps can help alleviate climate anxiety

From gardening to flood-proofing your home, experts say there are simple ways you can ease some of your concern.
Journalists and activists call for justice and protection of media workers during a rally following the killing of a radio journalist in Quezon City, Philippines, in October 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Nov 5, 2023

Radio broadcaster killed in the Philippines

The Philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists, and their killers often go unpunished.
Fujio Mitarai, chief executive officer of Canon, during an interview in Tokyo on Oct. 30
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023

Canon’s chipmaking technology promises advanced chips for less

The Tokyo-based firm’s new nano-imprint technology could open doors for smaller semiconductor manufacturers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall in central Moscow in February 2017.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2023

Russia's Putin to stay in power past 2024, sources say

The Russian leader has decided to run in the March presidential election, a move that will keep him in power until least 2030.
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Formula One Brazil Grand Prix in Sao Paulo on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Nov 7, 2023

Three things we learned from the Brazilian Grand Prix

Only McLaren, with a strong second half of the season, has lifted itself into a position to maintain a challenge.
A Palestinian family sits near destroyed houses following a strike in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on Monday
WORLD / Society
Nov 7, 2023

Civilians trapped in Gaza are running out of food, fuel and hope

Residents of Gaza are having to make difficult calculations about their safety in a place where supplies of food and water are rapidly dwindling.
After years of pining, gamers are finally getting the live-action Zelda movie they've always wanted.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Nov 8, 2023

A live-action Legend of Zelda movie is in development

A live-action Zelda movie has been a holy grail of video game adaptations for decades, and now that day has come.
The family grave of Toshihide Matsumoto is dismantled in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. An increasing number of Japanese people are opting to permanently close their family graves as traditional family structures continue to change.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023

Graying Japan faces a grave problem

Services designed to help people move or scatter their ancestors' ashes and close up family graves are experiencing increased demand.
In a world where human speech is nonexistent, a woman (Misa Wada) survives on her own in an abandoned building in “Motion Picture: Choke.”
CULTURE / Film
Nov 9, 2023

‘Motion Picture: Choke’: A silent 'tour de force' performance

Misa Wada offers a full range of emotions in Gen Nagao’s thought-provoking and imaginative film set in a reality where humans don’t speak.
Japan’s most famous monster attacks Tokyo just as the city is rebuilding itself from the destruction of World War II in “Godzilla Minus One.”
CULTURE / Film
Nov 9, 2023

‘Godzilla Minus One’: Legendary monster levels up visually

Admirable visual effects bring the beast to life in the franchise’s newest entry, which looks more like the 1954 original than anything in decades.
Tokyo International Film Festival celebrated the 120th anniversary of Yasujiro Ozu’s birth with screenings of the director’s films, including 1953’s “Tokyo Story.” The festival also held a symposium featuring three world-class filmmakers discussing Ozu’s contributions: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke and Kelly Reichardt.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 9, 2023

Kelly Reichardt: 'Yasujiro Ozu truly tries to achieve stillness'

The indie director discusses Ozu's cinematic impact on the 120th anniversary of his birth at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference on the 2023 Enlargement package and the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans at the EU headquarters in Brussels Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Brussels recommends opening EU membership talks with Ukraine

The countries bidding to join the EU join an already crowded field of hopefuls.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

China unlikely to launch ‘D-Day’ on Taiwan, Singapore PM says

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong downplayed concerns, saying China isn’t "trigger happy” about taking over the island.
Pope Francis greets people during the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on Wednesday.
WORLD / Society
Nov 9, 2023

Transgender people can be godparents or baptized, Vatican says

The Vatican's doctrinal office posted three pages of questions and answers on the topic in response to queries from a bishop in Brazil.
People from Hawaii pray for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, on a beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2014.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 13, 2023

Fukushima celebrates a century of special ties with Hawaii

Residents emigrated to Hawaii and other places to cultivate undeveloped land, and made a living by working in the sugar industry.
Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott, take the stage for the third Republican presidential debate in Miami on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Trump-bashing Republican rivals still don't break with him

The third GOP debate's focus seemed trained on former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is rising in early polls.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Giorgia Meloni defied doubters to survive a year in Italy. Now it gets harder.

The far-right label applied to Meloni for most of her career may be too simplistic for a politician who demonstrates flexibility and pragmatism.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 9, 2023

Japan’s 'four-eyed tax hiker' and the curse of Colonel Sanders

Baseball writer Jason Coskrey and editor Joel Tansey discuss the Hanshin Tigers’ Japan Series victory; Gabriele Ninivaggi explains how the prime minister hopes to get a home run with his tax plan.
Director Hideo Jojo made the switch from soft-core adult films to more mainstream entertainment with “On the Edge of Their Seats,” a drama about four teenagers watching their high school baseball team lose an important tournament game.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 10, 2023

'Pink film' director Hideo Jojo gets the red carpet treatment

Tokyo's annual film festival named Jojo — who has made over 100 titles, from soft-core adult films to theatrical features — this year's Director in Focus.
By the finale, I had completely bought into Samurai Restaurant Time's spectacle — a neon-lit festival with chants and cheers.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 12, 2023

Samurai Restaurant Time gives kitschy thrills fit for Kabukicho

To replace the defunct Robot Restaurant, the neon-soaked streets of Kabukicho are serving up a kitschy second course.
While "yōkan" jellies are usually set quite solid with "kanten" agar, there is something to be said for using it more sparingly for a softer finished product.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Nov 12, 2023

Recipe: Sweet potato ‘pie’

With a little effort, you can turn baked sweet potatoes into a fun and easy introduction to the world of traditional Japanese sweets.
With water drawn from sources in upstate New York, new sake brewing facilities in the Empire State back by Niigata Prefecture's Hakkaisan will be producing bottles by 2024.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 12, 2023

Hakkaisan and New York brewer to produce U.S.-based sake by 2024

The water for sake will come from upstate New York, while rice will come from California and Arkansas.
Humane has officially launched its long-awaited Ai Pin. The device will be available to order starting Nov. 16.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 10, 2023

Humane's Ai Pin launches its campaign to replace phones

The device can magnetically clip onto clothing and will cost $699 with a $24-a-month subscription — which will come with unlimited data and phone calls.
BUSINESS
Nov 10, 2023

Japan needs to prepare for 'life with interest rates': lobby head

Takeshi Niinami, chairman of business lobby Keizai Doyukai, said the Bank of Japan "must normalize" monetary policy to help weed out incompetent firms.
Kyoto’s Tofukuji temple is a notable place for viewing multicolored fall foliage.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 10, 2023

The culture, customs and vocabulary of Japan’s fall season

The changing colors of Japan’s foliage have been a prominent part of the culture since the Nara Period when they inspired artists.
Port Plus is a training and education facility in Yokohama built by and for general contractor Obayashi, a storied Japanese builder that traces its roots back to 1892.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2023

Wooden high-rise in Yokohama grows Japan’s timber ambitions

Port Plus, which was finished last year, is composed mainly of 540 wooden rigid cross-joints.
Yoon Suk-yeol, then the 2022 presidential election candidate of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party, attends a news conference in Seoul in November 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

President’s war against ‘fake news’ raises alarms in South Korea

Critics say South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is silencing journalists in the name of fighting disinformation.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2023

Cabinet approves ¥13.1 trillion extra budget to finance fresh stimulus

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida appears to be eager to regain popularity with the relief package, but voters aren't convinced.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher speaks as she is flanked by Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's executive director and chief negotiator, during a news conference following the end of the Screen Actors Guild strike in Los Angeles on Friday.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2023

Actors union explains AI guardrails in strike deal

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) reached a deal with studios like Disney and Netflix this week to end its nearly four-month strike.
Michiko Aoyama’s “What You are Looking For Is in the Library” centers on a local library where five Tokyoites are gently guided through personal issues by kindly librarian Sayuri Komachi.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 13, 2023

‘What You are Looking For is in the Library’: A tender tale with a touch of whimsy

Five readers discover comfort and direction at their local library in Michiko Aoyama’s novel, which offers a believable take on modern life in Tokyo.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo