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Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
May 12, 2025

What comes after 100?

The number of Japanese centenarians is on the rise, providing new models for how to live in a super-aging society.
A median estimate of economists shows Japan's gross domestic product likely shrank by 0.3% in the January-March quarter on an annualized basis.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2025

Japan’s sputtering economy likely stalled before Trump’s tariffs

Gross domestic product adjusted for inflation shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter on an annualized basis, according to economists.
Hachidori Solar President Shota Ikeda in Tokyo in January
ENVIRONMENT
May 18, 2025

A 26-year-old asked to help shape Japan’s climate goals has a warning

Shota Ikeda has called for emissions reductions of at least 75% to be considered.
A gauge of confidence among store managers, taxi drivers and others who interact directly with Japanese consumers dropped 2.5 points to 42.6 in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2025

Japan’s merchants’ mood hits worst in three years on tariff woes

A gauge of confidence among store managers, taxi drivers and others who interact directly with Japanese consumers dropped 2.5 points to 42.6 in April.
A gate to the Osaka Expo site is crowded with visitors on Monday.
JAPAN
May 13, 2025

One month on, Osaka Expo urged to boost heat and crowd control measures

Experts say the real test will come in August when higher turnout is expected.
A Warren Buffett Squishmallow is displayed during a Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2023. Buffett’s $25 billion bet on five Japanese trading houses reflects his belief that the country’s overlooked market rewards patient investors who embrace its unique business culture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 13, 2025

Buffett’s little Japan handbook — and other lessons

The legendary investor recently revealed what inspired his interest in Tokyo’s trading houses — and offered a host of tips for would-be followers.
Sakana AI CEO David Ha speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2025

Japan should produce its own AI defense solutions, Sakana AI CEO says

Sakana AI CEO David Ha said that as U.S. foreign policy becomes more U.S.-centric, AI services could serve as “a bargaining chip for countries.”
Ashikaga Takauji was a 14th-century warrior whose shifting alliances had a profound impact on the turbulent politics of his day. More than 500 years later, imperial loyalists were moved to channel their lingering fury at Takauji's betrayal of Emperor Go-Daigo.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
May 17, 2025

The emperor and the shogun: A power struggle across the centuries

For imperial loyalists of the late Edo Period, the experiences of Emperor Go-Daigo from five centuries past were an inspiration — and a warning.
FemUniti was founded in 2024 by Setsu Suzuki (right) and Meagan Ward (second from left) to empower women entrepreneurs and connect them to resources and opportunities.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 19, 2025

Detroit-Nagoya network empowers women-owned businesses around the world

Supporting women in business is a “blueprint for the future,” says the cofounder of femUniti — and she has the data to back it up.
In part due to low awareness that placing bets using overseas sports gambling sites is illegal, access to such platforms in Japan has surged in recent years.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2025

Illegal wagers on overseas sports betting sites top ¥6.4 trillion, study finds

The findings, reported by a sports organization, comes after two baseball players were sent to prosecutors earlier this month for allegedly placing bets from Japan.
"Jinsei," which follows its protagonist over a century, probes themes of identity and societal issues with a dark comic touch. The director, however, says he created the story without knowing where it would lead.
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2025

For his first feature film, director Ryuya Suzuki created a masterpiece

With no script or crew, the animator created "Jinsei," a bold debut inspired by classics such as "Citizen Kane" and "Scarface."
The Japanese economy flipped back into reverse in the first three months of the year, with consumption staying below its pre-pandemic level as inflation saps purchasing power.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025

Japan’s economy shrank for the first time in a year before tariff jolt

The first contraction under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba adds to concerns about the resilience of the economy before tariffs came into effect.
Yields in Japan’s $7.8 trillion government debt market are now rising rapidly after years of moving at a glacial pace.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025

Japan’s steep bond curve divides investors and challenges economy

Yields in the country’s $7.8 trillion government debt market are shifting higher at breakneck speed after years of moving at a glacial pace.
As Japan heads into summer elections, debate over the consumption tax has intensified, with opposition parties demanding cuts to ease pressure on households and the government defending the levy as essential amid rising debt and economic uncertainty.
EDITORIALS
May 16, 2025

Don’t overreact to the consumption tax debate

Economic uncertainty in combination with rising prices are squeezing the budgets of households, businesses and the government.
Chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in the Oval Office of the White House in April. Since then, Japan's trade negotiations with the U.S. have produced no tangible results.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
May 16, 2025

Akazawa's dilemma: no tariff deal or a half-baked deal

Japan has realized the U.S. has no intention of seriously talking about duties on automobiles now.
The Suirokaku Aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple in the city of Kyoto
JAPAN
May 18, 2025

Lake Biwa canal facilities recommended for national treasure designation

Lake Biwa canal facilities not only played key roles in water infrastructure and power generation, but also in irrigation and waterway transportation.
Laurent Patouillet, the CEO and president of Agnes b. Japan, says the focus of its business is to remain independent, and evolve and adapt.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2025

Agnes b. Japan CEO hopes to evolve the brand with focus on sustainability

Laurent Patouillet, who has headed the brand's Japanese operations since 2018, believes there is more that it can do to be environmentally sustainable.
Carlyle Japan is expanding hiring of investment professionals as it believes Japanese companies that are focused on domestic businesses are actually very appealing amid the global trade turmoil.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Carlyle on Japan hiring spree after new $3 billion buyout fund

Private equity has found a sweet spot in Japan in recent years, where borrowing costs remain low and companies have become receptive to selling off operations.
Goldman Sachs’ unit in Japan, although posting lower profit last year, kept its spot as the most profitable among foreign banks in the country that close their books in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Goldman Sachs leads in a patchy year for foreign banks in Japan

The varied results suggest that 2024 was a tricky year for the world’s largest lenders operating in Japan, as investors adjusted to rising interest rates.
Japan’s trade balance swung into a deficit in April after two months in the black as growth in its exports slowed.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2025

Japan’s exports slow as U.S. tariffs bite, risking a recession

Exports measured by value gained 2% in April from a year earlier, slowing from March’s 4% as cars and steel dragged on shipments.
Although Japan's rate of cashless transactions remains relatively low compared with those of other countries, the share of such payments in personal consumption has surpassed 40% for the first time.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 21, 2025

Cashless payments top 40% of consumer spending in Japan

The country's cashless payment penetration remains low globally, with the risk of fraud and service interruptions due to natural disasters presenting hurdles to growth.
A partially submerged car is seen in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano Prefecture in October 2019. The Weather Attribution Center Japan, which was founded Tuesday, aims to publicize the results of its climate attribution assessment within days of a typhoon, torrential rain or extreme heat.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
May 21, 2025

When extreme weather hits, Japan scientists will have faster answers on climate links

The Weather Attribution Center will aim to publish concrete links between global warming and extreme weather events within days, rather than months.
Born and raised in Japan, Joshua Thomson has been making videos on YouTube and Instagram to poke fun at stereotypes and challenge assumptions about — or from — Japanese society.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 23, 2025

Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’

The bilingual YouTuber talks about his hybrid cultural heritage and his aspirations in the entertainment industry.
As Japan confronts global economic shifts and mounting fiscal pressures, its upcoming election risks being consumed by a stale, politically fraught debate over the consumption tax.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 21, 2025

Don’t reopen the ‘demon's gate’ debate in Japan

As Japan confronts global economic shifts and mounting fiscal pressures, its upcoming election risks being consumed by a stale, politically fraught debate over the consumption tax.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes part in deliberations on pension system reform in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Ishiba’s comparison of Japan’s finances to Greece’s during a tax debate drew backlash for spooking markets and misrepresenting the country’s debt situation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 22, 2025

Ishiba's Greece debt comparison risks deeper crisis

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s comparison of Japan’s finances to Greece’s during a tax debate drew backlash for spooking markets and misrepresenting the country’s debt situation.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba walks past members of the Philippine Coast Guard at the coast guard's headquarters in Manila on April 30.
JAPAN / Politics
May 22, 2025

Ishiba doubles down on weapons cooperation, saying no country can go it alone

Japan has sealed a spate of defense equipment and technology transfer deals in recent years while also looking to build up its homegrown defense industry.
The Hokkaido East Trail links some of the northern prefecture's most striking national parks and landscapes.
LIFE / Travel
May 24, 2025

In search of untouched Japan? Meet Hokkaido’s newest hiking trail.

The 410-kilometer Hokkaido East Trail links three national parks as it winds through marshland, calderas and more.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't your typical Japanese role-playing game, but that hasn't stopped it from being one of the best to come from the genre in years.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 24, 2025

Uh-oh, is the rest of the world making JRPGs better than Japan?

Developed by a French studio, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has pushed the genre forward more than any Japanese-developed title in the past 10 years.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba briefs reporters after his call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 23, 2025

Ishiba and Trump speak as Akazawa heads to Washington

The call raised hopes for a breakthrough as Japan's chief tariff negotiator heads to the U.S. for a third round of high-level negotiations.
Construction equipment sits idle in a park near Shiba Toshogu shrine in Tokyo's Minato Ward. While Japan has a history of treating its trees with reverence, green coverage is said to be lacking in most of the major cities.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / Longform
May 26, 2025

Do Japan's trees no longer occupy the sacred space they used to?

Trees have long occupied a sacred place in Japanese culture. In the fast pace of the 21st century, however, they're increasingly losing out to progress.

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