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Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 15, 2021

South Korea says it successfully tests submarine-launched ballistic missile

President Moon Jae-in attended an underwater ejection test of the SLBM aboard the new 3,000-ton Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine commissioned last month, his office said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2021

How to give away a million dollars

It is surprisingly easy for most people in affluent countries to make a huge difference to those living in extreme poverty in low-income countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Sep 15, 2021

Norm Macdonald, ‘SNL’ comic dripping in dry wit, dies at 61

Norm Macdonald, the acerbic, sometimes controversial comedian familiar to millions as the 'Weekend Update” anchor on 'Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998, died Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 14, 2021

Japanese for when you’re lost in life — or just lost on the road

While we can't say 2021 has been defined by loss, it's pretty evident that a feeling of being lost has popped up in a lot of situations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 14, 2021

With term set to expire, Suga looks to reaffirm Japan's role in 'Quad' at summit

Despite concerns about the outgoing prime minister's ability to contribute to the summit, the meeting will nonetheless act as a showcase for the Biden administration's priorities.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Sep 14, 2021

The LDP's leadership race kicks into high gear this week: This is how it will go down

Support from rank-and-file members will be key for candidates, but if the election goes to a runoff, LDP lawmakers will have a bigger say.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 13, 2021

What will the next six months of the pandemic bring?

With billions of people around the world yet to be vaccinated and little chance now of eliminating the virus, we can expect more outbreaks over the coming months.
Members of the workers' union UA Zensen watch a video, during a kick-off rally for the annual "shunto" wage negotiations, in Tokyo in March 2023.
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2024

UA Zensen unveils plan to demand 6% pay hike in 2025 Shunto

UA Zensen plans to seek a 7% wage increase for part-time workers, who make up about 60% of the roughly 1.9 million workers in its member unions.
South Korea’s currency recovered while its stocks fell Wednesday as investors braced for prolonged political uncertainties following a brief decree of martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 5, 2024

Capitalism is the unsung hero of South Korean democracy

Capitalism, with its economic pressures and global integration, has been crucial in fostering democracy in South Korea.
The plastics issue is particularly difficult due to a lack of viable substitutes and oil producers are increasingly investing in refineries for plastic production as they expect increased demand in that sector.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 3, 2024

Plastics failure is a canary in the climate coal mine

This delay reflects the real-world obstacles these international negotiations face, as a single country can block progress.
Sake bottles are displayed at the 19th World Cultural Heritage Conference, as sake was added to UNESCO'S Intangible Cultural Heritage list, in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 5, 2024

Japanese sake brewing added to UNESCO intangible heritage list

Traditional sake brewing marks the 23rd Japanese entry on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, joining other culturally significant arts such as washoku and kabuki.
National Police Agency Commissioner General Yasuhiro Tsuyuki
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 6, 2024

Police protected yami baito applicants in 125 cases

Since mid-October, the National Police Agency has been calling on applicants for such jobs to seek police advice and protection.
While FromSoftware's Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is a strong contender for game of the year, Black Myth: Wukong, the first AAA game made by a Chinese developer, offers some stiff competition.
LIFE / Digital / 2024 in Review
Dec 6, 2024

It’s Japan versus China for 2024’s game of the year

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Black Myth: Wukong both have a claim to the best game of 2024, a year marked by cultural scandals and lawsuits.
Japan's base salaries grew at a 32-year-high pace in October, offering statistical support for the prospects of a central bank rate hike this month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 6, 2024

Record base pay gains keep door open for BOJ hike

Base pay for full-time workers increased by 2.8% in October from a year ago, the biggest gain for comparable data back to 1994.
Lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo sits alone as the only People Power Party lawmaker to remain in the chamber for a vote on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 7, 2024

Move to impeach South Korea's Yoon in limbo after ruling party walkout

While lawmakers debated the motion, introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party, only a single member of Yoon's People Power Party remained in his seat.
The Epsilon S rocket exploded during a combustion test at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Nov. 26.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2024

JAXA says first Epsilon rocket unlikely to launch by March

JAXA Vice President Masashi Okada said he thinks it "technically difficult to a large degree" for the small satellite launch vehicle to lift off by the end of March.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced in a statement on Thursday that David Sacks will be the "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar."
WORLD
Dec 6, 2024

Trump appoints former PayPal exec David Sacks as AI and crypto czar

Sacks is considered a member of the "PayPal Mafia" of former workers and executives at the digital finance firm that includes prominent Trump supporters.
Masato Kanda, former vice finance minister for international affairs, will start his role as Asian Development Bank's president in February.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 6, 2024

Incoming ADB chief Kanda keeping eye on U.S. policy as Trump return looms

Any changes in tariffs, taxes and immigration restrictions in the U.S. could have a major impact on Japan and other Asian economies, he notes.
Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's finance minister, during an interview in Seoul on Thursday
BUSINESS / Markets / ANALYSIS
Dec 6, 2024

In South Korea's crisis playbook, currency stability is paramount

In the four decades since South Korea was last under martial law, the nation has significantly evolved its systems to focus on ensuring economic stability.
A Metropolitan Police Department flyer on high-paying illegal work advertised on social media, known as yami baito
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 6, 2024

Police may be able to use fake IDs to investigate yami baito

The new measures would allow investigators to sign up for shady jobs with disguised identities and make contact with individuals behind the recruitment.
Miho Nakayama rose to stardom in 1985 after the release of her first single “C,” which established her popularity as an idol.
CULTURE
Dec 9, 2024

Miho Nakayama, known for 'Love Letter' and her music, dies at 54

Nakayama had a solo Christmas show scheduled in Osaka on Friday, but had canceled the show in the morning, citing health reasons.
An NBA logo on the facade of its flagship store in Beijing in 2019.
BASKETBALL
Dec 6, 2024

NBA to return to China for first time since 2019 fallout

No NBA games have been held in China since 2019 after a tweet from then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier reacts after the result of the no-confidence vote on his administration at the National Assembly in Paris on Wednesday. French lawmakers ousted his government after just three months in office.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2024

This is not France's 'Truss moment'

While the political instability and economic challenges are worrying, France is not facing a full-blown financial crisis.
Newly arrived asylum-seekers take advantage of phone chargers and free Wi-Fi to connect with family back home at an immigrant service center in Oceanside, California, in October 2023.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 26, 2024

Sanctuary cities may be having an identity crisis

So far, the mayors and governors of these sanctuary cities and states have remained largely undeterred, even defiant in the face of such threats.
“Shogun,” created by American channel FX and made by a joint American-Japanese team, utilized the strengths of both Japan and Hollywood to create a bona fide smash that critics adored. 
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2024 in Review
Dec 7, 2024

2024 was the year Japanese TV found its prestige

The triumph of “Shogun” at the Emmys served as an exclamation point for an industry taking big swings and opening up to trans-Pacific partnerships.
JR East Executive Vice President Chiharu Watari speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS
Dec 6, 2024

JR East applies to raise fares by average of 7% in March 2026

The company plans to raise standard fares by 7.8%, commuter passes by 12% and student commuter passes by 4.9%.
A Ukrainian serviceman wipes a mirror at an outdoor washbasin near the Kharkiv region in November.
WORLD
Dec 7, 2024

In Ukraine, more and more exhausted soldiers abandon their posts

Since 2022, Ukraine opened nearly 96,000 criminal cases against servicemen who abandoned their positions since Russia’s invasion.
The decision significantly raises the prospects of an unprecedented ban in just six weeks on a social media app used by 170 million Americans.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 7, 2024

U.S. appeals court upholds TikTok law forcing its sale

The decision is a major win for the Justice Department and opponents of the Chinese-owned app and a devastating blow to TikTok parent ByteDance.

Longform

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From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past