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Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Mar 15, 2023

FIFA approves 2026 World Cup format with record 104 matches

The new format will also stick to drawing four teams in a group after a proposal for 16 groups of three was shot down over fears of collusion in the final group game.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jul 16, 2023

Lionel Messi signs contract with Inter Miami through 2025

It's also hoped the long-time Barcelona talisman can revive the fortunes of a Miami squad at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba must get cooperation from at least one opposition party to ensure passage of the 2025 fiscal year budget. He must also show he is capable of a smooth working relationship with the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 1, 2025

Three tests Ishiba must pass to survive in 2025

Overcoming the challenges that lay ahead will require the prime minister to make the best use of his political and diplomatic negotiating skills.
A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Jan 1, 2025

Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake

The Year of the Snake is characterized by wisdom, calm and steady progress. It urges introspection, calculated moves and a journey of reinvention.
The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday approved this year's honebuto economic and fiscal policy guidelines.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 21, 2024

Japanese government restores 2025 primary budget surplus target

In its economic blueprint, the Kishida administration has pledged a balanced budget other than interest payments by fiscal 2025.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning drops back to pass during a game against the Dolphins in December 2019.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Sep 19, 2024

Eli Manning and Marshawn Lynch lead 2025 Hall of Fame nominees

Kicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive end Terrell Suggs and late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas are also among first-year nominees with Super Bowl resumes.
The Grand Ring, a symbol of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka
JAPAN
Nov 24, 2024

Preparations for Osaka Expo well underway amid lack of excitement

Enthusiasm for the event has been muted, particularly after criticisms were raised over the venue's construction costs.
An aerial photograph taken on Monday shows inflatable dinghies and outboard engines stored in a Port Authority yard in Dover, southeast England, that are believed to have been used by migrants who were picked up at sea while crossing the English Channel from France.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 14, 2025

Fortress Europe: What will migration policy look like in 2025?

Some countries in Europe are calling for the rules fast-tracking asylum processes and returns to be sharpened or implemented sooner.
The Grand Ring walkway is crowded with visitors amid rain on the opening day of the Osaka Expo on Sunday.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 14, 2025

Crowds, long lines and confusion: Osaka Expo makes turbulent start

India, Nepal and three other countries were unable to open their pavilions on the first day of the Expo, due to construction delays.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023

Pessimism over Osaka Expo opening grows after construction head criticizes organizers

There is growing pessimism about the fate of the expo, with speculation that postponing the starting date might now be necessary in order to get everything completed.
Tourists in Kyoto on Saturday. Japan saw a record 3.08 million foreign visitors in March.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 17, 2024

Inbound tourism numbers hit record high, with Japan set to achieve 2025 goal

The nation welcomed a record 3.08 million foreign visitors in March, surpassing the previous high of 2.99 million from July 2019.
Supporters of the French far-right National Rally party wave French flags on Dec. 15. In Europe this year, the far right made gains in several legislatures, including that of France.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 24, 2024

Democracy heads into 2025 bloodied but unbowed

Overall, there were no attempts this year to prevent a peaceful transfer of power, but autocracies grew more repressive.
People walk around the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 29, 2023. Investors are more confident about the economy than this time a year ago.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 25, 2024

Investors hope for U.S. stock market trifecta in 2025 after boom years

They are eyeing a solid economy supporting corporate profits, moderating interest rates and pro-growth policies from incoming President Donald Trump.
Stock market information on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Jan 1, 2025

Investors hope for U.S. stock market trifecta in 2025 after back-to-back boom years

Investors are more confident about the economy than this time a year ago, with consumers and businesses having absorbed higher interest rates.
Analysts believe the strength of the Japanese economy will help to push up domestic stocks, despite pressure from likely interest rate hikes from the Bank of Japan and uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s presidency in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 6, 2025

Japan stocks look set for new highs in 2025 on earnings and reforms

Analysts see better corporate earnings as the country transitions to a growth economy from a deflationary one.
The Osaka Expo site on Yumeshima island in December. A survey of 3,000 people from across Japan conducted in October by the Mitsubishi Research Institute showed that just 24% of respondents expressed an interest in attending the Osaka Expo.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 4, 2025

Excitement for the Osaka Expo is low. Can organizers build hype?

A little over two months before it opens, the Osaka Expo is just about ready to welcome guests from Japan and the rest of the world — that is, if they are ready to come.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 3, 2023

Japan plans to insure construction firms against Osaka expo losses

Doubts remain over whether the move will be enough to push more than 50 countries to design, build and complete their pavilions before the expo opens.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 29, 2023

Russia becomes latest country to pull out of Osaka Expo

The announcement is more bad news for the troubled event, which already faces pavilion construction delays, skyrocketing costs and little public support.
Jannik Sinner celebrates with the trophy after Italy won the Davis Cup Finals, in Malaga, Spain, on Nov. 24.
TENNIS
Dec 3, 2024

Italy to host Davis Cup Final 8 from 2025

The 2025 tournament will be staged in Bologna.
People's Bank of China Gov. Pan Gongsheng meets with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Beijing in April.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 23, 2024

What will happen to China’s economy in 2025?

Economic activity in China has been relatively weak since the COVID-19 crisis. This was not unexpected, at least not at first.
A Wall Street sign in front of a U.S. Flag outside the New York Stock Exchange before the Federal Reserve announcement in New York on Sept. 18.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 24, 2024

Risks stack up for the global economy in 2025

New spending priorities beckon for national budgets already stretched after the pandemic, from tackling climate change to boosting armies to caring for aging populations.
Tech in 2025 will face growing resistance to AI, social media and streaming saturation alongside political and cultural shifts driven by Elon Musk, Trump and controversies like a potential U.S. TikTok ban.
COMMENTARY
Jan 5, 2025

AI, Musk and Trump add up to a turbulent 2025 for tech

If the steady stream of tech CEOs visiting Mar-a-Lago is any indication, we can expect Silicon Valley to be more willing to do Trump’s bidding in 2025.
People line up to use an ATM  in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Western financial sanctions have weighed on the Russian ruble, which has sunk from 34 to the dollar in 2013 to around 100 today.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2025

Putin’s war is fueling Russian stagflation

For a normal country, a budget deficit of 2% of GDP would be of no concern. But Russia is not a normal country.
American rapper Post Malone performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 17, 2025

Music, revolution and Y2K: Coachella 2025 takeaways

Highlights from the California music festival included an appearance from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and an increase in leather pants.
The year so far is only proving that Mrs. Green Apple is the biggest band in Japan. Their success also seems to be hinting at a change in the musical landscape more broadly.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 5, 2025

Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)

Halfway through 2025, J-pop is in flux — swinging between AI absurdity, idol nostalgia and viral sugar highs.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2023

Osaka Expo asks for overtime cap exemption as time pressure mounts

The move comes as the expo faces mounting concerns that construction, especially of pavilions for foreign nations, will not be completed on time for the scheduled opening in April 2025.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 21, 2023

Japan plans to move some residency applications online by 2025

The expansion of online services is part of the Immigration Agency's efforts to meet the Digital Agency’s plan of achieving a “digital society” by 2025.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 5, 2023

Osaka Expo woes weigh on city's casino resort project

Given the logistical and timing issues facing the expo, there are concerns over whether the casino resort can be built on schedule.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 15, 2023

Why should any city want to host a world expo?

The projected budget for the 2025 Osaka Expo has nearly doubled and netizens and opposition politicians are calling for a cancellation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks in Miami on Dec. 7. On Sunday, Infantino announced details of the 2025 Club World Cup and the 2024 Intercontinental Cup.
SOCCER
Dec 18, 2023

Club World Cup in June-July 2025, Intercontinental Cup in 2024: FIFA

Announcement has drawn criticism from the global players' union FIFPro as well as the World Leagues Forum.

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