Search - 2012

 
 
At many prominent Chinese universities, there are more graduate than undergraduate students. While a high level of educational attainment is seen as a measure to contrast youth unemployment, it may be compounding the problem instead.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 11, 2025

Is China overproducing highly qualified talent?

Chinese universities are investing heavily in graduate education, but burgeoning ranks of highly qualified job seekers are struggling to find work and increasingly looking abroad.
Tony Blanco played in Japan for eight seasons and hit 181 home runs in NPB. The Dominican slugger was among more than 200 killed when the roof of a popular nightclub collapsed on Tuesday in the Dominican Republic.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 12, 2025

Tony Blanco remembered in Japan and Dominican Republic after nightclub tragedy

Blanco, who spent eight seasons in Japan with three NPB clubs, is remembered as a 'great guy' with a tremendous sense of humor.
The Bank of Japan will likely postpone raising interest rates due to uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff measures that could deal a blow to Japan’s economy, a former executive director said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2025

BOJ will likely put rate hike aside for now, ex-official says

"They will be in a wait-and-see mode for a while,” said Kenzo Yamamoto, a former executive at the Bank of Japan.
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, well regarded in Tokyo as a leading voice in the promotion of U.S.-Japan ties, has died at the age of 79.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2025

Richard Armitage, ex-U.S. diplomat known for boosting Japan ties, dies at 79

He was a leading voice in the promotion of U.S.-Japan relations even after leaving government service.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Japanese Trade Union Confederation chief Tomoko Yoshino in a meeting Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 15, 2025

Why Ishiba became the first prime minister to hold talks with Rengo in 16 years

The last time an official meeting was held between a prime minister and Rengo to discuss labor policies was in 2009.
U.S. soldiers take part in a live-fire exercise as part of the Balikatan drills with Philippine troops, at Laoag, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, in May 2024.
JAPAN
Apr 18, 2025

In a first, Japan will join major Philippine-U.S. drills as participant

The Self-Defense Forces will dispatch about 150 personnel and a warship to the multidomain Balikatan exercises, which begin next week.
Chinese H-6 bombers (top right) are seen flying near the eastern edge of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on March 24.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 21, 2025

Chinese Navy says Philippine warship 'illegally entered' Scarborough Shoal waters

Sunday's incident was a rare instance involving the militaries of both countries, and came amid fears that a clash or accident could erupt into a full-blown conflict.
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Apr 26, 2025

Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’

The founder of Dokusha Book Club talks about why Indian readers love Japanese books and the community that she’s forged, online and offline.
Al-Nassr players celebrate after scoring the first goal of the club's Asian Champions League quarterfinal against Marinos on Saturday.
SOCCER
Apr 27, 2025

Duran double and Ronaldo goal sink Marinos in Asian Champions League semis

The win sees Al-Nassr join compatriots Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal in the last four in what's been a dominate showing by Saudi clubs.
A company linked to the son of former Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Makoto Koga is at the center of an income concealment case involving about ¥100 million tied to massage chair operations at Haneda Airport.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 27, 2025

Haneda terminal operator unit underreports income by ¥100 million

The subsidiary, Big Wing, was found to have concealed the income in connection with the business of installing massage chairs.
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / Longform
Apr 28, 2025

If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami

Last year the government issued its first "megaquake" advisory. Ever since, those living in the areas it's expected to hit have been preparing for the worst.
A manhole card and a manhole cover featuring characters from "Sailor Moon," on Feb. 10. The cards were handed out by Tokyo's Minato Ward, where the series is set.
JAPAN
May 4, 2025

Manhole cover designs recognized as tourism assets in Japan

The initiative to create specially designed manhole covers began as a public relations campaign to improve the image of the sewage industry.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan head Yoshihiko Noda speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

CDP's about-face piles pressure on LDP to cut consumption tax on food

Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan chief Yoshihiko Noda pledged that the party will abolish the consumption tax on food products for a year.
Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London Games in July 2012.
OLYMPICS
Apr 29, 2025

London mayor Sadiq Khan targets Olympic history for city

Khan wants the city to become the "sporting capital of the world," and is backing a bid for 2040 Games.
The Tomari nuclear power plant in Tomari, Hokkaido, in March 2024
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2025

Japan approves restart of nuclear reactor for first time in four years

The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved a preliminary report saying Hokkaido Electric Power’s Tomari No. 3 reactor meets post-Fukushima safety rules.
Yosuke Kubozuka plays a university professor with some unorthodox theories about the ancestry of Japanese people in “The Killer Goldfish.”
CULTURE / Film
May 1, 2025

‘The Killer Goldfish’: The future of cinema, or just indie cosplay?

If veteran director Yukihiko Tsutsumi and his collaborators want to upend the Japanese film industry, they’re going to have to come up with something better than this.
LeBron James will take his time to decide if he wants to return for a 23rd NBA season.
BASKETBALL / NBA
May 1, 2025

LeBron James to take time to decide future after Lakers' playoff exit

James, who turned 40 on Dec. 30, averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season.
An open-pit mine in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on April 23. The financial payoff from the deal may take a decade or longer to materialize.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 2, 2025

U.S. and Ukraine may wait decade or more to see revenue from minerals deal

While the financial benefits from the deal are uncertain, officials in Ukraine believe it will help shore up U.S. support for Kyiv.
“‘Future of life,’ by Ishiguro,” the World Expo pavilion by roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro, displays humanlike androids.
LIFE / Travel
May 2, 2025

Want to see the future at the Osaka Expo? Get in line.

Androids and lab-grown heart cells: A dispatch from the world fair.
In a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, Tokie Tanaka, 64, details her allegations of sexual abuse against a Catholic priest.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 2, 2025

Woman says archbishop of Tokyo ignored her pleas after priest allegedly raped her

The woman's lawyer blamed the archbishop for failing to take appropriate actions after the woman told the congregation about the alleged abuse.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been a staunch advocate for constitutional reform.
JAPAN / Politics
May 3, 2025

Despite shifts in Japan's political landscape, constitutional revision still far off

Weak political leadership, traditional sensitivity around the issue, and new policy priorities have forestalled a larger debate over the Constitution.
A China Coast Guard helicopter is seen near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 3, 2025

China Coast Guard helicopter enters Japanese airspace near Senkakus

The incursion near the Japanese-controlled, Chinese-claimed islands on Saturday was just the fourth such flight by Chinese aircraft since the end of World War II.
Al-Ahli's players celebrate winning the Asian Champions League final over Kawasaki, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
SOCCER
May 4, 2025

Al-Ahli downs Kawasaki Frontale to lift Asian Champions League title

Al-Ahli was the heavy favorite with a lineup featuring an expensive array of foreign talent and eventually broke through against Frontale.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with his partner Jodie Haydon (right) and his son Nathan Albanese (left) at the Labor Party election night event in Sydney on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 5, 2025

Albanese landslide offers rare chance to fix Australia’s economy

Albanese’s center-left government has the best chance in years to take the hard steps economists have called for to ignite growth.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito with Empress Emerita Michiko during a public appearance at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Jan. 2
JAPAN
May 5, 2025

Emperor emeritus to be hospitalized for heart tests

The former emperor has been diagnosed with a high probability of myocardial ischemia, which occurs when blood flow to the heart is insufficient.
Suntory Sunbirds Osaka players celebrate after winning the title.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
May 6, 2025

Sunbirds and Marvelous each secure titles for Osaka in inaugural SV. League

The SV. League was launched last year with the aim of becoming the world's most popular volleyball league by 2030.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko stroll in the garden of Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park in the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, on May 28, 2024.
JAPAN
May 6, 2025

Emperor emeritus is hospitalized for a heart exam

In July 2022, the emperor emeritus was diagnosed with right heart failure caused by tricuspid valve insufficiency.
Bolstered by a strong turnout last year, Raw Wine Tokyo, a natural wine festival, is returning to quench the thirst of natural wine lovers.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 9, 2025

The world’s biggest natural wine festival returns to Tokyo

After impressing the city’s wine buffs last year, Raw Wine is back with more than 80 natural wine producers from around the world.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meets with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong in Hanoi on April 28. Ishiba’s visit to Vietnam and the Philippines highlighted Japan’s enduring Indo-Pacific strategy amid rising regional uncertainty.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 8, 2025

Japan’s durable 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' strategy brings stability

So while Ishiba’s visit to Southeast Asia may have just seemed like another round of trips during a holiday week, they were emblematic of something much more than that.
Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 91, rides in a car with Empress Emerita Michiko, 90, after he was discharged from the University of Tokyo Hospital on Saturday following an examination for suspected myocardial ischemia.
JAPAN
May 11, 2025

Emperor emeritus diagnosed with silent myocardial ischemia

Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 91, was diagnosed with the condition where blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle is reduced due to excessive exercise.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’