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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 24, 2021

East Asia’s 'Squid Game' economies

Nowadays, South Korean capitalism seems more noxious — perhaps because it has been converging with the liberal Anglo-Saxon model, with its weak investment, slow growth and high inequality.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2021

Japan’s media fail to agree on weight of Biden-Xi summit

Japan has been traumatized from the humiliating experience of the 1972 Nixon-China visit and has since fretted about Washington's intentions regarding Beijing.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 19, 2021

Hong Kong under pressure to track residents like China to open mainland border

City leaders have struggled to find a tracking system that both convinces Beijing to the unlock the border and avoids triggering a public backlash.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 10, 2021

Kishida's picks for top diplomat and rights adviser hint at striking balance on China

After just over a month in office, some experts say Kishida may be looking to moderate an increasingly hawkish approach to Tokyo's relationship with Beijing.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 26, 2021

Two words from Taiwan’s leader threaten to upend U.S.-China ties

To Beijing, phrasing used by Tsai Ing-wen in a National Day speech came close to reviving an idea that fueled tensions between China and the U.S. two decades ago.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Oct 25, 2021

Kodoku: The fine line between solitude and loneliness in Japan

The nation appears to be showing remarkable tolerance toward COVID-induced social isolation, but are people really fine being alone?
Japan Times
Special Supplements / United Nations Day Special 2021
Oct 23, 2021

Crucial time for climate change rethink

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was released in August, and the leaders expressed their sense of crisis about the situation more than ever during the United Nations General Assembly in September.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy as he arrives at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 14, 2024

Diplomacy over Ukraine war is about weapons more than peace talks

For both Ukraine and Russia, battlefield gains now might provide an upper hand in any negotiations later. That’s reflected in their discussions over arms with allies.
A migrant from Mali, who said he is from the Fulani community and escaped the war in his country and arrived in El Hierro Island a year ago, speaks to  journalist in Barcelona on Friday,
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 24, 2024

West Africa becomes global terrorism hotspot as Western forces leave

Western powers that previously invested in trying to beat back the jihadists have very little capacity left on the ground.
The world's multilateral development banks must shift to a growth-focused approach that stabilizes economies without forcing them to cut essential public spending.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2024

The world needs bigger and better financial firefighters

The world's multilateral development banks must shift to a growth-focused approach that stabilizes economies without forcing them to cut essential public spending.
A photo of Chinese leader Xi Jinping is displayed at the National Security Exhibition Gallery in Hong Kong on Monday. The 24-man Politburo led by Xi has recently unveiled a series of pro-growth goodies to help the country's economy.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Sep 28, 2024

Xi’s big stimulus week aims to draw a line under China slowdown

A recent barrage of policy announcements marked a sea change in Xi’s approach to managing China’s $18 trillion economy.
A U.S. Marine participates in counterdrone training in June 2021.
WORLD
Oct 1, 2024

Pentagon’s Replicator 2 to focus on countering threat from small drones

U.S. military facilities around the globe, including those in Japan and South Korea, are expected to benefit from the initiative.
Kim Sang-man’s “Uprising” has attracted significant attention ahead of its world premiere thanks largely to the involvement of  its producer Park Chan-wook, best-known for directing ultra-violent thrillers like 2003’s “Old Boy,” which played a key role in bringing South Korean cinema to the global forefront.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 3, 2024

Netflix war epic to open Asia's largest film festival

Streaming-only content has contributed to a significant surge in the global visibility of Korean and Korean diaspora stories.
A damaged road in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 6, after a major earthquake struck the area on New Year's Day
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Oct 6, 2024

Important tool or alarmism? Japan experts split on megaquake advisories.

Supporters say the advisories are about reducing risk, but critics see a system that isn’t based on science and one in which the cons outweigh the pros.
Chinese Finance Minister Lan Foan. For investors who were hoping to hear authorities spell out exactly how much the government will spend to revive the ailing economy, Saturday's news conference was disappointing.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Oct 12, 2024

China's stimulus message leaves investors wanting though hanging onto hope

Saturday's news conference reiterated Beijing's broad plans to revive the ailing economy, leaving investors disappointed at the lack of detail.
North Korean special forces troops take part in training at a base in an undisclosed location in the country in this image released on Oct. 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

U.S. warns against North Korean troops in Ukraine as Seoul eyes arms to Kyiv

South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are rushing to address the high possibility of Pyongyang sending combat troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.
Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi presents his report on the future of European competitiveness to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 17.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2024

Europe’s wake-up call on innovation and competitiveness

Europe stands at a critical juncture, needing to choose between maintaining the status quo or moving toward deeper integration.
Ramen shop Menya Taisei's owner Taisei Hikage cooks ramen at his shop in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

Japan's rising ramen prices give election voters food for thought

The problems facing ramen shop owners reflect a cost-of-living crunch that has become a top issue for voters in the general election on Sunday.
Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida accepts a gift of 'dekopon' citruses, a specialty product and symbol of Kumamoto Prefecture, from Kumamon, itself a mascot and instantly recognizeable symbol of the region.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Oct 28, 2024

Japan’s ‘meibutsu’-industrial complex is a wonder to behold

If you name a Japanese prefecture, many locals will instantly be able to tell you something that the region is famous for or a product synonymous with that area.
On Sunday, voters delivered the LDP its biggest electoral setback since 2009, showing their dissatisfaction with recent scandals that have ravaged the party and fundamental issues in its makeup.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 28, 2024

Japan's October surprise

The debacle facing the LDP may be the immediate result of recent scandals, but there are deeper, structural reasons why voters have lost confidence in the party.
North Korean special forces soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 29, 2024

North Korean troops in Russia could have dangerous ramifications for Asia

Kim Jong Un's decision to send soldiers amid the war in Ukraine highlights the gamble he appears to be willing to take in his strategic relationship with Moscow.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also president of the Liberal Democratic Party, places a paper rose on an LDP candidate's name to indicate their a victory in the Lower House election, with LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2024

Signs of revolt against Ishiba emerging within LDP

The ruling camp of the LDP and Komeito fell short of a majority in the House of Representatives in Sunday's election.
The All Blacks perform the haka before facing Japan in Yokohama on Oct. 26.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 1, 2024

All Blacks coach calls haka part New Zealand's DNA after recent criticism

How opposing teams should respond to the haka has long been a thorny topic.
Royal Canadian Navy Commander Vice Adm. Angus Topshee inspects an honor guard with Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Adm. Akira Saito during a meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2024

Canada Navy chief sees more chances for multiservice exercises with Japan

Ottawa has been gradually boosting its military engagement with Asian partners since unveiling its Indo-Pacific Strategy in late 2022.
The topics nominated for this year’s buzzwords of the year ranged from new banknotes and Olympian quips to political scandals and rice shortages.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 5, 2024

From cat memes to Olympians with too much rizz, these are Japan's 2024 buzzword nominations

The buzzword of the year, along with the top 10 picks, will be decided from the 30 nominated terms on Dec. 2.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 7, 2024

Ishiba holds first phone call with Trump as Japanese PM seeks to build ties

Ishiba called his first one-on-one conversation with Trump "friendly," saying that he expects the two will be able to "speak openly and candidly.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a news conference at the Presidential Office in Seoul on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2024

South Korean president says 'not ruling out' direct weapons to Ukraine

South Korea has a long-standing policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict.
One irony of the U.S. election outcome is that, on almost every issue that voters identified as a priority, Donald Trump’s proposals would likely make matters worse.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2024

Once again, America needs to deal with Donald Trump

Dealing with a reckless president is an exhausting job, but it can and must be done — and it’s a job for members of both parties.
Nobuyuki Baba, leader of opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai, speaks to reporters on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

Nippon Ishin chief refuses to cooperate with Ishiba government

Nobuyuki Baba said that Nippon Ishin cannot work with Ishiba's LDP cabinet until issues of politics and money are resolved.

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell