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Visitors at the Todaiji temple in Nara in June
JAPAN / Society
Aug 10, 2023

China lifts pandemic-era ban on group tours to Japan

The decision marks the first time since January 2020 that groups of Chinese tourists will be allowed to visit Japan.
The "furoshiki" style of wrapping gifts takes advantage of a fabric that can be used more than once.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 10, 2023

Eco-friendly eating with a healthy helping of Japanese

Sustainability-related vocabulary isn't the only way to get your thoughts across on sustainable food practices in Japanese.
A WeWork co-working office space in San Francisco on Wednesday. WeWork has said there's 'substantial doubt' about its ability to continue operating, citing sustained losses and canceled memberships to its office spaces.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2023

WeWork’s ‘substantial doubt’ about its future marks a stunning fall

The New York-based company is bleeding cash, and customers of its office rentals are canceling their memberships in droves.
Heat haze permeates the skyline of Manama, Bahrain.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 10, 2023

How is climate change driving dangerous 'wet-bulb' temperatures?

Dubai, for example, is forecast to see air temperatures hover around 43 degrees Celsius. But climate experts say air temperature alone can be misleading.
A protester outside a meeting between then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indigenous leaders in 2015. Discussions around a referendum on whether to recognize Indigenous people in the Australian constitution have been held for years, and the vote will be held soon.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 9, 2023

Tough road ahead for Australia’s landmark Indigenous referendum

The campaign to recognize Indigenous people in Australia's constitution in an upcoming referendum may be losing steam, polls say.
The summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, in Belem, Brazil, on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / ANALYSIS
Aug 11, 2023

Despite 'weak' accord, Amazon summit calls for rich to pay up

The final joint statement demanded that developed countries make good on a promise to deliver $100 billion annually in climate financing.
Colin Morikawa's family emigrated from Japan to Maui, where his paternal grandparents were born.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Aug 11, 2023

Colin Morikawa to donate $1,000 per birdie to Hawaii fire relief

The two-time major winner, who has strong family ties to the island of Maui, made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday.
Travellers walk through Beijing Daxing International Airport on April 24.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 11, 2023

China reopened its doors, but tourists are staying away

A rebound in domestic tourism hasn't been mirrored by inbound tourists, with several barriers harming the country's appeal.
Technical trainees from Vietnam work at a knitwear factory in the city of Mitsuke, Niigata Prefecture, in February 2019.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 6, 2023

Japan is bringing in more foreign nationals than you think

Japan isn’t an outlier when it comes to low fertility rates, merely a front-runner.
A Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000 jet fighter landing at Hsinchu Air Base in Hsinchu, Taiwan, in April.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 12, 2023

China’s military, ‘chasing the dream,’ probes Taiwan’s defenses

Day by day, the People’s Liberation Army is turning up the pressure, deploying an ever-wider array of planes and ships.
Fans at Tokyo's Ariake Arena watch Yuto Horigome compete in Street League Skateboarding's debut Japan event on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Skateboarding
Aug 13, 2023

Yuto Horigome thrills in Street League Skateboarding's Japan debut

The raucous crowd at Ariake Arena starkly contrasted with the empty skate park nearby where the 24-year-old captured his Olympic gold medal two years ago.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2023

Legislation on assisted reproductive technology delayed in Japan

Currently in Japan, the right of children born through fertility treatment to know their biological parents is not guaranteed
Prachi Gupta (left) after the birth of her first child in 2018
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Aug 14, 2023

For foreign expecting mothers in Japan, a struggle over maternity norms

Different expectations over things like natural births and weight gain can cause anxieties for non-Japanese.
M-Sys President Masao Takikawa stands in front of a Yakiton Daikoku izakaya pub that opened in Sendai's Kokubuncho entertainment district.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Aug 15, 2023

Sendai pub chain boosts performance with better work conditions

Sendai-based M-Sys has implemented a policy of offering monthly pay of ¥300,000 to new hires.
Junior high school students participate in a community-based club activity without any instructors in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Aug 15, 2023

Facing long hours, teacher pushes for data-driven reforms

Given the long working hours for Japan's schoolteachers, one educator from Gifu Prefecture is leading initiatives for teachers’ work-style reforms.
Japan’s economy has expanded at a much faster pace than forecast, despite weak domestic consumption.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 15, 2023

Japan’s GDP grows at 6% on strong exports as consumption falters

Capital spending by businesses was flat, versus forecasts of a 0.4% increase, while private consumption unexpectedly declined by 0.5%.
Owen Farrell will now be available for England's World Cup warmup fixtures against Ireland on Saturday and Fiji on Aug. 26.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 16, 2023

England captain Owen Farrell cleared for RWC after red card rescinded

The skipper was facing a potential six-week ban that would have ruled him out of the start of next month's tournament in France.
Moscow has begun testing its new digital ruble with consumers this week.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 16, 2023

Russia tests digital ruble for sanctions evasion and social control

Development of the digital ruble took off after Western sanctions blocked Russia from parts of the global banking system.
Al Hilal's new signing Neymar (left) holds the club's shirt as he poses with President Fahd bin Saad Al-Nafel during a signing event in Paris on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Aug 16, 2023

Neymar joins Saudi club Al Hilal from PSG in two-year deal

French newspaper L'Equipe said the deal could net the Brazil star almost $175 million.
Chinese leaders seem to believe the country has a narrow window of opportunity to achieve global preeminence before unfavorable demographic and geopolitical trends catch up with it.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 15, 2023

China’s dangerous secrets

China's secretive approach to projects and activities, including its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, should be a significant concern.
A playful photo of Japanese female politicians on a work trip to Paris drew much criticism back home. The backlash may be one of the reasons women choose to avoid public service.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 16, 2023

Japan has a misery-loves-company problem

The backlash to government officials' lighthearted moment is a prime example of how to undermine workers.
Containers in a shipping terminal at the Honmoku pier in Yokohama in June
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 17, 2023

Japan logs first export decline in over two years

The value of exports fell in July from a year earlier, retreating for the first time since February 2021.
Creativeman President Naoki Shimizu says Summer Sonic has been featuring an increasing number of Asian acts in recent years, a change that reflects the growing number of Asian visitors attending the music festival. This year’s standouts include K-pop group NewJeans, whose Summer Sonic performance will be its first Japan show ever.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 18, 2023

NewJeans, Blur and Kendrick Lamar head to Summer Sonic

While Summer Sonic’s reputation as an international showcase holds strong, the event has become an important launchpad for homegrown performers.
Kurara Okuno first encountered mermaiding in 2020, not long before she jumped into the deep end of the aquatic subculture.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Aug 19, 2023

Move over Ariel: Meet Japan’s professional merpeople

While mermaiding is still a niche activity in Japan, it is possible to slip on a tail and dive in.
Fake oranges filled with captagon pills, intercepted by the customs and the anti-drug brigade at Beirut port, Lebanon, in 2021.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 18, 2023

‘Poor man’s cocaine’ costing $3 a pill threatens to proliferate

Selling for around $3 to $25 per tablet, experts say captagon is primarily produced and trafficked by groups tied to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
England captain Owen Farrell runs during training in Bagshot, England, on July 31.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 18, 2023

World Rugby decision puts Owen Farrell's World Cup status in doubt

World Rugby said it appealing the decision to overturn the red card Farrell was given for tackle during England's game against Wales.
Sixers guard James Harden's future with the team is in doubt after his comments toward president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Aug 20, 2023

NBA launches inquiry into 76ers-Harden spat

The NBA has opened an inquiry into Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden's public criticism of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay (left) runs past fallen Dutch runner Sifan Hassan (second from left) to win the women's 10,000-meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Aug 20, 2023

Gudaf Tsegay wins 10,000-meter gold after Sifan Hassan stumbles

World record holder Letesenbet Gidey was second in 31:28.16, while Ejgayehu Taye won the bronze with 31:28.31.
Australia's Matildas huddle after the third-place final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brisbane on Saturday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 20, 2023

Australia and Sweden turn attention to Olympics after World Cup run

The two teams face challenging qualifying groups later this year as they aim to secure their berths in the Paris 2024 women's soccer tournament.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference at Camp David in Maryland on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 20, 2023

Biden wants to sell his economic plan. But there's a problem.

The White House is embracing "Bidenomics” — originally intended to deride the president's policies — to instead promote his stewardship of the economy.

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