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Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / Longform
Jan 16, 2023

The race to save the Japanese giant salamander

River infrastructure is causing the salamander's decline. To stop Japan from losing this rare species, conservationists are calling for an alternative vision of rural development.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 15, 2023

Iran executes British Iranian dual national accused of spying

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was 'appalled' by the execution of the British Iranian citizen.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 14, 2023

Kishida wins Biden backing for defense boost amid China challenge

The summit in Washington was seen as a victory lap for the Japanese leader, with the two setting in stone the U.S.-Japan alliance's course for the coming years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jan 12, 2023

Biden's climate agenda has a problem: Not enough workers

With the U.S. unemployment rate at a historic low of 3.5%, companies fear that plans to transition away from fossil fuels could stall out as they struggle to fill job vacancies.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 6, 2023

Russian Muppets or American puppets?

The experience in the 1990s of trying to introduce “Sesame Street” to Russia offers valuable insights into the Russian mind.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jan 6, 2023

No improvement in sight: China-U.S. rivalry to further intensify in 2023

Washington will continue to hunt for ways to isolate Beijing and further slow its technological rise, while China is expected to keep pressuring Taiwan and increase its self-sufficiency.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 21, 2022

Culture in 2022: Good books, outdoor art and 'Tokyo Vice'

Culture editor Alyssa I. Smith talks to culture critic Thu-Huong Ha about the books they read, the festivals they went to and how Japanese stories are currently capturing Hollywood's attention.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 13, 2022

Hong Kong ends curbs on arrivals and scraps contact tracing app

COVID-19 curbs have hobbled the city's economy and hurt its outlook as a financial hub.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 8, 2022

These are not the most expensive cities — unless you are an expat

Lists of the world's priciest urban centers assume you're a tennis-playing, vermouth-drinking expat paid in dollars with a maid and a car.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2022

Drone strikes show Putin his homeland isn’t safe

Ukrainians aren't openly taking credit for the attacks on Russian air bases, but the message was clear: They are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Dec 5, 2022

Armed with anime avatars, Japan bids to conquer the metaverse

The nation's penchant for online anonymity and well-established love of virtual idols could boost adoption, but early attempts offer cautionary tales.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2022

Japan, U.K. and Italy close to agreement on fighter jet project

Joining a major defense development project with a partner other than the U.S. is a break with tradition for Japan, which is in the process of bolstering its military budget.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Nov 21, 2022

Japanese carmakers face continuing risks in the Russian market

From county-based issues to reputational risks at home, automakers have had to tread carefully in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2022

Japanese pop culture in China: It’s complicated.

Japan and China recently celebrated 50 years of relations and, since then, Japanese art, film and music has had a major impact on Chinese society. Recently, however, the Chinese market has become increasingly difficult to navigate.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 3, 2022

OPEC+ considering major production cut to prop up oil prices

A cut would also mark a major turnaround in policy for OPEC+, which includes Russia.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 1, 2022

In first, North Korea tests missiles for fourth time in a week

Saturday's launches of two apparent short-range weapons were the North's sixth and seventh missiles fired since Sunday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Sep 27, 2022

Iran protest death toll tops 75 as crackdown intensifies, rights group says

The Iranian authorities' official death toll, meanwhile, remained at 41, including several members of the security forces.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 22, 2022

A fallen dynasty backs Sri Lanka’s leader as creditors seek answers

Foreign currency reserves in the country continue to dwindle, falling to less than $1.8 billion in August, with IMF funds unlikely to arrive for several months.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 18, 2022

Will inbound tourism help stop the bleeding for the yen?

Some economists believe fully lifting border measures — as the government appears ready to do — will not only boost the Japanese economy, it could help stabilize the yen.
The Lakhta Center business tower, which serves as the headquarters of Russia's largest gas producer Gazprom, in St. Petersburg on March 7
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 17, 2025

Gazprom's grandeur fades as Europe abandons Russian gas

Gazprom is arguably the Russian business hardest hit by the international sanctions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Motoaki Tanigo, whom fans affectionately refer to as “Yagoo,” is the CEO and founder of tech company Cover Corporation, which runs Hololive, an industry-leading virtual YouTuber talent agency.
CULTURE / Music
Mar 21, 2025

Virtual idols, real fans: Hololive’s bet on the future of pop

Hololive CEO Motoaki Tanigo, whom fans affectionately refer to as “Yagoo,” has global ambitions for his virtual YouTuber sensations.
Now-U.S. President Donald Trump during a interview at his private club Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, on March, 4, 2024. Trump’s first four years in the White House were filled with falsehoods, and now he and those around him are using false claims to justify their policy changes.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 25, 2025

In his second term, Trump fuels a ‘machinery’ of misinformation

The president and his advisers have ushered the United States into a new era of post-truth politics, where facts are contested and fictions used to pursue policy goals.
A woman cries while offering morning prayers to start the Eid al-Fitr festival in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Monday, three days after a powerful quake hit the Southeast Asian nation.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 31, 2025

Rescue hopes fading three days after deadly Myanmar quake

Intense heat, with temperatures reaching as high as 40 C, has exhausted rescue workers and accelerated body decomposition, which could complicate identification.
Overcrowded trains and a lack of legal consequences for groping in Japan have led to a rise in "chikan," or groping, which has been linked to a mental condition and compounded by cultural stigmas.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 13, 2025

'Chikan' incidents rise as Japan grapples with mental health and cultural challenges

The governments of the U.K. and Canada have warned their citizens traveling to Japan that they could experience inappropriate physical contact — or "chikan" — on crowded trains
An autonomous aerial vehicle designed to carry one passenger conducts a test flight in Guangzhou, China. Flying taxis and even drone-powered food delivery services are rapidly becoming realities in the country's government-backed "low-altitude economy."
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 18, 2025

Will a 'low-altitude economy' make Chinese growth soar again?

Beijing wants to repeat the economic success story of its battery and EV players by propelling companies operating in low-altitude airspace to global market dominance.
A broken Buddha statue inside a damaged pagoda following a strong earthquake in Amarapura township, Myanmar, on April 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 26, 2025

Myanmar junta defies quake ceasefire to continue deadly attacks, data shows

The military launched at least 207 attacks, including 140 airstrikes and 24 artillery barrages, according to data from the U.N. Human Rights Office.
Ground personnel unload weapons and other military hardware delivered by the U.S. military near Kyiv in 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

U.S. aid pullback is making Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian hacks

USAID has been gutted in the first months of Trump’s presidency by Elon Musk’s "department of government efficiency," and Trump has become increasingly impatient with Zelenskyy.
Japan's proposed "one-theater" defense strategy, linking the East China Sea, South China Sea and Korean Peninsula has raised concerns, particularly in South Korea, about its implications for regional security.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 30, 2025

Japan’s ‘one-theater’ defense concept rattles South Korea

Continuing expansion of SDF roles and missions is consistent with adoption of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" construct that guides Japanese security policy.
Participants in Chinese hacking competitions are required to report their findings to the government first, according to a 2018 regulation.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 1, 2025

Chinese hacking competitions fuel the country’s broad cyber ambitions

Chinese hacking contests now serve national security, with vulnerabilities passed to the state, not fixed by tech makers.

Longform

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