Search - 2020

 
 
The Oku knife "hooks or wraps elegantly along the edge of a plate or board," designer Kathleen Reilly says.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 22, 2024

A playfully subversive knife from a rising Scottish design star

The Scottish artist fuses East and West in a new knife design crafted in and inspired by Niigata Prefecture’s Tsubame-Sanjo.
Military vehicles carrying DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missiles travel past Tiananmen Square during a military parade in Beijing in October 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 21, 2024

U.S. and China held first informal nuclear talks in five years in March

Beijing's representatives told their U.S. counterparts that they would not resort to atomic threats over Taiwan, according to two American delegates.
The Cabinet Office's latest white paper on Japan's aging society predicts that the percentage of people age 65 and above will reach 38.7% of the country's population by 2070.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 21, 2024

More of Japan’s elderly are lonely and have fewer friends, white paper says

Less than half of respondents age 65 years and above polled in 2023 said they had at least an average number of friends, compared with 72.2% in 2018.
The Supreme Court in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
JAPAN / Society
Jun 21, 2024

Japan's Supreme Court recognizes transgender woman as parent

It was the first decision by the top court on whether to recognize a parent-child relationship in a case in which a biological father had a child after transitioning.
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji temple in Tokyo. This year is expected to bring 33 million travelers to Japan, an unprecedented surge and a 30% increase from last year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 21, 2024

How an arrival tax could stem the overtourism tide

How can Japan ensure that tourism benefits locals and travelers alike? There's no silver bullet but an arrival tax of around $40 could be a good starting point.
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.
The energy transition in coal-dependent emerging nations like the Philippines will determine the success of global efforts to hit net zero targets and curb the worst impacts of climate change.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 22, 2024

Philippines emerges as Southeast Asia renewable power pacesetter

The energy transition in coal-dependent emerging nations like the Philippines will determine the success of global efforts to hit net zero targets.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 23, 2024

After conviction, Trump presents himself as a martyr to the Christian right

Trump’s appeals to the evangelicals come at a crucial phase in the presidential campaign.
Amy Yang walks off the green on the 15th hole during the third round of the Women's PGA Championship in Sammamish, Washington, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 23, 2024

Eyeing first major, Amy Yang grabs two-shot lead at Women's PGA

Miyu Yamashita of Japan and Lauren Hartlage are tied for second heading into the final round of the major tournament.
Nissan's Hyper Force at the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on May 3
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2024

Nissan closes car plant in China

The closure on Friday came amid the rapid spread of electric vehicles in China, which has led to serious sales slumps for Japanese automakers.
Japan's men's and women's gymnastics teams pose for photos during a news conference to announce the team's uniforms for the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 24, 2024

Leotard vs. unitard debate in gymnastics still raging ahead of Paris Olympics

The German gymnastics team took a stand against sexualization in the sport in 2021, but heading into Paris, the leotard is still very much in vogue in Japan and abroad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin inspects a military exercise, which tests the country's ability to deliver a massive retaliatory nuclear strike by land, sea and air, via a video link from Moscow on Oct. 25, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Russia could reduce decision time for use of nuclear weapons, lawmaker says

Putin said again last week that the nuclear doctrine might have to be changed because Russia's adversaries were developing ultralow-yield nuclear devices.
Kiyoshie Saruwaka, 74, a member of Ara Style Senior — Japan's only breakdancing club made up of older citizens — practices a move known as "chair freeze" in Tokyo on April 26.
OLYMPICS / Breakdancing
Jun 30, 2024

Inspired by Olympics debut, Japan's seniors blaze breakdancing trail

Ara Style Senior is Japan's only breaking club made up of older citizens.
Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai in 2020
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Hong Kong top court hears Jimmy Lai appeal as scrutiny mounts

Any conviction of Lai risks further inflaming ties between China and the U.S. and U.K., which are among countries that have called for his release.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer (center), shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (left) and shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Paris in 2023
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Labour's Brexit red lines set to limit shift in U.K.'s ties with EU

Officials believe the party will struggle to deliver a significantly different trading relationship unless it U-turns on certain issues.
Kyosuke Matsuyama (right) competes against France's Erwann Le Pechoux during the men's team foil semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.
OLYMPICS
Jun 24, 2024

Japanese fencers heading to Paris Games with plenty of confidence

The men's national team is aiming to secure its first medal in three Olympics in the foil event, a category considered by many to be a Japanese specialty.
A wind farm in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. For Japan's future energy roadmap to center on clean sources, the government should reform the institutions overseeing energy policy to avoid vested interests from slowing the transition down.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 24, 2024

It’s time for Japan to set up a climate change agency

The government is currently reviewing Japan's Strategic Energy Plan. But who's shaping this key document for the future? It's mostly older men with vested interests.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has not yet formally announced whether he will seek another three-year term as party president.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 24, 2024

Pressure mounting on Kishida within LDP to give up on reelection

Veterans fear the LDP — under Kishida — will lose control of the government in a general election, while younger members don't want an unpopular president leading them.
Emergency workers are seen at the site of a deadly fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell, in Hwaseong, South Korea, on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 24, 2024

At least 16 killed after fire guts South Korea battery plant

The blaze began after a series of battery cells exploded inside a warehouse with some 35,000 units.
The fire-damaged lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell is seen at dusk in Hwaseong on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 25, 2024

Blaze at South Korea lithium battery plant kills 22 workers

Eighteen Chinese workers, two South Koreans and one Laotian were among the dead.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets her audience before discussing reproductive rights on the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, in Phoenix on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2024

Harris and the Democrats aim at Trump on abortion ruling anniversary

Since the 2022 ruling, more than 20 Republican-led states in the U.S. have imposed abortion restrictions.
The U.S. Supreme Court opened the way for states to ban or strictly limit abortion in 2022
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2024

U.S. Republican push to limit abortion access falters two years after Dobbs

Pro-abortion groups are easily finding support for ballot initiatives, highlighting strong momentum to restore abortion rights.
Fast fashion e-commerce company Shein's logo outside its office in Guangzhou, China, on June 11
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2024

What is at stake for China-founded Shein as EU rule looms

Shein has faced more than 90 lawsuits alleging it plagiarized others’ designs or products.
A billboard with a picture of the presidential candidates is displayed on a street in Tehran on June 17.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2024

Iran’s presidential election dominated by Khamenei loyalists

The next president will likely be closely involved in the eventual process of choosing a successor to Iran's supreme leader.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about student debt in Madison, Wisconsin, in April.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2024

How Trump and Biden might attack each other at their first 2024 debate

Immigration, the economy, democracy and abortion rights: Here are the main ways each candidate is likely to slam the other at Thursday’s high-stakes confrontation.
Akira Otani's "The Night of Baba Yaga” explores the boundaries of finding one's place in society as it questions ideas of violence, love, family and honor.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 27, 2024

‘The Night of Baba Yaga’ weaves a yakuza thriller into a meditation on queerness

Translator Sam Bett gravitated to the Akira Otani novel for its refusal to adhere to established genre conventions.
Tadej Pogacar (left) rides behind rival Jonas Vingegaard and Vingegaard's teammate Sepp Kuss during the Tour de France in July last year.
MORE SPORTS / Cycling
Jun 27, 2024

Tour de France favorite Pogacar says he has 'never felt so good on a bike'

The Slovenian is seeking to become the first cyclist since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same season.
A campaign event of reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian less than a week ahead of a presidential election called after Ebrahim Raisi’s death
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 27, 2024

Iran’s election could bring lasting peace

The upcoming election in Iran is more consequential than it's being given credit for. A triumph of the only reformist candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, would be momentous.
Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said that the mobile company now has more than 7 million subscribers, and is seeking to hit 10 million subscribers next.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2024

Money-losing Rakuten Mobile rolls out new 700 MHz service

The new offering, which is being introduced incrementally, will improve connectivity, including in densely populated areas, it says.
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (center) and his lawyers head to the Tokyo District Court on Thursday to file the lawsuit against the state.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2024

Ex-Kadokawa chairman files lawsuit over 'hostage justice' system

Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, 80, is seeking ¥220 million in damages in the civil lawsuit after he was detained for 226 days before being released in April 2023.

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