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Director Hirobumi Watanabe (second from left) stars alongside his brother Yuji (far right), who has served as composer on all of his films, in his new feature “Techno Brothers,” which follows a sibling trio on the road to Tokyo to find success in the music business.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2023

Foolish Piggies Films keeps humor at its heart

Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen.
Demonstrators protest against Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the ocean, in Seoul on July 7.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 20, 2023

Fukushima water opposition is steeped in anti-science

Skepticism over Japan’s plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant must not give way to scaremongering.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 22, 2023

Toyota eyes lunar rover powered by regenerative fuel-cell tech

Toyota has teamed up with JAXA since 2019 to develop the manned lunar rover — which it dubbed the Lunar Cruiser — that they hope can be put on the moon in 2029.
The 1975 perform at the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena in London in 2019
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jul 22, 2023

Malaysia halts music festival after same-sex kiss by U.K. band The 1975

Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Rights groups have warned of growing intolerance against the country's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
A cargo vessel on the Sulina Channel en route to the Danube River, in Romania
WORLD
Jul 21, 2023

Ukraine grain relies on a river that’s drying up

A heatwave fanning across the southern part of Europe is lowering river levels and crimping export capacity, which will make shipping grain even more difficult.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi waits ahead of a high-level meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials at Beijing's Great Hall of the People in December 2017.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2023

Japan ruling bloc lawmakers facing hurdles to China visit plans

Trips to China by Komeito leader and senior LDP official both put on ice over Chinese anger at planned release of treated Fukushima water.
A friendly between England and the United States drew a crowd of 78,000 at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 7, 2022.
SPORTS
Jul 20, 2023

Women's sports experiencing steady growth in popularity and value

Women's sports are growing in popularity and value. Better yet, that growth is no longer dependent upon quadrennial events like the Olympics or World Cups.
Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wears a sumo wrestler costume and tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama in the sumo ring at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo in June 30.
SUMO
Jul 23, 2023

Sumo retirees play for laughs from tourists flooding back to Japan

Themed restaurants, including those offering sumo performances, are part of a tourism ecosystem that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes will add ¥5 trillion a year to the nation's economy.
An overwhelming majority of Japanese firms are negative about achieving a goal of having women in 30% of executive positions by 2030, a survey shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 20, 2023

Firms pessimistic about hitting 30% goal for female execs by 2030, poll shows

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set the target in June for leading companies, aiming to boost womens' management participation from 2.2% as of July 2022.
A lonely woman (Ayaka Nakagochi, left) develops romantic feelings for her personal care humanoid (Kosei Kudo) in “12 Months of Kai.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 20, 2023

‘12 Months of Kai’: When Prince Charming is too perfect to be real

Mutsuki Kameyama’s sci-fi romance about a woman who falls in love with a handsome humanoid delves into the difficulties of “unconventional” relationships.
Investors have scooped up yen debt from issuers outside Japan, fueling the busiest July since 2018.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 24, 2023

Global yen bond market emerges as oasis amid Japan volatility

Investors have scooped up yen debt from issuers outside Japan, fueling the busiest July since 2018.
Yuna Kato says relatives have tried to steer her away from careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 30, 2023

Japan on a mission to attract more women into STEM fields

In the IT field alone, the country is looking at a shortfall of 790,000 workers by 2030, largely due to a severe underrepresentation of women.
While the U.S. referenced China 20 times in its October announcement of semiconductor export controls targeting Chinese companies, Japan has chosen broad equipment controls not specifically aimed at its bigger neighbor.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2023

As Japan aligns with U.S. chip curbs on China, some in Tokyo feel uneasy

Tokyo remains worried that targeting China will provoke damaging retaliation, such as a ban on Japanese electric cars.
A disturbing factor that may ultimately defeat the all-volunteer military force is the growing political division across the U.S., which is diminishing the young people's faith in America.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2023

U.S. military’s recruiting woes are a national-security crisis

The U.S. military's struggle to entice even the most surefire candidates — the children of veterans — puts the future of the all-volunteer force in doubt.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange is urging listed firms to place greater focus on stock prices and capital efficiency.
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
Jul 24, 2023

Tokyo Stock Exchange urges more focus on stock prices and capital efficiency

Management teams of listed companies face the challenge of raising their awareness about the importance of how best to use funds raised from shareholders and banks.
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2023

Japan to test fire ant sniffer dog for first time

The government has designated fire ants as an invasive species requiring emergency measures due to the insect's potential for damage.
LVMH CEO Antoine Arnault (left), LVMH head Bernard Arnault (center) and Paris 2024 Organising Committee President Tony Estanguer pose at a news conference announcing the luxury titan as a premium sponsor of the Paris Games on Monday.
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2023

LVMH strikes Paris Olympics sponsorship deal

The agreement has been expected to cost around €150 million ($166 million) and involve promotions focused on the group as well as its largest fashion and champagne labels.
The natural beauty of Minakami has attracted hundreds adventure tourism companies, but there's still no overarching network of safety protocols in place.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 15, 2023

In Japan’s adventure tourism mecca, the rush comes with risk

Minakami has come a long way since the early days of its adventure tourism beginnings, but if it wants to last well into the future, regulation may be key.
 Gerrymandered districts and attacks on voting rights are further threatening American democracy at the state and local levels.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 26, 2023

The local threat to American democracy

Through "preemption" measures, ballot and voting restrictions, gerrymandering and other schemes, America continues to be threatened by entrenched minority rule.
Honda Motor and other major carmakers will establish a joint venture to build an electric vehicle charging network in North America.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023

Honda joins new EV charging network in U.S.

The firm, along with six other automakers, aims to counter U.S. EV giant Tesla, which holds 60% of the country's EV market.
People gather in the center of the capital city of Thimphu, Bhutan, in December 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Bhutan's employment woes drive exodus to Australia

Student migration to Australia from Bhutan has soared, with over 12,000 long-term arrivals moving there in the 11 months to May alone.
A truck transports new Tesla cars at its factory in Shanghai in May 2021.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jul 28, 2023

Global automakers scramble to reset China strategies as sales slow

Some German brands and General Motors are betting on new electric vehicles, while Toyota and others have shifted to cost-cutting mode.
Monex Group was sued on Thursday in what is believed to be the first lawsuit questioning the responsibility of a Japanese securities company over Credit Suisse AT1 bond losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2023

Japan’s Monex sued by client for Credit Suisse bond loss

The move marks a rare case of a financial institution being accused of responsibility for investor losses triggered by Switzerland’s move to wipe out the bonds.
While certain professions necessitate advanced degrees, for others, it's essential to weigh the potential benefits against the cost and debt burden.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2023

Grad school is not the escape you are looking for

Layoffs across technology and finance along with the threat from AI may make a higher degree seem a sensible bet. Don’t be fooled.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2023

Kansai Electric restarts 48-year-old Takahama reactor

It is the second time that a reactor over 40 years old has been reactivated, after the restart of the No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric's Mihama plant, also in Fukui.
Commuters in Tokyo in March. Japanese women are paid on average around 67% the salaries of men, according to a report based on around 2,000 firms’ financial statements, compiled by advisory firm Willis Towers Watson and others this month.
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2023

Investors see need for more gender pay data in Japan

Some firms have disclosed pay gaps according to different job levels, but most are revealing the minimum amount of information necessary.
Storage tanks for radioactive water at Tokyo Electric Power Co's tsunami-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2023

No change in plan to release treated water, minister says

Japan's industry minister says there is no change to plan to start releasing treated water from Fukushima nuclear plant this summer.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2023

Japan takes to anime to promote Fukushima water release safety

Four videos of one to two minutes in length have been uploaded on YouTube as the ministry is seeking to counter what it calls false information.
Pedestrians outside a Seibu department store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district in April
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 31, 2023

Seven & I struggles to sell slumping Sogo & Seibu department stores

The holdup is centered around the flagship Seibu department store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, with the local government expressing rare opposition.
Signage for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking (right) and Mizuho Bank (center) in Tokyo. Two of Japan's mega-banks reported solid quarterly profit on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023

Japan’s biggest banks beat estimates, adding to BOJ tailwind

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group said net income for the quarter ending June 30 was ¥248 billion, while Mizuho Financial Group’s was ¥245.2 billion.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight