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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

Vietnam president quits as Communist Party intensifies graft crackdown

Vietnam has been rife with speculation he would be removed following January's dismissal of two deputy prime ministers who served under him.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2023

LDP lawmakers to set up group to promote Japan's defense exports

The move comes after the government last month revised its key defense documents, including the National Security Strategy, a long-term policy guideline.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

Kishida and Yoon call for improved bilateral relations

Kishida said in his written message that relations between Japan and South Korea need to be brought back to normalcy and promoted further.
Japan Times
SUMO / Basho reports
Jan 17, 2023

Takakeisho takes care of Meisei to remain sole leader

No. 8 maegashira Onosho and No. 13 Kotoshoho improved to 8-2 to remain one win off the pace at the 15-day tournament.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Jan 17, 2023

Andy Murray turns back the clock to win five-set epic

Murray will play the winner of Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis and Italian veteran Fabio Fognini for a place in the third round.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2023

With Kishida criticism, Suga steps back onto Japan's political stage

The former prime minister broke his monthslong silence to express his discontent with Kishida's decision to remain as an LDP faction leader.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2023

Boston startup raises $40 million to develop new low-carbon cement technology

The cement industry makes as much as 8% of the world's emissions — meeting global climate goals would require reducing that to zero.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2023

Climate activists say Big Oil is taking cycling fans for a ride

Sports sponsorships have emerged as a major battleground in the push to ban fossil fuel companies from advertising their brands.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2023

COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 11,120 new cases, 28 deaths

On Monday, the daily number of new cases across Japan came to 52,622, down by about 40,000 from a week earlier.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 17, 2023

Japan’s largest trade union head says 2023 is pivotal for wages

Trade union leader has stressed the importance of moving toward continued wage growth in the face of rapid inflation and economic stagnation.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2023

The Group of 20 could use a 'G Minor' grouping to represent emerging economies

While the G20 represents the world's largest economies, it's time to think of a group that could represent the needs of emerging and developing countries.
Pedestrians walk on a flooded road in the city of Akita on Sunday morning after heavy rains hit the area.
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2023

Heavy rains hit Tohoku region, leaving at least one dead and four injured in Akita

A man died and more than 2,000 people evacuated as heavy rain pounded Akita Prefecture over the weekend, local authorities said Sunday.
Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.4% in January from 2.5% in the previous month, with economists suggesting that the current recession is making firms hesitant to increase job postings.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 1, 2024

Japan’s tight labor market to keep upward pressure on wages

The unemployment rate fell to 2.4% from a revised 2.5% a month earlier, the internal affairs ministry reported Friday.
Dennis Kwok, then a pro-democracy lawmaker, answers questions from the media outside the High Court in Hong Kong on Oct. 31, 2019.
JAPAN
Jul 20, 2023

Hong Kong police target more family members of wanted democracy activists

The pair, former lawmaker Dennis Kwok and unionist Mung Siu-tat, are among eight exiled activists sought by authorities for alleged violations of the National Security Law.
Despite Shinzo Abe's numerous achievements as prime minister, including job creation and efforts to promote workforce gender equality, recent controversies surrounding his tenure, including ties to controversial groups and scandals within his political faction, have tarnished his image.
COMMENTARY
May 7, 2024

The economic legacy of Japan's longest-serving prime minister

Under Abenomics and the BOJ's monetary policy, employment rose more than under any other Japanese government in the 21st century.
The painting as seen before the July 8 incident
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2023

Iconic dragon painting at Sensoji Temple peels off ceiling

Visitors to Tokyo's Sensoji Temple were left in shock as an iconic dragon painting on the ceiling of the main hall peeled off and was left hanging above their heads.
A businessman reads a newspaper outside a train station in Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 4, 2024

Japan drops to 70th in press freedom rankings

Japan fell by two places from last year, and was ranked lowest among the Group of Seven major countries.
Japan's consumer prices rose 3.3% year-on-year in June, with the pace of inflation accelerating from the 3.2% recorded in May.
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2023

Japan's price growth accelerates ahead of BOJ inflation update

Prices excluding those for fresh food gained 3.3% from a year ago, accelerating a little from the rise in May as energy prices were less of a drag on inflation.
A statue of Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders going through a ritual that is typically held for the repose of the souls of old dolls at Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine in Osaka.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 20, 2024

Statue of Colonel Sanders disposed of after 39-year saga

The statue went through a ritual that is typically held for the repose of the souls of old dolls at Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine in Osaka on March 8.
Katsunobu Kato, former chief Cabinet secretary and a ruling party veteran, says the Bank of Japan must keep a close eye on economic conditions and coordinate carefully with the government in working out when to raise rates.
BUSINESS
May 13, 2024

Japan on track to normalize monetary policy, says ruling party heavyweight

The weak yen has inflated import costs, hurting consumption and creating headaches for policymakers looking to shore up a fragile economic recovery.
In Japan, 35% of students graduate with a degree in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — compared with 38% in the U.S., 42% in South Korea and Germany and 45% in Britain.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 21, 2023

Japan to give ¥300 billion to universities expanding science education

As the country's R&D status continues to drop, the ministry’s new program aims to fund schools pivoting toward STEM subjects.
Tokyo Gendai is described by fair organizers Art Assembly as Tokyo Bay’s first international contemporary art fair in 30 years.
CULTURE / Art
Jul 22, 2023

Can a new art fair finally put Tokyo on the map?

Tokyo Gendai puts on a good event but still needs to change Japanese opinions on contemporary art.
Sanrio is marking Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary this year. The character's rise mirrors that of kawaii culture globally, and her longevity offers important clues as to the future of cute culture.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 22, 2024

Hello Kitty turns 50. What will the next cat's meow be?

The global rise of Hello Kitty, who turns 50 this year, tracks that of Japanese culture. What, then, does the next half-century of kawaii have in store?
The H5N1 bird flu virus, which has been found in cattle, is a pathogen that has loomed large in the minds of infectious disease experts for its potential to cause a deadly human pandemic.
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2024

The bird flu outbreak brings more questions than answers

This is a pathogen that has loomed large in the minds of infectious disease experts for its potential to cause a deadly human pandemic.
A key aspect of AI technology that is often forgotten is that it requires an enormous amount of energy to develop and run. And that’s where utilities come in.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Apr 28, 2024

AI boom’s secret winners? The companies expected to power it

Across the U.S., utilities are preparing for historic increases in electricity demand led by data centers and AI.
Nadeshiko Japan celebrates after defeating the United States in the 2011 Women's World Cup final in Frankfurt, Germany.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 21, 2023

Nadeshiko Japan's Women's World Cup glory now distant memory

Japan begins its latest World Cup campaign against Zambia on Saturday, but is ranked 11th now and no longer among the favorites.
Haruhiko Aoyama (left), one of the plaintiffs of a lawsuit over significant base pay cuts after reaching the retirement age and being reemployed, speaks to reporters in Tokyo Thursday following a ruling by the Supreme Court.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2023

Japan top court sends back reemployment pay case

In the lawsuit, the male plaintiffs have demanded that their employer pay the difference between what they were paid before and after the retirement age.
When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Apr 29, 2024

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

Among official records in Japan, the "koseki" is key to discovering where you came from. However, it's not without controversy.
A Japanese submarine captain (Takao Osawa, center) goes rogue with a nuclear-armed vessel in “The Silent Service.”
CULTURE / Film
Sep 28, 2023

‘The Silent Service’: Submarine thriller runs shallow

While it has the makings of a potent geopolitical thriller, Kohei Yoshino’s film struggles to work as a standalone feature — or generate thrills.
Kiyoto Imamura is escorted by police after he arrived at Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture in February after being deported from the Philippines.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 21, 2023

Crime ring suspect served fresh warrant over Chiba robbery

The case is part of a spate of robberies across Japan allegedly committed by a group whose ringleaders are believed to have recruited people through social media posts.

Longform

Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan