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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 16, 2023

Why the Fed needs to take the digital yuan seriously

The e-CNY will be more than just a paperless version of cash for China's local economy, its use in trade settlements would pose a challenge to the U.S. dollar.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2023

Fixes to shoddy nuclear waste storage site to cost Japan ¥36 billion

The Tokai Reprocessing Plant was the nation's first plant that reprocessed spent fuel from nuclear reactors to recover uranium and plutonium.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 16, 2023

Tomakomai aims to give tourism a boost through sharing creative works

Local communities are being encouraged to enjoy making use of creative works, and to share that joy with tourists.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 16, 2023

Manga and anime helping Tomakomai to boost tourism sector

In an effort to attract visitors, people in charge of community development in Tomakomai have begun to pay attention to the city's manga and anime resources.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Jan 16, 2023

After 40 years, work to return Okinawa's cultural assets continues

Many artifacts were taken to the U.S. after World War II, and the Ryukyu America Historical Research Society has been working to find and retrieve them.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 16, 2023

Tomakomai bets on pop culture for tourism boost by embracing cosplay events

The number of visitors to the Tomakomai Cosplay Festa has increased over the years, with about 16,000 people attending in 2019, making it one of the city's most popular events.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2023

Eisai and Biogen apply for approval of Alzheimer's drug in Japan

The two companies hope to gain approval by the end of the year following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision earlier in the month to grant it fast-track approval.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Jan 16, 2023

Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka beats Mikael Ymer to advance in Australian Open

The 31st-seeded Nishioka converted six of his 12 break point opportunities as he put away the world No. 69 in two hours and 18 minutes.
Japan Times
TENNIS
Jan 16, 2023

'Devastated' Nick Kyrgios out of Australian Open with injury

The talented but temperamental Australian, considered as having an outside chance of winning the title, had struggled with an ankle issue coming into the event.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2023

Nagoya uses auto industry ties to position itself as a startup hub

This transition period comes at a time when the national government has made the creation of startups a priority as it seeks to bolster the economy.
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.
Unlike other social media platforms, including Threads, Twitter has a way of pushing you out of your comfort zone.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Can Threads dethrone Twitter in Japan?

Netizens in Japan jumped onto the Threads bandwagon soon after its launch, but the honeymoon phase is beginning to end, experts say, with many Japanese users remaining on Twitter.
Sumo wrestler Kotonowaka (left) attends a news conference in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 31. Sitting next to him is his father and stablemaster Sadogatake.
SUMO
Mar 26, 2024

Ozeki Kotonowaka to change ring name to Kotozakura

The 26-year-old finished the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with a 10-5 record in his ozeki debut.
Wim Wenders (left) co-wrote the script for “Perfect Days” with top advertising creative Takuma Takasaki. Japanese star Koji Yakusho (right) won best actor at Cannes last year for his performance as the film’s protagonist, a taciturn toilet cleaner in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Film
Feb 27, 2024

Oscar-nominated 'Perfect Days' is 'not about toilets,' Wenders says

The director's film about a taciturn cleaner who keeps Tokyo's public toilets spotless prompts reflections on urban solitude, community and growing older.
Yukiko Inui competes in the women's solo free artistic swimming final at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS / Swimming
Jul 20, 2023

Yukiko Inui repeats two-gold performance at this year's world championships

Host Japan has won four artistic swimming golds so far in Fukuoka.
Icons of Google's Artificial Intelligence app BardAI (or ChatBot), OpenAI's app ChatGPT and other AI apps are displayed on a smartphone screen.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Google tests AI tool that is able to write news articles

Some executives who saw Google’s pitch described it as unsettling, and two people said it seemed to take for granted the effort that went into producing accurate and artful news stories.
A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Longform
Mar 15, 2024

Akira Toriyama's gift to the world

The artist's impact was such that he should be considered alongside greats such as Walt Disney and Stan Lee when it comes to cultural contributions.
Private detective Ryo Saeba (Ryohei Suzuki) goes beyond the call of duty to protect a client at a cosplay convention in “City Hunter.”
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2024

A star turn isn’t quite enough to make ‘City Hunter’ soar

Ryohei Suzuki is in peak form as a lecherous private detective in an otherwise middling Netflix live-action manga adaptation.
Nikko Asset Management is ditching its bearish view on the yen, and now has a ¥135 target against the dollar by year-end.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 20, 2023

Nikko Asset shifts to bullish yen slant as Ueda bides his time

The shift in his view highlights potential upside for the yen, where inflation-adjusted interest rates have exacerbated its decline to multidecade lows.
Mizuho Financial Group has become the third Japanese megabank to sell Additional Tier 1 bonds after the collapse of Credit Suisse set off a global fire sale.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 20, 2023

Mizuho sells ¥261 billion of AT1 bonds after Credit Suisse turmoil

The lender joined Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group in issuing AT1 bonds this year, while the market in Europe is only just reopening.
From left: Yusuke Nagai, Taiyo Someya and Kaori Sakakibara formed their band Lamp in 2000, developing a cult following over the years with their own blend of 1960s pop harmonies, ’70s folk craft and ’80s bossa nova brightness.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 3, 2023

The slow and steady rise of Lamp, a cult favorite

With new album 'Dusk to Dawn,' the folk rockers bring light to the new Japanese music canon.
Children are evacuated from a preschool in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, following tsunami warnings after a powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan on Wednesday morning.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2024

Japan lifts tsunami advisory after strong quake hits Taiwan

Tsunami measuring at least 30 centimeters were observed at Yonaguni and Miyako islands, while waves as high as 20 cm also reached Ishigaki Island.
The value of Japan's exports rose 1.5% in June, led by shipments of cars and construction machinery, government data shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 20, 2023

Japan’s surprise trade surplus comes with caveats for growth

Government report highlights vulnerabilities in the state of demand around the world and points to risks for Japan’s growth prospects.
Japan’s shortage of software engineers in particular has caused the country to lag behind in its digital transformation.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 6, 2024

Tech firms in Japan are scouring for talent amid labor shortage

Three-quarters of technology hiring managers in Japan found recruitment to be "very” or "quite” competitive last year.
Officials in the municipality of Daito, in Osaka, speak at a news conference on Wednesday regarding a case in which a mother is suspected of starving her daughter, hospitalizing her and claiming insurance payments.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 20, 2023

Mother in Osaka arrested for starving daughter and claiming insurance money

Investigators believe Kasumi Nawata regularly starved her daughter, hospitalizing her 43 times for a total of 332 days since spring 2018.
Ippei Mizuhara interprets for Shohei Ohtani during the baseball star's introductory news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Dec. 14.
BASEBALL
May 10, 2024

Gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani's interpreter being turned into TV series

The shocking gambling scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, which made headlines across the world earlier this year, is already heading to television.
The number of crimes recorded in Japan rose more than 20% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year, police data has shown.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 20, 2023

Crime in Japan rises in first half of 2023 as COVID-19 restrictions ease

A total of 333,003 cases were reported in the first half of the year, up by 21.1% from the previous year, rising for the first time in 21 years on a January-June basis.
Ichiro Ozawa speaks to Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers at a party in Yokohama on Friday. The veteran politician still hopes the country will achieve a genuine two-party parliamentary democracy.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 19, 2023

CDP's Ichiro Ozawa bracing for 'final battle' in next election

The veteran politician still hopes the country will achieve a genuine two-party parliamentary democracy.
The heights Akebono reached in sumo helped pave the way for future foreign-born yokozuna Asashoryu and Hakuho.
SUMO
Apr 15, 2024

Akebono's human side eclipsed his incredible sumo achievements

Talk to anyone personally acquainted with recently deceased former yokozuna Akebono and almost immediately the words “generous” and “kind” will arise.
Naoya Inoue (right) throws a punch during his bout against Marlon Tapales in Tokyo last month.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 19, 2024

'Monster' Inoue becomes first Japanese to win prestigious boxing award

"I only fought two bouts in Japan last year, but it's an honor to be recognized by boxing journalists around the world," Inoue said in a statement released by his gym.

Longform

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