Tag - focus

 
Menu
Search
 
February 15, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

FOCUS

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a session of parliament on Thursday afternoon.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 14, 2025
Budget talks intensify between ruling coalition and opposition parties
The minority government is looking to pass its budget by March 2 to give Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba some breathing room.
The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold sails in the front of a formation with the Philippine Navy Jose Rizal-class frigate BRP Jose Rizal (center), the Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart (left) and the Maritime Defense Force Akizuki-class destroyer Akizuki, during a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity exercise in the South China Sea last Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 10, 2025
Calls grow louder for joint maritime patrols near Philippine hot spots
Some want Manila to consider joint coast guard and naval patrols near Chinese government vessels operating in disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Bulk food dispensers at a new 7-Eleven store in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. Opened a year ago, Seven & I Holdings conceived it as a prototype to test the synergies between the company’s retail supermarket chain and its more-successful convenience-store business.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Feb 10, 2025
Blended 7-Eleven-and-supermarket concept proves a tough sell
It is unclear if higher customer numbers have been sustained, and Seven & I has no plans right now to open more such outlets.
Ishiba eats a mikan tangerine at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Jan. 22.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 7, 2025
A 'joyful' Japan? Ishiba's choice of slogan sparks the opposite feelings
Even members of Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party were not happy with the slogan.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 6, 2025
With Ishiba-Trump meet, Tokyo hopes to keep ties on even keel
Tokyo has been scrambling for ways to placate the U.S. leader, and head off any dust-up between the allies during Friday’s meeting.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama has been credited with convincing opposition parties to remain at the negotiating table with his diplomatic skills.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 5, 2025
Who is Hiroshi Moriyama, the man behind the prime minister?
The Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general is known for his negotiation skills and diplomacy, making him integral for a party that now rules as a minority government.
The Imperial Household Agency's Instagram account boasts over 1.8 million followers.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 3, 2025
Imperial Household Agency finds success on Instagram amid public relations push
With the account boasting over 1.8 million followers, the agency is aiming to boost engagement.
A concept model of the Global Combat Air Program's fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in the city of Chiba in March 2023.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 31, 2025
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss bringing Saudi Arabia into jet project
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said Italy is in favor of Saudi Arabia joining the joint development of a new sixth-generation fighter jet.
The koji room at Fukuwagura brewery in Mie Prefecture, where metals such as stainless steel, which are easy to manage for hygiene, are widely used
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 30, 2025
Japanese food makers step in to preserve sake breweries' legacy
The initiatives by food companies coincide with a growing recognition of traditional sake-making techniques.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends an ordinary session of parliament along with his Cabinet ministers on Friday. Ishiba has toned down his stance on legally allowing married couples to have separate surnames.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 28, 2025
Ishiba tones down stance on dual-surname debate
While previously being all in favor of a dual-surname system, the prime minister has recently suggested considering a "compromise" of legally expanding the use of maiden names.
Engineers with Chinese startup DeepSeek built a competitive AI model despite U.S. attempts to curtail China’s tech development, raising questions about the effectiveness of Washington’s trade curbs.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jan 28, 2025
DeepSeek’s AI model tests limits of U.S. restrictions on Nvidia chips
Powerful AI software from the Chinese startup indicates its engineers built a competitive model despite U.S. attempts to curtail Beijing's tech development with trade curbs.
Fujitsu and the National Institute of Informatics have launched a full-scale industry-academia collaboration to curb the spread of disinformation, including deepfakes created through generative artificial intelligence.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 27, 2025
Japan launches industry and academia tie-up to combat online disinformation
Nine companies and academic institutions aim to put an integrated system for combating false information into use by March 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends an event about the economy at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 26, 2025
Trump’s frenzied debut delights base as thornier decisions await
The honeymoon is hardly assured to last, with the U.S. president so far avoiding drastic steps that would tempt backlash from his party, Wall Street or both.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney speaks on the day he announces that he is running to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Jan. 16.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 26, 2025
Trudeau’s Cabinet lines up behind Carney as ex-banker brushes up on French
The support shows that many believe the former central banker is the best bet to counter Donald Trump’s trade threats and boost the Liberal Party’s electoral fortunes.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference after a two-day monetary policy meeting at BOJ headquarters in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jan 25, 2025
BOJ’s clear guidance on rate hike calms markets but may backfire
For some economists, the latest move was too completely priced in, begging the question of how explicitly the BOJ intends to signal its plans in the future.
Fuji Television's poor handling of sexual misconduct allegations against celebrity Masahiro Nakai has led to an exodus of sponsors from the broadcaster.
JAPAN / Media / FOCUS
Jan 24, 2025
What are the real issues behind the Fuji TV scandal?
Fuji TV's handling of sexual misconduct allegations against TV personality Masahiro Nakai led to a firestorm of public disapproval. Where did it go wrong?
Teruko Nakazawa, a retired unpaid parole officer (back), talks with her former parolee in the smoking room of a cafe in Tokyo. Around 47,000 citizen volunteers far outnumber the 1,000 salaried probation officers working in Japan.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jan 23, 2025
Japan's unpaid parole officers are driven by a 'love for humanity'
The around 47,000 citizen volunteers far outnumber the 1,000 salaried probation officers in Japan.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a policy speech at the Lower House of the parliament in Tokyo last November.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 23, 2025
As parliament opens, ruling coalition enters uncharted territory
For the Liberal Democratic Party, the days of pushing through bills on the back of an overwhelming majority in both chambers of parliament are over.
U.S. President Donald Trump reviews troops during his inauguration ceremony at the Capitol in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 21, 2025
'America first' returns as Trump ditches focus on allies and rules-based order
The U.S. under his new administration will be a dominating force that will take whatever steps necessary to advance American interests, the newly inaugurated president said.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami frigate, of the class of the same name, is anchored at the MSDF's naval base in the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in September 2022.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 20, 2025
Japan looks to learn from the past with bid to build Australian warships
A winning bid for a decadelong Australian frigate program would be a major breakthrough for Japan’s defense industry following a failed 2016 attempt to sell submarines to Canberra.
Honda and Nissan cancel megamerger after weeks of negotiations
Following weeks of talks after Nissan Motor President Makoto Uchida and Honda President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe's December announcement of a possible merger, the two automakers confirmed on Thursday that the deal is officially off.
Japan's 10-year cancer survival rate stands at 54% in latest survey
By cancer type, the 10-year survival rate was 57.9% for stomach cancer, the most common cancer among the patients surveyed.
Nippon Steel wants 100% of U.S. Steel, not a minority stake, report says
The U.S. Steel Mon Valley Works Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania.
Hungarian police discipline officers over Japanese woman’s death
People attend a vigil for a recently deceased 43-year-old Japanese woman in central Budapest on Feb. 4
Nariaki Obukuro found his groove — just not on the dance floor
While Nariaki Obukuro’s previous releases often included lyrics with specific references pulled from his own experiences, on “Zatto,” he’s stepping back to explore the joy and pain of the wider world.
Japanese research team develops world’s largest 'biohybrid' robot hand
A "biohybrid" robot hand developed by a research team from the University of Tokyo and Waseda University
How giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day is evolving in Japan
Giving out courtesy chocolates to coworkers on Valentine's Day is becoming obsolete.
Nariaki Obukuro found his groove — just not on the dance floor
While Nariaki Obukuro’s previous releases often included lyrics with specific references pulled from his own experiences, on “Zatto,” he’s stepping back to explore the joy and pain of the wider world.
Mao Asada sets out to safeguard the future of Japanese skating
"I hope skaters who train here will go on to shine on the world stage," Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada told the Japan Times at Mao Rink Tachikawa Tachihi, a skating rink in Tachikawa, Tokyo, whose establishment she was involved in, on Jan. 28.
Japan exploring drone production capabilities for military aid program
An unmanned Hamadori drone developed by Japanese company Space Entertainment Laboratory and equipped with various sensor options for surveys is displayed at the Japan Drone 2020 exhibition at Makuhari Messe in the city of Chiba in September 2020.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Eme-Ima Kitchen is one of over 10,000 kodomo shokudō in Japan. A term first used in 2012 to describe makeshift eateries offering free or cheap meals to disadvantaged kids, it now refers to a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations working to provide not only food but a sense of belonging to both children and adults.
Japan’s ‘children’s cafeterias’ are booming — but is that a good thing?
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high
Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER