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July 05, 2025
 

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MARRIAGE

Kesa Hatamoto, a 102-year-old Japanese woman who is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest pharmacist, speaks during an interview on Jan. 28 in Tokyo's Meguro Ward.
JAPAN
Mar 6, 2025
At 102, world's oldest pharmacist celebrates her calling
"There's nothing happier than having a job for a lifetime. I want to continue my career forever," says Kesa Hatamoto.
A woman fits her wedding dress at a bridal shop in Luliang, northern China's Shanxi province, on Feb. 11.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Feb 25, 2025
China adviser pushes to lower legal marriage age to 18 to boost birthrate
The comments comments come ahead of China’s annual parliamentary meeting, where officials are expected to announce measures to offset the country's declining population.
People walk past a banner that reads "no to divorce" outside the Quiapo Church in Manila. The Philippines is one of just two countries — along with Vatican City — where divorce is illegal, and the Catholic Church retains a powerful grip on society and outsize influence on politics.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Feb 11, 2025
Philippine divorce activists vow to fight on
The Philippines is one of just two countries — along with Vatican City — where divorce remains illegal.
The proportion of respondents who said that the surname debate was something they felt they had a personal stake in increased by 2.7 percentage points from the previous survey by the Cabinet Office in 2022.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2025
44% in Japan feel they might be affected by dual-surname debate
The possible introduction of a selective dual-surname system was one of the key issues in last year's election for the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
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.
Thai actors Apiwat "Porsch" Apiwatsayree (right) and Sappanyoo "Arm" Panatkool pose for pictures in front of a Thai national flag after registering their same-sex marriage at the Phra Nakhon district office in Bangkok on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jan 23, 2025
Hundreds to wed as Thai same-sex marriage law comes into force
Thursday's milestone makes Thailand the first Southeast Asian country to allow equal marriage, and the biggest place in Asia to recognize such unions.
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito answers questions from reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2025
Ruling parties agree to discuss dual surname system
Party leaders stopped short of deciding when to begin discussions on the issue.
Marriage boosts men’s health, but women’s outcomes depend on having an egalitarian partner, with caregiving gaps revealing ongoing gender inequalities.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 13, 2025
Equitable marriages could save lives (and love)
Husbands live longer than single men. For wives, the calculation is more complex.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2025
LDP to start talks on selective dual surname system soon
Some of the party's members oppose the idea, fearing it will lead to the collapse of the family system.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed support for allowing for married couples to retain different surnames.　
JAPAN / Society
Jan 3, 2025
Japan's dual-surname option could see turning point in 2025
Support for allowing spouses to retain separate surnames is strong among the opposition, and even within the Liberal Democratic Party, which rules as a minority government.
A vendor selling spy cameras takes a phone call inside his shop at a market in New Delhi. Elaborate Indian weddings are big business, and for some families, the first step of celebration is not to call a priest or a party planner — but a private detective.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 23, 2024
Bride, groom, spy: India's wedding detectives
In a country where social customs are changing rapidly, more and more couples are making their own matches.
A handout photo shows Kosuke Nozaki (right), who was found dead of a drug overdose, and Saki Sudo, who was his wife.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2024
28-year-old widow of ‘Don Juan of Kishu’ acquitted of his murder
Prosecutors had argued that Saki Sudo, 28, somehow caused her wealthy 77-year-old husband Kosuke Nozaki to ingest drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says he will urge a stepped up debate on allowing the option of dual surnames for married couples.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 10, 2024
Ishiba vows to spur LDP debate on dual surname option
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he will urge a working group within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party "to increase the frequency and maturity of discussions."
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 21, 2024
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
Ease of meeting a wide range of people is likely the biggest appeal of app use, underscoring a major shift in how young people meet their partners.
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 20, 2024
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
Just 37% of respondents in Japan said they were satisfied with their romantic and sexual relationships, according to a survey from Ipsos.
Dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, with their reliance on basic algorithms, often lead to superficial connections, but AI could improve this by analyzing deeper data for more meaningful matches.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024
AI dating might actually not be so bad
While still in development, these AI-driven match-making tools aim to reduce the fatigue of online dating and foster more genuine connections.
Plaintiffs seeking the right for same-sex couples to marry react Wednesday to the Tokyo High Court's ruling that Japan's ban on such marriages is unconstitutional.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 30, 2024
Tokyo High Court rules same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional
It is the second high-court ruling in Japan to describe the ban on same-sex marriage in those terms.
The Liberal Democratic Party's panel meets at the party headquarters in Tokyo in April to discuss measures to ensure stable imperial successions.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 30, 2024
U.N. panel urges Japan to revise imperial succession rules
The panel also urged Japan to implement a law revision toward introducing a selective dual surname system for married couples.
In the past three reports in 2003, 2009 and 2016, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women recommended a revision to Article 750 of the country's Civil Code, which mandates the same surname for married couples.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 18, 2024
U.N. panel reviews Japan's women policies, including on surnames
It was the U.N. committee's first review of Japan in eight years.
A nuclear accident that took place on Sept. 30 makes the front page of The Japan Times on Oct. 1, 1999.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Oct 1, 2024
Japan Times 1999: Nuclear accident hits critical mass
A second incident 25 years ago at the Tokai Nuclear Power Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture that exposes workers to radiation causes concern and challenges.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

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What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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