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December 20, 2024
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December 20, 2024
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Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier driven by higher energy costs.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan’s inflation accelerates on energy as BOJ seeks more data
By Yoshiaki Nohara and Toru Fujioka
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier driven by higher energy costs.

More coverage

Japan warns on yen after BOJ’s dovish messaging extends slide
Bank of Japan opts for caution as Trump factor and wage concerns weigh
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier driven by higher energy costs.
Police investigate a murder case in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
By Francis Tang
Crime numbers had been steadily declining since 2003, continuing to hit postwar lows from 2015 to 2021, before bouncing back in 2022.
Broken window glass is seen at the suspect Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward in Fukuoka Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
The arrest marked the culmination of an intensive investigation to apprehend the suspect in the fatal stabbing.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba may visit U.S. in mid-January for talks with Trump
Ishiba hopes to build a personal relationship of trust with the president-elect and confirm the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
CULTURE / Film
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
By Mark Schilling
International collaborations and indie risk-takers steered the film industry in a fresh direction in 2024.
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.

JAPAN

Fire trucks gather around a building in Sapporo’s Susukino entertainment district on Nov. 26.
Sapporo arson suspect dies in hospital
By Jessica Speed
Police still intend to submit the arson case to prosecutors and are committed to piecing together the events that led to the blaze.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (right) and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo on Dec. 10 prior to talks on political, trade and economic relations
Finnish PM seeks boosted military tech ties with Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez
“Finland is keen to deepen bilateral relations, and Japan is an important strategic partner for Finland,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told The Japan Times.
Ride-hailing restrictions to be eased during 2025 Osaka Expo
National Police Agency panel calls for stricter rules against host clubs
By Karin Kaneko
43-year-old man arrested over Kitakyushu McDonald's stabbings
By Jessica Speed
Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs

BUSINESS

A limited edition of PlayStation 5 (PS5) Pro video game console
Sony’s record climb makes investors more bullish on gaming boom
By Alice French and Winnie Hsu
Sony Group’s long-awaited rise to record highs has emboldened bullish investors and analysts, who see gains extending into 2025 on a robust outlook for video games.
Toshiba's Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Koji Ikeya speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Monday.
A year after going private, structural reforms bearing fruit for Toshiba
Before going private last December, Toshiba had long struggled to deal with activist investors, from whom the company accepted investments to stabilize its finances.
Losses from crypto hacks jump to $2.2 billion in 2024, report finds
By Medha Singh
Nippon Steel to join iron ore mine project in Canada
Sony buys 10% of Elden Ring owner for $320 million
Amazon Japan to enter 'furusato nōzei' business

WORLD

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to members of the news media along with U.S. House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday.
Trump-backed spending deal fails in U.S. House as shutdown approaches
By Bo Erickson, Richard Cowan, Andy Sullivan and Katharine Jackson
Government funding is due to expire at midnight on Friday.
Residential buildings under construction at China Evergrande Group's Riverside Palace development in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, on Nov. 2, 2023.
China’s economic rebound hangs on the fate of its richest cities
Preserving earning power in China was given fresh urgency as U.S. Presidential-elect Donald Trump says he will choke off critical Chinese exports.
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Rescuers extend search for Vanuatu quake survivors
Israel keeps up Gaza bombardment as cease-fire talks intensify
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
Putin offers Trump talks while defending his invasion of Ukraine

Sports

Inter Milan "ultras" merchandise is displayed outside San Siro Stadium in Milan before a Champions League match on Nov. 26.
Italy combats spread of mafia among soccer fan groups across country
Ultra groups at Inter and AC Milan, two of the biggest names in Italian soccer, have allegedly been infiltrated by the mafia.
Tyson Fury all business ahead of rematch with Oleksandr Usyk
Chiefs star Mahomes set to face Texans after injury scare
Spurs' Ange Postecoglou defends style after reaching League Cup semifinals
Sammy Sosa and Cubs set to reconcile after slugger apologizes for "mistakes"

Opinion

Nissan and Honda may be nearing a merger to address Nissan's struggles, forming a second major hub in Japan's auto industry to rival Toyota.
A Honda-Nissan merger is a slow-moving savior
Gearoid Reidy
Nissan is struggling — burning through cash and with billions of dollars of debt due in a little over a year.
India’s budding chip industry: A cause for cautious optimism
By Eri Ikeda
From TikTok to Nvidia, the tech war is getting uglier
By Catherine Thorbecke
Yoon’s martial law order divides South Korea and may alter foreign policy direction
By Stephen R. Nagy
Australia shows how smart diplomacy is done
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

The entrance of the Sodegaura LNG Terminal, operated by Tokyo Gas, in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture
Japan's draft climate strategy spurs calls for bolder cuts in carbon emissions
By Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu
The government last month presented a draft plan to aim for a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 from 2013 levels.
Japanese study links heavy Hokkaido snowfall in 2021 to climate change
By Tomoko Otake
Companies challenged by fewer weeks of winter
By Ethan M Steinberg
Indigenous people in Canada weigh costs of a gas windfall
By Max Bearak
World falls short of drought deal at Saudi-hosted talks
By Robbie COREY-BOULET

CULTURE

Tokyo Comic Con took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
Comic cons are far more than just cosplay
By Howard Chua-Eoan
The conventions allow fans of comics to meet their heroes — both actors and authors — with manga and anime playing an increasingly bigger role each year.
‘The Hotel of My Dream’: A literary comedy that never really gels
By James Hadfield
‘More Than Words’: A morally gray melodrama about sexual assault
By Mark Schilling
Zakir Hussain, peerless Indian tabla player, dies at 73
By Yan Zhuang
Jay Rubin takes us back to Haruki Murakami's world
By Kris Kosaka

LIFE

In 2024, efficiency trumped effort among Japan's fitness-focused aspirants.
Casual workouts, cool living, ‘complete’ food: Japan’s health trends of 2024
By Tomoko Otake
This year’s health and wellness fads point to a Japan that desires more wholesome lifestyles but doesn’t have the time or resources to go about it in traditional ways.
Make the Yuletide gay: Tokyo’s LGBTQ+ Christmas events
By Kat Joplin
Silent night? Not if you want to impress your Christmas Eve date.
By Yuko Tamura
Glass half full: Japan’s sake industry celebrates a brighter 2024
By Phoebe Amoroso
From Florence to Osaka, Gucci’s newest concept bar oozes style
By Melinda Joe

COMMUNITY

Tokyo Union Church volunteers prepare food for unhoused individuals. The church helps people regardless of religion, race or sexuality.
From the stage to the streets, make a difference this holiday season
By Kimberly Hughes
Discover the joy of giving back through a variety of charitable efforts. Helping others helps you, too.
A green-eyed cutie who loves to eat
Yurie Collins: ‘Everyone seems sedated, fed-up … that’s why they turn to comedy’
By Zoria Petkoska
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
By Phoebe Amoroso
Kumiko Shichijo: ‘Living abroad helped me appreciate Japanese etiquette’
By Ansel Swindells

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
By Mark Schilling
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
LIFE
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
By Patrick St. Michel
A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
ASIA PACIFIC
With rare Asia carrier deployment, France seeks greater interoperability
By Gabriel Dominguez
The flight deck of the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier during a stop at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in May 2019
BUSINESS
Taiwan’s bullet train a testament to shinkansen’s export potential
By Kazuaki Nagata
A Taiwan High Speed Rail bullet train arrives at Nangang Station in the city of Taipei.
LIFE
Looking for ways to be charitable in Japan? Give the gift of reading.
By Yuko Tamura
Book Santa is a program that delivers books to children in need for Christmas, but it also operates year-round.

Podcast

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

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs
The Kabukicho district in Tokyo, where the daughter of a woman in her 60s fell deeply into the host club culture.
BUSINESS
Bank of Japan opts for caution as Trump factor and wage concerns weigh
By Kazuaki Nagata
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda holds a news conference after a BOJ policy meeting in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Honda and Nissan might combine to form world’s No. 3 auto group
By Kazuaki Nagata and Yukana Inoue
Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe hold a news conference in Tokyo in March. Both automakers have been working together for months on a deal of some sort.
JAPAN
43-year-old man arrested over Kitakyushu McDonald's stabbings
By Jessica Speed
A McDonald's outlet in Kitakyushu where two teens were stabbed, one fatally, on Saturday. Police arrested a 43-year-old suspect on Thursday morning.
JAPAN
What we know so far about the Kitakyushu stabbings
Police guard the scene early Sunday morning of a stabbing incident at a McDonald's store in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.