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November 30, 2024
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November 30, 2024
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers his policy speech at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba sticks to the basics in second policy speech
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Rather than expand on his broader vision, Ishiba chose to focus on less-contentious individual policy matters.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers his policy speech at the Lower House of parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
Tokyo police have arrested six Chinese nationals on suspicion of unlawful confinement and attempted extortion involving a 23-year-old exchange student who had become involved in a financial dispute over a yami baito, or a “dark” part-time job.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Tokyo police arrest six Chinese nationals over yami baito scheme
By Jessica Speed
The six people are being held on suspicion of unlawful confinement and attempted extortion involving a 23-year-old exchange student.
A stone pillar at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, on which the word "toilet" was spray-painted in May
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Chinese man pleads guilty to role in vandalizing Yasukuni Shrine
By Karin Kaneko
Jiang Zhuojun said he assisted with the vandalizing to protest against Japan's discharging of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
The Adani Group headquarters in Ahmedabad, India
BUSINESS / Companies
Japanese banks stick with Adani as Jefferies and Barclays review ties
By Preeti Singh, Saikat Das, Suvashree Ghosh and Katherine Doherty
Gautam Adani and others have been charged with plotting a $250 million scheme to bribe India government officials to win solar energy contracts.
Electric candles at a memorial service for those who died from AIDS on the sidelines of the Japanese Society for AIDS Research conference on Thursday
JAPAN / Science & Health
Ahead of World AIDS Day, advocates call for an end to HIV stigma in Japan
By Francis Tang
While cases are relatively low in Japan, experts and stakeholders say the stigma often attached to patients needs to be addressed.
Electric candles at a memorial service for those who died from AIDS on the sidelines of the Japanese Society for AIDS Research conference on Thursday

JAPAN

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant
Tepco eyes second test removal of Fukushima nuclear fuel debris
As in the previous test, the operator plans to use a fishing rod-shaped device to remove the debris.
Takahiro Imanishi (center), who was acquitted in an appeal trial, smiles during a news conference in the city of Osaka on Thursday.
Osaka court acquits man of fatally injuring 2-year-old daughter
Takahiro Imanishi was originally charged in 2018 with assaulting his adopted daughter in 2017, leading to her death from an acute subdural hematoma.
Japan panel proposes law to monitor communications for cyber defense
No excessive levels of PFAS found in tap water across Japan
Japan will help revitalize willing municipalities, minister says
SDF officers visit Chinese military in exchange program

BUSINESS

In an interview in Tokyo with the BBC that was published on Thursday, Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai said the company does not source cotton from China's Xinjiang region.
Uniqlo criticized in China after CEO says retailer does not use Xinjiang cotton
Tadashi Yanai, the CEO of Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing, said it does not source cotton from the region, which has faced allegations of forced labor.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group took a 15% stake in WealthNavi earlier this year.
MUFG considering bid for Japanese robo-adviser WealthNavi
By Taiga Uranaka
MUFG took a 15% stake in WealthNavi earlier this year
Shiseido profit outlook squeezed by China downturn, president says
Stimulus staved off years of deflation, BOJ study says
Japan earmarks extra ¥1.5 trillion for chips and AI this year
Yen breaches key ¥150 level as Tokyo inflation fuels BOJ bets
By Mia Glass and Toru Fujioka

WORLD

A girl stands next to her house damaged by a Russian missile strike on the outskirts of Odesa, Ukraine, on Thursday.
Ukraine calls Russian strikes on energy facilities 'despicable escalation'
By Anastasiia Malenko, Olena Harmash and Max Hunder
Ukrainian president said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions on Thursday, its second big attack on energy infrastructure this month.
A satellite image appears to show an overview of Thitu Island in the South China Sea on Monday.
Chinese ships near island disputed with Philippines, satellites show
By Greg Torode and Karen Lema
Thitu is a strategically important island from which Manila monitors Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy waterway.
Starbucks serves South Koreans coffee and a glimpse into the North
U.K. Parliament to hold first vote on assisted dying in nine years
By Ailbhe Rea
Iran plans new uranium-enrichment expansion, IAEA report says
By Francois Murphy
Russia's labor shortage spreads as defense sector poaches staff
By Darya Korsunskaya, Gleb Stolyarov and Alexander Marrow

Sports

Kylian Mbappe had a penalty saved during Real Madrid's loss against Liverpool during the Champions League.
European giants struggle in new Champions League format
Heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are currently at risk of an early exit.
Manchester United earns first win under Ruben Amorim
Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher to leave team after F1 season
Simona Halep questions process after Iga Swiatek's one-month ban in doping case
Australia coach Joe Schmidt not expecting hero's welcome in return to Ireland

Opinion

While the economic benefits of Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel are clear, concerns remain about sustaining U.S. domestic steel production, preserving national security interests and addressing union concerns.
Nippon Steel endgame: Resistance or renaissance for the U.S. steel industry
James L. Schoff
The endgame for Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel appears near and the results could have a significant impact on U.S.-Japan relations, depending on the outcome.
Japan should prepare for tariff-loving Trump
We’re finally starting to understand the pregnant brain
By Lisa Jarvis
Japan doesn't need a social media ban, but it must protect children
By Yuko Tamura
Trump's return heralds a new era of trade tensions for Japan
By Sam Baron

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental activists demonstrate in front of the convention center in Busan, South Korea, where delegates from around the world are seeking to reach a binding treaty against plastic waste.
Showdown looms on plastic treaty days before deadline
By Katie Forster
With just two days of talks left, countries seeking an ambitious treaty urged delegations that "have not moved a centimeter" to make compromises or "get out of the way."
Turning tempura oil into fuel: 30 years of environmental efforts by Tokyo entrepreneur
By Aiko Imaizumi
How AI and cloud computing may delay the transition to clean energy
By Valerie Volcovici and Laila Kearney
How Saudi Arabia turned back climate progress at COP29
By Akshat Rathi, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and John Ainger
Rich countries provide no haven from climate doom, study finds
By Frances Schwartzkopff

CULTURE

“What Divides Us" producer Cannon Hersey says his grandfather, who wrote about the aftermath of nuclear destruction in Hiroshima, never spoke about what he had seen while working with Japanese minister Kiyoshi Tanimoto to preserve the stories of survivors.
‘What Divides Us’ producer honors grandfather’s Hiroshima reportage
By Himari Semans
The feature film centers on the bond between a Japanese minister and an American journalist who worked together to document the aftermath of nuclear destruction.
‘Faceless’: Fugitive thriller turns a blind eye to hard truths
By James Hadfield
The mind-bending melancholy of ‘Lust in the Rain’
By Mark Schilling
French-Japanese series takes best drama at International Emmys
By Kathleen Benoza
‘From 0 to 1’: Aiku Kurotaki’s fabric of existence
By Ansel Swindells

LIFE

Customers enter Aeon's Shinagawa Seaside store in Tokyo for a Black Friday sale in 2022.
Master this double negative to better express your Black Friday urges
By Yuko Tamura
What better time to learn how to say you can't resist a deal than on a weekend of discounted shopping.
Tokyo’s take on that viral chocolate from Dubai
By Yuko Tamura
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat
By Greg Dvorak
Tokyo’s newest three-star chef wants ‘harmony across every detail’
By Haru Beaufort
A buttery pound cake to die — or kill — for
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

Kumiko Shichijo provides tips on Japanese etiquette and manners on Instagram and says videos on gift-giving and hand towels have done particularly well.
Kumiko Shichijo: ‘Living abroad helped me appreciate Japanese etiquette’
By Ansel Swindells
Worried about committing a social faux pas while in Japan? This manners expert hopes to help you be your most polite while out and about.
How a solo yoga teacher built a wellness community in the Japanese Alps
By Samantha Mythen
Omar Nok: 'There are good people everywhere'
By Ansel Swindells
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
By Mike Fu
A bridge between kyogen and the world, Don Kenny dies at 88
By Rintaro Dainichi

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Hiroshi Kurosaki looks beyond Japan for heart-wrenching drama
By Mark Schilling
Hiroshi Kurosaki’s Netflix series “Beyond Goodbye” centers on a woman (Kasumi Arimura, left) who discovers her dead lover’s heart saved the life of a quiet pianist (Kentaro Sakaguchi).
JAPAN
Japan researchers develop a simple way to spot signs of Alzheimer's disease
By Kathleen Benoza
In 2022, the number of elderly people with dementia in Japan reached 4.43 million, according to data from the health ministry.
CULTURE
‘What Divides Us’ producer honors grandfather’s Hiroshima reportage
By Himari Semans
“What Divides Us" producer Cannon Hersey says his grandfather, who wrote about the aftermath of nuclear destruction in Hiroshima, never spoke about what he had seen while working with Japanese minister Kiyoshi Tanimoto to preserve the stories of survivors.
JAPAN
DPP’s Tamaki leverages new position with energy proposal
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Bluesky is booming in Japan — mainly for reasons other than U.S. politics
By Elizabeth Beattie
According to Similarweb, average monthly user numbers for Bluesky on Android in Japan quintupled in the 12 months to October.

Podcast

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

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat
By Greg Dvorak

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan researchers develop a simple way to spot signs of Alzheimer's disease
By Kathleen Benoza
In 2022, the number of elderly people with dementia in Japan reached 4.43 million, according to data from the health ministry.
JAPAN
Japan to overhaul tax exemption system for foreign visitors
The Ginza shopping district in Tokyo in August
JAPAN
Two dead after fire at Upper House lawmaker Kuniko Inoguchi’s apartment
By Himari Semans
A fire broke out on the sixth floor of an apartment building where Upper House lawmaker Kuniko Inoguchi resides on Wednesday in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward.
JAPAN
Real-life ‘Tokyo Swindlers’ ordered to pay ¥1 billion in damages
By Yukana Inoue
High-rise buildings in Tokyo. Through faking documents and passports a criminal group conspired to pose as the owner of a real-estate plot and buildings in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward in 2017, defrauding Sekisui House of ¥5.5 billion.
BUSINESS
Real estate worth ¥25 trillion puts Japan companies in spotlight
By Lisa Du
Elliott Investment Management's stake in Tokyo Gas is centered around getting the utility to sell off its real estate holdings, including Shinjuku Park Tower, which houses the Park Hyatt Hotel Tokyo.