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January 03, 2025
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January 03, 2025
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Members of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials gather in front of the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence in Seoul on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
South Korea investigators in standoff to arrest President Yoon
By Hailey Jo and Claire Lee
Yoon Suk Yeol would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the warrant is carried out.
Members of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials gather in front of the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence in Seoul on Friday.
An attendee looks at a prototype of a 2-nanometer gate-all-around wafer produced by Rapidus and International Business Machines Corp. at the Semicon Japan exhibition in Tokyo in December.
BUSINESS / Tech
Japanese chip industry poised for a comeback
Chipmakers will either begin operating a pilot line or start production at new plants this year.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed support for allowing for married couples to retain different surnames.　
JAPAN / Society
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.
Police officers investigate the scene after 15 people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans on Thursday.
WORLD
New Orleans attack shows enduring influence of Islamic State group
By Courtney McBride
Since 2019, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump declared the group’s so-called caliphate had been defeated, Islamic State has "metastasized” elsewhere.
Tonoike Sake Brewery has been gearing their brewery toward tourism since the late 1980s, attempting to lure tourists to the town of Mashiko.
LIFE / Travel
Traveling for sake's sake: The emergence of brewery tourism in Japan
By Yukana Inoue
While sake consumption has declined in Japan, breweries across the nation are taking advantage of a rise in overseas interest to promote themselves as tourist destinations.
Tonoike Sake Brewery has been gearing their brewery toward tourism since the late 1980s, attempting to lure tourists to the town of Mashiko.

JAPAN

A massive ring-shaped roof at the venue of the Osaka Expo
Advanced medical and AI technologies to be showcased at Osaka Expo
The event is scheduled to kick off on April 13.
The Japanese icebreaker Shirase arrived at Japan's Antarctic research base on Tuesday.
Japanese icebreaker Shirase reaches Showa Station in Antarctica
Goods and fuel will be transported to the base from the Shirase using snowmobiles following the arrival.
Family registers to incorporate phonetic readings of names from end-May
App helping visually impaired in disasters gains traction one year on
Japan-EU strategic partnership agreement takes effect
Emperor wishes for peaceful year for those affected by disaster

BUSINESS

Yasushi Dozen, chief investment officer at Kepple
Japan's ¥10 trillion startup investment target more improbable than ever
By Kazuaki Nagata
Investors and startup supporters say Japan is still in the seed-planting phase of startup development and must address some structural issues.
A Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla annual deliveries fall for first time as incentives fail to drum up demand
By Akash Sriram
CEO Elon Musk had earlier predicted "slight growth" in 2024 deliveries and offered a range of promotions including interest-free financing and free fast-charging to boost sales.
As Musk gains influence, questions hover over U.S. probes into his empire
By Mike Spector, Rachael Levy, Marisa Taylor and Chris Prentice
Economists see continued rise in Japan's wages and prices in fiscal '25
BYD chalks up new record as it narrows EV sales gap with Tesla
By Danny Lee
Inside luxury goods' broken audit system
By Elisa Anzolin, Emilio Parodi and Silvia Ognibene

WORLD

A member of the FBI Evidence Response Team searches through trash as federal and local authorities investigate a townhouse in relation to the explosion in Las Vegas of a Tesla Cybertruck, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Thursday.
Police identify driver of exploded Tesla Cybertruck as U.S. Army soldier
By Rich McKay and Hannah Lang
The FBI said it had so far found no definitive link between the New Year's Day New Orleans truck attack that killed 15 people and the Cybertruck explosion.
Police officers investigate the scene after 15 people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year's celebrations, in New Orleans on Thursday.
New Orleans attack shows enduring influence of Islamic State group
By Courtney McBride
Since 2019, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump declared the group’s so-called caliphate had been defeated, Islamic State has "metastasized” elsewhere.
Texas man behind New Orleans attack acted alone, FBI says
By Brian Thevenot and Ned Randolph
Investigators seek clues to New Orleans attacker's path to radicalization
By Jonathan Landay and Ted Hesson
‘No terrorist to me’: Relatives and friends saw few signs before attack
By Maria Jimenez Moya, Shannon Sims, J. David Goodman and Mike Baker
Romania and Bulgaria become full members of EU's Schengen zone

Sports

Agnes Keleti performs a split in front of young gymnasts at a training center in Budapest on Jan. 16, 2016. Keleti, a 10-time Olympic medalist, died on Jan. 2 at the age of 103.
World's oldest Olympic champion Agnes Keleti dies at 103
Keleti's life story, including surviving the Holocaust and Olympic glory, reads like a gripping Hollywood film script.
Premier League chief concerned about impact of Club World Cup's impact on Man City and Chelsea
Lions and Vikings to determine No. 1 seed in winner-take-all showdown
Justin Thomas 'fully capable' of year like Scottie Scheffler had in 2024
Gabriela Dabrowski reveals run to Olympic bronze came amid cancer treatment

Opinion

After a dramatic 2024, where Japan saw political upheaval, a record stock market, a major quake and a plane crash and dramatic escape, 2025, with events like major anime sequels, the Osaka World Expo, rising foreign acquisitions, we should expect a transformative year.
Anime, M&A and the expo: What to watch for in Japan’s 2025
Gearoid Reidy
No doubt 2025 has more surprises in store for Japan after an unusually intense 12 months.
Our AI near-future
By Charles Ferguson
The world needs a pro-human AI agenda
By Daron Acemoglu
The world is ever more angry. That is not good.
By Brad Glosserman
Will the second Trump boom go bust?
By Kenneth Rogoff

ENVIRONMENT

People cover themselves with umbrellas during a hot summer day in Tokyo's Ginza district in August. Temperatures shot up in early July, even before the official end of the rainy season, and the high temperatures persisted well into the fall.
Japan’s weather in 2024: Record temperatures hurt people’s health and wallets
By Tomoko Otake
Average temperatures across the nation and surrounding seas exceeded last year’s record-breaking levels "by a significant margin," affecting everything from well-being to farming.
Great things can grow in small places
By Laura Pollacco
After a year of hard climate talks, ‘minilateralism’ is an alternative
By Aaron Clark
Is Japan finally ready to tap its abundant geothermal energy potential?
By Eric Johnston
The mighty Mekong River's growing plastic problem
By Anton L. Delgado

CULTURE

One of the themes in American guitarist Marty Friedman’s autobiography “Dreaming Japanese” is that while he has become a star in his own right in Japan, he still feels that he doesn’t “belong.”
Guitarist Marty Friedman goes to bat for J-pop in new autobiography
By Philip Brasor
"Dreaming Japanese" tells the story of how the Megadeth guitarist navigated Japan's music industry.
'Emilia Perez' heads into Golden Globes as strong favorite
By Romain FONSEGRIVES
The bond between the Japanese and animals as seen in ukiyo-e
By Aiko Imaizumi
Toru Fuyuki, composer of 'Ultraseven' theme song, dies at 89
Still sounding young at 85, Midori Kato is the voice of old Japan
By Motoko Rich and Hisako Ueno

LIFE

Incorporating modern technologies into your Japanese classes might be a way to connect with younger students.
Start the new year with a fresh approach to teaching Japanese
By Yaeko Kabe
It’s important for language instructors to update their methods to best appeal to their younger students.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake
By Kathryn Wortley
Architect Sou Fujimoto says his 'Grand Ring' will be a symbol of unity at the Osaka Expo
By Natsuko Fukue
From Michelin stardom to humble meals, Tokyo dining had an eclectic 2024
By Robbie Swinnerton
How Hokkaido quietly became a culinary treasure trove in 2024
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

For the 20 Questions column this year, writers asked their interview subjects about everything from their lives in Japan to their thoughts on news topics.
There were plenty of hot topics to opine on in 2024
By Gendel Gento, Kimberly Hughes, Ora Margolis, David McElhinney, Zoria Petkoska, Justin Randall, Himari Semans, Patrick St. Michel and Ansel Swindells
We take a look back at some of the best answers that our interviewees gave for 20 Questions from throughout the year.
A holiday season built on creativity and care
By Baye McNeil
From the stage to the streets, make a difference this holiday season
By Kimberly Hughes
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

Editors' Picks

SUMO
Sumo’s brotherhood gets latest inductee
By John Gunning
Chugo Saito at Isenoumi stable on Friday. Saito has joined his older brother, Seigo, at the stable.
JAPAN
A year after a deadly earthquake, Noto Peninsula still faces long road to recovery
By Alex K.T. Martin
Photos taken from the same place but at different times in the Noto Peninsula towns of Wajima (left) and Suzu illustrate the progress made following the devastating earthquake that hit these areas of Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 1, 2024.
MORE SPORTS
A newcomer’s guide to the Hakone Ekiden experience
By Mai Yoshikawa
The start of the 2024 Hakone Ekiden in Tokyo's Otemachi district. Every year on Jan. 2 and 3, Hakone Ekiden brings millions of fans across Japan to a standstill.
BUSINESS
Japan’s go-slow approach to selling high-speed rail globally
By Kazuaki Nagata
At 60, the shinkansen has been mostly stuck in Japan, with only one system ever sold overseas.
JAPAN
Japan news images of 2024: Upheaval, resilience and breakthroughs
A person walks down a street in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the days following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which struck off the coast of the Noto Peninsula on Jan. 1, 2024. More than 500 deaths have been attributed to the event, which was the worst quake since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

Podcast

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

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake
By Kathryn Wortley

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Japan’s go-slow approach to selling high-speed rail globally
By Kazuaki Nagata
At 60, the shinkansen has been mostly stuck in Japan, with only one system ever sold overseas.
WORLD
FBI probes New Orleans truck ramming as IS-inspired terrorist attack
By Brian Thevenot
Police investigators surround a white truck in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday.
LIFE
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake
By Kathryn Wortley
A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
WORLD
Tesla Cybertruck explodes outside Trump Las Vegas hotel, killing one
By David Shepardson and Karen Brettell
Investigators inspect he remains of a Tesla Cybertruck that burned at the entrance of Trump Tower Las Vegas on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Mother arrested after three children die in Kanagawa Prefecture
A woman was arrested for allegedly killing her son, who was found dead along with two other children of the suspect in their house in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture.