and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun meet Friday in Pusan, South Korea, at the APEC leaders' summit.

Roh said the visits represent "a challenge to South Korea" and are generating concern that Japan may be returning to its militaristic past, according to a Japanese official who briefed reporters separately.

LongForm

A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?

Our Planet

A construction worker in Tokyo's Akasaka district on Aug. 21. With 886 cases, 54 of them fatal, during the period from 2019 to 2023, the construction industry leads Japan’s tally for occupational heatstroke.
Clocking off: Japan’s hotter summers put limit on outdoor work