Search - 2018

 
 
Machida Zelvia players celebrate their promotion to the J1, in Kumamoto on Sunday.
SOCCER / J. League / From the Spot
Oct 24, 2023

Go Kuroda's one-year revolution brings Zelvia to J1 promised land

The western Tokyo club will play in the top flight for the first time in 2024 as it continues to flourish on and off the pitch.
A fishing boat patrols the sea for poaching off the port of Yomogita, Aomori Prefecture, on the night of Sept. 13.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Oct 30, 2023

Aomori sea cucumber fishermen hit hard by China’s seafood import ban

Twenty-seven cooperatives in the prefecture have suspended operations in October, when the fishing season for sea cucumbers starts in a normal year.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Oct. 3
WORLD / Politics
Oct 24, 2023

China-linked 'spamouflage' targeted Canadian PM and lawmakers

The campaign, using networks of new and hijacked social media accounts to post bulk messages, took place in August and September.
Women gather for a demonstration during a women’s strike in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 25, 2023

Women strike to highlight inequality in most gender equal society

The protest focused attention on a gender pay gap, the uneven burden of unpaid work within the home and violence that still afflicts women.
Kokusai Electric's technology and manufacturing center in the city of Toyama
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2023

Kokusai Electric shares jump 28% in Tokyo debut

The stock closed at ¥2,350, valuing the company at ¥541.5 billion as investors grabbed shares following the IPO.
Two Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets (bottom) fly in formation with a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber as part of a joint exercise with the United States and South Korea in airspace near Kyushu on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023

U.S., Japan and South Korea cooperation reaches new heights with aerial drill

While some view the move as signaling a "new era" in security ties, questions remain as to how long the current political momentum will hold
Participants hold a giant rainbow flag during a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pride Parade in Hong Kong
WORLD / Society
Oct 25, 2023

How nations allow or restrict legal gender change

A small number of countries have made it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, while other nations have restricted such changes.
Then-Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 25, 2023

Chinese defense chief’s ouster opens door to better military ties with U.S.

Although questions remain over Li Shangfu’s fate, his firing has opened an avenue for resuming high-level military talks with the U.S.
SkyDrive displays its eVTOL flying car at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2023

Japan’s largest auto show returns with focus on mobility

The organizer has renamed the event for the first time since 1964, with the Japan Mobility Show replacing the Tokyo Motor Show.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, on Wednesday, in this courtroom sketch.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 26, 2023

Donald Trump fined $10,000 for second gag order violation

Trump has denied wrongdoing in the civil fraud case.
Servers inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, in March 2019
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 26, 2023

China swaps Western tech for domestic options as U.S. cracks down

The telecom and financial sectors are considered the next focus for the drive, with digital payments seen as particularly vulnerable to Western hacking.
Japanese companies that have more female directors tend to outperform their peers in terms of stock market performance.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 26, 2023

Japan firms with more female directors beating peers

The positive impact from having more women in leadership roles hasn’t necessarily enhanced compensation for women in line with their contributions.
Hawks pitcher Joe Stanka (left) and Tigers pitcher Gene Bacque meet at the Kobe Oriental Hotel on Oct. 7,1964.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Oct 26, 2023

All-Kansai Japan Series offers new chance to remember foreign aces

The 1964 Japan Series featured two of the best foreign pitchers in Japanese baseball history.
A banner at the entrance to Shibuya’s Center Street makes it clear this is no place for a party.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2023

The specter of Itaewon has Shibuya spooked

One year on, Elizabeth Beattie joins us to discuss where Itaewon stands after its Halloween disaster, and what its legacy means for celebrations in Japan.
Li Keqiang, former Chinese premier and head of China's Cabinet, served under President Xi Jinping for a decade from 2013, retiring in March.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 27, 2023

Li Keqiang, the former No. 2 to Xi Jinping, dies at 68

The former Chinese premier had found himself overshadowed by Xi's expanding grip on power.
Kioxia and Western Digital have held merger talks since 2021 but the negotiations have often stalled over a series of issues.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 27, 2023

Western Digital and Kioxia call off merger talks, source says

South Korea's SK Hynix — a major Kioxia investor — has said it does not back the deal due to its impact on its investment asset value.
In September, the Sapporo Convention Center played host to the first Adventure Travel World Summit ever to take place in Asia.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 28, 2023

Travel pros warn against diluting ‘Japaneseness’

“Don’t dilute the Japaneseness, because that’s what makes it special,” said one travel expert. “We want to come to Japan.”
Major supermarket chain Daiei opened a checkout-free, walk-through store in the CeeU Yokohama mall on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 27, 2023

At new Japan supermarket outlet, high tech runs the store

The system replaces cash registers with a network of cameras, weight sensors and a smartphone app.
Matthew Perry at the premiere of "The Kennedys After Camelot" in Beverly Hills, California, in 2017
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 29, 2023

'Friends' actor Matthew Perry dies at age 54

Law enforcement sources told the Los Angeles Times that Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
South Africa's Siya Kolisi in action during the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand on Saturday in Saint-Denis, France
MORE SPORTS
Oct 29, 2023

Siya Kolisi happy to escape 'dark place' for World Cup glory

Despite losing hooker Bongi Mbonambi in only the third minute, the Boks reorganized and battled through for a record fourth title.
People visit Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Saturday, including a handful of costumed revelers gathering in the trendy area to celebrate the weekend before Halloween.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 29, 2023

Security tight for Halloween in Shibuya as costumed crowds fail to show

Measures to deter costumed revelers from gathering in the trendy area — including a ban on street drinking — appeared to be relatively effective.
Buffaloes infielder Marwin Gonzalez fields the ball as the Tigers' Takumu Nakano attempts to steal second during Game 1 of the Japan Series at Kyocera Dome Osaka on Saturday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 30, 2023

Orix's Gonzalez eager for more jewelry with win in Japan Series

The Buffaloes infielder, who is in his first season in Japan, is fine tuning his approach as he goes along.
China's powerful vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxian (left), and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrive for the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in the Chinese capital on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 30, 2023

Chinese military No. 2 slams U.S. but signals defense channel reopening

While criticizing the U.S., China's Gen. Zhang Youxia also indicated an openness to resuming high-level military talks with the Pentagon.
A rally in support of Israel is held in Tokyo on Oct. 11 during which participants, including Israelis living in Japan, demanded the immediate release of all hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 30, 2023

A primer on the Israel-Hamas war


Japan's image of Israel is shallow and distorted, as many people fail to understand the existential threat that Hamas' aggression poses.
Shibuya's local government has mounted a campaign to dissuade revelers from visiting the neighborhood for Halloween celebrations and has banned drinking in the streets.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 30, 2023

Shibuya wants to cancel Halloween. That's a mistake.

This year, Shibuya isn't dressing up for Halloween. The neighborhood is turning revelers away, ignoring its role as a youth culture hub.
Currently, if foreign nationals hope to obtain a residence status enabling them to start a business, they must secure a place of business and have two or more full-time employees or a capital fund of at least ¥5 million ($33,000).
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2023

Japan mulls eased residency requirements for foreign entrepreneurs

Foreign nationals may be allowed to stay for two years if they have certified business plans and even if they do not have a place of business or capital.
A judge has decided to evict former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn from his residence in the Lebanese capital, a judicial source has said, about four years after an investment firm accused him of "trespassing."
BUSINESS
Oct 30, 2023

Lebanon court orders Carlos Ghosn out of Beirut home

Phoinos Investment, to which the home in the Lebanese capital is registered, has accused the former Nissan boss of "trespassing."
Single-use bathing wear that comes in the form of a blouse or a dress
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Nov 6, 2023

Breast cancer survivors face tough time at public baths

It is customary in Japan not to take clothing or towels into the water at public baths, and some facilities make it a rule for hygienic reasons.
A man stands next to a robot in use at ROLEC Gehause-Systeme in Rinteln, Germany on Oct. 6
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2023

As baby boomers retire, German businesses turn to robots

Small and medium-sized companies are turning to automation as the gradual retirement of the post-war "baby boom" generation tightens the labor squeeze.
Becoming the lone bidder for the 2034 World Cup, just 27 days after its campaign was announced, caps a stunning year where the unheralded Saudi Pro League has snapped up some of soccer's top stars including Cristiano Ronaldo (center).
SOCCER
Nov 1, 2023

Bridging the Gulf: How the World Cup is key to Saudi revamp

While human rights controversies have not gone away, the kingdom is gaining a reputation for extravagant forays into sport.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?