Search - i

 
 
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.3% in November from the prior year in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 5, 2023

Tokyo inflation cools to slowest pace in over a year

The development supports the Bank of Japan’s view that it should continue to be cautious about a tightening of policy.
An Israeli soldier fires from a window in the Gaza Strip on Monday. The United States has cautioned Israel to do more to avert civilian casualties as military operations shift to the south, where many Gaza residents are seeking refuge after fleeing the devastated north.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 5, 2023

Two civilian deaths for each Hamas fighter in Gaza, Israel admits

The Israeli military is hoping to reduce noncombatant deaths via high-tech mapping software amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
Big Japanese banks are now training a generation of professional front-line staff who have little experience with rising interest rates.
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2023

Staff at Japan's banks scramble to adjust to rising interest rates

Many younger employees have no expertise in dealing with the vagaries of a traditional inflationary environment.
The U.S. Army's prototype Mid-Range Capability system, known as the “Typhon” Strategic Mid-Range Fires system, is seen in this image released in July following its successful launch of a Tomahawk missile.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 5, 2023

U.S. to deploy powerful new missile launcher to Indo-Pacific in '24

The system, which is capable of firing weapons with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, is unlikely to be deployed in Japan.
A container ship is seen near the Panama Canal, in Panama City on Saturday.
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2023

Panama canal jam sends ships sailing continents out of way

The canal is being squeezed shut by drought, and the bottleneck will only worsen in the coming months as Panama enters its annual dry season.
Eiko Takeuchi talks about a traffic jam during last winter’s heavy snow along National Route 8 in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 18.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Dec 11, 2023

Evacuation plans for nuclear incidents called into question

Effectiveness of preparations as a “last line of defense” to save residents in the event of a nuclear disaster are in doubt.
The former lead singer of The Pogues, Shane MacGowan, attends the funeral service of his mother in Silvermines, Ireland, in January 2017.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2023

The life of the Pogues' frontman and the ‘banality of crazy’ in U.S. politics

The current focus on performative acts in politics diminishes serious policy debates, leading to social and political divides.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly canceled a scheduled videolink appeal to U.S. senators for more funding.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2023

U.S. senators face off at Ukraine briefing after Zelenskyy pulls out

Several Republican senators walked out of a classified briefing on Ukraine as it descended into a row over the border crisis.
Injured Palestinians arrive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2023

Despite death toll, U.S. unlikely to rethink weapons supplies to Israel

U.S. officials consider private negotiation to be effective in pressuring Israel to minimize civilian casualties in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Japan hooker Shota Horie carries the ball in a match against Russia in the pool stage of the 2019 Rugby World Cup
MORE SPORTS
Dec 6, 2023

Dreadlocked Japanese fan favorite Horie to retire from rugby

The 37-year-old hooker, instantly recognizable for his long dreadlocks tied up in bunches, has won 76 caps for Japan and is a crowd favorite.
Canada forward Christine Sinclair waves to the crowd after her final international game came to an end on Tuesday in Vancouver.
SOCCER
Dec 6, 2023

'Perfect ending' as Canada star Christine Sinclair bows out

A record crowd of 48,112 at Vancouver's B.C. Place — renamed Christine Sinclair Place for the night — was on hand to salute the Canadian captain.
Australian coach Graham Arnold prior to his team's 2026 World Cup qualification match on Nov. 16 in Melbourne.
SOCCER
Dec 6, 2023

Mideast teams best suited to Asian Cup's scheduling: Australia coach

Graham Arnold noted that his country — as well as Japan and South Korea — has many players based in Europe, making the January scheduling difficult.
Filmmaker Kah Wai Lim (left) interviews the owners of 22 independent cinemas across Japan about the difficulties and joys of running a “mini-theater” in “This Magic Moment.”
CULTURE / Film
Dec 7, 2023

‘This Magic Moment’: Mini-theaters keep indie cinema love alive

Kah Wai Lim highlights the resilient determination of small theater owners across the country who keep their businesses afloat against the odds.
Yuri Kondo (center), the plaintiff of a dual nationality case, speaks during a news conference Wednesday in the city of Fukuoka after the Fukuoka District Court handed down a ruling on her case.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 6, 2023

Fukuoka court rules ban on dual nationality is constitutional

The court rejected an argument by a Japan-born plaintiff, who lost her citizenship after naturalizing as an American, that the law undermines her rights.
Experts have warned that the central government must take decisive action to curb illicit activities related to online casinos.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2023

Use of illegal online casinos rising, along with debt concerns

Experts warn that the central government must take decisive action to curb illicit activities.
People wait to board trains at the Hongqiao railway station in Shanghai ahead of the National Day holiday on Sept. 28.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 7, 2023

China holds back from easing of Mao-era rules, in blow to economy

An internal passport system has largely tethered people's destinies to their place of origin since the 1950s.
A field study by elementary school students takes place in the Izawa River basin in Shiso, Hyogo Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 24, 2023

Unveiling Shiso, a hidden gem of nature and coexistence

With 90% of its area covered by forest, the Hyogo city boasts picturesque streams and a bounty of access points to refreshing natural spring water.
A pharmacist holds a box of Novo Nordisk A/S Wegovy brand semaglutide medication.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2023

Can Wegovy fight alcoholism? For Big Pharma, this isn’t a priority

Reluctance underscores reasons why no new treatment has been approved for alcoholism in nearly 20 years.
Traffic along a highway amid heavy smog and pollution in New Delhi in November
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Dec 7, 2023

As China enjoys cleaner air, India's pollution struggle continues

Huge swaths of northern India choke on clouds of polluted air during winter as temperatures drop, winds disappear and farmers set fields ablaze.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2018.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 7, 2023

If Kissinger was serving as the U.S. secretary of state

There was no other U.S. diplomat whose reputation in Japan and China was as polar opposite as that of Henry Kissinger.
After becoming a TikTok trend in Japan in 2022, artist imase’s song “Night Dancer” found popularity abroad in 2023, particularly in South Korea, where it became the first Japanese song to ever enter the nation’s Melon Top 100 Song Chart.
CULTURE / Music / 2023 in Review
Dec 8, 2023

J-pop's global ambitions came closer to reality in 2023

Duo Yoasobi's "Idol" was a true international breakout, while a viral trend turned imase into a pop ambassador between Japan and South Korea.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman completed a seven-player deal this week, with the centerpiece headed to New York in 25-year-old slugger Juan Soto.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 8, 2023

Yankees want Juan Soto long-term. Is Yamamoto next?

The Yankees had a representative at every start made by Yamamoto, who has become a hot commodity in the MLB free agent market.
The judges' tower in Teahupo'o in Tahiti, French Polynesia, during a pro surfing event in August. Residents of Teahupo'o have protested plans by Olympic organizers to build a 14 meter aluminum tower ahead of the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS
Dec 8, 2023

Safety is top priority, Paris Games boss says amid surfing tower row

Last week, a barge bringing the aluminum tower to the Tahiti site of Teahupo'o damaged the coral reef, bringing work to a halt.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno attend a Cabinet meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 8, 2023

Kishida walks tightrope after new funds allegations against Matsuno

The top government spokesperson is believed to have received kickbacks from his faction totaling more than ¥10 million over the last five years.
Cinema at Sea film festival entry “God Is a Woman,” directed by Andres Peyrot, examines the complex feelings the Kuna, indigenous people living on Panama’s San Blas Islands, have about an unreleased documentary made about them in 1975.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2023

Cinema at Sea festival highlights diversity and unheard voices

The inaugural event for the film festival in Naha, Okinawa, boasted a strong lineup of features from places and peoples underrepresented in world cinema.
Kubura fishing port and Kubura district on the island of Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2023

Frontier islanders decry lack of plan to aid fleeing Taiwanese

Concerned about the potential for a China-Taiwan conflict, Japan has embarked on its biggest defense buildup since World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to present medals to soldiers in Moscow on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2023

Putin, bidding to cement his legacy, will seek re-election

In the absence of genuine political opposition, Putin is all but assured of winning another six-year term that will prolong his authoritarian grip.
A United Nations Security Council meeting to debate a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza at U.N. headquarters in New York on Friday
WORLD
Dec 9, 2023

U.S. vetoes Security Council move calling for Gaza cease-fire

Washington dashed a growing clamor for an immediate cease-fire that had been led by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres and Arab nations.
Empress Masako turned 60 on Saturday
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2023

Empress expresses feelings of gratitude and hope as she turns 60

Empress Masako turned 60 on Saturday as she expressed her deep gratitude to all those who have helped her.
Delegates arrive at Dubai's Expo City during COP28 on Saturday
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Dec 9, 2023

Oil is everywhere at COP28, vexing those seeking its demise

To many of the activists in attendance, the prominence of the oil and gas industry is a travesty.

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