Search - 2023

 
 
Anti-World Bank protestors gather outside where the International Monetary and Financial Committee’s plenary session was being held in Washington in mid-April. 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2023

The global order’s triple policy challenge and the tasks ahead

With public and private debt at record levels, political leaders face the monumental task of allocating resources to address critical global challenges.
A Mazda MX-30 at a dealership in the city of Hiroshima. The MX-30 is the only electric vehicle model Mazda currently sells in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Aug 28, 2023

Mazda accelerates EV shift in China, reshaping ties with suppliers

Mazda’s sales in China in the year from April 2022 halved from the previous year to 84,000 units due to a thin lineup of EVs.
A concept model of the Global Combat Air Programme's fighter jet is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba in March.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 31, 2023

What the trilateral fighter jet program means for Japan

The program, also involving the U.K. and Italy, is the first such project with countries other than the U.S.
Aichi Prefectural Police investigators raid a car dealership in Komaki in August last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 28, 2023

Car thefts on the rise in Japan as vehicle prices remain high

Cases of car theft increased last year for the first time in almost a decade, with Aichi the most affected prefecture, and are still rising rapidly.
In its quake damage estimates updated last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government expects that 4.53 million people will be unable to return home in the aftermath of a massive quake hitting the capital.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2023

Over-concentration in Tokyo raising risks from possible quake

The government estimate that up to 23,000 people would be killed if a massive quake hits the capital.
France's scrum-half Antoine Dupont warms up ahead of a match between France and Australia near Paris on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 30, 2023

Now or never for favorites France as Rugby World Cup hosts

France might be below Ireland and the Springboks in the world rankings but they have seldom been in such good form before a Rugby World Cup.
Korean writer-director Kim Sung Hwan's "Iron Mask" took one of the two top awards at this year's Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) in South Korea.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Aug 30, 2023

Does South Korea now have the edge over Japan when it comes to film?

While Korean cinema tackles universal topics, Japanese studios are content to navel-gaze.
Kotonowaka surely has his eyes on eventually emulating his grandfather, former grand champion Kotozakura.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 30, 2023

New sumo ranks highlight rise of next generation

Ahead of the autumn tournament in Tokyo, it's the up-and-coming wrestlers who are making waves.
Artificial intelligence may well enable the automation of many tasks and the replacement of some workers. But AI tools are still fallible and are unlikely to replace humans any time soon.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 30, 2023

AI and the productivity imperative

The global economic outlook for the next decade appears grim. But a surge in productivity — fueled by artificial intelligence — could change that picture.
Japan center Dylan Riley (left) escapes from Italy's center Luca Morisi during a match on Aug. 26.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 31, 2023

Japan ready to shake off COVID-19 legacy at Rugby World Cup

The Brave Blossoms beat Ireland and Scotland to reach the quarterfinals for the first time four years ago, sparking rugby-mania across the nation.
China's Peng Zhou on Wednesday after his team's defeat. China's women's team is a global powerhouse, but the men have failed to meet expectations in recent years despite an infusion of naturalized players from overseas.
BASKETBALL
Aug 31, 2023

Chinese fans despair over Basketball World Cup result

China needed to win their final group match on Wednesday night and hope the other results went their way, but were outclassed 107-89 by Puerto Rico.
Demonstrators in Warsaw protest against Vladimir Putin and the war on Aug. 24, Ukraine’s official Independence Day.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2023

It would be wise to not personally humiliate Putin

Defeating autocrats like Vladimir Putin in an aggressive war requires progress on the battlefield, and rhetoric alone is unlikely to achieve the goal.
Yuta Watanabe celebrates Japan's comback win over Venenzula at the Okinawa Arena on Thursday.
BASKETBALL
Sep 1, 2023

With victory over Venezuela, Japan inches closer to Olympics

In a nail-biter, Japan erases a nine-point gap to triumph over Venezuela. They are now just one win away from securing their Olympic dreams.
Japanese companies raised spending on plants and equipment in the April-June quarter but the pace of annual gains slowed to the lowest in five quarters, reflecting global recession worries amid China's slowing growth.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 1, 2023

Japan firms cut capital spending over global growth concerns

The latest figures feed into a picture of Japan’s growth being overly reliant on overseas demand.
Load and haul operations at Thungela's thermal coal mining operation, Isibonelo Colliery (formerly Anglo American), in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, in March 2019
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 1, 2023

Coal miners forced to insure themselves amid climate concerns

Dozens of insurers have announced restrictions on their cover for the coal industry, particularly for new projects
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Lloyd Harris during their match at the U.S. Open in New York on Thursday.
TENNIS
Sep 1, 2023

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz cruises into third round at U.S. Open

Alcaraz moved one step closer to setting up a rematch of his epic showdown against Jannik Sinner in last year's U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Saou Ichikawa won Japan's Akutagawa Prize for her novella "Hunchback," which takes place in a group home in present day and centers on a woman diagnosed with myotubular myopathy.
CULTURE / Books
Sep 2, 2023

Saou Ichikawa’s 'Hunchback': A darkly funny portrait of disability

The winner of the second 2023 Akutagawa Prize is a sardonic commentary on the utility of bodies, both abled and disabled.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that Luis Rubiales' kiss on the mouth of Spanish women's soccer star Jenni Hermoso "should never have happened."
SOCCER
Sep 1, 2023

FIFA's Gianni Infantino breaks silence on kiss at Women's World Cup

"The well-deserved celebrations for these magnificent champions were spoiled by what happened after the final whistle," Infantino wrote on Instagram.
Russian Communist Party supporters attend a ceremony in Red Square on March 5, 2021, marking the 68th anniversary of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s death.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2023

In Russia and Israel, national derangement runs wild

How can a priest bless a statue of Stalin and rabbis praise Nazism? In societies that are coming undone, absurd claims take root.
Construction workers repair a street during a heat wave in Corpus Christi, Texas, in July.
BUSINESS
Sep 1, 2023

Startups are inventing cooling clothes for a hotter future

With 2023 on track to be the hottest year on record, a number of startups are exploring new technologies and textiles for keeping people cool.
Singer Jimmy Buffett performs during NBC's "Today" show Summer Concert Series in New York City in July 2016.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 2, 2023

Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett dies at 76

Jimmy Buffett, the American singer-songwriter who went from Key West beach bum to billionaire behind the always-on-vacation "Margaritaville" commercial empire, has died at the age of 76.
South Sudan qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics as highest-placed African team at the Basketball World Cup.
BASKETBALL
Sep 3, 2023

Jubilant South Sudan qualifies for Paris Olympics

South Sudan coach Royal Ivey said the team had brought "unity, camaraderie, love and friendship" to the country.
Emperor penguin chicks perished at multiple breeding grounds in Antarctica last year, drowning or freezing to death when sea ice was eroded by global warming.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Our addiction to fossil fuels is killing baby penguins

Global warming is decimating sea ice and, with it, baby penguins. But why should we care about this and other species dying off?
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center) arrives for a trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, on Aug. 18.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Deterrence is not enough in Northeast Asia

Forging closer ties with Japan is crucial for Yoon to achieve his foreign-policy goal of making South Korea a pivotal global player.
Kotaro Matsushima is set to appear in his third Rugby World Cup with the Brave Blossoms.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 3, 2023

'Ferrari' Kotaro Matsushima looking to drive Japan to World Cup glory

Matsushima was one of the stars of the tournament four years ago, scoring five tries as Japan stunned Ireland and Scotland.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-equipped destroyer Maya in Yokohama in March 2020. Japan plans to introduce two new Aegis-equipped vessels that are expected to be bigger than the 8,200-ton Maya-class Aegis ships.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2023

Japan's costs ballooning for new Aegis vessel plan

Overall costs will reach ¥900 billion if the amount already spent to purchase large radar and weapons systems is included.
Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against Brazil's Alberto Diaz during their game at the Basketball World Cup in Jakarta on Sunday.
BASKETBALL
Sep 4, 2023

Canada knocks defending champion Spain out of Basketball World Cup

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 points in the decisive fourth quarter to lift Canada to the win.
Nihon Coffin showcases its products at Endex Japan 2023, an annual funeral and cemetery exhibition that was held at Tokyo Big Sight from Aug. 29 to 31.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2023

End-of-life companies look to innovate as Japan's deaths keep rising

A record 1.57 million people died in 2022, up from 1.25 million in 2012, and facilities to store dead bodies are becoming increasingly scarce.
Japan's Michael Leitch attempts to break free during a match against Italy in Treviso, Italy, on Aug. 26.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 4, 2023

Japan's veterans prepare to scale Everest again at Rugby World Cup

The Brave Blossoms will start their World Cup campaign against Chile in Toulouse, France, on Sept. 10.
Chilean national rugby team players pose for a photograph with supporters during the team's welcoming ceremony at the convention centre in Perros-Guirec, France, on Sunday, ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 5, 2023

First-timers Chile not at Rugby World Cup 'to take photos'

At number 22, Los Condore are the lowest ranked side in the tournament.

Longform

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