Search - 2016

 
 
Seven & I Holdings CEO Ryuichi Isaka
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 7, 2024

Japan’s convenience stores can span the globe, 7-Eleven CEO says

Ryuichi Isaka believes Seven-Eleven Japan’s know-how in making cheap, high-quality food will drive growth overseas.
Disaster waste from a New Year's Day quake on the Noto Peninsula is carried into a temporary storage site in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 15.
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2024

2.44 million tons of waste likely generated by Noto quake

The volume of disaster waste is equivalent to that of ordinary waste generated in the prefecture over seven years.
Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Shinichi Uchida says after the bank ends its negative rate policy, financial conditions will remain easy and any policy moves thereafter will occur at a gradual pace.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 8, 2024

BOJ's Uchida says sharp hikes unlikely after rates policy shift

Uchida was one of the architects of the bank's current policies and now works closely with Gov. Ueda as an influential member of the BOJ policy board.
In the quest for immortality, some researchers believe mind uploading will be our ticket to an eternal existence.
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 8, 2024

Japan’s take on immortality; problems in Palworld

As scientists and technologists attempt to tackle the problem of aging and death, we discuss Japanese ideas about immortality.
The “myahk,” a community currency implemented on Okinawa Prefecture’s Miyako Island in 2018, is intimately tied to local efforts for environmental preservation.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Feb 10, 2024

Japanese communities are creating currencies to educate and empower citizens

The yen will do when paying for things throughout the country. In some places, though, you may try paying with a coin that also helps reduce plastic waste.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un visits the Ministry of National Defense in Pyongyang to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 9, 2024

North Korea has legal right to destroy South at any time, Kim says

The North Korean leader said it was correct to label South Korea as the "primary enemy" as its "puppets” were bent on absorbing its neighbor.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be vying for his third Super Bowl title when Kansas City faces San Francisco in Las Vegas on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 9, 2024

Chiefs and 49ers ready for another Super Bowl showdown

The same two teams met in the Super Bowl four years ago.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland (right) and Everton's James Tarkowski vie for the ball during their match in Manchester on Saturday.
SOCCER
Feb 12, 2024

Manchester City gets stars back as club eyes more Champions League glory

Pep Guardiola's men head to FC Copenhagen for the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday on the back of 10 consecutive wins in all competitions.
The tail of a BYD electric vehicle sports the company’s motto, “build your dreams,” at a dealership in Shenzhen, China, on Jan. 29.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2024

How China built BYD, its Tesla killer

BYD’s sales, over 80% of them in China, passed Tesla in worldwide sales of fully electric cars late last year.
Masahiro Inoue, incoming chief executive officer of Daihatsu Motor, during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 13, 2024

Toyota replaces Daihatsu chief after safety scandal

Masahiro Inoue, the CEO of Toyota Latin America, will replace Soichiro Okudaira effective March 1.
U.S. President Joe Biden has presided over a growing economy and some foreign leaders have said after meeting him that he is sharp and focused in private meetings, but his age is still an issue that is posing a drag on his poll numbers.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 14, 2024

Democrats bungle Joe Biden age concerns, some critics say

Their strategy so far has not quelled criticism or concerns about the U.S. president's fitness for the Oval Office.
No politicians, government officials, bankers or business leaders have voiced strong opposition to Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda's intention to put an end to the world’s last negative rate regime.
BUSINESS
Feb 14, 2024

Lack of political opposition opens way for BOJ rate hike

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda is in a rare sweet spot for such a move, in sharp contrast to the experiences of his BOJ predecessors.
U.S. allies reevaluate priorities in relations with Washington out of concern Donald Trump may win the U.S. presidency again.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2024

U.S. allies fear the fallout of a new Trump era

The world appears to have priced in former U.S. President Trump’s disdain not only for allies but the entire global order his predecessors created.
Kenichi Hosoya leaves his apartment in Tokyo's Taito Ward on Wednesday after being arrested.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 15, 2024

Tokyo couple accused of poisoning daughter with illegally bought prescription drugs

On Thursday, investigators said that Kenichi Hosoya and his wife, Shiho, purchased olanzapine and antifreeze online prior to their daughter’s death.
Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, is considering opening an office in Tokyo to trade electricity, sources said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2024

Vitol considers entering Japan power market with Tokyo office

Japan's power market is attracting more overseas firms due to increased volatility amid shifts away from fossil fuels
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki (left) speaks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a plenary session of the Lower House in Tokyo on Jan. 30.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 17, 2024

Japan finance chief eyes future rise in interest rates, report says

"The Bank of Japan holds jurisdiction over monetary policy. But there will be a phase when interest rates go up," Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said.
Nissan's Ariya electric crossover sport utility vehicle assembled by robots at the company's plant in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 19, 2024

Japan carmakers forge ahead with EV investments despite slowdown

Outside of Japan, signs of a scaling back are everywhere, with the exception of China.
Damian Lillard scored 39 points and was named MVP after leading the East to a 211-186 win over the West in the NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Feb 19, 2024

East scores record 211 points to beat West in NBA All-Star Game

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard scored 39 points and drained 11 3-pointers to lead the Eastern Conference to a record-setting 211-186 win over the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Mining magnate Dan Gertler in Congo in 2012
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 20, 2024

China's dominance of EV metals prompts U.S. to revisit stockpile 'panic button'

Budget cuts have shrunk U.S. strategic reserves to record lows, leaving it facing shortages of the raw materials needed to execute an energy transition.
Donald Trump, who made a fortune in construction over the years, has assets he can sell to pay the $355 million financial penalty recently imposed on him in civil fraud case filed in New York, but it will strain his available cash reserves.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 20, 2024

Trump loved New York. Now it's giving him the boot.

The place that made Trump who he is has turned on him. The former president is being fined millions and banned from doing business in New York.
Film director Hideo Sakaki leaves the Akasaka Police Station in Tokyo on Wednesday as police take him to prosecutors.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 21, 2024

Film director Hideo Sakaki held on suspicion of sexual assault

While allegations of sexual abuse were made against Sakaki as far back as March 2022, this is the first time that the director has been taken into custody.
When SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son bought Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, he had grand plans for the company to dominate the nascent market for connected devices, also known as the Internet of Things.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 21, 2024

Softbank’s Arm is not the AI play most people think it is

Today, GPUs are the gold standard for AI development and thus the equivalent of toilet paper during the pandemic.
China’s tech firms were caught off guard by breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence — Beijing’s regulations and a sagging economy aren’t helping.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 22, 2024

China’s rush to dominate AI has a twist: It depends on U.S. technology

Even as the United States has tried to slow China’s advancements, it has not held back the practice of openly releasing software to encourage its adoption.
Nippon Steel's Kashima plant seen from a park in Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture. Scrutiny over Nippon Steel’s China holdings threatens to add another complication to its politically contentious deal to acquire United States Steel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 23, 2024

Nippon Steel’s China assets could derail United States Steel deal

Regulators may look unfavorably on whether the acquisition of U.S. Steel could allow more access to U.S. markets for Chinese-sourced steel.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 24, 2024

Anti-Trump Republicans wonder: Do I still have a political home?

A voter snapshot highlights how Trump has alienated part of the Republican Party in a way that could hurt him in his likely rematch against Biden.
With concerns over economics cutting across party lines, the preferred degree of toughness on China tends to be a policy rather than partisan divide.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Feb 25, 2024

Biden or Trump, hawkish economic approach on China to intensify

With concerns over economics cutting across party lines, the preferred degree of toughness on Beijing tends to be a policy rather than partisan divide.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 27, 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 26, 2024

Mark Zuckerberg’s Asia tour to focus on AI

The Meta Platforms’ CEO is in Japan with his family on a ski trip, and is set to meet with his developers in Tokyo to discuss virtual-reality and AI.
Organizers say they hope that the 2024 Paris Paralympics attracts packed audiences.
PARALYMPICS
Feb 27, 2024

Paralympics chief hopes for full stadiums and extensive TV coverage

Fewer than one million tickets out of a total of 2.8 million have been sold so far.
Toyota's domestic sales for January fell for the first time in 13 months as a data-rigging scandal at its small-car unit Daihatsu led to a production halt of some Toyota brand cars the unit made.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 28, 2024

Toyota Group sales lose steam amid fallout from test data scandals

Domestic sales for January fell for the first time in 13 months while worldwide production fell 3.8%, the first global decline in 13 months.
There is a global trend toward economic bifurcation with the U.S. and China leading the charge — and multinational solutions are needed to address the new challenges.
COMMENTARY
Feb 28, 2024

The inexorable movement toward a divided global economy

Efforts to protect national economies from threats require multinational solutions. Chains are only as strong as their weakest link.

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