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History recorded the thoughts and actions of rulers and warlords, but what did the average folk think in that time? Were their days filled with angst, passion or poignancy?
JAPAN / History
Sep 17, 2023

Writers find a new muse in the 20th century: the ordinary person

The past at its very best spread its benefits thinly, leaving the masses to make the best of things beyond the reach of civilization’s light.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Family Research Council and FRC Action annual Pray Vote Stand Summit in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 17, 2023

Sinner, savior or both? Trump woos evangelicals and women

Despite the legal, moral and sexual escapades of the Republican front-runner, support among his devotees remains strong.
Plaintiffs and supporters opposed to the expansion of a coal-fired power plant in Kobe protest after the Kobe District Court dismissed their civil case in March.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Sep 17, 2023

Climate litigation remains a tough sell in Japan despite wins overseas

So far, Japan has seen just four climate lawsuits, all concerning the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants.
The far-right Confederation Liberty and Independence party rally against measures imposed by the Polish government to stem the spread of COVID-19, in Warsaw in October 2020.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 18, 2023

The far right is advancing in a vulnerable Europe again

Disruptors in far-right political parties are taking advantage of resentment born out of COVID-19, a cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine.
Banking on strong investor appetite for emerging market growth in the absence of Chinese stock offerings, some Southeast Asian companies are considering listing in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 19, 2023

More Southeast Asian firms consider U.S. IPOs

Senior executives at some firms have said they were looking into New York as one of their initial public offering venues.
North Korea's Ri Jo Guk (center) celebrates his goal against Taiwan in the men's soccer competition of the Asian Games in Jinhua, China, on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Sep 20, 2023

North Korea wins in international return as rival South hits nine

North Koreans are competing at the Hangzhou-hosted Asian Games in sports including athletics, gymnastics, basketball, football, boxing and weightlifting.
Urawa's notoriously fervent supporters are known for packing stands, as well as for repeated off-the-pitch incidents that have impacted the club's reputation.
SOCCER / J. League / From the Spot
Sep 20, 2023

Urawa pays price for hooliganism after years of looking the other way

The J. League club has been banned from playing in Japan's top club tournament after more than a hundred supporters took part in an August pitch invasion.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 20, 2023

Climate fault lines in clear sight at U.N. General Assembly

Disconnects are likely to remain front and center when many of the same leaders gather in Dubai for COP28 in November.
A surgical center designed by Shigeru Ban Architects for a hospital in Lviv, Ukraine
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023

Shigeru Ban’s humanitarian architecture reaches Ukraine

Architect Shigeru Ban is working with the mayor of Lviv, in Ukraine, to expand a hospital and serve the growing number of people displaced by the war.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi converses with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the Group of 20 Leaders' Summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2023

The Modi-Jaishankar partnership serves India’s global interests well

Important contributors to India’s rising global profile are the communication skills, professionalism and competence of Foreign Minister Jaishankar.
Protesters on Thursday held a rally in the Armenian capital Yerevan urging the government to intervene in the Nagorno-Karabakh region after Azerbaijani forces entered the enclave earlier this week.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 22, 2023

Azerbaijan may have won the war, but a bigger test begins

The strength of a cease-fire and peace talks over Nagorno-Karabakh will be tested by Azerbaijan's commitment to a true, long-term transition.
A pilot run toward a F-16V fighter jet for an evening take off as part of a combat readiness mission at the airbase in Hualien, Taiwan, in August last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 23, 2023

Taiwan defense chief says China drills risk 'getting out of hand'

The increased frequency of China's military activities around Taiwan recently has raised the risk of an accidental clash.
Players compete against one another during the Just Dance event at the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in June.
MORE SPORTS / FOCUS
Sep 24, 2023

China hosts esports’ biggest moment with Tencent at the wheel

The once-in-four-years Asian Games, effectively a regional Olympics, is the first time that competitive video games will be eligible for medals.
Women with portable electric fans in the Yurakucho district of Tokyo on Sept. 12. In Japan, Cool Biz became especially popular with women, who tended to wear lighter clothes and often complained about the cold temperatures needed to make business suits comfortable for their male colleagues.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023

Where did all the dark-suited Japanese businessmen go?

Under Cool Biz, salarymen and government workers don short-sleeved shirts in the summer as offices are kept above 28 degrees Celsius to save energy.
The city of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2023

'Insect tourism' launched in rural Fukushima city

Tamura, located in the center of the Abukuma plateau, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles.
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023

Coalition party leader seeks China visit this year to mend ties

Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of Komeito, abandoned a planned trip last month as friction worsened with Japan’s biggest trading partner.
A screen in a shopping area in Beijing broadcasts news footage of military drills by China's People's Liberation Army around Taiwan on Aug. 19.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 27, 2023

China says drills near Taiwan target 'arrogance' of separatists

Taiwan has said this month that it had observed dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships operating nearby.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako release young barfin flounder and shrimp into the sea during the 42nd annual national marine convention in the town of Akkeshi in Hokkaido on Sept. 17.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023

Talks on imperial succession stall under Kishida administration

The prime minister has said that ensuring stable imperial succession is "an issue that cannot be put off," but no concrete steps have been taken.
China's COSCO Shipping Ports is the world’s largest shipping company and port terminal operator.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 26, 2023

China’s port investments and risks to national security

The gray area between domestic and foreign jurisdictions and private and state-owned enterprises should be cause for concern.
The idea of renting a library bookshelf has proved popular in some areas.
CULTURE
Oct 3, 2023

Libraries with individually owned bookshelves spreading in Japan

Such libraries are helping revitalize local communities by creating a place where people can mingle through events.
Take a moment to look up at the sky tonight, see if you can spot some lunar rabbits.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 29, 2023

An autumnal custom teaches Japan to appreciate the season

While not as popular as its springtime cherry blossom cousin, moon-viewing season still has its own specific customs.
A performer going by the name “Tanefukube” leads shishi-odori dancers during Tono Meguritoroge’s grand finale at Rokko-shi shrine.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 30, 2023

Dancing with ghosts at Tono’s rural folk festival

The Tono region is Japan’s go-to setting of scary stories to tell in the dark.
Tupac Shakur
CULTURE / Music
Sep 30, 2023

Suspect in rapper Tupac Shakur's 1996 slaying charged with murder

The charges marked a breakthrough for a long-unsolved case that was a defining moment in the history of rap music.
Singer and dancer Shizuko Kasagi's life is the basis for the new morning drama series on NHK.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Longform
Oct 1, 2023

When the 'Queen of Boogie' reigned in Japan

Shizuko Kasagi gave Japan a reason to rejoice again and inspired a generation of young women in the process.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen during a practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix. Saudi Aramco has perhaps the most visible presence among fossil fuel giants at Formula One races as one of the series' top sponsors.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Sep 30, 2023

F1 says it will reach net zero by 2030. But can it shake its polluting image?

Formula One's pledge faces myriad challenges, including its long-standing ties to some of the world's dirtiest fossil fuel companies.
Gamers play during the first day of Europe's leading digital games fair, Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany, in August 2019
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2023

Video game competitions should be in the Olympics

Esports is already among the world’s most popular competitive activities. Last year, the global audience totaled more than 500 million people.
An employee prepares tables and chairs outside a restaurant in Bucharest, Romania.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2023

EU membership supercharged Romania. Ukraine faces a tougher task.

Romania’s accession offers lessons that can help Kyiv along the way and offer an indication of the potential rewards.
Squash officials have attempted to make the sport more accessible to viewers in a push for Olympic recognition.
OLYMPICS
Oct 3, 2023

Squash desperate to end 'very weird' Olympic exile in 2028

Squash is one of nine sports vying for a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, along with the likes of cricket, lacrosse and motorsports.
A pedestrian walks past a mobile recruitment point located to promote service in the Russian army and invite volunteers to sign a contract with the Defense Ministry, in a street in Moscow on May 3. The slogan reads: "Our profession is to defend fatherland."
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2023

Russia deploys 'punishment battalions' in echo of Stalin

Drunk recruits, insubordinate soldiers and convicts are part of hundreds who've been pressed into Russian penal units known as "Storm-Z" squads.
Akira Otsuka (left) and Miki Tamaki formed the performing arts troupe DamaDamTal in 2016. They have performed in every edition of the Nakanojo Biennale in Gunma Prefecture since 2017 and credit the festival as a source of inspiration for new productions.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 4, 2023

DamaDamTal turns abstract dreams into visual art

The Japanese performing arts troupe led by Miki Tamaki and Akira Otsuka gets creative in the mountains of rural Gunma Prefecture at Nakanojo Biennale.

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