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Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan President Yoshihiko Noda (right) and Nippon Ishin no Kai leader Nobuyuki Baba in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 26, 2024

CDP's Noda wants to court Nippon Ishin and DPP, but will he succeed?

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's new leader faces an uphill task of bridging the differences of its peers in the opposition ahead of a general election.
Tetsuya Ike, a farmer in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, examines a site where his greenhouse farm used to be before it was washed away by last week's torrential rain.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2024

Farmers struggle to rebuild after devastating rains in Wajima

Fields that had recently begun to recover from the damage caused by the Jan. 1 quake have been submerged by torrential downpours.
Ten elementary and junior high schools in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, reopened Thursday after closing temporarily as a result of record rainfall in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula over the weekend.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 27, 2024

Schools in Ishikawa Prefecture reopen after heavy rain

Ten elementary and junior high schools in the city of Wajima have reopened but two others remain closed after being flooded during last weekend's record downpour.
New Liberal Democratic Party leader Shigeru Ishiba (right), economic security minister Sanae Takaichi (left) and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Ishiba won the LDP leadership race on Friday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 27, 2024

Yen rallies as Ishiba beats Takaichi in LDP race

Ishiba has shown support for the BOJ’s rate policies and the independence of the central bank.
Gilles Langourieux, chief executive officer of Virtuos, speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2024

Game developer Virtuos seeks acquisitions and growth in Japan

The Singapore-based company, which has been involved in such major franchises as Call of Duty and Metal Gear Solid, is in active talks with multiple studios in Japan.
Members of the K-pop group NewJeans are embroiled in a dispute with their corporate backers over their creative relationship with an executive producer.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 28, 2024

NewJeans’ ultimatum casts K-pop’s displays of labor in a new light

A YouTube live broadcast from the girl group raises age-old questions about labor practices in the Korean pop industry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump, shake hands during a meeting on Friday in New York.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 28, 2024

On trip to U.S., Zelenskyy finds Ukraine’s fortunes tied to the election

A whirlwind week of top-level meetings failed to alleviate concerns in Kyiv that a Trump presidency could lead to a dramatic shift in American policy.
Debris from damaged houses and docks are pictured after Tropical Depression Helene hit Keaton Beach, Florida, on Friday.
WORLD
Sep 28, 2024

Dozens dead as Helene cuts destructive path through southeastern U.S.

The storm swamped neighborhoods, triggered mudslides, threatened dams and left more than 3.5 million homes and businesses without power.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris visits the U.S.-Mexico border with Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (right) in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 28, 2024

Harris calls for more immigration controls at border and tougher fentanyl measures

Immigration is a top issue for voters. Arizona is a closely contested election state, with a high population of Latino voters sought by both parties.
The upscale Gangnam area of Seoul is one area in South Korea where high-end apartments for seniors are being developed.
BUSINESS
Sep 28, 2024

Fast-aging South Korea sees money in luxury retirement homes

The popularity of such residences have prompted the likes of Lotte and Hyundai to invest billions of dollars on new projects.
Morinari Watanabe speaks during an interview on Wednesday in Tokyo
OLYMPICS
Sep 28, 2024

IOC presidential candidate Watanabe vows to update Olympics

Watanabe, 65, said he is seeking the IOC's top post with the believe that "there are things that must be done for children and the athletes who perform in Olympic Games."
Residents of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, clear debris from a home after torrential rain struck the area last weekend.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2024

Many still in evacuation shelters after heavy rain in Ishikawa

Authorities are now concerned about disaster-related deaths partly due to deteriorating sanitary conditions in the disaster-hit area.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, speaks during a rare public appearance in July 2014.
WORLD
Sep 28, 2024

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

The death deals a seismic blow to the Iran-backed group, which has been engaged in a year of cross-border hostilities with Israel.
American Patrick Cantlay hits an approach shot during a Presidents Cup foursome match on Saturday at Royal Montreal.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 29, 2024

U.S. grabs 11-7 lead heading into last day at Presidents Cup

Patrick Cantlay made a dramatic birdie putt at 18 from just inside 17 feet in near-darkness to give the United States a 11-7 lead over the Internationals.
U.S. President Joe Biden responds to questions in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 29, 2024

Hezbollah leader's death is 'measure of justice' for his victims, Biden says

Ultimately, Biden said, the U.S. aimed to de-escalate ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means.
In 2023, SBI, PSMC and the Miyagi Prefectural Government formed a basic agreement to construct a chipmaking plant in the village of Ohira, but SBI has announced that the tie-up with PSMC ended.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 29, 2024

SBI to end plant construction tie-up with Taiwanese chipmaker

The Japanese online financial group has vowed to carry out the semiconductor plant project by finding new partners.
Shigeru Ishiba (center) celebrates in Tokyo on Friday after he was elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He defeated economic security minister Sanae Takaichi (second from left) in a runoff vote.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 30, 2024

Shigeru Ishiba’s tenure as prime minister could be short-lived

Questions about his leadership and management ability weaken his prospects.
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone talks to fans after the club's match against Real Madrid was halted due to unruly fan behavior.
SOCCER
Sep 30, 2024

Atletico Madrid's Diego Simeone calls out instigators after fans disrupt match

Atletico fans threw objects toward visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Shigeru Ishiba, the new head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2024

Incoming PM Ishiba sets Oct. 27 as date for snap election

The newly elected Liberal Democratic Party president's announcement is highly unusual and not without controversy.
A scene from "Whale Restaurant," a documentary film about whale food culture in Japan
JAPAN / Society
Sep 30, 2024

Documentary on whale food culture in Japan showing in U.S.

Director Keiko Yagi said she found it difficult to find theaters that would agree to show the film.
LDP policy chief Itsunori Onodera, Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama, Vice President Yoshihide Suga, Shunichi Suzuki, chairman of the general affairs council, and Shinjiro Koizumi, chairman of the election committee, at the party's headquarters on Monday
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 30, 2024

Ishiba announces new leadership lineup ahead of general election

The appointments seem to reflect Ishiba’s desire to maintain internal party harmony ahead of a general election and reward those who have supported him.
A U.S. Marine participates in counterdrone training in June 2021.
WORLD
Oct 1, 2024

Pentagon’s Replicator 2 to focus on countering threat from small drones

U.S. military facilities around the globe, including those in Japan and South Korea, are expected to benefit from the initiative.
A woman holds up sign reading "defeat Ishiba," Japan's new prime minister, as a small group of protesters gather outside the parliament building in Tokyo on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 1, 2024

Japan’s new leader has barely the concept of a plan

If Ishiba follows through on some of his stated policies, that might be where the endearment ends.
A sunset in the Arctic Ocean observed from the Japanese oceanographic research ship Mirai on Sept. 24
JAPAN
Oct 1, 2024

Japanese ship Mirai ends this year's Arctic mission

The vessel left the city of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, in late August for the mission.
The Japanese used by any shop clerk in Japan will generally be the most polite form of the language.
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Oct 1, 2024

'Need a bag for that?': Knowing what the clerks are saying at the convenience store

When it comes to serving their customers, convenience store workers tend to all read from the same mannerly script.
The French government and Paris Games organizers had promised to leave a legacy that would help tackle the problem of people spending too much time on screens and doing too little exercise.
OLYMPICS
Oct 2, 2024

Frustrated French clubs turn away players in post-Olympics sports boom

Swimming clubs have registered around 10,000 new members, while table tennis clubs are expecting around 20% more players.
Urawa's Yu Endo (right) competes for the ball with Kobe's Yui Narumiya during a match in Osaka in January.
SOCCER
Oct 2, 2024

Champions League can put Asian women's soccer on map, players say

Women's soccer in Europe and North America is in rude health, but Asia has fallen behind.
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 6, 2024

Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law

A weak yen, robust inbound tourism and social media have shone a spotlight on a park in Tokyo where men gather in search of sex.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, 66, has experience as the onetime head of Japan’s former Defense Agency before it became a full-fledged ministry and is seen as a pair of steady hands.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 2, 2024

Ishiba looks to 'defense tribe' to fill key Cabinet positions

The new prime minister has named four former defense ministers to key posts — most notably, the defense and foreign affairs portfolios.
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya speaks during his first news conference as Japan's top diplomat at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 3, 2024

Japan's new top diplomat calls 'Asian NATO' an idea for the future

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya hinted that such a grouping would be open to all countries and partners in the region — including rivals such as China.

Longform

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