Search - 2023

 
 
Photographer Gaku Lange says Japan's film photography scene is growing, but it still lags behind overseas communities.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Aug 5, 2024

Looking at Japan’s ‘tribal’ photography scene through a new lens

More young people in Tokyo are ditching smartphones for film cameras, but the old guard isn't necessarily pleased about it.
A government white paper stressed the need to pay attention to the impact of interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan on personal consumption.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 2, 2024

Japan warns of weak yen impact on households in government white paper

A weak yen has become a source of concern for policymakers as it has dampened consumption by inflating the cost of importing fuel, food and raw material.
Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence, in Moscow on July 31, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 2, 2024

Poisoned and jailed: Kremlin critic Kara-Murza

Convicted in April 2023 of treason and spreading "false information," Kara-Murza was sentenced to one of the longest prison terms ever handed down to a Putin critic.
Algeria's Imane Khelif walks to the ring for her bout against Italy's Angela Carini during the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
OLYMPICS / Boxing
Aug 2, 2024

IOC addresses boxing controversy at Paris Olympics

The IOC says boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting will remain in the competition at the Paris Olympics.
Fuka Nagano (left) and Hinata Miyazawa after Japan was eliminated from the Olympic soccer tournament by the U.S. on Saturday in Paris.
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2024

For Nadeshiko Japan, the quarterfinals prove to be a stumbling block — again

The team fell 1-0 to the U.S. after also losing in the last eight at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and at the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
China's Pan Zhanle celebrates after winning Olympic gold and breaking a world record in the men's 100-meter freestyle final on July 31.
OLYMPICS
Aug 5, 2024

China shrugs off doping controversy to win 12 Olympic swimming medals

The team's haul — two gold, three silver and seven bronze — was an improvement on a Tokyo collection of nine.
The entrance gate of the SEG electronics market in Shenzhen, China, on June 27.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 5, 2024

With smugglers and front companies, China is skirting U.S. AI bans

The U.S. worries advanced semiconductors could help China develop superior weaponry, launch cyberattacks and make faster decisions on the battlefield.
Japanese sprinter Abdul Hakim Sani Brown checks his time after the men's 100 meters semifinals on Sunday at the Paris Olympics in Saint-Denis, France.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 5, 2024

Sani Brown ran under 10 seconds in the men's 100. But in 2024, that’s just not enough.

Sani Brown's near-miss showed the high hurdles sprinters face to compete with an ultracompetitive field.
Yoshifumi Matsumura (second from right), head of the National Public Safety Commission, inspects Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district in June.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 5, 2024

Tokyo host bar worker arrested over kickbacks for brokering prostitution

It is the first time a worker at a host bar has been arrested over receiving kickbacks for brokering prostitution.
Ukrainian Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska (center left) and Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi (center right) sign a memorandum of cooperation on judicial reforms and anti-corruption measures, in Kyiv on Monday.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2024

Japan and Ukraine agree to cooperate on anti-corruption measures

The countries' two justice ministries will cooperate across fields such as judicial reform and the strengthening of judicial institutions via personnel training.
Britain's Keely Hodgkinson crosses the line to win the women's 800-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Monday.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 6, 2024

In her teens, this British runner struggled to walk. Now she's an Olympic champion.

The 22-year-old buried a reputation for being always the bridesmaid and never the bride as she stormed to victory.
Japan's gasoline imports in June rose 20.4% from the previous month, with the Petroleum Association of Japan attributing it to maintenances and outages at plants owned by top oil refiners.
BUSINESS
Aug 6, 2024

Japan's gasoline imports seen rising through August as refinery outages cut output

Japan's gasoline imports are expected to stay elevated through August after rising 20% in June.
Kagoshima District Court has given a former Kagoshima Prefectural Police officer a suspended sentence for leaking investigative information.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 6, 2024

Former Kagoshima police officer found guilty of leaking investigation details

The judge said that the magnitude of the privacy violation was large as the officer shared information on personal criminal records and details of more than 100 cases.
Kauli Vaast of France competes in the Olympic men's gold-medal match in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, on Monday.
OLYMPICS / Surfing
Aug 6, 2024

Vaast takes men's surfing gold for France and Tahiti

Caroline Marks of the United States added Olympic gold to her 2023 world title with a tight victory over Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb in the women's final.
Children use a mobile shower, provided by the local government, amid extreme heat in metro Manila on May 2.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 6, 2024

From the Philippines to Mali, countries fail to count deaths from extreme heat

A lack of reliable data is undermining efforts to mitigate the risk of extreme heat and provide better protection for the most vulnerable.
The Tsuruga Coast Guard Office in Fukui Prefecture issued warnings about possible attacks by wild dolphins as early as 2022.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 6, 2024

Fukui coast guard warns swimmers of danger posed by wild dolphins

In one case, a 10-year-old who had gone for a swim at a beach in the city of Tsuruga was bitten by a dolphin, suffering a serious injury to their hand.
Despite China’s advocacy for “no first use” as a global standard and its call for inclusion in international law for nuclear weapons, many analysts view it as a political statement rather than a practical strategy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 6, 2024

China’s 'no first use' nuclear policy rings hollow for many

Critics argue that China's NFU policy is less credible due to its expanding nuclear arsenal and the secrecy surrounding
Women's park skateboarding gold medalist Arisa Trew of Australia celebrates with silver winner Kokona Hiraki of Japan and bronze medalist Sky Brown of Britain on the podium in Paris on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
Aug 7, 2024

Australia's Trew, 14, wins skateboard park gold ahead of Japan's Hiraki

Japan was represented on every level of the Olympic podium, as Trew and British bronze winner Sky Brown both have Japanese mothers.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, speaks during an event at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, on Jan. 25.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

How Tim Walz pushed Minnesota toward aggressive climate policies

Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor tapped to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has accelerated his state’s embrace of clean energy and electric vehicles.
A lot of female fans of Japan's men's team caught volleyball fever at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Japan qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time in 29 years.
OLYMPICS / Volleyball
Aug 7, 2024

Tears and broken hearts: Japan's female volleyball fans react to tough Olympic loss

Japan’s fierce love for volleyball has been on display for all the world to see in Paris, but it was not meant to be for the men's team in 2024.
Police officers and demonstrators clash during a protest against illegal immigration in Liverpool, Britain, on Aug. 3.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

U.K. PM Starmer: We have police in place to deal with anti-Muslim riots

Riots across a number of towns and cities have erupted following the murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport.
The U.S. Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, speaks at Temple University in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 7, 2024

Walz pick shines spotlight on U.S. VP's possible foreign policy role

Walz brings to the table a strong background on China issues as well as a number of foreign policy stances that line up with that of Harris.
Lin Yu-ting is declared the winner on Wednesday after her semifinal bout against Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey in the women's 57-kg class at the Paris Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Boxing
Aug 8, 2024

Taiwan boxer in Olympics gender row into final after 'tough journey'

A day after Algeria's Imane Khelif reached the 66-kg women's gold-medal match, Lin Yu-ting claimed a victory over Esra Yildiz Kahraman at 57 kg in her semifinal.
English actress Daisy Ridley is seen arriving for the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Hollywood on Dec. 16, 2019.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 8, 2024

'Star Wars' star Daisy Ridley diagnosed with Graves' disease

The actress said she initially dismissed her symptoms, attributing them to residual stress from a role in the 2023 thriller "Magpie."
Wrestlers battle during the national women's championships in Osaka in 2018. Amateur sumo is a great way to experience the sport for tourists who are unable to get tickets to professional tournaments.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 8, 2024

No sumo tickets? No problem. Here are some other ways to take in the sport.

Japan’s ongoing tourism boom has resulted in a year-round influx of people interested in experiencing the country’s national sport.
Shiseido's sales in China are still sluggish as consumers remain reluctant to buy Japanese products over the discharge of treated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2024

Shiseido posts steepest drop since 1987 on anemic China demand

The company reported a January-June operating loss of ¥2.7 billion ($18.4 million), compared with profit of ¥13.6 billion a year earlier.
A demonstrator carries a cross during the annual "March for Life" in Washington on Jan. 19.
WORLD / Society
Aug 8, 2024

U.S. public schools are becoming the new religious battleground

The religious movement is fueled by opposition to what conservatives call liberal curricula in school, including a focus on diversity and LGBTQ rights.
Hideki Ito, commissioner of the Financial Services Agency, says Japan needs to be cautious about approving crypto-linked exchange-traded funds.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 8, 2024

Japan’s top finance regulator hesitant on crypto ETF approvals

Whether to follow the likes of Hong Kong and the U.S. by approving crypto-linked exchange-traded funds requires "cautious consideration,” he said.
A bulletin board shows the day's highest temperature in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on July 29.
JAPAN / Boiling Point
Aug 8, 2024

From Naha to Nemuro, how Japan’s cities are responding to more heat

Municipalities are reaching for everything from automated misting systems to anime to help cool residents and educate them about the risks of heat.
A charging cable is connected to a Hyundai electric vehicle at the 2022 Busan International Motor Show in Busan, South Korea, on July 14, 2022.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 8, 2024

Seoul EV explosion sparks safety fears, prompting charging rethink

Over 700 people were evacuated and 23 hospitalized after an unplugged electric Mercedes-Benz sedan caught fire in a Seoul underground parking lot.

Longform

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