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Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning against Britain's Jack Draper during their men's singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 16. Nadal has been absent from the courts for almost a year with a hip injury.
TENNIS
Dec 5, 2023

Nadal plays down expectations before Brisbane return

Rafael Nadal, 37, has been out with a hip injury since last January but is set to feature at Brisbane in the near year.
Kim, 31, who loaded his family into a homemade wooden boat in May and sailed away from his native North Korea, attends a job fair for North Korean defectors in Seoul while holding a whiteboard that reads "Navigator."
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 6, 2023

North Korean defector plans new life after high-risk escape by sea

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, but most go overland.
American pop singer Caroline Polachek, who lived in Tokyo from the age of 1 through 7, held her first gig as a solo headliner in Japan at Toyosu Pit in November.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 7, 2023

A heady Tokyo homecoming for Caroline Polachek

The U.S. indie pop singer returns to her childhood home for her first solo gig in Japan and builds out her musical universe with maximalist emotions.
Naomi Osaka in action during the 2022 U.S. Open in one of her final tournaments before her pregnancy leave
TENNIS
Dec 8, 2023

Returning Osaka targets Paris Olympics and more Grand Slam titles

The 26-year-old former world No. 1 is set to return to competition at the Brisbane International starting at the end of the month.
Anucha Angkaew, a Thai farm worker who was abducted by Hamas while working in Israel in October, at his family home in Don Pila village in Udon Thani province, Thailand.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 8, 2023

Thai man recalls 50 days below ground in Hamas captivity

At least 240 people — Israelis and foreign nationals — were abducted to Gaza on Oct 7. by Hamas militants.
The day after the Fukuoka District Court dismissed her lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of Japan's dual nationality law, Yuri Kondo, 76, was in high spirits as she drove to see family and friends.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 8, 2023

Japan-born U.S. national Yuri Kondo continues dual citizenship fight

The dismissal of her lawsuit over the dual nationality ban has implications for tens of thousands of people, and Kondo says she'll keep fighting for them.
The end-of-year company party has been pretty much on hold for the past few years due to the pandemic. Will people embrace the tradition in bigger numbers as a result?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 8, 2023

Should we forget the year or forget the party?

After a few years without proper yearend work parties, are Japanese workers ready for a big bash? Or, has the tradition come to an end?
Rina Gonoi, a former member of the Self-Defense Forces, who has accused colleagues of sexually assaulting her during her time in the military, speaks in Yokohama on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 11, 2023

Former Japanese soldier fights for justice in landmark sexual assault case

A former Self-Defence Forces member's yearslong fight for justice against the men she has accused of sexually assaulting her will reach a climax on Tuesday when a court delivers a verdict in a trial that has drawn international attention.
Yuka Tada and her friend pose for a photograph at a BTS fan cafe in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 12, 2023

BTS members head for South Korea military service; fans vow to wait

With three members already serving, the remaining four members of the K-pop supergroup begin their 18-month service.
Gold medalist Noah Lyles of the U.S. celebrates after the men's 200m final at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest on Aug. 25.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Dec 12, 2023

Lyles and Kipyegon named track athletes of the year

Lyles was recognized for the three gold medals he won at the world championships in Budapest.
Since starting out as a venue for short, silly lip-syncing videos, TikTok has emerged as an incubator for consumer trends, with millions of people trying on clothes and reviewing products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 13, 2023

TikTok Shop sees early success, taking aim at giant Amazon

In a sign of how seriously Amazon is taking TikTok, the company cut deals with Pinterest, Meta and Snapchat to let users shop without leaving those apps.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 29, 2023

20 Questions: The best answers of 2023

Our interviewees this year gave a lot of advice for living a good life and paying attention to the things that matter most.
Eddie Jones at a news conference after being named as Japan rugby head coach in Tokyo on Thursday
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 14, 2023

No guilt for Eddie Jones after taking Japan job

Jones quit his native Australia after leading them to a dismal showing at the Rugby World Cup.
Shohei Ohtani puts on a Dodgers cap and uniform during his introductory news conference at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 15, 2023

Shohei Ohtani says shared commitment to winning led him to Dodgers

The one-of-a-kind talent received a Hollywood intro Thursday as he began his new chapter with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A filling, home-cooked Christmas dinner is within your reach — even among all the fried chicken and cramped kitchens throughout Japan.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 17, 2023

An oven-less Christmas ‘roast’ for your tiny Japanese kitchen

Forget fried chicken. Forget expensive meals out. Here’s how to cook your own filling meal no matter what kitchen appliances you have.
Dodgers owner Mark Walter puts a jersey on Shohei Ohtani during the superstar's introductory news conference on Thursday. The structure of Ohtani's contract could help the Dodgers get a full return on their investment in the two-way player.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 15, 2023

For the Dodgers, Ohtani's megadeal could end up being a bargain

The Dodgers have the makings of a juggernaut, and success on the field will allow the franchise to cash in on Ohtani’s transcendent marketability.
From left: Naho Sato, President Masamichi Idemitsu and Naoki Tajima
ESG CONSORTIUM
Dec 18, 2023

Mita Kosan develops real estate, community in central Tokyo area

Mita Kosan Co. Ltd., a real estate developer and leasing company, is housed in an office building right across the road from Keio University’s East Gate in the Mita district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward. The area has a uniquely mixed atmosphere: premium and academic, yet homey with a lot of small local...
An exhibition on marine life at COP28 in Dubai. The conversation around oceans and climate change was not the main focus of the conference, despite the key role oceans play in absorbing carbon.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2023

COP28, didn't the oceans deserve more attention?

Oceans are key to mitigating climate change and severely impacted by it. Yet they didn't take center stage at COP28 — though some progress was made.
There are no villains in Saikaku's stories … just people caught more or less helplessly in life's vortex.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Dec 17, 2023

Tales of a Closed Country: Part 3

There are no truly evil villains in Ihara Saikaku's stories, just people caught helplessly in life's vortex.
Shiv Kumar (left) and Nirmal Singh say they are learning a lot about living and thriving in Japan while taking part in the Technical Intern Trainee Program. Their case, however, seems to be an exception to the norm.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Dec 18, 2023

Beating the odds on Japan's controversial foreign trainee program

Nirmal Singh and Shiv Kumar beat the odds on the Technical Intern Training Program, but luck shouldn't play such a key role in a government initiative.
South Korea's Jung Hoo Lee bats during a World Baseball Classic pool game against Australia at Tokyo Dome on March 9.
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 16, 2023

South Korea's Lee promises to impress San Francisco Giants fans

The 25-year-old left-handed slugger won five Golden Gloves as best overall KBO League player at his position over his seven seasons for the Kiwoom Heroes.
Naomi Osaka in action at the Pan Pacific Open in Osaka in September 2019.
TENNIS
Dec 17, 2023

'Superstar' Osaka's return a boost for WTA, top coach says

The four-time Grand Slam champion last played a WTA tournament at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in late September 2022.
"Concussed: Sport's Uncomfortable Truth" by author Sam Peters details the issue of concussions in sports, particularly rugby.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Dec 17, 2023

Rugby in denial over concussion problem, author Sam Peters says

Peters' book includes a section on the damage of repeated heading in soccer but is predominantly concerned with rugby.
A pair of wolves carved from wood exhibited at Mitsumine Shrine’s museum in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Dec 15, 2023

In praise of wolves

Premodern Japan's reverence of wolves mirrors its close bond with nature, a state eventually disrupted by the ecological impact of industrialization.
Tiger Woods walks onto the 18th green with his daughter Sam Woods during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Dec 18, 2023

Woods optimistic following family weekend at PNC Championship

Woods said his surgically repaired right ankle continues to hold up well and that he recovered quickly after the Hero World Challenge earlier this month.
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
CULTURE / Books
Dec 20, 2023

A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers

Eight translators reveal their top Japanese books that English readers have yet to enjoy.
The Yas Marina Circuit, home to Formula One's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, will be the scene of a different sort of race in April when driverless race cars take to the track.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Dec 21, 2023

Driverless race cars on track for April debut in Abu Dhabi

The driverless Dallara Super Formula SF23 open-wheel cars have a computer in place of the cockpit and no need for a steering wheel or seat.
Shinjuku's Kabukicho is filled with colorful individuals that give the neighborhood its character.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Dec 22, 2023

Christmastime in Shinjuku Golden Gai

One of Tokyo's most storied watering holes gets a little quiet during the holidays now that it relies quite a bit on tourists.
While Magic: The Gathering is popular with card game aficionados the world over, the community in Japan is split along some unexpected lines.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 23, 2023

Diehards and casuals clash in Tokyo’s Magic: The Gathering community

The Commander format is widely popular across Europe and the United States, but Japan’s Magic community hasn’t quite followed the same path.
Holiday classic "Tokyo Godfathers" centers on three homeless people who have formed a makeshift family.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 23, 2023

Satoshi Kon’s unexpected anime classic for the holidays

The late director and animator's "Tokyo Godfathers" celebrates 20 years with new screenings.

Longform

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