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Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2021

Curtain falls on a tumultuous Tokyo Games

A Games not everyone was sure would get off the ground reached its end at National Stadium as Olympians gathered for the closing ceremony of the Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2021

Italy basks in Tokyo Games medal glory as COVID-19 gamble pays off

While other nations were shutting gyms, pools and tracks amid the pandemic, Italy provided an exemption for some 250 elite athletes to keep training for much of the past 18 months.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2021

France overcomes ROC to win first men's volleyball gold

France beat the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team in the men's volleyball final on Saturday in a sensational five-set match to grab their first Olympic gold medal in the sport.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2021

In Qatar, the Olympic team (like much else) is mostly imported

Armed with cash, coaches and state-of-the-art training facilities, Qatar has been trying to assemble an athletic force worthy of the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 7, 2021

Paying pilgrimage to the last kissaten on the Kumano Kodo trail

Writer Craig Mod takes inventory of the coffee shops that are left alongside the old roads of the Ohechi Kumano Kodo UNESCO World Heritage routes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2021

Tokyo was promised glory and riches. It got an Olympics in a bubble.

The Games failed to live up to their economic promise and cast a harsh light on Japan's political culture. Some feel “a hunger for a new system.”
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2021

What to watch on Day 15 of the Tokyo Olympics

Samurai Japan will look to give the baseball-mad country its first Olympic gold in the sport, while one of Japan's flagbearers finally gets her chance to leave another mark on the Games.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 6, 2021

Using Japanese to discuss victory and defeat at the Tokyo Olympics

It's not accurate to say that anyone who doesn't medal at the Olympics is a loser, but the language of winning and losing is very much a part of Japanese.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 5, 2021

For foreign athletes, the Tokyo Olympics present myriad challenges

From lack of training time due to the pandemic to the intense Tokyo heat, the difficulties foreign athletes faced just to get to the Tokyo Olympics were as varied as the athletes themselves.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2021

How social media magnified the controversy over Daiki Hashimoto's all-around gold

The furor surrounding Hashimoto's first-place finish in the men's all-around competition last week stood out for the response it provoked from gymnastics officials.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Aug 3, 2021

Hong Kong’s fate spurs Japan to speak up about defending Taiwan

A more supportive policy toward Taipei is emblematic of a broader shift by Tokyo in response to China's crackdown on Hong Kong and increased military activities in the Taiwan Strait.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 3, 2021

In weightlifting, a historic moment for transgender women

New Zealander Laurel Hubbard has become the first to participate in the Olympics, but her appearance has received a mixed response.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 2, 2021

Hydrogen goes nuclear as U.K. reactor pivots toward renewables

'The amount of clean hydrogen that we're going to need to really decarbonize our economic sectors is just immense.”
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2021

Japan's 3x3 basketball Olympic teams left wanting more after turning heads in preliminary round

“3x3 will have a huge impact on Japanese basketball in the future and there is a good chance Japan becomes a 3x3 powerhouse,” said Torsten Loibl, the director/coach of the country's teams.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2021

What to watch on Day 9 of the Tokyo Olympics

A Masters champion looks to win a gold medal to go with his green jacket and Usain Bolt's successor in the men's 100 meters will be officially crowned on Sunday at the Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 31, 2021

What to watch on Day 8 of the Tokyo Olympics

A Jamaican sprinting legend goes for gold and Japan's men's soccer team begins the knockout round looking to turn some more heads on Day 8 of the Tokyo Games.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 30, 2021

Judoka Akira Sone wins Japan's 16th gold of the Games, tying national record

Sone threw another gold medal on top of the impressive pile Japan has built on the judo mat at the Tokyo Olympics with a win in the women's over-78 kg final.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 30, 2021

Door slams and idle chatter fill out Games’ new soundtrack

An unusual Olympics is missing the atmosphere fans bring to events. What is left is not silence, but something else.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jul 29, 2021

As Iran faces 'water bankruptcy,' drought exposes past problems and future threats

Analysts say the underlying causes go back decades — and will rattle the country for much longer than this summer's drought.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 28, 2021

Naomi Osaka’s Olympics exit dashes her hopes of gold on home turf

While the first days of competition have brought some cheer for Japan, the loss of Osaka dealt a sharp emotional blow and generated discussion over the state of her game.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2021

The Olympic mascots aren’t winning any medals

Before the pandemic, the Japanese designer who created the Olympic and Paralympic mascots predicted that they would become the 'face of the Games.” It hasn't quite turned out that way.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 25, 2021

Free speech or secession? 'Liberate Hong Kong' at heart of landmark case

Activists say a ruling to outlaw the slogan will tighten limits on free speech.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2021

IOC's Bach draws ire in Japan over long opening ceremony speech

Olympic boss Thomas Bach spoke for 13 minutes, about twice as long as his Japanese female host, Seiko Hashimoto, prompting a flood of criticism on social media.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 24, 2021

We’re still in the middle of the pandemic. So why do new restaurants keep opening in Tokyo?

Despite the pandemic straining Japan's hospitality industry, new restaurants across the capital continue to open their doors. Has opening during the “new normal” allowed them to adapt?
Japan Times
OLYMPICS / Faces of Tokyo 2020
Jul 24, 2021

Who to watch in three sports making their Olympic debut

A primer on the faces to keep an eye out for in skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 23, 2021

With 50,000 cases a day, one country opens up as another suffers

As richer nations open up, the worst health crisis in a generation continues to sweep the developing world, shuttering economies and dashing livelihoods.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 22, 2021

Imagine the COVID-19 economy before Amazon and Zoom

Online services such as Zoom and Amazon have proven their worth during the pandemic. And COVID-19 may ultimately push our society to learn new ways of using digital technologies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2021

China frictions steer electric automakers away from rare earth magnets

China has grown to dominate production, and with demand on the rise for all forms of renewable energy, analysts say a shortage may lie ahead.

Longform

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