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Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa attends a news conference during the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday. The Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas on Israel fundamentally changed the nature of this year's meeting.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 9, 2023

Dispelling myths about Japan’s ‘balanced’ Middle East diplomacy

Unfortunately, many in the Japanese media do not seem to understand what is really happening in the Middle East.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at the Thailand Economic Outlook conference in Bangkok in October
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Thailand’s 'salesman' PM travels the world to court investments

Srettha Thavisin is acting as Thailand’s chief salesman, enticing tourists, investors and anything or anyone that can support the nation’s growth.
Palestinian families fleeing Gaza City and other parts of northern Gaza toward southern areas, walk along a highway on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

Israel commits to more limited pauses in Gaza Strip fighting

Israel will enact "tactical local pauses for humanitarian aid, which are limited in time and area,” an Israeli army spokesperson said.
Hiroyuki Hosoda is elected as Lower House Speaker in November 2021.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

Former Lower House speaker and LDP heavyweight Hiroyuki Hosoda dies

The seasoned lawmaker served in key posts in the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including as chief Cabinet secretary.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks with entrepreneur Elon Musk during a chat session on the rewards and risks of artificial intelligence in London, earlier this month.
EDITORIALS
Nov 10, 2023

Can the world harness AI’s fire without getting burned?

Calls are increasing for governance of artificial intelligence, the world-changing tech that bears both major rewards and risks.
David Joiner’s books all share a detailed focus on local arts and crafts . In his latest book, “The Heron Catchers,” "kutaniyaki" ceramics of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, take center stage.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2023

Location is everything in 'The Heron Catchers'

Author David Joiner ties the local crafts and literary history of Ishikawa Prefecture's Yamanaka Onsen into his new novel.
The word Wagner is carved into the wall of a Ukrainian school previously occupied by Russian soldiers. A force led by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s former bodyguard is trying to recruit veterans of the paramilitary force, which mutinied against Moscow and whose leader was killed in a plane crash.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2023

Russia steps up efforts to lure Wagner veterans back to Ukraine war

Four former Russian inmates who fought with Wagner in eastern Ukraine said they had received calls and messages offering new military contracts.
Alexandra Skochilenko, a 33-year-old artist charged with spreading false information about Russia's armed forces, is escorted during a court hearing in St. Petersburg on Nov. 8.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2023

Lawyers seek release of Russian artist who staged anti-war protest

Alexandra Skochilenko has spent over 1½ years in prison in St. Petersburg as the Russian legal system deals with her case.
Acts represented by the talent agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates have not been included in this year’s lineup for “Kohaku Uta Gassen,” public broadcaster NHK’s annual New Year’s Eve musical show.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 13, 2023

NHK ditches Johnny's acts for year-end musical bonanza

For the first time in 44 years, performers represented by the beleaguered talent agency will not appear on "Kohaku Uta Gassen."
The curtain is closing on the Lee dynasty's leadership of Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his resignation, which could come next year, and the handing of power to deputy Lawrence Wong.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 10, 2023

Singapore contemplates the end of the Lee political era

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced his resignation, marking the end of his dynasty's leadership and a new chapter in Singapore's politics.
Young monks practice writing Tibetan at a monastery in Yushu, China. Beijing has restricted the teaching and practice of minority languages and religions.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2023

China’s new law on religion: A great leap backward

Beijing's new law on religious venues has received little attention but has far-reaching consequences in restricting religious freedom.
Nepali security personnel stand guard at Pokhara International Airport in Pokhara, Nepal, ahead of the arrival of the first international flight from China on June 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 13, 2023

Nepal is investigating new airport made by China

A few engineers who had worked on the airport said that building quality had been compromised and that the project’s infrastructure was not sound.
Patients and internally displaced people at Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Friday amid ongoing battles between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 15, 2023

Israel raids Gaza's Shifa hospital in operation targeting Hamas

Israel has said that Hamas has a command center underneath Shifa hospital, the biggest in Gaza.
Executives were scrambling for seats for dinner with Xi or to be put on a waiting list, according to people familiar with the situation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 15, 2023

Elon Musk among cadre of CEOs hoping to woo China’s Xi

CEO summit on the sidelines of APEC will coincide with the most challenging trade climate in a generation.
Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida take part in a news conference in September 2021 in the lead-up to the Liberal Democratic Party presidential race.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 15, 2023

Takaichi makes another play to become the next PM

With the creation of a new study group, Cabinet minister Sanae Takaichi aims to build support for her bid for the top political job.
Members of the ruling parties announce a proposal on Unification Church asset protection in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 15, 2023

Lawmakers submit proposal to revise law on Unification Church assets

A group of lawmakers has submitted proposals to amend existing laws governing religious organizations, aiming to prevent the outflow of church funds.
Students engage in group work during a class at Ogawara Elementary School in Ogawara, Miyagi Prefecture, in September.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Nov 20, 2023

Small Miyagi town excels in national test amid education reforms

This year the average percentage of correct answers by Ogawara's sixth graders in the National Achievement Test was one of the highest.
Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole went 15-4 and led the league in ERA (2.63) on his way to his first Cy Young Award.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 16, 2023

Yankees' Gerrit Cole and Padres' Blake Snell win Cy Young Awards

Cole received all 30 first-place votes to become the 11th unanimous winner in the American League.
Palestinians flee northern Gaza on Sunday as Israeli tanks roll deeper into the enclave amid the ongoing conflict. 
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 16, 2023

Where is outrage against Hamas over Gaza’s death toll?

Palestinian deaths weren’t a bug in Hamas' plan but an essential part of it.
U.S. President Joe Biden greets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Woodside, California, on Nov. 15.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Nov 21, 2023

'Offensive' and 'defensive' diplomacy: Managing ties with China

Since the 20th National Congress of the CCP, in October last year, Beijing has been seeking to maintain a balance.
Ministers gather for a Cabinet meeting on Friday at Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 17, 2023

Japan enacts bill to raise annual pay of PM and ministers

The prime minister's annual salary will be raised by ¥460,000 to ¥40.61 million.
Visitors stroll through a tunnel of autumn maple leaves at Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture on Nov. 4.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Nov 19, 2023

Fall is the new summer: Warming threatens Japan’s cultural calendar

Climate change is disrupting Japan’s autumn and seasonal experiences, and with it the rhythm of people’s lives.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to face further headwinds at home, despite efforts to highlight his diplomatic achievements.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2023

Kishida focuses on diplomacy amid poor public support rates

Showing off his contribution to the discussions at the APEC summit, the prime minister expressed his eagerness to continue with diplomacy. 
An Israeli soldier gestures from a tank, near a border area with Gaza, in southern Israel, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 19, 2023

Is Israel’s military strategy to eradicate Hamas working?

Israel is making progress in ground control of Gaza, but it has not vanquished Hamas or freed most of the hostages as global condemnation grows.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and others place a paper rose on an Liberal Democratic Party candidate's name to indicate a victory in the Upper House election, at the party's headquarters in Tokyo in July 2022.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2023

Criminal complaint filed against LDP factions over political funds

According to the complaint, the five LDP organizations are suspected of failing to list the names of organizations that paid more than ¥200,000 at events.
Japan's culture of floor-sitting stretches back to ancient times. Only in the last 60 years has it faced off against a new lifestyle brought along by the rapid spread of chairs and other high furniture.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Longform
Nov 20, 2023

Has Japan mastered sitting?

Sitting is a deceptively simple act. But the story of sitting in Japan spans centuries of culture, politics and religion.
Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te (left), presidential candidate from the Democratic Progressive Party, introduces Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan's de facto envoy to the United States, as his running mate in the 2024 election, during a news conference at Lai's campaign headquarters in Taipei on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 20, 2023

Taiwan presidential front-runner taps U.S. envoy as running mate

Lai Ching-te tapped Hsiao Bi-khim, a fluent English speaker who had been Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the U.S., to join him on the DPP ticket.
Australia captain Pat Cummins celebrates after the Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad, India, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Cricket
Nov 20, 2023

Pat Cummins hails Australia's World Cup title as 'pinnacle in cricket'

The match was a personal triumph for Cummins, whose decision to field first was vindicated.
People use smartphones on the street in Tokyo in January 2019.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Nov 20, 2023

The NTT Law — a guard against monopoly, or barrier to innovation?

Some say the law regulating the telecom giant stops it from competing against the likes of Google, but others say it contains vital market protections.
Communication is important in a relationship, especially when you and your spouse grew up speaking different languages. Learn a few phrases that show you care.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 22, 2023

A few small expressions can go a long way in your relationship

As we celebrate Couple's Day in Japan, let's review ways to tell your special someone how great they are.

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