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Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Alphabet, speaks during an event in Mountain View, California, in May.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 30, 2023

Google to add AI models to its cloud platform

The company also touted its access to Nvidia’s H100 accelerators, a prized commodity during the AI frenzy.
Fans of the Malmo soccer team during a match against Elfsborg at the Eleda stadium in Malmo, Sweden, on Nov. 12. While most of Europe’s leagues engage in a Sisyphean quest to source as much money as possible, Sweden has chosen a different model. But its rewards come with risk.
SOCCER
Nov 21, 2023

Business booming after Swedish soccer puts fans before finances

The story surrounding the game is one of rejecting orthodoxy, of asking why sports exist and whom they exist for — but also how hard it is to stand alone.
The floor is painted red for the NBA In-Season Tournament game between the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 3.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Dec 3, 2023

The NBA’s new in-season cup is bringing in viewers

Modeled after cup competitions in European football, the tourney is meant to add some spice to a sometimes bland stretch of the NBA calendar.
The Bulls' court is painted red for their NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Nets at the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 3.
BASKETBALL
Dec 4, 2023

New in-season tournament delivering early returns for NBA

The NBA In-season Tournament was established to add spice to the early part of the season.
Members of the Deokjeok High School baseball team during a tournament in Seoul in August
BASEBALL
Dec 13, 2023

South Korean island is a field of dreams for young baseball hopefuls

A sports academy in remote Deokjeok has breathed life into the island, which was struggling to retain, and attract, youngsters in the aging nation.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hits a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on July 28.
BASEBALL
Aug 20, 2024

A skill with a huge advantage is becoming taboo for young baseball players

Switch-hitters are a dying breed in the major leagues, particularly among Americans.
In Hokkaido’s Niseko ski resort area, a bowl of ramen or soba from a food truck easily goes for more than three times what it costs at a sit-down joint in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY
Feb 18, 2024

¥3,800 ski-slope ramen is a glimpse of Japan’s future

Foreign tourist spending has potential to stimulate growth but needs careful management to ensure equitable distribution of benefits for locals.
Fans cheer during a friendly match between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Kiwoon Heroes ahead of the Major League Baseball Seoul Series in Seoul on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 18, 2024

MLB brings Shohei Ohtani, season openers and big dreams to Seoul

With a set of stars from the region, 2024 is turning out to be baseball’s moment in Asia.
Professor Mutsuko Tendo (right) teaches a class in career development theory at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 24, 2023

Women’s universities in Tohoku seeking to survive with distinctive education

Women's colleges had long been regarded as schools with a focus on home economics and liberal arts, but some are now reorganizing their programs in a bid to attract students.
Hoshoryu (right), joined by Tatsunami stablemaster, participates in a news conference following his promotion to ozeki in Nagoya on Wednesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 27, 2023

Hoshoryu's Nagoya triumph shows enduring power of Mongolian rikishi

Kirishima and Hoshoryu’s promotions to ozeki have shown that the Mongolian era of sumo dominance isn’t close to concluding just yet.
English players in all competitions could receive yellow cards for invading the personal space of a referee under new guidelines released by governing bodies on Monday.
SOCCER
Aug 1, 2023

English soccer authorities launch measures to tackle poor behavior

New rules have also been introduced to address offensive chants, gestures and the display of offensive messages based on "football tragedies."
Japan's Hinata Miyazawa leads the Women's World Cup scoring chart with five goals.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 7, 2023

Surprising Japan emerges as team to beat at Women's World Cup

Wins over Costa Rica and Zambia were expected, but it was the 4-0 thrashing of Spain that made the rest of the tournament sit up and take notice.
Jenni Hermoso celebrates with Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales after Spain's victory in the World Cup final on Sunday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 22, 2023

Spanish soccer boss apologizes for kissing World Cup star

Luis Rubiales planted the kiss on Jenni Hermoso after she collected her medal following the final in Sydney, provoking outrage in Spain.
Kotonowaka surely has his eyes on eventually emulating his grandfather, former grand champion Kotozakura.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 30, 2023

New sumo ranks highlight rise of next generation

Ahead of the autumn tournament in Tokyo, it's the up-and-coming wrestlers who are making waves.
China's Peng Zhou on Wednesday after his team's defeat. China's women's team is a global powerhouse, but the men have failed to meet expectations in recent years despite an infusion of naturalized players from overseas.
BASKETBALL
Aug 31, 2023

Chinese fans despair over Basketball World Cup result

China needed to win their final group match on Wednesday night and hope the other results went their way, but were outclassed 107-89 by Puerto Rico.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police investigators raid the dormitory of the Nihon University football team in Tokyo's Nakano Ward on Aug. 22.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 2, 2023

Nihon University suspends football team over cannabis allegations

Tokyo police searched the team's dormitory on Aug. 22, after more players were suspected of possessing cannabis, investigative sources said.
Niger's Army sergeant and artist Maman Sani Maigochi performs as supporters of Niger's National Council of Safeguard of the Homeland gather at Place de la Concertation in Niamey.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2023

Civilian and military artists back Niger coup with rousing tunes

Videos mix footage from army promotional videos with images of swaying military dancers, against a soundtrack of silky rhythms.
A former boxer (Koichi Sato, left) trying to restart his life in Japan takes on a young trainee (Ryusei Yokohama) with aspirations to win big in “One Last Bloom.”
CULTURE / Film
Sep 7, 2023

‘One Last Bloom’: Pugilist melodrama feels all too familiar

While the film takes the approach of local TV dramas, with broad narrative strokes and a zero-to-hero arc, the boxing scenes deliver insider details.
An Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 8, 2023

Apple grapples with turmoil in China days before iPhone 15 launch

The bans may just be part of a longstanding trend.
Ko Wen-je rides a train from Taipei to Taichung, Taiwan.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 14, 2023

Socially awkward outsider is surprise contender to lead Taiwan

64-year-old Ko Wen-je, a former trauma surgeon, entered politics just a decade ago and is running as a third-party candidate.
Ukraine's Kateryna Volodko hits a return against Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic during a qualifying match prior to the start of the WTA Guangzhou Open in Guangzhou, China, on Saturday.
TENNIS
Sep 17, 2023

Women's tennis returns to China after Peng Shuai boycott

The WTA tournament in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou will be the first in mainland China since 2019.
Shohei Ohtani had surgery on his right elbow in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 20, 2023

Shohei Ohtani not expected to pitch in 2024 after elbow surgery

Shohei Ohtani underwent a procedure on his elbow on Tuesday.
Characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise adorn the front of Super Potato, a well-known retro game shop in Akihabara.
LIFE / Digital
Sep 20, 2023

Let the gaming begin: A guide to Tokyo's video game landmarks

Whether it's arcades, retro finds or chip-tune nightclubs, Japan's capital won't disappoint gamers wanting to geek out.
Elderly people experience taking part in esports in Ono, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Oct 16, 2023

Fukushima town turns to esports as a health tool for the elderly

Ono and Fukushima Medical University have been holding trial sessions and analyzing the effects of gaming experience on cognitive functions.
Yotsuya Otsuka cram school head office in Nakano Ward, Tokyo
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2023

Cram school teacher arrests ignite child safety debate

Two cram school teachers in Tokyo were arrested for allegedly taking photos of a female student's underwear and sharing them on a group chat.
Both the 2028 and 2032 editions of soccer's European Championship will be cohosted, governing body UEFA has announced.
SOCCER
Oct 11, 2023

U.K. and Ireland to host Euro 2028; Italy and Turkey awarded Euro 2032

Both bids ran unopposed but still needed official approval from European soccer's governing body, which they received at a meeting in Switzerland.
Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, first came to Japan in 1990 as the bass player in Beats International. He says he shares a similar sense of silliness with Japanese people, and that is part of what keeps drawing him back to the country.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 13, 2023

Fatboy Slim: 'Let's just be stupid for one night'

The DJ shares his love of soccer and silliness with fans during his two-city Japan tour.
The BayStars' Shugo Maki addresses the crowd after the team's final home game of the regular season.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Oct 13, 2023

Third-place squads face long road to Japan Series

Only two teams have reached the Japan Series after finishing the regular season in third place.
Albirex's Moemi Nishibuchi (left) and Sanfrecce's Manaka Matsumoto contest for a header during the final of the 2023 WE League Cup in Kawasaki on Saturday.
SOCCER
Oct 14, 2023

Sanfrecce outlasts Albirex for WE League Cup title

The sister team of three-time J. League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima earned its first major trophy since its 2020 inception.
Lotte's Hiromi Oka slides home to score the winning run against SoftBank in Game 3 of the PL Climax Series first stage in Chiba on Monday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 17, 2023

Marines and Carp hope to maintain Climax Series momentum

The CL and PL league champions, the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes, will enter the fray with places in the Japan Series on the line.

Longform

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