Search - 2022

 
 
Urawa Reds midfielder Kaito Yasui takes aim at the Hanoi FC goal during his club's road defeat at the hands of the Vietnamese side on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Dec 7, 2023

Title holders Urawa Reds dumped out of Asian Champions League

An 87th minute penalty condemned Maciej Skorza's side to defeat when they needed a win to have any hope of advancing.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak greets Rwandan President Paul Kagame at Downing Street in London on May 4.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 7, 2023

Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda bill seeks to waive some human rights law

Deportation plan to deter asylum-seekers from France is one of his key pledges to U.K. voters ahead of polls that he must call in 14 months.
A field study by elementary school students takes place in the Izawa River basin in Shiso, Hyogo Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 24, 2023

Unveiling Shiso, a hidden gem of nature and coexistence

With 90% of its area covered by forest, the Hyogo city boasts picturesque streams and a bounty of access points to refreshing natural spring water.
Naomi Osaka in action during the third round of the Australian Open in January 2022
TENNIS
Dec 7, 2023

Osaka and Nadal set for Grand Slam comebacks in Australia

Osaka gave birth to daughter Shai in July and has not played since September 2022, having also struggled with her mental health.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is questioned about fundraising parties by reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Explainer
Dec 7, 2023

Understanding the LDP political funding scandal and its implications

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his ruling LDP are in hot water over suspicions that party factions underreported funds for years.
Chinese fast-fashion upstart Shein has excelled with its offering of $9 hoodies and other bargain-basement apparel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2023

Amazon targets Shein with fee cuts for cheap apparel sellers

Rare move by U.S. e-commerce giant shows its intent of muscling into Chinese fast-fashion upstart's territory.
Remains of a Yayoi Period building found on the former British Embassy property in Tokyo
JAPAN / Society
Dec 7, 2023

Yayoi Period village remains found on former British Embassy grounds

Despite the discovery, construction on the site is set to continue after the excavation of the area concludes in March.
The Climate Action Network holds an event at the venue of the U.N. climate change conferences in Dubai on Sunday to give its 'fossil' award to countries including Japan.
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 7, 2023

Feeling anxious? Wastewater, heat and Japan’s year in climate

In a year that saw Japan release 24,000 tons of wastewater (so far) from Fukushima No. 1 as the planet smashed heat records, it’s no wonder climate anxiety is on the rise. Mara Budgen joins us to break down the year in environment news, where we could see hope, and what we should be worried about....
Actress Midori Suiren (center), filmmaker Kenzo Kaga (right) and cinematographer Shin Hayasaka attend a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 7, 2023

Actors say sexual abuse is a structural problem in Japan’s film industry

Despite the revelation of Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual abuse, the actors say their claims are being trivialized as personal relationship issues.
Team Europe's Jon Rahm lines up a putt during the Ryder Cup in Rome in October. The two-time major champion is heading to LIV Golf after signing a mega-deal with the PGA Tour rival.
MORE SPORTS
Dec 8, 2023

Jon Rahm joins LIV in deal reportedly worth over $300 million

The Spaniard's deal is another hit for the PGA Tour as it races to finalize an agreement to ally with the Saudi-backed league.
The Columbus Crew are seeking their third MLS title and Los Angeles FC are aiming for back-to-back championships in Saturday's MLS Cup final.
SOCCER
Dec 8, 2023

Clash of styles between Columbus and LAFC awaits in MLS Cup

The days when MLS teams had largely the same sort of approach are gone with the increase in players and coaches from around the world.
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.
A monitor at a foreign exchange transaction firm in Tokyo shows the yen strengthening to ¥141 to the dollar early Friday. Comments from BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda on Thursday, along with remarks from one of his deputies on Wednesday, jolted financial markets in Tokyo and globally.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 8, 2023

Yen extends rally to second day as traders bet on early BOJ hike

The rally in the yen spilled over into a second day as traders wagered that the Bank of Japan will scrap the world’s last negative interest-rate regime much sooner than previously thought.
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.
Cinema at Sea film festival entry “God Is a Woman,” directed by Andres Peyrot, examines the complex feelings the Kuna, indigenous people living on Panama’s San Blas Islands, have about an unreleased documentary made about them in 1975.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2023

Cinema at Sea festival highlights diversity and unheard voices

The inaugural event for the film festival in Naha, Okinawa, boasted a strong lineup of features from places and peoples underrepresented in world cinema.
Demonstrators call for action on climate change and environmental justice during a march in Washington in July 2018.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2023

There can be no climate justice if rich countries don’t pay

Rich countries are responsible for the climate crisis and it's only fair that they bear the burgeoning costs that poorer nations are having to pay.
Kubura fishing port and Kubura district on the island of Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2023

Frontier islanders decry lack of plan to aid fleeing Taiwanese

Concerned about the potential for a China-Taiwan conflict, Japan has embarked on its biggest defense buildup since World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to present medals to soldiers in Moscow on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2023

Putin, bidding to cement his legacy, will seek re-election

In the absence of genuine political opposition, Putin is all but assured of winning another six-year term that will prolong his authoritarian grip.
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan (left), South Korean national security adviser Cho Tae-yong (center) and secretary-general of Japan's National Security Secretariat, Takeo Akiba, at a news conference in Seoul on Saturday.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2023

Japan, U.S., South Korea to step up action on North's cyberthreats

The national security advisers of the three countries met in Seoul on Saturday as Pyongyang warned that it would deploy more spy satellites.
Drag queens (from left) Trinity the Tuck, Manila Luzon and Kylie Sonique Love headlined the most recent edition of Opulence, Tokyo's fast-growing drag performance extravaganza.
CULTURE / Stage
Dec 10, 2023

The opulence of Manila Luzon

The Asian American drag queen who rose to stardom after a stint on "RuPaul's Drag Race" pays things forward with her Philippines-based show "Drag Den."
Japanese Environment Minister Shintaro Ito speaks to reporters in Dubai on Saturday during COP28.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2023

Japan to calculate 'blue carbon' amount in emissions cut

Japan aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 46% in fiscal 2030 from the fiscal 2013 level and reduce them to virtually zero by 2050.
Shakhtar Donetsk players celebrate defender Mykola Matviyenko scoring the opening goal against Antwerp during a UEFA Champion's League Group H match in Hamburg on Nov. 28.
SOCCER
Dec 11, 2023

War-torn Shakhtar Donetsk looks to Saudi Arabia for financial boost

Deals with clubs in the Saudi Pro League may lead to lucrative player transfers and exhibition matches in the Gulf nation next season.
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.
Central Dublin, near where recent protests and riots took place. The uproar came after a stabbing attack left three young children and two adults injured.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 11, 2023

Dublin’s riot was not a surprise to those who watch the far right

The disorder on Nov. 23 may have appeared to come from nowhere. But experts say it showed deep social problems and an emboldened anti-immigrant movement.
The newly built city of Nusantara is scheduled to become the capital of Indonesia in 2024 and aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2045.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 11, 2023

Indonesia’s new capital aims to be a net zero model city

Nusantara, Indonesia's future capital, is being built with climate solutions at its core. The city hopes to inspire others to do the same.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 11, 2023

Kishida likely to shake up Cabinet in wake of political funds scandal

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is reportedly considering removing all members of the faction once led by his late predecessor Shinzo Abe.
Nio workers inspect a vehicle on an assembly line at the automaker’s factory in Hefei, China. China misjudged the rapid expansion of its electric vehicle sector, leaving a shortfall of skilled technicians as young people shun manufacturing careers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 11, 2023

China’s electric car factories can’t hire fast enough

A frenzy of construction and expansion of factories has made electricians and robotics specialists a hot commodity.
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.
Parents take their children for infusion treatment at a hospital in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Friday.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 12, 2023

China’s battle with child pneumonia shows risks of drug resistance

In China nearly 80% of child cases of mycoplasma pneumoniae are resistant to macrolides, compared with under 10% elsewhere.
Cybersecurity is a growing concern in Taiwan as the island sits at the center of U.S.-China tensions and has a critical presidential election in January.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 12, 2023

Taiwan taps experts and U.S. to prepare banks for cyberattacks

Officials in Taipei are consulting security experts from the U.S. Treasury Department and American cybersecurity specialists to simulate attacks.

Longform

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