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For a billionaire with a mission to prevent climate change, “He greened the energy policy of the world’s fourth-biggest economy (Japan),” would make a hell of an epitaph for Mike Cannon-Brookes. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 29, 2024

An activist investor could green Japan for $700 million

For a billionaire with a mission to prevent climate change, "Greened the energy policy of the world’s fourth-biggest economy” would make a hell of an epitaph.
Inside a gallery influenced by famed architect Kengo Kuma, Nakamura Ningyo's Hakata dolls represent a little-seen side of Japanese crafts.
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 7, 2024

From Godzilla to martyrs, Hakata doll-making knows no bounds

Since its establishment in Fukuoka in 1917, Nakamura Ningyo has been a cornerstone of the Hakata doll tradition.
Flags of the Vatican and East Timor wave at the Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport ahead of Pope Francis' visit in Dili on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 8, 2024

Pope Francis visit keenly awaited in deeply Catholic East Timor

When Pope Francis touches down in the East Timorese capital of Dili this week he will be landing in a totally different nation to the one visited by his predecessor.
Shohei Ohtani connects on his 50th home run of the season during the seventh inning against the Marlins in Miami on Thursday. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 20, 2024

Shohei Ohtani records baseball's first 50-50 season with huge night in Miami

Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo delivers his annual State of the Nation Address, ahead of the country's Independence Day, in Jakarta on Aug. 16.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 14, 2024

A decade of Joko Widodo: Popular Indonesian leader leaves rocky legacy

When Widodo steps down on Oct. 20, he will leave Indonesia in the hands of Prabowo Subianto, the former son-in-law of an authoritarian ruler.
Toyota Research Institute and Boston Dynamics are set to conduct research on use cases for AI-trained robots in areas such as human-robot interaction.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2024

Toyota joins with Hyundai's Boston Dynamics on AI-powered robots

Toyota has said it has made a breakthrough with artificial intelligence in teaching robots to learn.
The South Korean Coast Guard vessel Taepyongyang, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Waesche and the Japan Coast Guard vessel Wakasa patrol in formation during a trilateral exercise in the Sea of Japan in June.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 23, 2024

With ramped-up activities, U.S. Coast Guard plots greater Indo-Pacific role

The move comes at a time when a growing number of coast guards in the region are becoming deeply involved in patrolling disputed waters.
General Motors CEO Mary Barrabefore an investor meeting in Spring Hill, Tennessee, on Oct. 8. Barra said that the company had fixed battery-manufacturing problems and that its electric vehicles would soon be profitable.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 24, 2024

Electric vehicles may be struggling. GM’s leader is still a believer.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the company is still committed to doing away with combustion engine cars in the United States by 2035.
Search and rescue team members and a member of the Spanish Civil Guard look for bodies following flooding in Chiva, Spain, on Saturday.
WORLD
Nov 3, 2024

Amid flood cleanup in Spain, residents try to make sense of the disaster

Some blamed climate change, while others pointed toward politicians, who sounded the alarm only after the flood was already raging.
A worker clears away snow as last-minute grocery shoppers leave a Market Basket supermarket during a fast-moving winter storm in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Feb. 13.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 5, 2024

In a changing climate, retailers turn to weather data predictions

Weather data, once used strictly for inventory planning, is now helping retailers localize advertising and decide when to discount seasonal items such as sweaters.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy walk together while meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 26.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2024

Smile, flatter and barter: How the world is prepping for Trump part II

Foreign leaders have rushed to ingratiate themselves with Donald J. Trump in recent days, nervously recalling the clashes, insults and feuds of his first presidency.
The time and location for Amapinight parties are never certain, but two things you can be assured of when attending are that there will be dancing and a lot of amapiano.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 24, 2024

There's no room for wallflowers at Amapinight

From amapiano to dancehall, Japanese dancers and DJs are moving the masses with African beats at Tokyo's most energetic party.
Pan Gongsheng
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 29, 2023

China’s central bank chief is taskmaster Xi couldn’t let retire

Pan Gongsheng is expected to turn around growth slowdown for the world's second largest economy and safeguard the $60 trillion domestic financial system.
American skateboarder Nyjah Huston, seen at a party in Beverly Hills, California, celebrating the one-year countdown to the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, says he has recovered from an ACL tear he suffered a year ago.
MORE SPORTS / Skateboarding
Aug 1, 2023

American Nyjah Huston ramping up for Olympic redemption in Paris

The 33-year-old said his Tokyo 2020 performance was not too surprising given he had struggled at other fan-free competitions during the pandemic.
Paris Saint-Germain players line up before the team's club friendly against Inter Milan at Tokyo's National Stadium on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Aug 2, 2023

Second straight tour shows PSG's commitment to Japanese market

The French superclub has experienced explosive growth in its global base, especially in Asia, since its 2011 takeover by Qatari ownership.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visit an exhibition of military equipment on July 27.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 8, 2023

North Korean hackers breached top Russian missile-maker

Experts say the incident shows how the isolated country will even target its allies in a bid to acquire critical technologies.
If you've come to the realization that divorce is the only way forward, there are a host of details about the Japanese marriage system to confirm before you're finally ready to cut ties.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Aug 21, 2023

Navigating the notorious gauntlet of divorce in Japan

Everyone wishes for “happily ever after” no matter where you’re from, but Japan recorded 1,671 bicultural divorces in 2021.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, right, speaks during a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Beijing on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 29, 2023

U.S. commerce secretary says trade can stabilize U.S.-China ties

The trip to China this week is a key test of efforts by Washington to ease tensions while holding firm on what it considers national security interests.
Buildings in Guangzhou, China. Aside from short-term solutions, economists see three options for China to restructure its economy.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 4, 2023

Part of China's economic miracle was a mirage. Reality check is next.

While many analysts see a slow drift towards Japan-style stagnation as the most likely outcome, there is also the prospect of a more severe crunch.
Arm U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

Arm’s CEO is pitching a made-for-you chip strategy ahead of IPO

The company is shifting its strategy, now focusing on doing complex design work on specific products, tailored for what it sees as key areas of growth.
Lina Khan, chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), speaks during an interview in Washington on Tuesday. The FTC has sued Amazon.com, accusing the e-commerce giant of monopolizing online marketplace services by degrading quality for shoppers and overcharging sellers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023

U.S. trade watchdog sues Amazon.com in landmark antitrust case

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and 17 states accuse the e-commerce giant of excluding rivals in online marketplace services and stifling competition.
Yvie Oddly poses in front of Eagle Tokyo Blue, a Ni-chome bar instrumental in organizing many events around the Japan visits of "RuPaul's Drag Race" stars.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 2, 2023

A 'Drag Race' tour brings inspiration and profits

When the competitors of "RuPaul's Drag Race" come through Tokyo, the local scene gets a major boost.
A Palm Sunday procession makes its way toward a government-sanctioned Catholic church in Youtong village in China's Hebei province
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2023

The Holy See shows how to deal with China

In China, the relationship between politics and religion is unique, and the Holy See has adopted a sophisticated approach to diplomacy with Beijing.
Ukrainian and Russian forces fight for control of the city of Bakhmut in May. Elon Musk asked why so many American lawmakers care more about what happens in Ukraine than the migrant crisis at the U.S. border.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 4, 2023

Message for Elon: We must keep supporting Ukraine

Elon Musk asked, "Why do so many American politicians from both parties care 100 times more about the Ukraine border than the USA border?”
Smoke billows following Israeli strikes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 13, 2023

Israel calls for all civilians to leave Gaza City

Israeli said it would operate "significantly" in the coming days and that civilians would only be able to return when another announcement was made.
Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka in September.
ENVIRONMENT / ANALYSIS
Oct 19, 2023

Can pre-disaster cash and aid help fix climate loss and damage?

Anticipatory action can help avert the worst effects of climate-related disasters.
Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2023

Giorgia Meloni defied doubters to survive a year in Italy. Now it gets harder.

The far-right label applied to Meloni for most of her career may be too simplistic for a politician who demonstrates flexibility and pragmatism.
Protests in Shinjuku, Tokyo, last November, echoed demonstrations in several major Chinese cities that called for an end to Chinese President Xi Jinping's draconian “zero-COVID” policy.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 28, 2023

Chinese intellectuals increasingly attracted to Tokyo

An increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic has driven some graduates to Japan.
Staff members work at a desk next to an exhibition for Shenzhen's metro carbon inclusion project, inside a subway station in Pingshan district of Shenzhen on Oct. 19.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / ANALYSIS
Nov 27, 2023

China turns to households in fight to slash carbon emissions

"Carbon inclusion" programs aim to help transform the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter into a carbon-neutral country by 2060.
A Walmart worker organizes products for the Christmas season in 2016.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 30, 2023

Walmart shifts to India and reduces imports from China

The shift shows how the rising cost of importing from China and escalating political tensions are pushing U.S. firms to import more from other countries.

Longform

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