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An abandoned house in Urayama, Saitama Prefecture. Buying an <i>akiya</i>, which means empty house in Japanese, can be a rewarding experience that yields a unique space and a livable home, competitively priced. Or it could turn out to be a money pit.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 2, 2024

First lesson of Japan’s akiya gold rush: No such thing as a free house.

Renovations are usually the most expensive part of the journey and the laundry list of what needs to be done is long and tends to get longer after the process starts.
Myanmar Prime Minister and State Administrative Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing said the census data collected from Oct. 1 to 15 will be used to hold a general election next year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 2, 2024

Myanmar junta announces census for promised 2025 election

Opponents say the census in the first half of October is a ploy by the junta to collect information from the people that they will use to terrorize them.
Daikin's air conditioners for sale at a home appliances store in Mumbai
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024

Daikin, world’s No. 1 air-conditioner maker, to expand capacity in India

The Japanese company has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire an additional 13.4 hectares to build a new plant near its current factory in southern India.
Cars are assembled at a Maruti Suzuki manufacturing plant in Manesar, India, in September 2023. Suzuki is one of the success stories for Japanese manufacturers trying to establish joint ventures in India, having become a household name in the country.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 29, 2024

For Japanese companies in India, local staff are an invaluable resource

The roots of Japanese investment in India go far back, to 1958, when the latter became the first country to receive official development assistance from Japan.
Poland's Iga Swiatek smiles after defeating Russia's Liudmila Samsonova on Day 8 of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City on Monday.
TENNIS
Sep 3, 2024

Swiatek and Medvedev cruise into U.S. Open quarterfinals

Top seed Swiatek showcased her all-court game in a straightforward 6-4 6-1 win over Russian Liudmila Samsonova.
Kyoto International High Shool's baseball team receives a champion flag after winning the Japanese High School Baseball Championship final at Koshien Stadium in Hyogo Prefecture on Aug. 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 31, 2024

A high school baseball championship and Japan-South Korea relations

The reactions to Kyoto International High School winning the National High School Baseball Championship, both in Japan and South Korea, were intriguing.
Japan's Naoya Inoue (left) and Ireland's TJ Doheny fight during their super bantamweight title match at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Sep 3, 2024

'Monster' Inoue eyeing Vegas bout after stopping injured Doheny

The unbeaten Inoue was declared the winner when Doheny was left hobbling and unable to continue following a barrage to the body.
Linda Sun, a former aide to New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, exits Brooklyn Federal court after she was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of China’s government in New York on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2024

Ex-aide to New York governor charged with acting as Chinese agent

Federal prosecutors said Linda Sun was acting as an agent of the Chinese government in exchange for millions of dollars in compensation and gifts.
One survey revealed that 68% of recruiters admit to appearance-based hiring and 96% say interviews are influenced by visual impressions, which is why many employment experts advise job hunters to invest significantly in their appearance.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 4, 2024

Why do I need a photo on my resume to apply for a job in Japan?

It is time to build a recruitment system in Japan that rewards people’s talents, irrespective of their looks
Beyond losing the American market, China is losing some of its own manufacturing companies, which are shifting parts of their production to countries such as Vietnam and Mexico to avoid U.S. tariffs.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 4, 2024

The rise and coming fall of Chinese manufacturing

Despite China's significant investments in technology, the decline of its manufacturing sector seems inevitable.
Pasocom Music Club’s “Love Flutter” marks an important moment for Japan’s electronic community as project members Aoi Shibata (left) and Masato Nishiyama step into a role other artists once held for them — scene veterans who are inspiring the next generation.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 5, 2024

Pasocom Music Club returns to the pure pleasures of the dance floor

For the Kansai-born duo, new album “Love Flutter” isn’t just an evolution of its sound — it’s the next step in pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
American Jessica Pegula serves to Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's quarterfinal on Wednesday at the U.S. Open in New York.
TENNIS
Sep 5, 2024

Pegula stuns Swiatek at U.S. Open as Americans continue to surge

Pegula swept past 2022 champion and four-time French Open winner Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 to reach a maiden semifinal at the majors after falling in six quarterfinals.
A factory operated by metal processing company Iwanuma Seiko, which has been entrusted with work involving the space industry for the first time
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Sep 17, 2024

Small firms in Tohoku showcase technologies in growing space sector

The government plans to boost the space technology market, leading to hopes of a space industry ecosystem in the region.
Imanaga (12-3) struck out seven and walked two while throwing 95 pitches for the Cubs before he was pulled. Relievers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge completed the no-hitter.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 5, 2024

Shota Imanaga and the Cubs combine to no-hit Pirates

Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge each tossed a perfect inning to complete the 18th no-hitter in franchise history.
Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei competes at the world championships in Budapest in August 2023.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Sep 6, 2024

Outrage and sorrow at death of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei

Cheptegei's murder was the latest horrific act of gender-based violence in the East African country, where activists have warned of a rising femicide epidemic.
A voter casts a mail-in ballot at a drop box outside the Maricopa County Recorder and Elections Department's southeast Mesa office during the Arizona state primary election in Mesa, Arizona, on July 30.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 6, 2024

U.S. election prompts cities to get a grip on fake news

Local officials are increasingly forced to address false information about public health, migration, and urban planning strategies, which intensify during polls.
Bangladeshi military personnel stand guard at an empty police station in Dhaka on Aug. 9. The U.S. and Western nations have sacrificed democracy for geopolitics, evident in Bangladesh’s chaos and violence after the prime minister was recently forced from power.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 6, 2024

The Western world's stealthy assault on democracy

Elections alone — even if competitive — do not guarantee popular empowerment or adherence to constitutional rules, especially when the military holds decisive power.
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney looks on during the primary election night party of Republican candidate Liz Cheney in Jackson, Wyoming, in August 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 7, 2024

Republican former VP Dick Cheney says he will vote for Kamala Harris

Some Republicans upset with former President Donald Trump's control over their party and his actions have recently thrown support behind Harris.
Sergei Kiriyenko, who is the first deputy head in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration, oversaw a yearslong Kremlin operation to meddle in U.S. elections and use disinformation to promote pro-Russian narratives online, according to a 277-page affidavit that U.S. officials unsealed Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 7, 2024

The evolution of Putin’s aide accused of gaming the U.S. election

The head of a Russian propaganda campaign that allegedly aimed to influence the upcoming U.S. elections began as a liberal politician.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a meeting on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2024

Japan to enhance evacuation system for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant

The move is aimed at gaining the understanding of Niigata Prefecture residents for a restart of the plant before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida steps down this autumn.
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft can be seen pulling away from the International Space Station for its unmanned return to the surface of Earth on Friday in this screenshot.
WORLD / Science & Health
Sep 7, 2024

Boeing's beleaguered Starliner back home empty

The gumdrop-shaped capsule touched down softly at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, its descent slowed by parachutes and cushioned by airbags.
Randhir Singh attends the opening ceremony for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September 2023.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 7, 2024

More sponsors and better marketing top agenda for new Asian Games chief

A five-time Olympic shooter, Randhir Singh is the lone eligible candidate for the OCA president's post and his elevation will be confirmed Sunday.
Nuns walk past a banner on Saturday erected to welcome Pope Francis ahead of his visit in Dili, East Timor.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 8, 2024

Child abuse scandals hang over pope's East Timor visit

There are calls for the 87-year-old pontiff to speak out on child abuse when he lands in the former Portuguese colony Monday as part of his Asia-Pacific tour.
England interim manager Lee Carsley watches the team prepare for its match against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
SOCCER
Sep 9, 2024

England interim manager Lee Carsley takes confidence from win over Ireland

Carsley has been installed as caretaker while England searches for a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate.
Fukuoka Prefecture Medical Association executive director Takeshi Inamitsu said schools should take the initiative in deciding the methods used and things to be checked during their students' health exams.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Sep 16, 2024

Students' clothing at school health checkups comes into focus

Doctors worry signs of illnesses or abuse may be overlooked if examinations are performed in gym clothes or other clothing as urged by the education ministry.
A woman walks along a road in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 20, 2023. Three years into its rule, the Taliban has codified its harsh Islamic decrees into law that now includes a ban on women’s voices in public.
WORLD / Society
Sep 9, 2024

With new Taliban manifesto, Afghan women fear the worst

A large majority of the prohibitions have been in place for much of the Taliban’s three years in power, squeezing Afghan women out of public life.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeking recognition as atomic bomb victims hold up a sign saying "Partial victory" in Nagasaki on Monday, after the Nagasaki District Court recognized some of them as hibakusha.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2024

Nagasaki court recognizes some plaintiffs as A-bomb victims

The court ordered the issuing of atomic bomb survivor's certificates to 15 of the 44 plaintiffs in the lawsuit, four of whom have already died.
Economic security minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 9, 2024

Sanae Takaichi unveils LDP president bid with call for party's rebirth

In an announcement laden with detailed policy proposals, the economic security minister says the party needs to be “reborn” in the wake of its slush funds scandal.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a speech Monday marking the 76th anniversary of his country's founding to reiterate a pledge to exponentially increase the number of nuclear weapons Pyongyang possesses.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 10, 2024

North Korea's Kim says 'no limit' on number of nukes country builds

The policy is a response to the “grave threat” posed by an expanding U.S.-led “nuclear-based military bloc” surrounding his country, he said.
James Earl Jones in the Broadway revival of "Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater in New York in March 2012. Jones, once a stuttering farm child who became a voice of rolling thunder as one of America’s most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career that plumbed race relations, Shakespeare’s rhapsodic tragedies and the faceless menace of Darth Vader, died on Monday at his home in Dutchess County, New York. He was 93.
CULTURE / Film
Sep 10, 2024

James Earl Jones, actor whose voice could menace or melt, dies at 93

He gave life to characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King,” and went on to collect Tonys, Golden Globes, Emmys and an honorary Oscar.

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