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A battery charge technology display at the Engie pavilion at the Paris Motor Show on Tuesday. Japan's EV market share remains significantly lower than in other countries, with only 2.2% of cars sold being battery EVs, compared to 18% in France and 25% in China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 18, 2024

Japan hopes electric cars are just a bad dream

Automakers face many setbacks in electrification, but Japan uniquely argues that the shift is not only logistically challenging but fundamentally misconceived.
Voters listen to a candidate for the upcoming Lower House election in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 21, 2024

Ruling camp likely to win Lower House majority: polls

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, however, may not reach a majority of at least 233 seats on its own amid public backlash over its slush fund scandal.
An electric stock board at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, operated by Japan Exchange Group, in Tokyo on April 19
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 21, 2024

Asian IPOs set for blockbuster week as ‘animal spirits’ return

Asian markets are seeing a return of "animal spirits," or changes in market behavior often driven by emotions.
The New Zealand team celebrates after winning the America's Cup title in Barcelona on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 21, 2024

New Zealand beats Britain to defend America's Cup

The dominant Kiwis lifted the world's oldest international sporting trophy for the third consecutive time.
Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, Manchester City has gone from a middling team to winning six of the last seven Premier League titles, an unprecedented success in over 130 years of English soccer.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Soccer needs to avoid a tyranny of the rich

A dispute between the Premier League and Manchester City has both sides claiming victory.
Having learned from the experience of losing in the last election and from actions taken by similar movements elsewhere, another Trump administration would be far more effective at wielding — and maintaining — power.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Why another Trump term would be worse than the first

A political movement with autocratic tendencies often becomes more ruthless and effective after experiencing electoral defeat.
The members of Mareo! (Francisca Silva, Ernesto Duboy and Camila Sanchez) are on their second tour of Japan. And among the performances this time around was a gig at an Osaka high school.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 21, 2024

Chilean trio Mareo! is on a lengthy tour to help grow its Latin-inspired sound in Japan

Latin sounds are taking off in the world's biggest music markets, but this indie group thinks you need to be a bit more present in order to grab opportunities.
Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 22, 2024

A designer moves easily from royal gowns to Uniqlo

Clare Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
Debt-laden companies in Japan are rapidly growing in number, in some measures even faster than in 1992 after the collapse of its asset price bubble.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2024

Zombie companies may finally succumb to bankruptcy on BOJ hikes

Bankruptcies topped 5,000 cases for the first time in a decade between April and September, a report by Tokyo Shoko Research showed earlier this month.
An F-35B stealth fighter jet lands on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Kaga helicopter carrier during a test on Sunday of the southern coast of California.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2024

F-35B fighter makes first landing on de facto aircraft carrier Kaga

The Maritime Self-Defense Force is conducting tests to determine if there are issues with such aircraft taking off from the vessel while verifying other procedures.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs to first after hitting a single in the first inning against the Mets during Game 6 of the NLCS in the MLB playoffs in Los Angeles on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB / Sac Bunts
Oct 22, 2024

Shohei Ohtani closer than ever on World Series mission

The star stands four wins away from capping off a storybook first season with the Dodgers by achieving his dream of winning the World Series.
A poster for the Voting Rewards program outlines the steps voters need to take to claim the perks on offer.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

Young Japanese encouraged to vote with deals and discounts

A return of the Voting Rewards program will allow voters to claim various perks — at restaurants, cafes and even matchmaking agencies — by submitting proof of voting,
Equinor's bid underscores the focus some wind players are putting on Japan even as they scale back elsewhere.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2024

Norway's Equinor tries again for a Japan offshore wind lease, sources say

A latecomer to offshore wind, Japan wants to build up to 45 gigawatts of capacity by 2040, which would make it a top-five offshore wind market.
Asako Osaki attends the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York in March.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Nov 3, 2024

How global lessons can improve prospects for women in rural Japan

Through motherhood, education and work, Asako Osaki worked to bring global standards to the front lines of gender issues.
England's women's rugby players celebrate after a match against New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium in London on Sept. 14.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 22, 2024

England to face United States in women's Rugby World Cup opener

The match will take place at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Aug. 22.
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi stumps in the city of Nara on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 22, 2024

With her sights set on Ishiba's throne, will Takaichi take over the LDP?

Anything less than a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election will put the prime minister in a vulnerable position.
Xander Schauffele in action during the final round of The Presidents Cup gold tournament in Ile Bizard, Quebec, Canada, on Sept. 29.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Oct 22, 2024

Schauffele targets more success in Japan after major breakthroughs

The golfer has already tasted success in Japan, winning a pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympic gold in 2021.
Limited to fall, "Saba Nouveau" is served with in-flight meals for first-class passengers of Japan Airlines domestic flights and sold at supermarkets in urban areas.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2024

Mackerel from Norway boosting presence in Japan

130,000 to 140,000 tons of Norwegian mackerel is consumed in Japan annually, including imports via China and Vietnam.
A man kneels down at a designated area for commemorating fallen Ukrainian fighters in Kyiv. Ukraine's population has declined by 10 million since Russia invaded in February 2022, the United Nations said Tuesday.
WORLD / Society
Oct 22, 2024

Ukraine's population has fallen by 10 million since Russia's invasion, U.N. says

The United Nations said the invasion in February 2022 had turned an already difficult demographic situation into something more severe.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. The government aims to restart the plant to ensure stable power supplies amid an expected increase in power demand for data centers and other facilities.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2024

Japan's parties divided over nuclear energy amid rising power demand

Political parties have made various pledges on nuclear power ahead of Sunday's general election, ranging from abolishing all nuclear plants to maximizing their use.
Fernando Valenzuela speaks during a pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in July 2019.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 23, 2024

Los Angeles Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela dead at 63

The Mexican pitcher played 17 seasons in MLB for six clubs but was best remembered for his time with the Dodgers.
Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi presents his report on the future of European competitiveness to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 17.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2024

Europe’s wake-up call on innovation and competitiveness

Europe stands at a critical juncture, needing to choose between maintaining the status quo or moving toward deeper integration.
Supporters of one of the candidates running for the Oct. 27 Lower House election applaud at a gathering in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Oct. 12.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2024

LDP-CDP battle heats up in Fukushima after rezoning

The campaign is intensifying as LDP and CDP candidates vie for votes in Koriyama, the largest city in the new constituency.
Posters for candidates in the Tokyo No. 1 district on Wednesday in Tokyo
JAPAN / Media
Oct 23, 2024

In the heart of Tokyo, LDP and CDP rivals duke it out as election day nears

While the ruling and main opposition candidates are the clear front-runners, a third-party challenger is also hoping to wrestle his way in.
Visitors walk past China's first nuclear missile on display at the Military Museum in Beijing.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 24, 2024

China speeds nuclear-weapons buildout, U.S. defense agency says

The Defense Intelligence Agency’s report offers the most detailed accounting yet of the country’s bid to catch up to the U.S. in an area where it lagged.
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.
Former Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda speaks during an interview on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2024

Ex-Japan envoy says North Korea troops have changed Ukraine war

Joint exercises between Russian and North Korean troops are Pyongyang's "de facto participation in the war," said Kuninori Matsuda.
Embers glow at night as the Basin Fire burns in the Sierra National Forest in Fresno County, California, on June 26.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Oct 25, 2024

Wildfires are gaining speed in a worrying trend for western U.S.

The growth rate of the fastest wildfires increased 249% in the region between 2001 and 2020.
Funai Electric has received court approval for its bankruptcy plan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2024

Funai Electric receives approval for bankruptcy plan

Founded in 1961, the firm had boasted a significant presence in Japan and abroad as an original equipment manufacturer.
When Italy’s Cavour aircraft carrier visited Japan in August, it was the latest in a string of other ports of call by European nations such as Britain, Germany and France, all of whom are engaging in military and defense industry partnerships in East Asia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Longform
Oct 25, 2024

Will Europe's pivot to Asia have any teeth?

Deals are being made and carriers are making visits, but it is yet to be seen if nations on the other side of the world will come when a crisis hits.

Longform

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