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R-Shitei (left) and DJ Matsunaga have scored the biggest hit of the year so far in Japan with “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born.” The track is inspired by the Jersey club style of music, right down to the squeaky chair sample.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 3, 2024

Is Creepy Nuts' catchy, rapid-fire 'Bling-Bang-Bang-Born' the song of the year?

The fast-paced ode to a style called Jersey club is everywhere in Tokyo, and it may just be the rap duo's key to international success.
Naomi Osaka reacts after losing a point against Emma Navarro during the second round of Wimbledon, in London on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Jul 4, 2024

Naomi Osaka focuses on Olympics after Wimbledon exit

The Japanese superstar, playing at the All England Club for the first time since 2019, went down 6-4, 6-1 in her second-round match on Centre Court in less than an hour.
A man holds new 10,000 yen bills at a Saitama Resona Bank branch in Saitama Prefecture on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2024

People flock to get new banknotes in areas linked to new bills

The ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes have been redesigned for the first time in 20 years.
With the vegan lifestyle becoming more popular in recent years, Japanese restaurants and inns have begun to offer more vegetarian options.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 4, 2024

Asking for food substitutions at a Japanese restaurant

If you're vegetarian, vegan or have some kind of allergy, then knowing how to ask about what you're eating is an essential skill to have.
Japan's Tatsuru Saito competes during the 2022 world championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
OLYMPICS / Judo
Jul 4, 2024

Japan's Tatsuru Saito aims to emulate late father with judo Olympic gold

Hitoshi Saito was a judo great who triumphed at consecutive Olympics in 1984 and 1988 at over 95 kilograms.
After losing her family to a plane accident, Suzie (played by Rashida Jones) receives a posthumous gift from her husband in the form of a robot named Sunny (voiced by Joanna Sotomura).
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 5, 2024

Rashida Jones uncovers an AI-fueled mystery in the AppleTV+ series 'Sunny'

Set in Kyoto, the story about a woman dealing with grief and an unexpected robot companion is a departure from the actor's comedic repertoire.
Asuka was one of Japan's earliest imperial capitals before the court eventually decamped for other locales.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 6, 2024

Cycling through Asuka, the forgotten capital of ancient Japan

During the Yamato Period (300-710), this village was one of the earliest capitals of the nascent Yamato state, even meriting its own aptly named Asuka Period (552-645).
American Gregorio Narvasa has gone from baking cookies in his spare to time to working with major Tokyo companies from his new Koenji shop.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 7, 2024

Koenji gets a new cookie shop. Its owner gets a community.

After several years of sharing his creations at pop-up events scattered across Tokyo, Gregorio Narvasa opened a physical bake shop in Koenji on April 20 of this year.
Commercial food trucks are seen near a checkpoint near Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 28.
WORLD
Jul 5, 2024

Feeding Gaza: Traders run gauntlet of bullets, bombs and bribes

Getting food to the Gaza Strip's mostly displaced population of 2.3 million has been beset by bureaucracy and violence since Oct. 7.
Baseballs fans wear jerseys of the South Korean-born San Diego Padres player Kim Ha-Seong and the Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani in Seoul. Many South Koreans have embraced Ohtani, who is Japanese, despite the countries' historic rivalry.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 5, 2024

How long do the memories of a generation last?

The dominant culture of an era can be passed on to the next generation, but struggles to reach the one after that. This has implications for Japan-South Korea relations.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 6, 2024

Crisis? What crisis? Biden rejects Democratic pessimism.

After last week’s devastating debate performance, the president’s prime-time interview with ABC News was an exercise in not just damage control but reality control.
Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist presidential candidate, waves after casting his vote in the country's presidential runoff election at a mosque in Tehran on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 6, 2024

Iran reformist Masoud Pezeshkian wins presidential election

Pezeshkian has pledged to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for.
Britain's Emma Raducanu celebrates after winning her third-round match against Greece's Maria Sakkari on Friday.
TENNIS
Jul 6, 2024

Alcaraz survives as Raducanu roars on at Wimbledon

The 21-year-old Alcaraz, bidding for his fourth major, ran into inspired American Frances Tiafoe in a repeat of their thrilling semifinal at the 2022 U.S. Open.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets the crowd during a rally where President Joe Biden also spoke, at a community center in Raleigh, North Carolina, in March.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 6, 2024

The reintroduction of Kamala Harris

With U.S. President Joe Biden’s candidacy on the line, Democrats are assessing whether his VP pick is up to being the nominee.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida listens to U.S. President Joe Biden as they hold a joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington in April.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 6, 2024

Biden again takes credit for pushing Japan to boost defense spending

The U.S. president said for the second time in just over a year that he had pushed Japan to its hike defense budget — comments likely to upset Tokyo.
England forward Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring during the penalty shootout at the end of his team's win over Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals.
SOCCER
Jul 7, 2024

England's savior Bukayo Saka finds Euros penalty redemption

Arsenal forward Saka was England's savior on Saturday, four years after a crucial miss against Italy.
Poland's Iga Swiatek during her loss to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday in London.
TENNIS
Jul 7, 2024

World No. 1 Swiatek blames fatigue for shock Wimbledon exit

The top seed's 21-match winning streak came to a stunning end on No. 1 Court as Russian-born Kazakh Putintseva battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 7, 2024

As Biden digs in, more supporters look to push him out

Interviews with dozens of Democrats illustrated an imminent clash between a defiant president and those who question his ability to win.
Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. The mayor of Himeji has suggested that foreign tourists pay four times more to enter the castle than the current ¥1,000 entrance fee.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024

Japan really should charge tourists four times more

The suggestion by a Kansai mayor that foreign visitors pay more for tourist attractions doesn't go far enough. The government should establish a nationwide policy.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Ugo Humbert at Wimbledon in London on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jul 8, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner remain on collision course at Wimbledon

Women's No. 2 seed Coco Gauff was sent tumbling out on a soggy Sunday.
Emma Raducanu serves against Lulu Sun during their match at Wimbledon on Sunday in London.
TENNIS
Jul 8, 2024

Emma Raducanu 'stands by decision' to withdraw from mixed doubles with Andy Murray

Raducanu was scheduled to play with Murray, a former Wimbledon champion, on Saturday, but opted to pull out of the tie due to a stiff wrist.
Asami Yoshida (center) practices with Japan at the National Training Center in Tokyo in January.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Jul 8, 2024

Asami Yoshida bringing experience and swagger to Akatsuki Japan for Paris Olympics

The veteran point guard was Japan's captain at the 2016 Olympics.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action during his fourth round match against Denmark's Holger Rune at Wimbledon in London on Monday
TENNIS
Jul 9, 2024

Djokovic blasts fans' 'disrespect' after reaching Wimbledon quarterfinal

"I respect true fans but if someone steps over the line I will react," the player said, following his clash with Holger Rune.
Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in action during her fourth round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva at Wimbledon in England on Monday
TENNIS
Jul 9, 2024

Ostapenko races to win over giant-killer Putintseva at Wimbledon

Jelena Ostapenko, who won in Paris in 2017, raced through her 6-2 6-3 win over giant-killer Yulia Putintseva.
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 14, 2024

Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'

These carefully choreographed images are often kept hidden in conservative Japan.
Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a forehand during his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Jannik Sinner on Tuesday.
TENNIS
Jul 10, 2024

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev set up Wimbledon semifinal repeat

Alcaraz battled back from a set down to defeat Tommy Paul, while Medvedev stunned world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Spain forward Lamine Yamal celebrates his team's win over France in the Euro 2024 semifinals on Tuesday in Munich.
SOCCER
Jul 10, 2024

Spanish teen Lamine Yamal coy over 'dream come true' wonder strike

Sixteen-year-old Yamal eclipsed Brazilian great Pele to become the youngest player to score in a World Cup or Euros with a stunning 21st-minute strike.
University of Texas at Austin Anthropology Professor Craig Campbell leads chants with other university faculty members during a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus in Austin, Texas, on May 5.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 10, 2024

Doxxed, disciplined: U.S. students tally price of Gaza protests

Many protesting students fear they will be penalized academically or professionally as they prepare to enter the workforce or return to classes.
Novak Djokovic practices at The All England Club in London on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Jul 11, 2024

Novak Djokovic gets free pass to semifinals after Alex de Minaur withdraws

Djokovic will face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinals.
The members of Glay — (from left) Jiro, Teru, Takuro and Hisashi — are celebrating 30 years of rocking out as a band.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 12, 2024

Glay celebrates three decades of rock greatness

The band's 12-month-long Glay Expo takes the idea of a concert tour to the next level for the anniversary of its major label debut.

Longform

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