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Beyond Meat plant-based burger patties for sale at a plant-based grocery store in Hong Kong in June 2019.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2023

The coming disruption of animal production

It will be easier to persuade people to avoid meat from animals if they can eat meat and other animal products that taste like those they know, but do not require raising animals.
Unlike other social media platforms, including Threads, Twitter has a way of pushing you out of your comfort zone.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Can Threads dethrone Twitter in Japan?

Netizens in Japan jumped onto the Threads bandwagon soon after its launch, but the honeymoon phase is beginning to end, experts say, with many Japanese users remaining on Twitter.
Icons of Google's Artificial Intelligence app BardAI (or ChatBot), OpenAI's app ChatGPT and other AI apps are displayed on a smartphone screen.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2023

Google tests AI tool that is able to write news articles

Some executives who saw Google’s pitch described it as unsettling, and two people said it seemed to take for granted the effort that went into producing accurate and artful news stories.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 19, 2023

CDP's Ichiro Ozawa bracing for 'final battle' in next election

The veteran politician still hopes the country will achieve a genuine two-party parliamentary democracy.
Support for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet dropped to 30.8% in July, a survey shows.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 13, 2023

Poll shows Kishida Cabinet approval down to 30.8%

The slide in support may have reflected the string of problems related to My Number personal identification cards.
A man stands atop a float holding a portable shrine at this year’s Sanja Festival in Tokyo.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 20, 2023

Why 2023 will be a deciding year for Japan’s iconic summer festivals

As the population gets older do we risk losing the summer festivals that make Japan unique?
The mushroom cloud caused by the Trinity nuclear test is seen on July 16, 1945. A new study, released on Thursday ahead of submission to a scientific journal for peer review, shows that the cloud and its fallout went farther than anyone in the Manhattan Project had imagined in 1945.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 22, 2023

Trinity nuclear test’s fallout reached 46 states, Canada and Mexico, study finds

The research shows that the first atomic bomb explosion’s effects had been underestimated, and could help more “downwinders” press for federal compensation.
An accommodation center for refugees from Ukraine in Berlin in May
WORLD / Society
Jul 21, 2023

Europe struggles to convert Ukraine migration into labor boon

Obstacles ranging from lack of child care facilities to reluctance to recognize non-European academic and vocational qualifications has left vacancies unfilled.
Hou Yu-ih, mayor of New Taipei City, during a protest against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei, on July 16. Taiwanese voters are preparing to choose their next president in January, in a vote that will define cross-strait and U.S.-China relations for years to come.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 21, 2023

Popular Taiwan mayor stumbles in bid to lead in U.S.-China hotspot

His failure to articulate a critical policy at the bedrock of Taiwan’s international status drew widespread criticism online.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during an event in Paris on July 14.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 21, 2023

Modi condemns Manipur sexual assault as 'shameful' after footage goes viral

The incident prompted India's prime minister to make his first comments on clashes in India's remote northeast that have killed at least 125 people.
A photograph by Joel Pulliam provides a hint at what is on offer at VoidTokyo's "Sharaku" exhibition at HikoHiko Gallery.
CULTURE
Jul 19, 2023

Street photography by VoidTokyo on full display in Ginza

With the goal of capturing the city of Tokyo in physical form and not just on social media, VoidTokyo celebrates its members at “Sharaku.”
On July 17, Jiyugaoka in western Tokyo held its summer Bon Odori Festival for the first time in four years. While the pandemic spelled the end of the road for some longstanding local events, others weathered the storm.
CULTURE / Longform
Jul 24, 2023

Fate of the fete: Japan’s matsuri fight to survive

While COVID-19 was the final nail in the coffin for many of the country's smaller festivals, others have clung on and are making a determined comeback this year.
A satellite image showing an overview of Rhodes wildfires, Greece, on Sunday.
WORLD
Jul 24, 2023

Tourists flee wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes

Thousands spent the night on beaches and streets during what Greece said was its biggest safe transport of residents and tourists in emergency conditions.
Sudanese refugees line up to receive food rations from World Food Programme, in Adre, Chad, on Thursday
WORLD
Jul 24, 2023

Sudan war enters 100th day as mediation attempts fail

Some 1,136 people have been killed in the conflict, according to the health ministry, though officials believe the number is higher.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2023

Safety in focus as summer events see return of crowds and foreign tourists

Nearly 11 million people visited Japan in the first half of the year, about 64% of the pre-pandemic level in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
A "No Kids Zone" sign written in Korean hangs on the glass door of a cafe in Gimpo, South Korea.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 24, 2023

Lawmaker on crusade against South Korea's 'no-kid zones'

Seoul spends billions to encourage citizens to have more babies, offering subsidies, babysitting services and infertility treatment, but fertility rates continue to drop.
An intensive care unit of the city children's hospital, damaged by a Russian military strike, in Kherson, Ukraine, on Jan. 1
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2023

Ukrainians take home medical skills acquired in Japan

In response to Russia's prolonged invasion of Ukraine, Juntendo University in Tokyo set up a system to continue providing support in line with the requests of Ukrainians in Japan.
Haruki Hirao, second grader at Torikai Elementary School in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, attends a mathematics class in May as nurse Yoshimi Yoshiyama looks on from the back of the classroom.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 24, 2023

More children who need daily medical care attend regular schools since 2021 law

Since 2021, more children who require daily medical care have been able to attend regular schools, broadening their horizons and raising awareness of diversity in classroom.
Women and children fleeing Ukraine gather in Przemysl train station on March 2, 2022.
WORLD
Jul 24, 2023

Ukraine needs its women back for a shot at economic recovery

Failure to persuade any of the 2.8 million working-age women who have fled the country to return would cost Ukraine 10% of its annual prewar gross domestic product.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) speaks with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger during a meeting in Beijing last week.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 24, 2023

China enlists old friends to translate as U.S. talks hit brick wall

Beijing is struggling to find a common diplomatic language to talk productively with Washington.
Vera Zvonareva was scheduled to participate in the Warsaw Open beginning Monday.
TENNIS
Jul 23, 2023

Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva blocked from entering Poland

Poland has become one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since Russia invaded the country in 2022, and it has been refusing entry to people who support the actions of Russia and Belarus.
Bulk carrier cargo ships at anchor in the Black Sea before entering the Sulina Canal, a river channel between the Danube River and the Black Sea, near Sulina, Romania, on Sunday.
WORLD
Jul 25, 2023

Russian attack highlights risk to Ukraine’s last grain export route

The collapse of the Black Sea grain deal last week and Russia’s subsequent attacks on Odesa ports spurred expectations that Kyiv will have to double down on alternative routes.
Police officers mounted on horses next to protestors during a demonstration against the judicial reform bill outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on Monday
WORLD
Jul 25, 2023

Protests rock Israel as it passes curbs on some Supreme Court powers

The amendment limits the Supreme Court's powers to void some government decisions the court deems "unreasonable."
The Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Tourists are flocking to Kyoto and other popular spots in Japan, highlighting the country's severe shortage of hotel staff.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023

As tourism booms, Japan struggles with labor shortages and weary locals

The return of tourists has given the country a boost, but it has also highlighted several issues, including a severe lack of hotel staff.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks in front of an intercontinental ballistic missile in this undated photo released in March 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 25, 2023

From 'Young General' to 'Supreme Leader': The evolution of Kim Jong Un

North Korea's thinking on its relations with the U.S. has undergone dramatic changes, and Kim Jong Un's past evolution offers indications of where the country might be headed.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2023

Bigmotor chief to resign in wake of repair fraud scandal

Employees were found to have intentionally damaged the vehicles of some customers in order to charge excessive repair fees and make fraudulent insurance claims.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 25, 2023

Severed head in ‘love hotel’ murder case found in family home

The police suspect that the 29-year-old daughter, Runa Tamura, carried out the murder and beheading of a 62-year-old office worker by herself at a short-stay hotel earlier this month.
A man sits on his own at a taco stand on Kokusai Street in Naha.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Jul 2, 2023

Peacemaking of a different sort in Okinawa

Through therapy and community outreach, counseling service TELL draws on the personal experiences of its clinicians and support workers to help various communities in Okinawa.
Jacob Curry puts some finishing touches on a sandwich spread at a Lizzo show.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 23, 2023

The personal chefs feeding today's global tours

Many tours for A-list artists now include a vegan chef and place a priority on physical and mental well-being as well as lessening environmental impact.
The natural beauty of Minakami has attracted hundreds adventure tourism companies, but there's still no overarching network of safety protocols in place.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 15, 2023

In Japan’s adventure tourism mecca, the rush comes with risk

Minakami has come a long way since the early days of its adventure tourism beginnings, but if it wants to last well into the future, regulation may be key.

Longform

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?