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A 2015 protest against the construction of military infrastructure in Okinawa Prefecture. Many residents are also worried about the impact of a Taiwan contingency on their islands.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 4, 2024

Okinawa’s peace movement carves its own path

Many Okinawans worry about a Taiwan contingency and are angered by U.S. base relocation: Grievances that have given impetus to the islands' own diplomacy.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 4, 2024

China scraps premier's briefing, breaking years of convention

The decision removes a rare platform for investors to learn more about the nation’s policy direction under President Xi Jinping.
Bangladeshi Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus addresses the media as he prepares to leave after filing an appeal for the extension of his bail at the Labor Appellate Tribunal in Dhaka on Sunday.
WORLD / Society
Mar 4, 2024

Bangladesh Nobel winner fears for future as woes mount

Several of Muhammad Yunus' firms have been "forcefully" taken over, weeks after his conviction in a case his supporters say was politically motivated.
Hikers on Mount Fuji's Yoshida trail in Yamanashi Prefecture on Sept. 1, 2023
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2024

Yamanashi to collect ¥2,000 from Mount Fuji climbers

A gate will be installed at the entrance to the Yoshida Trail on the Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji, where fees will be collected from the July 1.
Soldiers during a live-fire exercise in Weiden, Germany
WORLD / Politics
Mar 5, 2024

Germany faces pressure to tighten security after Ukraine details exposed

One official described the lapses that led to the leak as expected from people who have never had security briefings but not from military officials.
A military delegation arrives for a meeting Monday, ahead the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 5, 2024

China defense spending to climb 7.2% amid rivalry with U.S.

Beijing's 1.67 trillion yuan ($231.4 billion) budget makes 2024 the ninth straight year to see a single-digit hike in the country’s defense outlays.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
Mar 5, 2024

Kamala Harris presses Israel war Cabinet's Benny Gantz on Gaza aid and Rafah

The U.S. vice president urged Israel to craft a "credible" humanitarian plan before conducting major military activities in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
The logo of semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices is seen on a graphics processing unit chip in this illustration
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 5, 2024

AMD hits U.S. roadblock in selling AI chip tailored for China

AMD had hoped to gain a green light from the Commerce Department to sell the AI processor to Chinese customers.
Randolph-Macon College students pose with a monument to Taylor Anderson in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on Jan. 23.
JAPAN
Mar 10, 2024

Tsunami victim's dream of becoming Japan-U.S. bridge realized

Taylor Anderson was one of the 33 foreign nationals killed in the March 2011 disaster.
An earthquake measuring up to shindo 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale that hit southern Chiba Prefecture was among several that have shaken the area in recent days.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 5, 2024

Emergency goods sell out as quakes worry Chiba residents

Bottled water and portable toilets are among items that ran out of stock at some stores over the weekend.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang chat at the end of the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 5, 2024

China sets robust economic growth goal but no big bang stimulus

Premier Li Qiang targets growth of about 5% this year but signals continued reluctance to use deficit spending for economic stimulus.
A Vietnamese worker picks tomatoes at a farm in Asahi, Chiba Prefecture. Japan is set to sharply increase the number of foreign nationals it accepts under its skilled worker visa, with plans to receive up to 800,000 people in the next five years.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 6, 2024

Japan considers doubling limit on skilled foreign workers

The government is said to be considering adding the road transportation, railway, forestry and timber sectors to those eligible for the visa.
 Alli, which will be available from April 8, is expected to reduce fat stored around internal organs and prevent obesity-related diseases.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 5, 2024

Japan’s first over-the-counter anti-obesity drug to hit stores in April

The drug is expected to reduce fat stored around internal organs and prevent obesity-related diseases.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Colorado's attempt to keep Donald Trump off the ballot with an obscure and almost discarded provision that could have determined the outcome of the presidential election.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 5, 2024

Supreme Court buries the fantasy of keeping Trump off the ballot

An obscure, almost discarded provision of the U.S. Constitution shouldn’t have the potential to determine the outcome of a presidential election.
A total of 180 boats are set to sail around six kilometers down the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, of which 94 will contain athletes.
OLYMPICS
Mar 6, 2024

326,000 tickets to be available for Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Organizers have scaled back their plans for the waterborne parade over security concerns.
The pandemic forced Rene Redzepi and Noma to adjust their 2023 pop-up from autumn to spring. Later this year, the restaurant will be returning to Kyoto to execute its preferred fall menu.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 6, 2024

Rene Redzepi is bringing Noma back to Kyoto this fall

One of the world's best chefs just can't seem to stay away from Japan's ancient capital.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during a Super Tuesday election night watch party at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 6, 2024

Trump-Biden rematch likely as the two dominate Super Tuesday contests

Nikki Haley has decided to end her campaign in light of the results, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of supplies in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Society
Mar 6, 2024

Gaza's hungry await aid despite convoy deaths amid dispute over supplies

Only a fraction of the food needed is getting in and very little reaching the northern areas where children are said to have started dying of malnutrition.
A formal conclusion that famine has arrived in the Gaza Strip could come as early as next week.
WORLD / EXPLAINER
Mar 6, 2024

Famine looms in Gaza: How will the world know it has arrived?

The U.N. has said that more than a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million people are "estimated to be facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation."
On the amateur circuit, domestic tournaments such as the Dream Girls Cup, which took place in Tokyo last month, have generated significant publicity for youth sumo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Mar 6, 2024

Sumo's popularity is booming. The recruitment of new pros is not.

Sumo is not immune to the labor shortages plaguing the rest of aging Japan.
Three years ago, Sean Ono Lennon became intrigued by the possibility of expanding the message of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” the 1971 protest song by his parents, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, through a narrative film. The resulting work is the 11-minute film “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,” directed by Dave Mullins.
CULTURE
Mar 7, 2024

How Sean Ono Lennon helped his parents send a message

To keep their legacy relevant for a new generation, he worked on the short “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko.” Now it’s up for an Oscar.
A chip taken from a smartphone. The U.S. is urging the Netherlands to stop ASML from servicing and repairing sensitive chipmaking equipment that Chinese clients purchased before limits on sales of those devices were put into place this year.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 7, 2024

U.S. urges allies to squeeze China further on chip technology

Washington's latest push is partly aimed at plugging holes in export controls it has levied over the past two years.
Chai Wanrou at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China. The 28-year-old is part of a growing movement that envisions a future with no husband and no children.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 7, 2024

More Chinese women choosing singledom as economy stutters

Chinese President Xi Jinping last year stressed the need to "cultivate a new culture of marriage and childbearing."
People hold portraits of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants, near the site of the Supernova music festival in southern Israel, in February.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 7, 2024

Gaza hostages at risk of lasting psychological trauma, experts say

Some hostages were released under a weeklong truce in November but around 130 others remain in the hands of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In 2019, Japan tightened penalties for the use of smartphones and other mobile handsets while driving.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2024

Record high number of distracted drivers causing death or serious injury

In 2023, 25 incidents were fatal and 97 caused serious injury, with about 10% of drivers using mobile phones to talk and 90% looking at screens.
American rapper and noted anime fan Megan Thee Stallion presented the award for anime of the year to director Shota Goshozono for “Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death” at the Anime Awards on March 2
CULTURE / Film
Mar 8, 2024

Crunchyroll's Anime Awards build on star power

The streamer's event upped the glamor with celebrity attendees such as Megan Thee Stallion and Rashmika Mandanna, and "Jujutsu Kaisen" won 11 prizes.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 8, 2024

Biden takes on Trump and Republicans in State of the Union speech

The 68-minute speech gave Biden, who is suffering from low approval ratings, a chance to speak directly to millions of Americans about his vision.
It turns out that the mutations that make some people vulnerable to the neurological condition once had a useful function, protecting their ancestors from pathogens.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 6, 2024

Ancient DNA could be hiding all kinds of health secrets

Ancient genomes are unlocking the past and may provide blueprint for the origin of diseases.
Yulia Naumenko is one of many Ukrainians living in Japan as the war in their home country stretches into its third year.
COMMUNITY
Mar 11, 2024

In war’s third year, Ukrainians in Japan still face daily trials

Two years of conflict has left Ukraine scarred and evacuees living in Japan with just as many struggles as when they arrived.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama waves during his first day of a teaching session at the Kalachakra Ground in the village of Bodhgaya, in the Indian state of Bihar, in December 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 8, 2024

Will reincarnation or realpolitik determine the Dalai Lama's successor?

Esoteric questions of rebirth rarely have political consequences, but many fear the search for the next Dalai Lama could inflame regional rivalries.

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A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake