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An artist rendering of Japan's first Arctic research vessel, "Mirai II"
JAPAN
Feb 22, 2024

Japan's first arctic research vessel to be named "Mirai II"

The name was selected from over 7,000 suggestions from the public.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Ukraine's prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, during the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction in Tokyo on Monday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 23, 2024

Where others dither, Japan delivers on aid to Ukraine

Japan is doing all it can to prove to the Kremlin that it will ultimately be Ukraine, not Russia, that will prosper when the war is over.
According to the latest data, new COVID-19 cases reported in the week to Feb. 11 stood at 13.75 per institution.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 24, 2024

Number of COVID-19 and flu cases remain high in Japan

Per-institution new flu cases in Japan came to 23.93 in the week to Feb. 11, up for the fifth straight week.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida takes part in an online meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo late Saturday, the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 25, 2024

On Ukraine war anniversary, Kishida stresses need for unity as setbacks mount

The PM told G7 leaders that more "concrete actions" to support Kyiv are needed, vowing more Russian sanctions and condemning North Korean missile exports.
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), is seen in this handout image taken by LEV-2 on the moon, released on Jan. 25.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2024

Japan's SLIM moon probe unexpectedly survives lunar night

The lander touched down on the lunar surface last month, making Japan the fifth country to put a probe on the moon.
Visnu CEO Ryosuke Chiba explains an AI-equipped security camera his company is developing for the city of Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture, on Feb. 22.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 27, 2024

Japan firms look to AI to bolster disaster prevention and mitigation

Tools are being developed to focus on getting timely information to the relevant parties to facilitate evacuation.
In early February, the Finance Ministry announced that government debt at the end of last year had reached a record high of ¥1.2 quadrillion.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 27, 2024

With downfall of Abe faction, some see a shift in Japan’s debt debate

The faction has long promoted fiscal stimulus, but its demise combined with wider economic conditions could open up space for a different approach.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet approved an economic security bill on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 27, 2024

Japan Cabinet OKs bill on new economic 'security clearance' system

Government officials and private sector employees will be given access to classified information under the system once they pass a screening process.
Japan's players pose for a group picture ahead of their soccer match against North Korea in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
SOCCER
Feb 27, 2024

Coach urges Japan to be 'aggressive' against North Korea

The teams drew 0-0 in Saturday's first leg in Saudi Arabia and the winners will claim one of two Asian berths at the Games.
1924
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Mar 1, 2024

Japan Times 1924: Japan nice but men dress in queer ways

A piece by women visiting Tokyo gives us a century-old take on what tourists in the 1920s thought of "weird Japan."
While Tokyo and Washington have maintained strong ties under U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida amid intensifying concern over China’s regional ambitions, Japanese officials are still hedging their bets by sending out feelers in the event of another term under Donald Trump.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 28, 2024

Ex-senior Trump official reassures Tokyo over possible comeback

A former deputy assistant to the ex-president swatted away concerns, saying Trump's 2024 White House bid "is a very different effort than 2016."
Japan defender Hikaru Kitagawa (right) makes a challenge in the first half of an Olympic women's soccer qualifier against North Korea at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Feb 28, 2024

Japan beats North Korea to clinch Olympic spot

The two sides drew 0-0 in Saturday's first leg on neutral ground in Saudi Arabia.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold a joint news conference during a trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, on Aug. 18. The summit dealt with security and economic security coordination.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Mar 5, 2024

The U.S.-Japan gap: a challenge in economic security cooperation

While such ties appear to be progressing, the two countries’ interests in the field are not necessarily fully aligned.
Japan's revised law on eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities is scheduled to take effect in April.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2024

Websites in Japan becoming more friendly to people with disabilities

Japan's revised law on eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities is scheduled to take effect in April.
Japan-made defense products on display at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 23. Japan’s revision of its defense export guidelines is critical for the development of a next-generation fighter jet with the U.K. and Italy.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 29, 2024

Talks on easing Japan defense export rules pushed back to March

The Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito failed to reach an agreement on revisions to existing restrictions on Wednesday.
Prospective foreign vocational school graduates who finish education ministry-accredited academic courses will be granted “technology, humanities and international affairs” residence status intended for white-collar workers such as engineers, interpreters and designers, even if their jobs don’t necessarily relate to what they have studied.
JAPAN
Feb 29, 2024

Japan eases residency rules for foreign graduates of vocational schools

The relaxation of rules is aimed at retaining highly skilled professionals amid a chronic labor shortage.
An MQ-9 Reaper drone stands on the runway at Naval Base Ventura County Sea Range, Point Mugu, near Oxnard, California. The Defense Ministry is considering purchasing the Reaper for intercepting foreign aircraft approaching Japanese airspace.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 1, 2024

New drone tech in spotlight as Japan eyes boosted capabilities

As Tokyo seeks to beef up its unmanned systems, inspiration could come from the latest tech displayed at this year's Singapore Airshow.
The revamped BYD Atto 3 in Tokyo. A perceived resistance in Japan to battery EVs and foreign brands is seen as a major barrier for BYD.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 1, 2024

BYD bolsters Japan push with EV lineup and dealership network

The Chinese carmaker has sold less than 1,500 passenger cars in 2023 in the Japanese market, which is dominated by hybrids.
Residents of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, take part in an evacuation drill in March 2021.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 1, 2024

More than decade after 2011 quake, Japan still slow to compile evacuation plans

The nation has failed to make progress in crafting plans to help evacuate elderly people and people with disabilities in the event of natural disasters.
An image of Japan's lunar lander and the moon's surface captured by SORA-Q, which was successfully released before the craft's touchdown on Jan. 25.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 2, 2024

Japan SLIM moon lander put to sleep after surviving lunar night

Another operation attempt of the SLIM spacecraft is scheduled for later this month, the country's space agency said.
An earthquake measuring a 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 / Science & Health
Mar 3, 2024

Japan warns of more strong quakes as 'slow slip' phenomena hits Chiba

Three earthquakes measuring a shindo 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, as well as four measuring a shindo 3, have occurred since Thursday.
PFAS does not break down easily and remains in the body and the environment for a number of years, and is thus called “forever chemicals.”
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 4, 2024

Japan’s food safety panel drafts intake limit for 'forever chemicals'

The report spells out the “tolerable daily intake” of PFAS through food for the first time. Here's what you need to know.
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.
Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi said the guidelines were being revised to provide more examples of positive and negative factors for evaluation in deciding whether to grant an individual special permission for residence.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 5, 2024

Japan's Immigration Agency sets new guidelines for visa overstayers

A legislative amendment will outline the new guidelines to improve transparency and allow individuals to directly apply for special permission to stay.
The U.S and Japan are working together to secure a stable semiconductor supply chain and maintain their leading position in this critical technology amid concerns over China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 5, 2024

Semiconductors are back to center stage in the Japan-U.S. alliance

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of semiconductors to the 21st century. They’re everywhere and in every digital item.
The nun said she hopes her going public will cast a spotlight on the extremely cloistered nature of temples that she warned can be a hotbed of sex crimes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 5, 2024

Japan Buddhist sect probes nun's sexual assault claims

The woman, reportedly now in her 50s, had previously accused the older monk of rape but authorities dropped her case in 2019, media reports said.
Makoto Iokibe (left) in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture in 2011 when he headed a government panel on reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2024

Prominent Japanese political scientist Makoto Iokibe dies at 80

He is renowned for his research on Japan's relations with the United States during postwar U.S. occupation.
Plaintiffs who have filed a lawsuit over Japan's separate surname rule head into the Tokyo District Court on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 8, 2024

Group files lawsuit over Japan law that mandates couples share a surname

Similar lawsuits have been filed before, but public opinion appears to be shifting in favor of allowing couples to have separate surnames.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during an election night watch party at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 9, 2024

Japanese government making preparations for 'Trump wins' scenario

The Foreign Ministry is fully mobilizing the Japanese Embassy in Washington and consulates across the United States to analyze his remarks.

Longform

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