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An increasing number of middle-aged men are using currency trading apps to buy and sell the yen to get short-term profits.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 26, 2023

Middle-aged salarymen exploit volatile yen with smartphone trades

Smartphone traders amplify volatility in currency markets by seizing on intraday moves, departing from a previous focus on interest rate differentials.
A banner at the entrance to Shibuya’s Center Street makes it clear this is no place for a party.
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2023

The specter of Itaewon has Shibuya spooked

One year on, Elizabeth Beattie joins us to discuss where Itaewon stands after its Halloween disaster, and what its legacy means for celebrations in Japan.
Inagaki, now 90, says a pivotal trip to the United States in 1969 changed not only his fashion sense from preppy to hippie but also his approach to music.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 27, 2023

Saxophonist Jiro Inagaki’s golden age of jazz rock

“WaJazz Legends: Jiro Inagaki” highlights the musician’s eclectic oeuvre, which has transformed a sidetrack artist into a pillar of Japanese jazz.
The interiors of what the Israeli military say is a cross-border attack tunnel dug from Gaza to Israel, on the Israeli side of the Gaza Strip border near Kissufim in 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 27, 2023

The Hamas tunnel city beneath Gaza — a hidden frontline for Israel

Hamas has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360-square-kilometer Gaza Strip — including attack, smuggling, and storage burrows.
While inaka sushi still uses dashi broth to flavor some ingredients, it's possible to make this sushi 100% vegan.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 29, 2023

Sushi sans fish: How rural traditions led to vegan-friendly rolls

Leave the salmon behind with “inaka sushi,” which trades raw fish for mushrooms, ginger and other fresh veggies.
Major supermarket chain Daiei opened a checkout-free, walk-through store in the CeeU Yokohama mall on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 27, 2023

At new Japan supermarket outlet, high tech runs the store

The system replaces cash registers with a network of cameras, weight sensors and a smartphone app.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber is escorted by South Korean F-35s during a joint military exercise over the Korean Peninsula that also involved Japan's Air-Self Defense Force.
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2023

Japan, U.S. and South Korea patrol the skies together

The three countries have historically engaged in bilateral exercises with the United States, but this trilateral exercise in the air is a notable first.
A woman walks past newly unveiled lettering that references the Oct. 29 Itaewon crush in Seoul. A more fully developed memorial was later built to commemorate the event and the more than 150 people who lost their lives.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / Longform
Oct 27, 2023

One year on, Itaewon's scars remain

A year on from the Itaewon crush, foot traffic in the Seoul neighborhood is picking back up. But what the future of the area is still in doubt.
The European Union and Japan concluded an agreement Saturday on cross-border data flows, a deal that could benefit companies across a range of sectors, including financial services, transport, machinery and e-commerce, allowing them to handle data without cumbersome and costly administration.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2023

EU and Japan conclude agreement on data flows

The deal on cross-border data flows should drive business and may help shape global rules for data, the European Commission said.
Robert Card, who gunned down 18 people in Lewiston, Maine, is seen in this image released on Wednesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 29, 2023

Deceased Maine shooter had mental health problems, police say

The shooter, Robert Card, a 40-year-old army reservist, was able to buy weapons legally because he had never been forcibly committed to treatment.
A mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran an airport in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday, after rumors spread that a flight was arriving from Israel in this image taken from video posted to Telegram.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 30, 2023

Mob storms Russian airport looking for Israelis

A mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran a Dagestan airport, after rumors spread that a flight was arriving from Israel.
Shibuya's local government has mounted a campaign to dissuade revelers from visiting the neighborhood for Halloween celebrations and has banned drinking in the streets.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 30, 2023

Shibuya wants to cancel Halloween. That's a mistake.

This year, Shibuya isn't dressing up for Halloween. The neighborhood is turning revelers away, ignoring its role as a youth culture hub.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 31, 2023

Shooting suspect arrested after police raid Saitama post office

Two men were injured in the shooting at a hospital, while two female staff members of the post office were said to be unharmed.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 31, 2023

Coast guard leaders from over 100 nations gather at Tokyo summit

The two-day talks from Tuesday are set to focus on building a framework for international cooperation in maritime security.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2023

Defense chief condemns ‘outrageous’ response in SDF harassment case

A male perpetrator of sexual assault was forced to apologize directly to the female victim despite her wishes not to see him.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivers a speech on AI in London on on Oct. 26.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 1, 2023

Rishi Sunak embraces Musk to boost AI summit

The U.K. prime minister organized the event to reassert Britain’s influence in the wake of Brexit.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 1, 2023

Elderly Saitama hostage-taker had 'grudge' against post office

The 86-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of shooting into a hospital in Saitama Prefecture and taking hostages at a post office.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2023

10 Japanese with 8 Palestinian family members flee Gaza to Egypt

Another Japanese national who is married to a Palestinian and lives in Gaza intends to stay there with the family, the chief cabinet secretary said.
Treated water diluted with seawater flows to a downstream water tank at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant during a second release in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2023

Japan begins third release of treated Fukushima wastewater

The amount of water to be released in the latest round will be similar to the first and second, in which 7,810 tons of water was discharged.
The words of encouragement that star player Shohei Ohtani gave his teammates before their final game against the United States during the World Baseball Classic in March were among those nominated on Thursday to be the buzzwords of the year.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2023

Japan's 2023 buzzwords reflect light and dark sides of the year

From the year's scandals to its champions, the annual list of buzzword candidates highlights the nation's hope, fears and diversions.
From left: Yusuke Nagai, Taiyo Someya and Kaori Sakakibara formed their band Lamp in 2000, developing a cult following over the years with their own blend of 1960s pop harmonies, ’70s folk craft and ’80s bossa nova brightness.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 3, 2023

The slow and steady rise of Lamp, a cult favorite

With new album 'Dusk to Dawn,' the folk rockers bring light to the new Japanese music canon.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 3, 2023

SDF plane evacuates 46 from Israel as Japan's top diplomat visits

The evacuation came as Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa visited Israel for talks with her Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.
Yukimasa Ida’s first major museum exhibition showcases a young artist in full command of his craft but still looking for something deeper to say.
CULTURE / Art
Nov 4, 2023

‘Panta Rhei’: Yukimasa Ida is still searching for his own voice

Kyocera Museum of Art's major exhibition finds a young artist sampling great works of the past but looking for something deeper to say.
Tora's face says, "Scratch me here, please!" Or was that his meowing?
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Nov 3, 2023

Tora and Timothy are a cat and dog who love to chill

Some dogs are super hyper, but that's not Timothy. He's young and shy, but he also likes other dogs and quiet environments.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits onboard a plane during his visit to Israel as he departs en route to Jordan, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2023

Palestinians report Israeli strike on school ahead of diplomatic talks

The news came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to meet Arab leaders following a failed attempt to win Israeli backing for a cease-fire.
JAPAN
Nov 6, 2023

Osaka erupts in celebration as Tigers win Japan Series

A heavy police presence made sure that incidents after past Tigers’ successes would not be repeated.
China's dominance in the electric vehicle market has prompted the European Union to take action regarding economic security.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Nov 7, 2023

How electric vehicles became subject to EU economic security

The bloc has felt the pressure from China in the EV market, leading it to take steps to better protect vehicles, batteries and materials.
Blackstone's headquarters in New York
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023

Blackstone sees most Asia deal activity in Japan and India in 2024

The world’s largest alternative asset manager expects India and Japan to be its most active markets in Asia next year based on capital allocation.
Meta has said it will bar political advertisers from using Facebook's generative AI tools.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 7, 2023

Meta to restrict use of generative AI tools in political adverts

The move may limit campaigns' access to tools lawmakers have warned could turbocharge the spread of election misinformation.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 7, 2023

Japan’s aging population to increase burden on nursing care costs

The average annual nursing care cost per capita is estimated to increase 75% to ¥235,000 in 2050 compared to 2019 levels, according to government data.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go