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Emperor Naruhito at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo on Tuesday
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2024

Japan to launch full-scale talks over shrinking imperial family

Japan's ruling and opposition parties are set to start talks on measures to address the shrinking number of imperial family members.
Summer averages in eastern Hokkaido float in the high teens and low 20s, not necessitating widespread air conditioning usage in homes and businesses.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 12, 2024

Fear the impending heat? Escape to Kushiro, the land of no summer.

A once mighty fishing port, Kushiro now aims to capture the hearts of tourists seeking escape from sweltering urban jungles for a misty paradise.
Flights between China and the United States have emerged as a rare area of cooperation between the two countries, but U.S. airlines have expressed concern about the rapid pace of increasing flights.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2024

Biden administration urged not to approve more China flights

U.S. airlines have expressed concern about the rapid pace of increasing flights.
Yoasobi member Ayase (far left) joins U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a toast during a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2024

A brief history of J-pop stars meeting U.S. presidents

Yoasobi's presence at the White House state dinner catapults the duo to a new strata. It also says a lot about what sound currently rules Japanese music.
One of the main hurdles to more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in Europe cited by industry experts is the difficulty in rolling out necessary infrastructure quickly and broadly.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2024

Bumpy ride for electric cars in Europe

Sales of plug-in "zero emission" vehicles have stalled in the region in recent months.
Ayuko Kato, minister for children-related policies
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2024

Japan discloses more details of costs to fight low birthrate

The planned fees that will be added to public medical insurance premiums aims to help secure funds to combat the declining birthrate trend.
A guest room at the Muji Hotel Ginza. Ryohin Keikaku, the brand’s parent company, now has a new business called Muji Stay, which brings under one umbrella the retailer’s existing hotels, homes and camps.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2024

Japan’s Muji bets minimalist retail will work for homes and hotels

Muji currently has three hotels — one in Ginza, one in Beijing and one in Shenzhen, with rooms often booked out months in advance
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in December at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
BASEBALL
Apr 12, 2024

How Ippei Mizuhara allegedly wired millions from Shohei Ohtani’s account

Crucially for Ohtani, a U.S. investigation clearly paints him as a victim without any involvement in or knowledge of his interpreter's gambling woes.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the court after a pre-trial hearing in a hush money case in New York on March 25. As Trump faces a slew of trials, his opponents should take the comparison to Hitler's court room dramas seriously.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 2024

The Hitler trial’s lessons in the Trump era

As former U.S. President Donald Trump faces a slew of trials, his opponents should take the comparison to Hitler's court room dramas seriously.
“Butter” author Asako Yuzuki was inspired by the real-life story of Kanae Kijima, who was nicknamed the “Black Widow” and the “Konkatsu Killer” by the media for killing three men she dated to maintain her luxurious lifestyle of gourmet meals and a high-end cooking school.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 12, 2024

Asako Yuzuki's 'Butter' is a heady serving of food culture and feminism

The author's foodie femme fatale character was inspired by a real-life "black widow" case that caught the public's attention in 2009.
U.S. Steel said that over 98% of the votes were in favor of the deal under which Nippon will pay $55 per share, an amount that represented a hefty premium when the takeover was announced in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 13, 2024

U.S. Steel shareholders approve $14.9 billion buyout by Nippon Steel

The move takes the merger one step closer to completion even as political opposition to the deal mounts.
A funeral procession in Tehran for seven Iranian military commanders killed by an Israeli airstrike in Syria, on April 5. American intelligence analysts and officials said Friday that they expected Iran to strike multiple targets inside Israel within the next few days in retaliation for an Israeli bombing in the Syrian capital on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 13, 2024

U.S. targets unlikely to be on list in possible Iranian attack, officials say

In anticipation of the strikes, several countries have issued new guidelines to their citizens about travel in Israel and the surrounding region.
U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint news conference with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (not pictured) in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2024

It's inflation, stupid: Biden faces renewed election threat

The cost of living is rising more quickly again, just when he thought he had put the issue behind him to get a clear run at November's vote.
A voter arrives at a polling station in San Diego, California. According to a recent survey, young U.S. men were the only population group in the United States or seven EU member states actually to have become more conservative since 2014.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 13, 2024

Despair makes young U.S. men more conservative ahead of U.S. election, poll shows

The study offered context for November's U.S. presidential poll and a plethora of votes worldwide, including an EU parliamentary election in June.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of the National Security team regarding the missile attacks on Israel from Iran, in the White House Situation Room on Saturday.
WORLD
Apr 14, 2024

Biden pledges G7 response and U.S. support for Israel after Iran attacks

Iran launched explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late on Saturday in its first direct attack on Israeli territory.
Noto Airport in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2024

Japan to revise guidelines for airport operators in times of disaster

The BCP revisions come on the heels of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 1.
Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle is pictured at an air base, said to be following an interception mission of an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel, in this handout image released Sunday.
WORLD
Apr 14, 2024

Iran warns Israel not to respond militarily to retaliation

After direct and unprecedented attacks on Israeli, Iran advocates for restraint, hinting at severe consequences if ignored.
Results of three by-elections on April 28 will likely influence the fate of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 14, 2024

Three Japan by-elections set to start amid fund scandal

The official campaign period is set to start Tuesday for the April 28 by-elections for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Opposition figurehead decries China's 'alarming' sway in Solomon Islands

The archipelago is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals.
Iranians gather at Palestine Square to celebrate Iran’s attack on Israel, holding up their phones with the flash on, in Tehran on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Iran’s attack on Israel sparks race to avert a full-blown war

Nations around the world are working to stop what could be a slow dance toward war in the Middle East after Iran directly attacked Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an unpopular leader at home, whom many hold responsible for failures that led to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Iran attack tests Netanyahu’s political staying power

For almost three decades, Netanyahu has warned that a nuclear Iran would be catastrophic.
People applying for My Number cards are likely to be able to present digital IDs as valid identification documents when receiving the card starting next month.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2024

Government plans to allow digital IDs to receive My Number cards

The move is aimed at broadening the scope of acceptable ID methods to encourage students and workers to sign up for the cards.
LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and election strategy committee chair Yuko Obuchi speak to reporters in Tokyo on April 2.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

By-elections to determine Kishida’s fate within LDP

Losing in the Shimane No. 1 district, long an LDP stronghold, would mark a major blow to the prime minister.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar, India, on April 6, ahead of the country's upcoming general election starting Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 15, 2024

For Modi, the Indian election is less about winning and more about by how much

For Indian leader Narendra Modi, an upcoming parliamentary election is less about winning and more about by how much.
Yukio Kani, chairman and global CEO of Jera
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Japan’s top power producer Jera considers IPO to fund green push

The Tokyo-based company plans to develop 20 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity by fiscal 2035.
Takuya Hirai (left), chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's Public Relations Headquarters shows the party's new poster bearing a slogan created by generative artificial intelligence, at the party's headquarters on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

AI creates Japan ruling party's new poster slogan

The LDP will print about 150,000 copies of the new poster and put them up across the country.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made the decision to launch a missile attack on Israel on Saturday, one that was largely repelled by the latter’s air defense systems. This had the effect of weakening Iran’s position and strengthening Israel’s.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2024

Netanyahu can gain from Iran’s missile barrage error

Having repelled Iran's attack, the Israeli government can rebuild its standing at home and abroad by drawing attention away from its mistakes in Gaza.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (right), seen here meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has made strengthening ties with Tokyo one of his foreign policy priorities.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2024

A humbled Yoon must future-proof Seoul’s alliances

Despite Yoon Suk-yeol's weak grip on South Korea's government after his electoral defeat, he can still do a lot to ensure his foreign policy lives on.
OpenAI Japan’s president Tadao Nagasaki speaks at a news conference about the opening of its first Asia office in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2024

OpenAI taps ex-Amazon executive to head enterprise push in Japan

The artificial intelligence darling is opening an office in Tokyo as it releases a custom GPT-4 model catering to Japanese language users.
Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State (left), and Nami Kritenbrink arrive to attend a state dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington on April 10.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

U.S. and China officials discuss Middle East, Taiwan and South China Sea

The meetings come ahead of the May presidential inauguration in democratically governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.

Longform

Visitors to Kyoto walk along a street near Kiyomizu Temple in April. A popular tourist spot, Kyoto has seen what locals feel to be an overwhelming amount of tourists in 2024.
Is Japan ready for 60 million tourists?