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Health minister Keizo Takemi speaks to reporters in Tokyo in March.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 27, 2024

Panel sets out investment vision for Japan's health care startups

Since 2019, the number of health care startups established each year in Japan has declined to around 50.
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte emerged as the sole candidate for NATO secretary-general after his final challenger, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, dropped out of the race last week.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 27, 2024

NATO’s next chief, Mark Rutte, will have his work cut out for him

The war in Ukraine, uncertainty about Washington's position in the alliance and growing tensions with China are among the challenges he will face.
Lawyer and activist Rozkar Ibrahim walks past a headstone marked with the word 'grave of life' in an area reserved for the victims of femicide and honor killings, at the Siwan cemetery in Sulaimaniyah, the autonomous Kurdistan region's second city, on May 17.
WORLD
Jun 27, 2024

Murdered and forgotten: Iraqi victims of gender-based violence

Domestic violence and femicide have long plagued Iraq's conservative society.
People look at the election poster board at Kasai Rinkai Park in Tokyo. The board includes posters for each of the candidates running in that specific riding.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 28, 2024

Tokyo's election day is coming. Are you comfortable talking about politics in Japanese?

Even if you don't want to talk about politics, expressing your opinion on a particular topic is always a good skill to have in your daily life.
U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first presidential debate of 2024 at CNN's studios in Atlanta on Thursday.
WORLD
Jun 28, 2024

At first debate, Biden stumbles amid Trump's barrage of falsehoods

The two men traded barbs on a host of issues as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.
Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun as they arrive at the base of Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, on June 15.
WORLD
Jun 28, 2024

Climate change boosted deadly Saudi Hajj heat by 2.5 degrees, scientists say

The heat would have been approximately 2.5 degrees Celsius cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a team of European scientists.
Cameras and lenses are displayed at Fujifilm Holdings headquarters in Tokyo on June 7.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 28, 2024

Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can't keep up with demand.

Fujifilm is struggling to meet demand for the X100 camera, prized by young 20-something social media users for its looks and high-end functions.
Narita Airport is facing a jet fuel shortage and has requested that domestic distributors ensure a stable supply.
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2024

Japan’s jet fuel crunch hits Narita

Narita Airport said the fuel crunch was affecting operations of six Asian carriers and the plans of some 57 flights a week currently.
China's then-defense chief Li Shangfu delivers a speech during the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 4, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 28, 2024

China ousts two ex-defense ministers from party over graft

The 24-man Politburo made the decision to oust Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe, who are said to have taken bribes.
If only there was that special someone who could show Cauliflower the same love he gives to everyone he meets.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 1, 2024

Won't you find Cauliflower someone to love?

Cauliflower is good with most dogs, adores people and would probably suit just about anyone — young, old or even a family with children.
Green tea has the largest share of Japan's soft drink market.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 7, 2024

Major Japanese beverage-makers renewing green tea products

Green tea has the largest share of Japan's soft drink market.
Fawn Weaver's book “Love and Whiskey,” out this month, is an engrossing narrative tracking the author's discovery of the truth behind one of the most popular whiskey brands in the world.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 30, 2024

‘Love and Whiskey’: A tale of how an obsession delivered a woman from grief

Through Fawn Weaver’s efforts, bracketed within a personal tragedy, the true story of how Jack Daniel learned how to make whiskey from a Black slave comes to life.
Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa participates in a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier. This summer’s Olympics will be the first in which half of athletes are female.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 28, 2024

Paris Olympics’ gender equality boast has an asterisk

Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics where half of all athletes are female. But the gender gap remains wide among the ranks of coaches and needs to be tackled.
Horror artist Junji Ito adds just a dash of comedy to his work, though he aims for it to be understated. “If it’s truly a horror story, the humor must be restrained and more veiled,” he says.
CULTURE / Art
Jun 29, 2024

Fear still matters to Junji Ito

Currently on view at Tokyo's Setagaya Literary Museum is an extensive collection of the horror master's work, the first large-scale exhibition of it's kind in Japan.
Health ministry officials enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's plant in the city of Osaka on March 30.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 28, 2024

Dozens more deaths may be linked to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's supplements

The ministry has instructed Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to create a plan to carry out a probe into the causal relationships between the deaths and their products.
U.S. President Joe Biden looks down as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with his predecessor and current Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, at CNN's studios in Atlanta on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2024

Here’s what it would take to replace Biden as nominee

Democrats have ways to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket — but doing so without their standard-bearer’s acquiescence would be a daunting task.
An image of U.S. President Joe Biden is displayed as his Republican challenger, former U.S. President Donald Trump, holds a campaign event, in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2024

Fearful and doubting Biden, Democrats face an uncertain path forward

Some began to reconsider their support after his rough debate showing, but there was no agreement on how, or whether, to urge him to step off the ticket.
Carlos Alcaraz takes part in a practice session at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London on Thursday ahead of the start of Wimbledon.
TENNIS
Jun 29, 2024

Young guns Alcaraz and Sinner ready to fire as Wimbledon prepares for new era

If Djokovic struggles in his return from injury, all eyes would then be on Alcaraz and Sinner as they usher in a new era at Wimbledon.
Former Giants star Orlando Cepeda stands in front of his old No. 30 during a ceremony to retire his number, in San Francisco in 1999.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 29, 2024

Orlando Cepeda, baseball slugger known as the Baby Bull, dies at 86

Playing for 17 seasons in the major leagues, Cepeda hit 379 home runs, had 2,351 hits, drove in 1,365 runs and had a career batting average of .297.
Tourists in front of the restaurant and shopping area of Mount Fuji's 5th Station, which leads to the popular Yoshida trail for hikers climbing the mountain, in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 19.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 30, 2024

Mount Fuji begins charging entrance fees as overtourism prevention measure

The measure, which also includes capping the number of daily climbers at 4,000, marks the first time that climbing one of Japan's most enduring symbols will cost money.
Self-Defense Force troops take part in an amphibious landing exercise on Tokunoshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture last November.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2024

Japan's SDF marks 70th anniversary as it faces change and challenges

The SDF is grappling with dramatic policy shifts while facing down challenges ranging from recruitment to rising Chinese military assertiveness.
As the 1924 Exclusion Act came into effect in the United States, people in Japan were not happy. It would define American immigration policy for near three decades.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Jul 1, 2024

Japan Times 1924: Anti-America Day observed by all Japan

Two very different views of the United States from Japan, separated by 25 years and, more importantly, a war, define this month's look back at Japanese history.
Voters queue at to cast their ballots for Iran's presidential election outside a mosque in Tehran on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

Iran election shows declining voter support amid calls for change

Of the 61 million eligible voters in Iran, only about 40% cast ballots, marking a record low turnout.
The number of lawmakers with income of over ¥100 million totaled seven, all Liberal Democratic Party members, in 2023, up from two in the previous year.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

Lawmakers' average income rises for the first time in 5 years

The number of lawmakers with an annual income of over ¥100 million increased to seven in 2023, up from two in the previous year.
Tiananmen Square in Beijing
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

What to expect from the Third Plenum, China’s big policy meeting

The Third Plenum gathers about 400 government bigwigs, military chiefs, provincial bosses and academics to steer China's political and economic course.
The yen’s depreciation is largely down to the gap in interest rates between the U.S. and Japan. Therefore, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is, to all intents and purposes, “Mr. Yen.”
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 1, 2024

There’s a new 'Mr. Yen' in town

No matter what the Bank of Japan or the Finance Ministry do, ultimate control over the yen's value lies in the hands of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike gives a speech before the start of Toden Pro Wrestling, the first-ever pro wrestling event inside a streetcar of the Toden Arakawa Line, in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

Koike has small lead as Tokyo election campaign enters final week

The Meiji Jingu Gaien redevelopment plan and disaster resilience have emerged as key issues as the race enters the home stretch.
Supporters of the far-right National Rally wave French flags at the party's headquarters following voting during the first round of legislative elections in Henin-Beaumont, France, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2024

French left and Macron race to prevent far-right takeover

Analysts say the most likely outcome of the snap election is a hung parliament that could lead to months of political paralysis and chaos.
A makeshift squat-style toilet is still used at an evacuation center in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, six months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 2, 2024

Six months on from Noto quake, shelter toilets are still squat-style

Reports of health deterioration among evacuees, many of whom are elderly, due to the discomfort of having to use such toilets have emerged.
A Taliban spokesperson addresses a press conference in Kabul on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2024

Taliban told to 'include women' in public life at U.N. talks

Excluding civil rights groups from the talks was the price for the Taliban government's participation in them.

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?