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An out-of-work porn director (Go Ayano, right) goes on a drunken trip down memory lane with one of his dead lover’s former partners (Tasuku Emoto, left) in “A Spoiling Rain.”
CULTURE / Film
Nov 2, 2023

‘A Spoiling Rain’: A boozy, rueful requiem for love and porn

Based on a novella, Haruhiko Arai’s drama keeps the melancholy core of its source material but expands it into a personal ode to the erotic film industry.
Kyung An, an associate curator of Asian art at the Guggenheim, curated “Only the Young” with Kang Soojung of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea.
CULTURE / Art
Nov 2, 2023

American museums keep the spotlight on Korean art

There are at least five exhibitions of Korean art at major U.S. museums this fall.
Under President Vladimir Putin rule, reason, logic, and humanity appear to have been systematically eroded from Russian life, similar to the era of Stalin and his gulags. 
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2023

Russian life imitates dystopian art

The state in Russia has always tended toward absolutism and its coercive and penal arms have rarely wielded as much power as they do now.
"The Ones Left Behind" documents the successes and struggles of single mothers in Japan.
PODCAST / deep dive
Nov 2, 2023

Why single mothers in Japan have been left behind

Filmmaker Rionne McAvoy joins us to discuss the hidden poverty present in one of the world’s richest nations.
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.
A Chinese paramilitary guard stands at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing in September 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 3, 2023

Dire economy prompts mass North Korean embassy closures

The last time the nuclear-armed country dropped diplomatic missions on this scale was in the mid-to-late 1990s.
South Africa players celebrate winning the Rugby World Cup as their trophy tour passes through Soweto on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 3, 2023

Springboks get roaring welcome in Soweto after winning World Cup

Teenagers dance in their school uniforms, as others, young and old, wave South African flags and yellow signs reading "thank you Bokke (Springboks)."
A construction crane beyond an apartment building at dusk in the Prenzlauer Berg district in Berlin, in February.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 3, 2023

Europe’s great housing crisis is only getting started

With housing already tight, the situation threatens to weigh on growth and further stoke political tensions as shortages squeeze more and more voters.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to reporters in Melbourne last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 4, 2023

Australia's Albanese set for state visit in China as ties thaw

It is the first such visit by an Australian leader in seven years as the two nations look to shore up their relationship.
Venezuela's Leonel Martinez poses on the podium with his silver medal after the men's trap final shooting event at the Pan American Games in Santiago on Oct. 27.
OLYMPICS / Shooting
Nov 4, 2023

After a 40-year wait, a trap shooter returns to the Olympics

Leonel Martínez, now 60, qualified by finishing second in men’s trap shooting at the Pan American Games in Santiago.
In some cases, it's up to individual foreign residents to understand the unique tax implications of their home countries and Japan in order to avoid a penny-pinching retirement.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / Age Wise
Nov 5, 2023

Retiring in Japan? Be prepared to foot your own bills.

“In an ideal world, everyone should have retirement planning on their radar as soon as possible when working life begins.”
Palestinians gather at the scene of a strike in a refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 5, 2023

Japanese aid worker tells of her harrowing last days in Gaza

Maiko Shirane, a 36-year-old Tokyo native, says the violence she witnessed in Gaza is something "nobody should experience."
Russian President Vladimir Putin marking Russia's Day of National Unity in Red Square in central Moscow, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 6, 2023

Putin’s move to secure Libya bases is new regional worry for U.S.

Such a move poses new threats to Washington and the EU, which are already occupied with Ukraine and the Kremlin's posturing in the Middle East.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 6, 2023

China and Australia agree to turn the page as tensions ease

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking to mend relations between the trading partners after disputes in recent years.
Shipping containers near the train station near the China–Laos border in Boten, Laos, on June 29. The Global Times, a newspaper backed by the China’s Communist Party, said the railway “connects hearts” and promotes development.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 7, 2023

China revamps lending to Global South as U.S. narrows spending gap

Beijing is moving away from the big bilateral deals in favor of collaborative lending that reduces its exposure to financial risk, a new report says.
WeWork sought U.S. bankruptcy protection on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 7, 2023

SoftBank's WeWork, once most valuable U.S. startup, goes bankrupt

The company reported estimated assets and liabilities ranging from $10 billion to $50 billion, according to a bankruptcy filing.
New Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (left) and and his predecessor, Wen Jiabao (center), attend the 12th National People's Congress where Chinese President Xi Jinping was first elected in Beijing in March 2013.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2023

China's opaque politics and the Li Keqiang mystery

Li reportedly had bypass surgery and was taking drugs after a liver transplant, both of which would have increased the risk of a heart attack.
People stand outside an Apple Store in Shanghai as the new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China on Sept. 22.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2023

Apple postpones next year's iPhone and Mac software to fix bugs

Rather than adding new features, company engineers have now been tasked with fixing flaws and improving software performance, sources have said.
The family grave of Toshihide Matsumoto is dismantled in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. An increasing number of Japanese people are opting to permanently close their family graves as traditional family structures continue to change.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 9, 2023

Graying Japan faces a grave problem

Services designed to help people move or scatter their ancestors' ashes and close up family graves are experiencing increased demand.
Tokyo International Film Festival celebrated the 120th anniversary of Yasujiro Ozu’s birth with screenings of the director’s films, including 1953’s “Tokyo Story.” The festival also held a symposium featuring three world-class filmmakers discussing Ozu’s contributions: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke and Kelly Reichardt.
CULTURE / Film
Nov 9, 2023

Kelly Reichardt: 'Yasujiro Ozu truly tries to achieve stillness'

The indie director discusses Ozu's cinematic impact on the 120th anniversary of his birth at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Abortion rights activists and counterprotesters demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court in June on the first anniversary of the court ruling in the Dobbs vs. Women’s Health Organization case, overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision. 
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 8, 2023

U.S. abortions haven’t dropped since Dobbs ruling

The #WeCount project says the number of U.S. abortions increased by about 2,000 between June 2022 and June 2023 compared with the prior 12-month period.
People from Hawaii pray for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, on a beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2014.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 13, 2023

Fukushima celebrates a century of special ties with Hawaii

Residents emigrated to Hawaii and other places to cultivate undeveloped land, and made a living by working in the sugar industry.
A mother assists her child to breathe with the help of a nebuliser at the emergency ward of the government-run Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya children hospital in New Delhi on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Nov 10, 2023

'Like breathing poison': Delhi children hardest hit by smog

"Imagine telling a parent not to let their child go out and play in this toxic environment."
Naomi Osaka, seen during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will make her return to the WTA Tour at the Brisbane International.
TENNIS
Nov 10, 2023

Naomi Osaka to make return at Brisbane International

The four-time Grand Slam winner made her last appearance in a WTA tournament at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in late September 2022.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2023

Former Lower House speaker and LDP heavyweight Hiroyuki Hosoda dies

The seasoned lawmaker served in key posts in the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including as chief Cabinet secretary.
SUMO
Nov 10, 2023

Young ozeki duo may be ready to step into spotlight at Kyushu Basho

Kirishima and Hoshoryu have generated much of the excitement in Japan’s national sport over the past 12 months.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 12, 2023

China confirms 12-year jail sentence for Japanese man in spying case

In China, 17 Japanese people have been detained under the anti-espionage law that went into effect in 2014.
A man, who said he was jailed for two years, speaks on condition of anonymity in temporary housing for former prisoners in Tokyo. Criminal recruits in Japan are being "exploited and disposed of as pawns" by gang leaders, the National Police Agency has said.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 24, 2023

Why Japan's gangs are recruiting online

For Japan's criminal underworld, social media offers an anonymous way to connect with anyone willing to commit crimes to earn money.
Novak Djokovic hits a return against Holger Rune during their match at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, on Sunday.
TENNIS
Nov 13, 2023

Novak Djokovic beats Holger Rune to secure year-end No. 1 ranking

The 24-time Grand Slam champion needed one win, or for young rival Carlos Alcaraz to lose, in order to secure the top spot in the ATP rankings for 2023.
The government aims to have 50% of new fathers take child care leave by 2025 and 85% by 2030.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 13, 2023

Japan panel proposes child care plan covering 100% of income

The 100% allowance would only be offered for up to 28 days, with the amount for any further leave being around 80% of income.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.