Search - 2020

 
 
The facade of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum graces the cover of Paul Tulett’s new book “Brutalist Japan: A Photographic Tour of Post-War Japanese Architecture.”
CULTURE / Books
Nov 16, 2024

Brutal beauty worth saving from the wrecking ball

Paul Tulett advocates for preserving concrete Brutalist architecture in his new book “Brutalist Japan.”
Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright rings a ceremonial bell to celebrate the company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in January 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 17, 2024

Trump nominates fracking magnate and climate skeptic as energy secretary

A vocal proponent of oil and gas, Chris Wright says the threat of global warming is exaggerated and fossil fuels are crucial for spreading prosperity.
The Fugaku supercomputer at Riken Center for Computational Science in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 19, 2024

Japan's Fugaku supercomputer takes top spot in two rankings for 10th time

Fugaku marked better performance than in the previous rankings, in May, following an improvement to its software.
A view inside Beijing Daxing International Airport. Japanese nationals could soon visit China without a visa for up to 15 days, according to reports.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 19, 2024

China may soon resume visa exemptions for Japanese nationals, reports say

The news comes as the two countries work toward mending fences after a period of tension and in the face of rising protectionist threats.
Leaders attending the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty pose for a group photo after the first session of the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 20, 2024

Brazil urges G20 leaders to move faster on net zero climate targets

Brazil's leader noted this is likely the world's warmest year on record as climate disasters such as flooding and droughts become more frequent and intense.
Media mogul Jimmy Lai leaves Mong Kok police station after being released on bail in Hong Kong on Aug. 12, 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 20, 2024

After years in a Hong Kong jail, Jimmy Lai has his say in court

The media mogul said his now-shuttered newspaper, Apple Daily, represented the freedoms that people in the city valued.
Pudong's Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai, China
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 20, 2024

Japanese businesses grow more pessimistic on China’s economy

About 64% of Japanese companies said the Chinese economy is faring worse than last year.
A post-election analysis by the polling company Blueprint discovered that the top reason why American swing voters eventually supported Donald Trump over Kamal Harris was culture (+28) followed by inflation (+23).
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2024

It’s too soon to say wokeism is dead

The Republicans ran the most unwoke man in America for the presidency, Donald Trump, and were amply rewarded for it.
Originally debuting on a coin purse, Hello Kitty became a national phenomenon in Japan and is now the second highest-grossing media franchise worldwide.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2024

Hello Kitty looks pretty at 50 (and is worth more than ever)

Kitty’s broad appeal, especially to adults, helped popularize the Japanese concept of kawaii (cuteness), which has since become a global trend.
Jimmy Lai, publisher of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper, at his office in Hong Kong on Aug. 22, 2019. Accused of masterminding anti-government protests that swept across Hong Kong in 2019, Lai testified for the first time on Wednesday at his landmark national security trial.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 21, 2024

Apple Daily: The Hong Kong tabloid that dared to challenge China

Hong Kong's Apple Daily was once the city's most popular tabloid by punching up against the Chinese Communist Party. But Beijing had the last laugh.
Nissan Motor slashed its earnings outlook earlier this month and said it would cut 9,000 jobs and a fifth of its manufacturing capacity.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 21, 2024

Hedge fund Effissimo stirs speculation with its stake in Nissan Motor

News of the investment sent Nissan’s shares soaring 13% on Nov. 12.
Out of over 16,000 pharmaceutical products, 3,103 — or 18.5% — were either in limited or suspended supply as of the end of October, according to a recent survey. Of these, over 60% are generic drugs.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2024

Japan's generic drug shortage continues as flu season kicks off

The supply shortfall is due to a string of scandals that hit the generic drug industry in recent years as well as other structural problems.
Owning dollars has been a winning strategy for Chinese companies. The currency has been kept strong by high U.S. rates and falling Chinese ones.
BUSINESS / Markets / ANALYSIS
Nov 22, 2024

Corporate China seeks dollars as trade tensions rise

Chinese firms are squirreling away dollars, pricing contracts in yuan and opening import lines to mitigate currency risks,
Akira Yamaguchi (right), president of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, hands the results of a survey, the first step to select a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, to Haruo Kataoka, mayor of Suttsu in Hokkaido, on Friday in the town.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2024

Nuclear waste body backs further Hokkaido disposal site surveys

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan has concluded it can move on to a preliminary survey that involves drilling work in Suttsu and Kamoenai.
U.S. pitcher Spencer Patton throws during the sixth inning of Team USA's loss to Samurai Japan on Thursday at Tokyo Dome.
BASEBALL
Nov 22, 2024

U.S. pitcher Spencer Patton gets warm reception as he returns to Japan for Premier12

Patton pitched pitched for the Yokohama BayStars from 2017 to 2020, making 219 appearances for the club overall. Now he's back in Japan and competing for Team USA.

Longform

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