Search - 2013

 
 
Yoshikazu Uchikawa, head lawyer representing plaintiffs of a lawsuit demanding that cuts in welfare benefits be revoked, speaks at a news conference in Nagoya on Thursday following a Nagoya High Court ruling.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 1, 2023

Japan high court revokes welfare benefit cuts

The plaintiffs argued that there was an error in the method for calculating the price index used as the basis for the reductions.
A still from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 14, 2023

Big in Japan 2023: Anime, Murakami and The Legend of Zelda

Our guests tell us why anime dominated in 2023, which books stood out among a lackluster crowd and why the Zelda franchise is experiencing a renaissance.
Hideki Kuriyama, who guided Samurai Japan to the World Baseball Classic title in March, rings a bell during a ceremony marking the end of trading in 2023 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 29, 2023

Japanese stocks post best yearly gain since Abenomics jolt

The benchmark Topix posted an annual return of 25%, and the 225-issue Nikkei average rallied 28%. That’s the best performance for both gauges since 2013.
An old growth forest near Fort St. James, British Columbia, Canada, in an area where pellet producer Drax is permitted to cut.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Jan 14, 2024

Japan's thirst for biomass is having a harmful impact on Canada's forests

Experts and activists say biomass is not the climate solution it might appear to be on the surface and is far from being sustainable.
Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones dives for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in a 2024 NFC wild card game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 14.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 19, 2024

The rise of the NFL’s 2-point conversion

The NFL playoffs have already delivered high-stakes moments around a simple decision: After a touchdown, should your team kick for 1 point, or go for 2?
Patrick Roy speaks at a news conference in 2013. Roy was hired by the New York Islanders on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Jan 21, 2024

Islanders hire Patrick Roy as head coach after firing Lane Lambert

Roy, 58, is best known as one of the NHL's greatest goalies, but he has had a second career in coaching.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron as chief guest of celebrations marking India's Republic Day on Jan. 26.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2024

The fraternity between France and India has never been stronger

Beyond the pomp of Republic Day celebrations with Macron as guest of honor, Modi and the French leader signed substantive defense deals, cementing ties.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara speak with the media at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 1, 2024

Shohei Ohtani reveals few details after surprise marriage announcement

The superstar, who fiercely guards details about his personal life, said the announcement's timing was to avoid any potential distractions going forward.
The Cabinet has agreed to new national security legislation on sensitive government- and private-sector information that lawmakers should pass.
EDITORIALS
Mar 1, 2024

Protecting information is the key to national security

In recent years, however, that landscape has shifted and new fields are now considered essential to a country’s security and prosperity.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Ottawa in May 2009.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

Brian Mulroney, former Canadian prime minister, is dead at 84

Mulroney was known as the Canadian leader who led the country into the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico.
J-Power is making a AU$380.9 million bid for Australian renewable energy firm Genex Power.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 4, 2024

J-Power makes bid for Australian renewables firm Genex

The move comes as part of the Japanese company's efforts to boost its renewable energy assets.
Wakana Nukui has been described as having a knack for storytelling and vividly sharing her vision with those around her.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Mar 24, 2024

A social entrepreneur who is determined to lift Cambodian women's status

Wakana Nukui has fostered new talent in design while opening shops dedicated to local products.
A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Longform
Mar 15, 2024

Akira Toriyama's gift to the world

The artist's impact was such that he should be considered alongside greats such as Walt Disney and Stan Lee when it comes to cultural contributions.
Women attend a protest in 2018 against the rape of three girls, an 8-year-old, an 11-year-old and a teenager, in different parts of India. The country experiences alarming rates of sexual violence against women.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 15, 2024

Why is India failing to protect its women?

India is plagued by sexual violence, with many horrific cases in the spotlight over the years. Despite reforms, cultural norms are hindering progress.
Drivers in California’s Marin County rely on a single hydrogen fueling station.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Apr 6, 2024

Few stations and $200 to fill up: Life on California’s ‘hydrogen highway’

Fuel shortages and soaring prices have stalled the adoption of hydrogen cars — but proponents aren’t throwing in the towel.
Some strategists have predicted that Japan’s 10-year sovereign yield will rise to 2% by the end of 2026.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 22, 2024

Japan yields have room to rise after 1% reached on BOJ bets

The focus turns now to how quickly the supereasy monetary policy will be dialed back and how much further yields may rise.
Gold prices change daily, reflecting wider market movements, but start at about 88,000 won ($64) for a 0.5-gram bar.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2024

You can now buy gold bars from vending machines in South Korea

Prices change daily, reflecting wider market movements, but start at about 88,000 won ($64) for a 0.5-gram bar.
The Bank of Japan is expected to discuss cutting bond purchases at a two-day policy meeting ending Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 11, 2024

BOJ expected to weigh bond buying cuts as rate hike timing nears

A paring back of bond purchases would mark the BOJ’s first clear step toward quantitative tightening after pivoting away from its massive stimulus program in March.
Japan is shifting its defense strategy to prioritize logistics and supply chain resilience, recognizing them as critical components of its overall defense capability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 18, 2024

Real defense demands more than just being able to fight

U.S. Gen. Omar Bradley famously warned that “amateurs talk strategy and professionals talk logistics.”
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court with the NBA championship trophy after Boston clinched the title on Monday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 20, 2024

Celtics celebrate as confidence grows that winning run is just beginning

The Celtics sealed the NBA title earlier this week, but Boston had actually been waiting for this moment for over a decade.
Newly appointed British Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves No. 10 Downing St. following the results of the election, in London, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 6, 2024

David Lammy: Friend of Obama now U.K. foreign minister

The 51-year-old's ancestors were enslaved in Guyana, South America — a family history that Lammy says will inform his approach to foreign policy.
The Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee typically meets seven times in its five-year tenure, with the third of these plenums being particularly important as it represents the first chance for the new leadership to properly introduce its broad thinking on economic and political issues.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 8, 2024

Why China’s third plenum matters for global investors

The typically once-in-five-years conclave of top officials usually deals with major economic and political policy changes.
In addition to standup comedy, Anthony Jeselnik co-hosts the podcast “The Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project” with NFL analyst Gregg Rosenthal.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 11, 2024

Standup comic Anthony Jeselnik, known for fierce roasts, to play first Japan show

The comedian will hit Tokyo as part of the Asia stretch of his worldwide “Bones and All” tour.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech in Pretoria, South Africa, Aug. 22, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 18, 2024

Xi to map out vision for China’s economy as key meeting wraps up

The summit comes as China battles a years-long real estate crisis, which has prompted the longest deflationary streak since 1999.
A street cleaner at the Lujiazui Finance District in Shanghai
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 22, 2024

Xi vows to rewire China’s finances and help indebted regions

Plans centered around shifting more revenue from the central to local coffers in China, such as by allowing regional governments to receive more of the consumption tax.
Paris is preparing to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which start on Friday. These Summer Games will likely be very different from the previous ones, held in Tokyo in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 22, 2024

In defense of Tokyo 2020, the loneliest Olympics

As Paris gets ready to host the Olympics, a reflection on the previous Games, held in Tokyo three years ago, prompts doubts about predictions of a COVID-induced disaster.
Attendees inspect a Lamborghini Revuelto high performance electrified vehicle on the opening day of the Geneva International Motor Show Qatar 2023, in Doha on Oct. 6, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 22, 2024

In the world of luxury cars, hybrids are the sexiest new thing

Engineers insist the technology is as much about getting more performance out of existing combustion engines as it is about going green.
Nicolas Maduro speaks to members of the media after casting a ballot in Caracas on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 29, 2024

Venezuela opposition rejects Maduro election win

Venezuela’s political opposition has vehemently rejected the electoral authority’s ruling that Nicolas Maduro was reelected as the nation’s president, calling on the military to intervene. The U.S. and some Latin American neighbors also raised concerns about the official result.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speaks during an IOC session in Paris on Saturday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 11, 2024

Olympics chief Thomas Bach says he will not seek third term

"New times are calling for new leaders," the 70-year-old German lawyer, who has been in charge since 2013, told a session of IOC members in the French capital.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa attends a new conference for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 25.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 3, 2024

Africa's rising importance for Japan’s Indo-Pacific goals

Africa is becoming an increasingly important element of Japanese FOIP strategy. It is a work in progress, but it is proceeding.

Longform

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