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French fans cheer on their team during an Olympic rugby sevens match on Sunday. Fans are back in force at the Games and providing a lively atmosphere for the competition after COVID-19 forced the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics to be mostly played without spectators.
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2024

The Olympic roar is back in Paris after two pandemic-hit Games

The sights and sounds of the Olympics have returned to normal this year, with fans able to attend the Games without restrictions for the first time since 2018.
Footballer Kaishu Sano has been released after being arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 30, 2024

Japan footballer Kaishu Sano released after sexual assault arrest

It is not clear whether the case against the 23-year-old, who recently signed for top-flight German side Mainz, has been dropped.
Fans at the Olympic shooting venue cool off during a heat wave in Deols, France, on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS
Jul 31, 2024

In Olympic Village, heat tests limits of organizers' green ambitions

France is now in the middle of a heat wave that pushed the mercury in Paris into the mid-30s degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
French fans cheer during the victory ceremony for the men's 200-meter breaststroke, which was won by home favorite Leon Marchand, on Wednesday in Paris.
OLYMPICS
Aug 1, 2024

After tense buildup, Olympic fever has caught on in France

Stadiums are packed. Crowds are going wild, chanting, applauding, supporting the home team. And the French are also tuning in by the millions to watch the Games on TV.
Japan's Yuki Kawamura goes to the basket in the men's preliminary round group B basketball match between Japan and Brazil during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on Friday.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Aug 3, 2024

Japan's 'Slam Dunk' fans upstaged by 'Brazilian chapulines'

The Brazilians crushed Japan 102-84 in men's Group B to end the Asian side's Olympic dreams.
Fuka Nagano (left) and Hinata Miyazawa after Japan was eliminated from the Olympic soccer tournament by the U.S. on Saturday in Paris.
OLYMPICS
Aug 4, 2024

For Nadeshiko Japan, the quarterfinals prove to be a stumbling block — again

The team fell 1-0 to the U.S. after also losing in the last eight at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and at the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
American Gabby Thomas celebrates after winning the women's 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2024

I wanted to quit several times, says newly crowed 200-meter champion Thomas

The 27-year-old American secured her first global title after beating 100-meter champion Julien Alfred.
Brazil forward Adriana scores her team's third goal during the women's Olympic semifinals in Marseille on Tuesday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 7, 2024

Brazil shocks world champion Spain 4-2 to reach Olympic final

Playing its sixth Olympic semi, Brazil capitalized on a number of Spanish defensive mistakes to reach Saturday's final in Paris against the U.S.
The Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, designed by Kenzo Tange, is built on the north-south axis of peace, which includes the Atomic Bomb Dome, in the city of Hiroshima.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 7, 2024

'Axis of Peace' continues to shape Hiroshima's distinctive urban development

The city's reconstruction plan, drawn up in 1946, included a plan to build the park and other facilities, and Tange's design proposal was picked from 145 proposals.
Critics say excluding Israel from the Nagasaki bombing anniversary while inviting representatives from countries with human rights violations, such as Iran, which is pursuing its own nuclear weapons, undermines the ceremony's message of peace.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 7, 2024

Nagasaki bombing ceremony misses an important invitation: Israel's

Nagasaki’s Mayor Shiro Suzuki explicitly disinvited Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen to the 79th anniversary of the bombing of the city, citing security concerns.
Across Japan, sports fans are sacrificing a good night’s sleep to catch their favorite Olympics events and beloved athletes.
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2024

Sleepless in Japan: How to recover from ‘Olympic fever’

The Paris Olympics are just about done, so sleep-deprived sports junkies can take comfort in the fact that they’ll soon be able to get a full night’s rest.
A container-sized cabin produced by Zheng Weirong's company
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 13, 2024

Chinese swap handbags for trips as ‘experience economy’ booms

Consumer spending in China is still constrained by modest income growth and falling home prices, which make homeowners feel less wealthy overall.
Manchester City players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Community Shield over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday.
SOCCER
Aug 14, 2024

Time for Manchester City's case to resolve itself, says Premier League chief

City was charged in February last year with more than 100 alleged breaches of finance rules since the club's acquisition by the Abu Dhabi-City Football Group.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is no stranger to using creative ideas in a bid to motivate his players.
SOCCER
Aug 16, 2024

Arsenal aims to pick Manchester City's pockets in title race

Arteta's side suffered an agonizing end to last season as City pipped Arsenal to the trophy by just two points on the final day.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe (center) is challenged by Real Mallorca defenders Martin Valjent and Pablo Maffeo during the teams' clash in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Aug 19, 2024

Mbappe and Madrid denied in Mallorca draw

Madrid's star-studded side struggled to break down Mallorca, who came closer to winning the game in the final stages.
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi leaves the pitch after picking up an injury during the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament final football match between Argentina and Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, Florida, on July 14.
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 20, 2024

Injured Messi left out of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers squad

Argentina captain Lionel Messi sustained an ankle injury during last month's Copa America final in the United States.
Lions players celebrate after a win over the Buffaloes on Wednesday at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 25, 2024

A fight over free agency in NPB, with help from an American union

The union representing players in NPB is fighting to secure rights over players' images and give them the opportunity to make the jump to MLB sooner.
A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Aug 26, 2024

Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?

Intense heat and an increase in storms, by-products of a changing climate, are altering consumer behavior.
A foreign laborer works at a construction site amid scorching heat in Riyadh in 2022.
SOCCER / World cup
Aug 28, 2024

Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid renews fears for migrants' welfare

Foreign laborers who dealt with harsh conditions in Saudi Arabia are warning about a pending construction boom for stadiums for the 2034 World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe has not scored in two Spanish League matches with Real Madrid.
SOCCER
Aug 29, 2024

Carlo Ancelotti not worried about Kylian Mbappe's start with Real Madrid

Mbappe has yet to find the net in two La Liga matches.
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Zibqin, in southern Lebanon, on Sunday. AFP-JIJI
EDITORIALS
Aug 30, 2024

The Middle East remains on a precipice

Israel's retaliations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have not led to a wider conflict. But neither Iran nor its proxies seem eager to expand the fighting either.
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah crosses the ball during an English Premier League away fixture against Manchester United on Sunday.
SOCCER
Sep 2, 2024

Salah says current season will be last at Liverpool

The Egyptian helped Liverpool administer an emphatic 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday.
Samurai Blue players celebrate after Wataru Endo's opening goal of the team's World Cup qualifying win over China on Thursday in Saitama.
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 6, 2024

Japan hammers China as next round of World Cup qualifying begins

Japan was in blistering form as Samurai Blue handed out an embarrassing defeat to an out-classed China.
England interim manager Lee Carsley watches the team prepare for its match against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
SOCCER
Sep 9, 2024

England interim manager Lee Carsley takes confidence from win over Ireland

Carsley has been installed as caretaker while England searches for a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate.
The Tokyo leg of Magical Mirai 2024, a gathering centered on a concert starring the aqua-haired Hatsune Miku and other avatars created by Sapporo-based company Crypton Future Media, kicked off on Aug. 30.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 9, 2024

Magical Mirai 2024 shows that the future is bright for Hatsune Miku

Thousands of visitors helped kick off the Tokyo leg of the gathering, which offers an immersive dive into every part of the aqua-haired anime avatar's world.
France forward Ousmane Dembele (right) shoots toward the goal during a UEFA Nations League match against Belgium in Lyon, France, on Monday.
SOCCER
Sep 10, 2024

France back to winning ways with 2-0 success against Belgium

The French had to weather early attacks by the visitors before settling into a rhythm and imposing themselves on the contest.
Japan's Koki Ogawa shoots at the Bahrain goal during a World Cup qualifying match in Riffa, Bahrain, on Tuesday.
SOCCER / World cup
Sep 11, 2024

Japan coach slams Bahrain fans after World Cup qualifying rout

Japan won 5-0 in Manama to continue their impressive start to the Asian qualifying third round, following last week's 7-0 home thrashing of China.
United manager Erik ten Hag directs his team during a match against Liverpool on Sept. 1.
SOCCER
Sep 13, 2024

United manager Erik Ten Hag responds to criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo

Ten Hag has said he is "quite confident" of claiming more silverware this campaign after lifting the League Cup and FA Cup over the past two seasons.
Urawa celebrates after winning the Asian Champions League final at Saitama Stadium on May 6, 2023.
SOCCER
Sep 15, 2024

New Asian Champions League format highlights quality over quantity

The tournament features a new format, trophy and logo as well as three times more cash for the new champion.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts during his team's loss against Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on Saturday
SOCCER
Sep 15, 2024

Liverpool manager Arne Slot laments mistakes after upset loss to Nottingham Forest

Arne Slot got his first taste of defeat as Liverpool boss as his side lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

Longform

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