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November 22, 2024
 

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LANGUAGE

As technology and politics increasingly force society to determine truth from fiction, Merriam-Webster's dictionary has selected the word "authentic" as word of the year.
WORLD / Society
Nov 28, 2023
Merriam-Webster crowns 'authentic' as word of the year
The winner beat "deepfake," "rizz" and "coronation" for honors as the word that most often sent people to the dictionary.
Yoshiko Koide, a professor at Nagoya College, and 12 female students delved deep into otaku culture to create “Otaku Dictionary Daigenkai,” a dictionary of terms from all walks of fandom.
LIFE / Language
Nov 20, 2023
Test your otaku vocabulary, from 'oshi' to 'bacon lettuce'
“Otaku Dictionary Daigenkai” has gathered the language of fandom, from idols to games and anime.
A sculpture of Confucius at the Temple of Confucius in Beijing. A new report has found that almost all of the China-funded Confucius Institutes in the U.S. have closed, showing how far ties between Beijing and Washington have soured.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 3, 2023
China’s Confucius Institutes are disappearing from U.S. campuses
All but five of the institutes, which were created in 2004 to promote Chinese language, are now closed,
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.
Ashleigh Surma (second from right) assists Elva Case (left), Linda Lupe (second from left) and Joycelene Johnson in recording indigenous languages during the ICILDER 2023 Conference in Bloomington, Indiana
WORLD / Society
Oct 20, 2023
Tech breathes new life into endangered Native American languages
Of the more than 6,000 Indigenous languages recognized globally, nearly half of them are at risk of disappearing.
The cast of Chelfitsch’s play “The Window of Spaceship ‘In-Between’” includes individuals with different levels of Japanese-language proficiency. They participated in workshops hosted by the theater company to promote more inclusivity in Japanese theater.
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 29, 2023
Chelfitsch challenges Japanese theater's language barriers
The theater company questions the status quo of the Japanese stage by casting non-native speakers in new project, 'The Window of Spaceship "In-Between."'
Migrants from Venezuela, seeking asylum in the United States, sit before crossing the Rio Bravo river with the intention of turning themselves in to the U.S. Border Patrol agents, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Thursday.
WORLD / Society
Sep 24, 2023
AI's 'insane' translation mistakes endanger U.S. asylum cases
Machine translation has made huge leaps but is still nowhere near good enough for complex, high-stakes situations like the asylum process.
Diane Hawley Nagatomo at her home office in Chiba. Born in the U.K., Diane has called Japan “home” for more than 40 years.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 23, 2023
Diane Hawley Nagatomo: ‘The only way to improve writing is to write’
After retiring from her position as a professor in 2022, Diane Hawley Nagatomo has just released her first novel, “The Butterfly Cafe.”
A major bonus of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme is the time it offers you to be able to plan for long-term goals. Writer Erik M. Jacobs was able to map out what he needed to pursue a career in U.S.-Japan relations, for example.
COMMUNITY / Issues / Learning Curve
Aug 8, 2023
Every situation is different on JET, but they're all similarly rewarding
As a new wave of JET Program participants arrives in the country, a program alumni shares tips on getting the most out of the experience.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2023
Seibu Railway tests new translation device to boost communication
The window-like interface creates real-time translations that appear as text bubbles as people converse on either side of the screen.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2023
NEC develops Japanese-language generative AI
NEC's generative AI features lower server load and power consumption and can be tailored according to customers' usage environments.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2023
A chatbot that won't take bribes for giving advice is a hit in India
While the change that was ushered in by ChatGPT caused alarm about AI’s role in the spread of disinformation and job losses, it’s also a tool that can aid social equality.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 19, 2023
Last known speaker fights to preserve South African indigenous language
N|uu was spoken by one of many hunter-gatherer groups that populated Southern Africa before the arrival of European colonizers.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 2, 2023
Scientists use brain scans and AI to 'decode' thoughts
While the main goal is to help people who have lost the ability to communicate, the research raises concerns about 'mental privacy.'
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 23, 2023
Zelenskyy signs ban on Russian place names in struggle over national identity
Streets across Ukraine are being renamed, and statues of figures like Catherine the Great are toppling down in what officials call 'de-Russification” projects.
Japan Times
CARTOONS / ZERO GRAVITY
Apr 22, 2023
Roger Dahl on giving a hand
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 19, 2023
Junior high pupils take first online English speaking test in nationwide assessment
In the new online speaking test, some 54,000 third graders at roughly 500 junior high schools used their own personal computers to take the test.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2023
The idiocy that will come with a reliance on AI
The real danger with AI is not that people will mistake a chatbot for a real person, it is that communicating with them will make real persons talk like chatbots.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 10, 2023
Indigenous groups fear culture distortion as AI learns their languages
Critics warn Indigenous groups are at risk from bias that can be embedded within algorithms, while generative AI models may also spread incorrect information.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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

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SWCC keeps changing with keyword ‘new challenges’

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