Tag - of

 
 

OF

A colorful coral reef made out of wool to raise awareness about climate change, at a museum in Baden-Baden, Germany, in January 2022
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Dec 31, 2023
The art world's big planetary problem
Over the last five years, it’s become increasingly clear to major art institutions in Japan and around the world that the sector has a sustainability issue.
Fans praised Nintendo for following up one of the best open-world games ever made with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a worthy sequel that introduced enough new mechanics to keep the experience fresh for players new and old alike.
CULTURE / 2023 in Review
Dec 22, 2023
Zelda was a gem among many in a crowning year for gaming
Japanese studios’ hits included: Street Fighter 6, remakes of Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, to name a few.
Idriss Diallo, president of Cote d'Ivoire's soccer federation, at Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in northern Abidjan
SOCCER
Dec 21, 2023
Africa Cup of Nations organizers confident no repeat of Cameroon tragedy
Cote d'Ivoire may be one of the heavyweights in African soccer but this will be only the second time the country hosts the tournament.
Seihan Mori, the chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes the kanji character "zei," meaning "tax," with a calligraphy brush to announce the Kanji of the Year.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 15, 2023
Despite a taxing year, 2023's top kanji still draws questions
In a year of major crises around the world, Japanese voters pick the kanji for "zei," meaning "tax," based on a plan yet to be implemented.
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.
Seihan Mori, chief priest of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, writes "zei" (taxes), which was chosen on Tuesday as the kanji of the year.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2023
Talk of taxes spurs choice for Japan’s kanji of the year
The choice came as tax hikes and cuts were heavily covered in the news and discussed among policymakers.
U.S. Marines stand by a transfer case during a repatriation ceremony for the possible remains of unidentified service members lost in the Battle of Tarawa during World War Two in the Republic of Kiribati, July 18, 2019.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 19, 2023
The bloody, 76-hour battle on a tiny atoll that helped end World War II
The Battle of Tarawa, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, took a heavy toll on American forces and led to outrage at home.
Students at Koshino Junior High School in Fukui Prefecture engage in a discussion with virtual transfer student Himawari-chan (on screen) during a lesson on disaster prevention on Sept. 19.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 19, 2023
Classroom avatar creating constructive conflict in small schools
Teachers say the Himawari-chan avatar encourages spontaneous thinking by speaking from the perspective of a student.
The crime scene following a stabbing near the University of Tokyo in January 2022
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 17, 2023
19-year-old gets prison term for stabbings near University of Tokyo
He was given an indeterminate sentence of six to 10 years for attacking two senior high school students and an elderly man.
Buildings in Pudong's Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai. China's yuan weakened past the closely watched 7.2-per-dollar level as investor sentiment soured on a lack of aggressive stimulus and Beijing signaled a level of comfort about the declines.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 9, 2023
China is struggling woo back foreign investors
The lack of investment among global firms in China may have far reaching effects on the world’s second-largest economy.
After years of pining, gamers are finally getting the live-action Zelda movie they've always wanted.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Nov 8, 2023
A live-action Legend of Zelda movie is in development
A live-action Zelda movie has been a holy grail of video game adaptations for decades, and now that day has come.
Plumes of smoke rise from a new isle after a recent volcano on Iwo Jima on Nov. 3.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2023
New isle emerges after underwater volcano erupts south of Tokyo
A recent undersea volcanic eruption has led to the formation of a new isle off the coast of Iwo Jima, about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo.
The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo's Ueno district
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 6, 2023
Japan's national science museum holds record crowdfunding campaign
The institution has raised ¥920 million through the 90-day campaign, with 57,000 members of the public chipping in.
University students attend a job fair in Tokyo on March 1.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 3, 2023
University of Tokyo asks firms to stop pressuring job-hunting students
The request by Japan's most prestigious university comes as such practices have become problematic in recent years amid fierce competition for employees.
Kyoto Financial Group's early bets on Nintendo and other Kyoto-based startups are now bringing huge gains to the regional bank.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 3, 2023
Early bets on Nintendo and Nidec yield big gains for Kyoto bank
Kyoto Financial Group has equity holdings worth almost ¥903 billion thanks to investments made decades ago.
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers went on strike from Oct. 4 to 7 across the U.S.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 1, 2023
Unions in the U.S. are winning big for the first time in decades
Recent victories mark a potential turning point for the country’s labor movement, which has seen union ranks and power dwindle for decades.
An Albanian communist hangs a banner with Enver Hoxha's image in a public cemetery in Tirana in April 2012 to mark the anniversary of the hard-line Stalinist dictator's death.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 27, 2023
When freedom does not bring about justice
From communism to capitalism, Lea Ypi's book,"Free: Coming of Age at the End of History" reflects on Albania's transition to freedom.
Astronauts thaw early-stage mouse embryos as part of experiments to grow them on the International Space Station.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 29, 2023
Mouse embryos grown in space for first time, Japan researchers say
The researchers sent frozen mouse embryos on board a rocket to the ISS in August 2021.
It’s hard to talk about space-based solar — that is, transmitting the energy — without conjuring images of a death ray. But the team at the California Institute of Technology says the power density of the beam would be comparable to the power density of sunlight.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science
Oct 27, 2023
Beam solar energy from space? These scientists say yes
The hurdles that have grounded space-based solar in the past aren’t merely technical, they’re also financial.
A fragment of a German cockroach found in Nara Prefecture
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 13, 2023
One of the world’s most common cockroaches may have origins in Japan
The discovery marks what could be the first evidence of the presence of the species during Japan’s Kofun Period.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals