News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Fukui enjoys visitor boost after shinkansen extension

  About 6.42 million people visited Fukui between March 16 last year and Feb. 15 this year, up by about 1 million from a year before.

• U.S. hits Thai officials with visa sanctions over deportation of Uyghurs to China

  The move appeared intended to discourage Thailand — a U.S. ally — and other countries from such deportations.

• AI pioneer wants Europe to forge its own nimbler way forward

  Sepp Hochreiter, an early pioneer of the technology, is interested in teaching AI models how to efficiently forget.

• Seiya Suzuki hit with dose of nostalgia as he dons Cubs uniform at Tokyo Dome

  Facing the Hanshin Tigers and hearing the team’s cheering section was a blast from the recent past for the former Hiroshima Carp star.

• Japan to invite small businesses to declare ¥10 billion sales targets

  The country has about 4,500 companies with annual sales of ¥10 billion or more, but many of them are concentrated in metropolitan areas.

• India's 2036 Games bid a chance to boost infrastructure, says sports governance expert

  The world's most populous nation has never hosted the Olympics, though New Delhi staged the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 as well as the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

• Thaksin vows cheaper power to turn Thailand into data center hub

  Thailand aims to slash electricity costs by more than 25% by next year to emerge as a hub for data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

• Norris edges Piastri for Australia pole as Tsunoda qualifies fifth

  In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in a tense qualifying session.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• U.S. hits Thai officials with visa sanctions over deportation of Uyghurs to China

  The move appeared intended to discourage Thailand — a U.S. ally — and other countries from such deportations.

• Thaksin vows cheaper power to turn Thailand into data center hub

  Thailand aims to slash electricity costs by more than 25% by next year to emerge as a hub for data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

• Duterte’s swift descent from ‘Punisher’ president to inmate

  Duterte's team seemed unconcerned about rumors that the International Criminal Court might issue an arrest warrant against him. It was a fatal mistake.

• U.S. designated South Korea a 'sensitive' country amid talk of nuclear weapons

  The move after the South Korean president briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons.

• Drones, budgets and infighting: Taiwan's daunting defense challenges

  In bridging its military gap with China, Taiwan needs to both overcome key technical challenges of asymmetric warfare.

• Taiwan’s DPP and KMT lock horns amid specter of recall votes

  Recall votes could potentially alter the balance of power in the Legislative Yuan in favor of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

• New Zealand pitches itself as safe haven in ‘global storm’

  Christopher Luxon’s center-right government wants more foreign direct investment to boost economic growth ahead of a 2026 election.

• Mongolia's children choke in toxic pollution

  The toxic smog that settles over the Mongolian capital every winter has been a suffocating problem for more than a decade.

Culture news from Japan Times

• ‘A Samurai in Time’ wins top prize at Japan’s premier film event

  This country’s answer to the Oscars also saw awards go to “Oppenheimer” and “Faceless.”

• K-Ballet Tokyo marks 25 years of passion and perseverance

  The dance company celebrates a milestone anniversary with an extended lineup including a revival of the vibrant pirate-story ballet "Le Corsaire."

• The sci-fi satire 'Mickey 17' might be a classic — someday

  Bong Joon-ho's latest dystopian film offers a brutal metaphor for societal inequality.

• ‘Ravens’ is a portrait of art, love and inner demons

  Director Mark Gill brings the turbulent life of celebrated photographer Masahisa Fukase into focus in his new film.

• ‘Escape’: Masao Adachi’s fugitive biopic salutes a kindred spirit

  The 85-year-old director keeps his revolutionary fire burning with a respectful portrait of a wanted terrorist who spent nearly half a century on the run.

• ‘Nemurubaka: Hypnic Jerks’: Opposites come together with quips and dry humor

  “Baby Assassins” director Yugo Sakamoto swaps action for emotion in his coming-of-age film centered on two college roommates with different levels of ambition.

• Grief ebbs and flows between two tragedies in 'The Place of Shells'

  Mai Ishizawa’s debut novel, which won one of the three Akutagawa Prizes awarded in 2021, is also her first to be released in English, translated by Polly Barton.

• ‘May You Have Delicious Meals’: The ugly taste of office and gender politics

  The English-language debut of Junko Takase’s Akutagawa Prize-winning novel serves complex prose in translation by Morgan Giles.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Seiya Suzuki hit with dose of nostalgia as he dons Cubs uniform at Tokyo Dome

  Facing the Hanshin Tigers and hearing the team’s cheering section was a blast from the recent past for the former Hiroshima Carp star.

• India's 2036 Games bid a chance to boost infrastructure, says sports governance expert

  The world's most populous nation has never hosted the Olympics, though New Delhi staged the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982 as well as the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

• Norris edges Piastri for Australia pole as Tsunoda qualifies fifth

  In scorching hot conditions at Melbourne's Albert Park, world champion Max Verstappen came third in a tense qualifying session.

• Tigers shut out the Cubs as Seiya Suzuki receives warm welcome in Tokyo

  Suzuki was showered with applause in his return to Japan as a member of the Chicago Cubs, but it was the Hanshin Tigers who came out on top in the exhibition game.

• Former Hawks pitcher Colin Rea happy to be in Japan with Cubs for Tokyo Series

  Rea pitched for the Pacific League club in 2021 and 2022. 

• Cubs see Tokyo trip as great chance to bond as a team

  The Chicago Cubs plan to make the most of their time in Japan, both as a way to kickstart the push to reach the postseason and as a way to come together as a team.

• Hype reaches fever pitch as Ohtani and the Dodgers get set for games in Tokyo

  Shohei Ohtani talked about getting over jet lag and his excitement for the Tokyo Series as the Dodgers prepare to put on a show for Japanese fans.

• Olympians make climate plea to IOC presidential candidates

  Seven candidates are vying to replace Thomas Bach as president in a ballot of IOC members at Costa Navarino, Greece, on March 20.

Life news from Japan Times

• ‘Resorts for the spirit’: Touring Kagawa’s art and architecture

  The seaside cities of Takamatsu and Marugame are home to a heritage of beauty, from the monolithic to the modern.

• Square Enix Cafe had everything going for it, except the ability to adapt

  On March 31, the themed cafe just steps from JR Akihabara Station will close for good.

• From 'commuting' to 'passing through,' meet the kanji that's always on the move

  The character 通 is also used to denote avenues and forms of communication.

• Air Canada has a new 'kaiseki'-inspired menu

  The airline wants to give its customers ‘a real Japanese experience’ before they land in Japan.

• On Japan's top foodie site, imperfection is gold

  Cultural expectations may influence ratings on Tabelog, but reading between the lines might help you find the next hidden gem.

• Slowly but surely, Osaka emerges from Kyoto’s fine-dining shadow

  The majority of tourists go to Osaka with street food on their minds, but the city is rapidly improve its elevated dining options as well.

• Tokyo’s vinyl experts say overseas buyers are ‘sustaining the scene’

  A weak yen makes rare vinyls a steal for tourists, and locals say it's all part of a circular musical exchange.

• Scams, taxes and tariffs: It's that time of year.

  Financial scams abound in Japan and a new one uses tax-related terminology.

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