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Japan news from Japan Times

• Japan's Yuma Kagiyama matches Beijing performance with silver medal

  Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov, who took home the men's figure skating title at the Winter Olympics on Friday as U.S. favorite Ilia Malinin finished eighth.

• Flawless Yuto Totsuka stomps to gold in men's halfpipe

  Australia's Scotty James prevented a Japanese sweep of the podium, with Ryusei Yamada taking bronze and Ruka Hirano finishing fourth.

• Junya Ogawa elected leader of Centrist Reform Alliance

  The former CDP lawmaker pledged to strengthen the CRA’s internal structure as the party reels from its election defeat.

• Japan seizes Chinese fishing vessel and arrests captain

  The incident happened inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Nagasaki Prefecture, 165 kilometers south-southwest of the island of Meshima.

• Britain needs so much more than a new prime minister

  Britain has had four failed prime ministers since the Brexit referendum in 2016 not counting Starmer.

• Max Verstappen labels new F1 car as 'not much fun to drive'

  Formula One is starting a new engine era along with significant changes to the aerodynamics and chassis this season, with the electrical component ‌increased.

• Japan’s ex-FX chief sees yen firming as Takaichi’s stance clears

  Tatsuo Yamasaki also largely ruled out the likelihood of the United States helping Japan with joint currency intervention.

• BOJ hawk Tamura flags spring as possible timing for rate hike

  Naoki Tamura's remarks suggest that Gov. Kazuo Ueda will probably face increased opposition if he decides to stand pat at the next policy meetings through April.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Bangladesh's BNP wins historic parliamentary election

  The election held on Thursday was Bangladesh's first vote since the 2024 Gen Z-driven uprising that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

• Taiwan leader warns countries in region are ‘next’ in case of China attack

  President Lai Ching-te warned in an exclusive interview that countries in the region would be China's next targets should Beijing seize Taiwan.

• Hong Kong journalists face ‘precarious’ future after Jimmy Lai jailed

  Media bosses "increasingly see themselves as an extension of the government propaganda arm," said Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association.

• Bangladesh votes in landmark election after Gen Z revolution

  It marks a return to democracy after the 2024 ouster of long-time premier Sheikh Hasina in a Gen Z-driven uprising, in an election seen as pivotal for the country’s stability.

• U.S. plans to pitch defense alternatives in Bangladesh to counter China

  China recently signed a defense agreement ​with Bangladesh to build a drone factory near the India border, worrying foreign diplomats.

• Cambodia says it has closed almost 200 scam centers in fraud crackdown

  Thousands of scam workers, ​some of them trafficking victims confined in ⁠brutal conditions, have fled compounds in recent weeks seeking to return home.

• Taiwan says defense budget delay jeopardizes collective deterrence against China

  Officials in Taipei say a failure to pass the government’s nearly $40 billion defense budget would “seriously weaken” the island’s defense buildup.

• Thailand’s progressive party moves backward in polls

  Expectations were high ahead of Sunday’s poll but the party ended up a distant second, according to preliminary results.

Culture news from Japan Times

• Oscars museum dives into world of Miyazaki's 'Ponyo'

  Dozens of drawings, storyboards and other elements created for the film and gifted to the Los Angeles institution by Miyazaki's world-famous Studio Ghibli are going on display.

• Season Two of 'Drops of God' serves a dark swirl of sibling drama

  In its second season, “Drops of God” shows that characters don’t need to be likable to be compelling.

• Login.jp spotlights everyday Japan, one DJ set at a time

  The student-led project brings club sounds into fish markets, barbershops and corner stores, reframing everyday Japan through music.

• James Van Der Beek, star of 'Dawson's Creek,' dies at 48

  Actor announced his colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2024 and faced his final days with what family described as courage.

• ‘Yakushima’s Illusion’: Medical reality with a mystic twist

  Naomi Kawase’s spiritual musings aren’t as compelling as her depiction of lives hanging in the balance at a hospital transplant ward.

• ‘Sai: Disaster’: Evil has no clear shape or meaning

  Directed by Yutaro Seki and Kentaro Hirase, the chilling thriller centered on a shapeshifting killer is more interested in mood than motive.

• British Museum in London holds samurai exhibition

  The exhibition, set to run until May 4, showcases some 280 items collected in and outside Britain, including those from the museum’s own collection.

• No lights, total immersion: Autechre’s 'pitch-black' Tokyo show

  At Zepp DiverCity, Autechre stripped a Tokyo concert of sight, saturating the room with sound — and controversy.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Japan's Yuma Kagiyama matches Beijing performance with silver medal

  Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov, who took home the men's figure skating title at the Winter Olympics on Friday as U.S. favorite Ilia Malinin finished eighth.

• Flawless Yuto Totsuka stomps to gold in men's halfpipe

  Australia's Scotty James prevented a Japanese sweep of the podium, with Ryusei Yamada taking bronze and Ruka Hirano finishing fourth.

• Max Verstappen labels new F1 car as 'not much fun to drive'

  Formula One is starting a new engine era along with significant changes to the aerodynamics and chassis this season, with the electrical component ‌increased.

• Kaori Sakamoto wants 'no regrets' as gold beckons in Olympic finale

  The 25-year-old from Kobe will retire after the Olympics.

• Superstar skater Ilia Malinin set to reach new heights at Milano Cortina Games

  The American leads Yuma Kagiyama by a comfortable 5.09-point margin in the men's figure skating competition.

• Canada and United States make winning starts on Olympic ice in Milan

  Canada's Jordan Binnington turned away all 26 shots he faced, as 19-year-old prodigy Macklin Celebrini ​scored in the first period.

• Phillies release Nick Castellanos; player admits bringing beer into dugout

  The Phillies still owe the 33-year-old $20 million.

• Japanese skier hits back at trolls and brings attention to online abuse at Olympics

  For Kokone Kondo, cyber bullying has only deepened the heartbreak of being unable to compete in back-to-back Winter Games due to injury.

Life news from Japan Times

• Love, engineered in the age of AI

  As chatbots grow more sophisticated, some people are forming romantic bonds — and even marriages — with artificial partners.

• In Japan, Valentine’s Day has become a personal luxury

  Valentine’s Day in Japan is shifting from obligation to indulgence, as people embrace life’s small luxuries for themselves.

• With XO sauce, a Nagasaki shrimp toast turns into a slice of heaven

  This Japanese version of a Cantonese favorite is all you need for an indulgent afternoon treat.

• Inside Yokohama’s ‘quit your job’ bar, where drinks and advice are free

  Owner Shota Umemoto says he was surprised by the viral response to his new bar aimed at making discussions around changing jobs more casual.

• ‘In Japan, people pack everything they love on their nails’

  Tokyo’s nail artists say their customers view their chosen designs as reflections of their inner selves.

• Against the grain: Japanese wine aged in local barrels

  A small but growing number of domestic winemakers are using vessels made from native trees such as “mizunara,” moving away from the norm of using European or American oak.

• Nioh 3: Demons, death and an early contender for game of the year

  Team Ninja’s latest hardcore action RPG will hurt — but it gives players ample tools to hit back even harder.

• Whip up sesame-crusted eggs for your Japanese breakfast

  When it comes to frying eggs in Japan, it's all about keeping the yolks runny. Get cracking with this recipe that can be done in a jiffy.

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