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Japan news from Japan Times
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Japanese business groups welcome BOJ's first rate hike in 17 years
The Bank of Japan has made "the appropriate policy decision at the appropriate time," the head of Japan's biggest business lobby said, welcoming Gov. Kazuo Ueda's move to hike interest rates for the first time in 17 years.
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Putin to travel to China in May for talks with Xi, sources say
Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief's first overseas trip of his new presidential term, according to five sources familiar with the matter.
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Top-division rookie Takerufuji continues unbeaten march
Top-division rookie sensation Takerufuji continued his unbeaten march Tuesday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament by defeating his nearest rival in the title race, fellow rising star Onosato.
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Hong Kong adopts sweeping security laws, bowing to Beijing
Hong Kong on Tuesday passed national security laws at the behest of Beijing, thwarting decades of public resistance in a move that critics say will strike a lasting blow to the partial autonomy the city had been promised by China.
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Anti-Modi alliance in India is faltering as election nears
Rahul Gandhi, the face of India’s political opposition, concluded a 65-day trek across the breadth of India on Sunday, a day after the country’s electoral body announced the dates for the six-week national elections starting April 19.
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Japan sees record 2.79 million visitors in February due to Lunar New Year boost
Japan welcomed 2.79 million visitors in February, a record for the month and the most for any month since the COVID-19 pandemic began, boosted by travel during Lunar New Year holidays.
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EU's new gig-worker rules could tame 'management by algorithm'
Low pay, few labor rights and dangerous working conditions — for millions of European gig workers, it can be a rough job. But a deal thrashed out by EU ministers this week aims to address one of their biggest headaches: management by algorithm.
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Nippon Steel pledges to move U.S. HQ to U.S. Steel's Pittsburgh
Nippon Steel will move its U.S. headquarters to Pittsburgh where its acquisition target United States Steel is based if the deal goes through, an executive said, adding to the pledges from the Japanese steelmaker to secure the transaction.
Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times
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Hong Kong adopts sweeping security laws, bowing to Beijing
Hong Kong on Tuesday passed national security laws at the behest of Beijing, thwarting decades of public resistance in a move that critics say will strike a lasting blow to the partial autonomy the city had been promised by China.
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North Korea's Kim oversees 'super-large' rocket launcher drills
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw firing drills involving "newly-equipped super-large" multiple rocket launchers, state media said Tuesday, a day after Seoul said Pyongyang had fired several short-range ballistic missiles.
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Blinken pledges closer U.S.-Philippine security ties ahead of trilateral summit with Japan
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged closer defense and security cooperation with the Philippines during a two-day visit to Manila that also helps pave the way for the countries’ first trilateral summit with Japan next month.
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South Korea-hosted summit warns of AI risks to democracy
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday called fake news and disinformation based on AI and digital technology threats to democracy, as some officials attending a global summit accused Russia and China of conducting malicious propaganda campaigns.
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Daughter of North Korea's Kim might be heir apparent, Seoul says
Seoul's Unification Ministry on Monday added its voice to growing speculation around Kim Jong Un's succession plans, saying they have not "ruled out" that his daughter could be next in line to lead North Korea.
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North Korea launches three ballistic missiles as top U.S. diplomat visits Seoul
North Korea fired off at least three apparent ballistic missiles on Monday, Japan's Defense Ministry said, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Seoul for a multinational democracy summit.
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Decoding Xi’s new catchphrase aimed at reviving China’s economy
Slogans matter in China. From "socialism with Chinese characteristics” to "common prosperity” the adoption of new catchphrases can herald profound shifts in policy.
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Silver lining: Tutoring the elderly is growing fast in China
China's rapidly aging population is fueling a promising and fast-growing market for companies providing recreational classes and activities for the elderly middle class, from yoga to African drumming and smartphone photography.
Culture news from Japan Times
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Champion of 'neo kawaii' Chai takes a final bow
Rock quartet Chai spent its final concert doing what the band had done all around the world since the early 2010s — delivering positivity and celebrating uniqueness.
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Nagano area where latest 'Godzilla' made becoming filming hot spot
A central area of Japan's Nagano Prefecture has raised its profile in recent years as a moviemaking hot spot, with major productions including the Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One" filming there and the local economy seeing tourism by movie lovers from Japan and overseas.
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Akira Toriyama's gift to the world
Akira Toriyama wasn’t just a Japanese manga artist responsible for several popular franchises. When his death at the age of 68 was announced last week, it soon became apparent just how much of an impact he had on millions of people around the world.
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An agile campaign helped Hayao Miyazaki score another Oscar award
Many of the results from the 96th Academy Awards, such as the best picture win for “Oppenheimer,” had been widely predicted for weeks in advance. Not so for best animated feature, which analysts pegged as a toss-up between Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” So when the latest film from the 83-year-old Japanese auteur was announced as the winner, even its biggest boosters were a bit surprised.
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'Godzilla Minus One' fought the odds and won big at the Oscars
Released worldwide last year to almost universal critical acclaim and record-setting box-office returns, Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” has become the first entry in the venerable 70-year-old Godzilla franchise to win an Academy Award.
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‘Clouds of War’: The real story of Okinawa is its people
Time and again throughout Japan’s history, Okinawa has drawn the short straw. The former Ryukyu Kingdom was invaded by samurai forces in the 17th century and eventually annexed in 1879. It went on to suffer appalling losses during World War II, followed by a nearly three-decade U.S. occupation.
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‘Confetti’ spotlights the transformative power of theater
“Confetti,” the opening film at last year's Skip City International D-Cinema Festival and Naoya Fujita’s feature debut, is a fresh, sweet-spirited take on the venerable seishun eiga (youth film) genre.
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'Neo-Japanesque' dance show finds new life in Asakusa after pandemic
Shortly after 8 p.m. in the streets of Tokyo’s Asakusa area, a small stage comes alive with dancers in historic Japanese costumes reimagining red-light districts known as “yukaku” that flourished in the Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods.
Sports news from Japan Times
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Top-division rookie Takerufuji continues unbeaten march
Top-division rookie sensation Takerufuji continued his unbeaten march Tuesday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament by defeating his nearest rival in the title race, fellow rising star Onosato.
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All eyes on Ohtani on eve of MLB's Seoul Series
San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong is one of the most popular baseball players in South Korea. He starred in the Korea Baseball Organization for seven seasons and has been in MLB for the past three. He is also one of the top players for the South Korean national team. Kim is making a name for himself in MLB, hitting 17 homers and winning a Gold Glove for his play in the field in 2023.
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U.K. to set out soccer regulation law after club talks stall
The U.K. will introduce legislation to set up an independent soccer regulator to re-distribute revenues between the top-tier Premier League and the lower English Football League, as the government intervenes to try to safeguard the financial sustainability of smaller clubs.
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Sakamoto and Uno seek world figure skating three-peats
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto and Shoma Uno each will seek their third consecutive world crowns at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships, which begin Wednesday in Montreal.
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MLB exhibition attendance in Seoul remains low
Attendance remained low for the first three exhibition games in Seoul before the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play the first-ever MLB regular-season games in South Korea later this week.
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Hirai and Ikee qualify for Olympics in 100-meter butterfly
Swimmer Rikako Ikee earned an Olympic berth in the women's 100-meter butterfly by finishing second in the event's final at the qualifying trails Monday.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to begin throwing program
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will begin a throwing program that could allow him to be more than just a designated hitter this season.
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Dodgers beat South Korean national team in exhibition finale
Max Muncy and Will Smith drove in two runs apiece, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-2 win over South Korea's national team in the final exhibition game Monday.
Life news from Japan Times
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What’s driving Japan’s love affair with wine certifications?
Spend enough time drinking wine in Tokyo, whether it be in a hip natural wine bar, at a regional wine event or simply at a home party with fellow wine lovers, and you will invariably meet someone who proudly proclaims, “I'm a wine expert!” but then goes on to say that they are, in fact, a doctor or something, rather than a sommelier.
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Recipe: Spring cabbage has sprung
Cabbage was first introduced to Japan in the early 17th century by Dutch traders via the port at Nagasaki. It was then called "oranda-na," or “Dutch vegetable,” and was primarily regarded as an ornamental plant — it wasn’t until the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that edible cabbage began to be cultivated in Japan itself, where it was grown mainly for the newly arriving foreigners settling in Yokohama. At that time, and up until World War II, it was called “kanran” alongside its current name: “kyabetsu.”
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Architecture of community won Riken Yamamoto the Pritzker Prize
The 2024 Pritzker Prize, widely regarded as architecture’s Nobel, has again been awarded to a Japanese architect.
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Recycling old JAL planes and bullet trains into design treasures
From energy-saving vehicles to decarbonization projects, environmentally conscious initiatives are not new to Japan’s public transit companies. However, many fly under the radar of the general public.
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We invite you to get ready for this year’s cherry blossom parties
This year has already seen unseasonably warm weather, and it seems the 桜 (sakura, cherry blossoms) are eager to show themselves. That means you’re going to have to start preparing for your 花見 (hanami, blossom viewing) parties earlier as well.
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Hagi: French restaurant leads Fukushima revival
The city of Iwaki, on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, is not renowned as a destination for leisure or tourism. Yes, it does have some excellent and historic hot springs, but the modern city has developed out of mining, industry and shipping.
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Tracing Tokyo’s hidden rivers
Hideo Takayama first became conscious of the term “ankyo” back in 2000 when he bought a house in Ikenoue, a residential neighborhood in Tokyo’s western Setagaya Ward. His realtor had pointed out, rather apologetically, that there was one running right beside the property.
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Don’t let the next quake catch you (or your stomach) off guard
Coming from Jamaica, which sits in the path of many hurricanes that pass through the Atlantic, I grew up with emergency food stores in my home. When I moved to Japan, I thought it was interesting that many pantry staples could also double as emergency food in a pinch, and there were countless options available at regular supermarkets and even drug stores.
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