author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Elizabeth Beattie
People pose for pictures in front of festive light installations at Mohri Garden in Roppongi district, in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 17, 2025
For the first time, Tokyo reaches second place in Global Power City Index
The executive director of the Mori Memorial Foundation, which releases the index, said other Japanese cities — such as Fukuoka and Osaka — were rapidly moving up the rankings, too.
Cardinal Stephen Chow, the bishop of Hong Kong, speaks during Mass in Hong Kong in November 2023. During the opening Mass a three-day event to draft guidelines for the clergy’s use of artificial intelligence in the region Asia, he described AI as a "gift from God."
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 12, 2025
Calling AI ‘a gift from God,’ Catholic bishops draft usage guidelines for Asia
Catholic bishops and priests from across Asia drafted pastoral guidelines for AI usage among the churches in the region.
In the report, Forbes described Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as somewhat “complicated” from a gender lens.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 11, 2025
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi makes top three in Forbes’ powerful women list
Takaichi’s “power” is her understanding and implementation of policy, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Thursday.
Haneda Airport's international departure lobby in April 2023. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, travelers and immigrants have been scrutinized more aggressively.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 10, 2025
U.S. may require tourists to disclose social media history to customs
The U.S. is planning to require all foreign tourists to disclose five years of their social media history under a new proposal for enhanced border security.
Apart from Japan, women-only carriages can also be found in Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Mexico and Taiwan, among others.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 26, 2025
U.K. woman’s petition to bring women-only train carriages to London gains traction
Camille Brown, a student in London, said the successful introduction of the measure in cities such as Tokyo creates safer commuting options for women.
Attackers calculate that more staff will be out of the office during the holiday seasons and so choose that time to strike, the CEO of a cyber resilience security and training platform says.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 25, 2025
Japanese companies should be vigilant against cybercrime holiday uptick
As employees plan their holidays, cybercriminals plot to exploit staffing disruptions.
Hosei University President Diana Khor, who herself was an international student, aims to encourage students to look outward and cultivate a global mindset.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 20, 2025
First foreign president of Hosei University looks abroad for change
Diana Khor, who was an international student herself, aims to encourage students to look outward and cultivate a global mindset.
The Asahi, along with the Nikkei and the Yomiuri Shimbun, filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court against Perplexity in August.
JAPAN / Media
Nov 14, 2025
AI poses threat to journalism in Japan, news association chair says
Japan’s publishers are concerned about the impact generative artificial intelligence is having on the news business, Shiro Nakamura said.
Florist Nicolai Bergmann shops for fresh flowers at the Ota flower market in Tokyo on Friday.
LIFE / Style & Design
Nov 11, 2025
Florist Nicolai Bergmann flourishes outside the box
“The flower business, as I see it, has no limits,” says the Danish florist famous for creating the “flower box” 25 years ago.
Tokyo has a gross domestic product of $2.55 trillion, just ahead of New York’s $2.49 trillion and Greater Los Angeles’ $1.62 trillion, according to CEOWorld’s global wealth index.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2025
Tokyo ranked world’s richest city by GDP, with Osaka-Kobe also rated highly
The Japanese capital excelled thanks to its “operational excellence, technological sophistication, and disciplined economic governance,” according to a recent report.
Helle Kristoffersen, Asia president of French oil and gas conglomerate TotalEnergies, speaks at a session of the French Japanese Business Summit on Thursday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Nov 7, 2025
Japan’s energy import strategy compelling for landlocked European nations
Europe has grappled with energy security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2025
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
Japan’s convenience stores, with their myriad products and services as well as creative hacks, have proven to be a hit with travelers.
Despite responders to a Japan Press Research Institute survey ranking newspapers as among the most trustworthy sources, readership was in decline.
JAPAN
Oct 30, 2025
Online news increasingly consumed despite being viewed with skepticism
While online news was the most accessed news source, in terms of trustworthiness, it trails behind traditional media sources.
KDDI said its AI service, which will be launched in spring 2026, will “protect the rights of content providers.”
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 29, 2025
KDDI enters into ‘responsible’ AI agreement with Google
The “responsible” AI service would only shows content that creators have given consent to.
A screenshot of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's international schools portal site
JAPAN
Oct 24, 2025
Tokyo launches English-language international school database
The initiative is intended to further improve the living environment for residents whose first language is not Japanese.
North Korean IT workers have been identified working in Japan, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine, using a strategy to secure employment and remit earnings back to North Korea.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 23, 2025
North Korean agents in Japan’s anime industry part of sophisticated sanctions evasion
A cross-border sanctions monitoring effort between Japan and 10 other countries has sounded the alarm on North Korea’s sanctions evasion tactics in a detailed report.
A recent cyberattack on brewer Asahi Group Holdings resulted in the company suspending shipments.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 22, 2025
AI-optimized cybercrime increasingly targeting Japan
Many of the attacks originate in China, using underground marketplaces that sell access and sensitive data to other cybercriminals.
In Japan, 55% were “equally concerned and excited” about the rise of AI in daily life, while 28% were “more concerned than excited.”
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 20, 2025
Japan leads in in-depth AI awareness, new global study finds
The survey also found that In Japan, 55% were “equally concerned and excited” about the rise of AI in daily life, while 28% were “more concerned than excited.”
Sora 2, a short-form video app made by OpenAI, enables users to create realistic AI videos with text prompts, but critics say that there are insufficient guardrails — from a lack of copyright consideration to families of public figures upset by the reanimation of their loved ones.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 16, 2025
Japan’s government asks OpenAI to seek permission amid Sora 2 copyright concerns
Sora 2 enables users to create realistic AI videos with text prompts, but critics say that there are insufficient guardrails.
Pace Japan Vice President Kyoko Hattori, the de facto head of the nation’s business, believes a larger, more lucrative art market will allow Japan to be more attractive for collectors.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 14, 2025
Pace eyes great strides for Japan’s art market
One of the largest art galleries in the world wants to turn the country into the center of Asia’s art scene.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER