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March 09, 2026
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March 09, 2026
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The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, one of the world's largest nuclear facilities, in Niigata Prefecture in December
BUSINESS / Economy
91²Ö¿â nuclear comeback slow, steady and seen as necessary
By Francis Tang
A stable source of emission-free power is needed if the country is to meet its energy goals

More coverage

A global nuclear power renaissance isn¡¯t living up to the hype
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, one of the world's largest nuclear facilities, in Niigata Prefecture in December
David McGuinty, Canada's minister of national defense, at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday
JAPAN / Politics
Canada eyes deeper security ties with Japan and other 'middle powers' in Indo-Pacific
By Gabriel Dominguez
Canada¡¯s defense minister says his country also aims to boost military and defense-industrial ties with like-minded Indo-Pacific partners as regional security tensions surge.
Members of the Air Self-Defense Force board an SDF transport plane bound for the Maldives at Komaki Air Base in Aichi Prefecture early Sunday.
JAPAN
SDF aircraft on standby in Maldives to support evacuation mission
The SDF plane will stand ready at an airport in the Indian Ocean island nation to respond to unforeseen circumstances.
Hiroko Akizuki, a member of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, says the political sector is what obstructs gender equality in Japan.
JAPAN / Society
U.N. panel member implores Japan to address gender equality
Japan ranks 118th among the 148 economies included in the United Nations' Global Gender Gap Index.
WhatsApp Image 2026-03-08 at 21.21.54
BASEBALL
Masataka Yoshida lifts quarterfinal-bound Japan to victory with late two-run homer
By Jason Coskrey
Japan reached the quarterfinals of the WBC for the sixth straight time.
WhatsApp Image 2026-03-08 at 21.21.54

JAPAN

Mio Washizu, deputy governor of Fukui Prefecture, says she is able to balance work, housework and childcare by not seeking to manage everything on her own.
Fukui deputy governor leading women's empowerment in scandal-mired prefecture
Mio Washizu moved to Fukui with her children despite concern over the burden of housework and childcare falling solely on her.
Japan ranked 34th among 35 countries in a survey of the ratio of senior management roles held by women at medium-size companies.
Ratio of female executives at midsize firms 21.5% in Japan, survey shows
Despite a 3.1% rise from the previous year's survey, Japan still ranked 34th among 35 countries surveyed.
Tokyo told national oil reserve site to prepare for release amid Iran crisis, Japan lawmaker says
Takaichi pushes women's active participation for 91²Ö¿â growth
Childhood vow with late friend inspires woman to become teacher
Taiwan¡¯s premier makes rare visit to Japan for WBC
By Jesse Johnson

BUSINESS

Sony faces a lawsuit in the U.K. for allegedly breaching competition law by overcharging millions of PlayStation users.
Sony faces $2.7 billion class-action suit from U.K. PlayStation users
The claimants' website accuses Sony of "exploiting its U.K. customers" for nearly a decade by charging them "too much for PlayStation digital games and in-game content."
Brain-computer interface scientist and National People's Congress delegate Yao Dezhong during an interview in Beijing on Saturday
China could see widespread use of brain-computer tech in 3-5 years, expert says
By Laurie Chen
Recent high-profile trials have enabled paralyzed patients and amputees to regain partial mobility and operate robotic hands or intelligent wheelchairs.
U.S. hotels seek World Cup boost after tourism dip under Trump
Nintendo sues U.S. government over reciprocal tariffs
Fast fashion garments pile up in South Asia as Middle East conflict grounds planes
By Ruma Paul, Alessandro Parodi and Helen Reid
Global social media bans gain steam with India and Indonesia
By Swati Gupta and Norman Harsono

WORLD

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends an event in Tehran last month.
Cracks emerge in Iran's leadership as it reels under bombardment
By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowall
Fissures within Iran's ruling elite were long suppressed under the rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but his killing a week ago has allowed them to spill out into the open.
U.S. President Donald Trump smiles as he holds the "Commitment to countering cartel criminal activity" document during the Shield of the Americas Summit in Miami on Saturday.
Trump offers Latin American leaders U.S. missile strikes to hit drug cartels
Trump has staked bold claims in Latin America with the ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and working with his replacement to claim Venezuelan oil reserves for the U.S.
Iran body selecting supreme leader reaches decision, but name not announced
U.S. Central Command denies Iranian claim of captured American soldiers
China says U.S. talks vital as Trump targets Beijing's key partners
Venezuela¡¯s Machado fights to be heard as Trump embraces rival
By Andreina Itriago and Eric Martin

Sports

Seiya Suzuki, who missed the 2023 World Baseball Classic with an injury, has been a key cog of Samurai Japan's offense through two games of the 2026 tournament.
After missing the 2023 tournament, Seiya Suzuki is having his WBC moment
By Jason Coskrey
Three years after an injury kept him on the sidelines, Suzuki powered Samurai Japan to a comeback win over South Korea on Saturday.
George Russell and Mercedes dominate season-opening Australian Grand Prix
By Ian Ransom
Takagi shares women's all-around lead at speedskating worlds as Stolz paces men
Skiing 'filled the void' for Paralympian Anna Soens after life-changing fall
Japan hammers India 11-0 in Women's Asian Cup mismatch

Opinion

An intermediate-range DF-26D ballistic missile is displayed during a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing on Sept. 3. China¡¯s newer DF-27 has a much longer range capable of striking targets far beyond the Western Pacific.?
China¡¯s long-range DF-27 missiles are a game changer
Rintaro Inoue
Beijing¡¯s nuclear warhead stockpile, estimated at roughly 200 in 2020, is projected to exceed 1,000 by 2030.
Takaichi and Trump are natural fossil fuel buddies ¡ª or are they?
By David Fickling
Hong Kong¡¯s democracy fight is also a battle for women¡¯s freedom
By Frances Hui
Regimes come and go. China¡¯s interests in Iran will endure.
By Karishma Vaswani
AI is proving a 100-year-old prediction true
By Adrian Wooldridge

ENVIRONMENT

Scientists say the last 11 years have been the warmest ever recorded, with 2024 topping the podium and 2023 in second place.
'Significant' acceleration of global warming since 2015: study
Scientists say the last 11 years have been the warmest ever recorded, with 2024 topping the podium and 2023 in second place.
How fossil fuel disruptions lead to booms in solar and batteries
By Akshat Rathi
What Trump¡¯s new tariffs mean for climate tech
By Coco Liu
India celebrates cheetah births to boost reintroduction bid
By Peter Martelli
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals
By Arunabh SAIKIA and Uzmi ATHAR

CULTURE

Evan Call¡¯s score for anime series ¡°Frieren: Beyond Journey¡¯s End¡± is built around European folk instrumentation with subtle orchestration choices that carry emotional weight.
For Evan Call, every melody is a conversation
By Patrick St. Michel
The "Frieren" composer builds anime's fantasy worlds with folk-infused scores.
100 ways to belong: The radical inclusivity of Company Grande
By Kris Kosaka
¡®Johatsu: Into Thin Air¡¯: The quiet desperation of those who disappear
By Mark Schilling
¡®This Place¡¯: Estrangement and renewal set against a city¡¯s recovery
By James Hadfield
Reeling from loss, Niigata¡¯s animation festival refuses to fold
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Yoyogi-Uehara is home to eclectic dining options, such as La Pita de Maison Cinquantecinq, which offers pita sandwiches and other Middle Eastern fare like falafel and hummus.
Pitas, parfaits and more in Yoyogi-Uehara
By Robbie Swinnerton
Just a 10-minute train ride away from bustling Harajuku, the calm residential neighborhood is home to several gourmet options that locals would prefer to gatekeep.
Working overtime: ¡®Silver Jinzai¡¯ centers keep Japan¡¯s seniors employed
By Bhavesh Gulrajani
High above Gion, Kyoto¡¯s Imperial Hotel is a new frontier for geisha district
By Owen Ziegler
From Italy to Japan: Vannelli Coffee opens in Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
By Eric Margolis

COMMUNITY

In the week before CC¡¯s closed, customers lined up in the rain to pay a final visit to the longstanding cafe.
Kyoto bids farewell to a storied poets¡¯ cafe
By Felicity Tillack
Opened by American poet Cid Corman in 1974, CC¡¯s in Nakagyo Ward had served as an important gathering ground for the literary community.
Don¡¯t keep patient Pine waiting any longer
Recentering Okinawa, one story at a time
By Kris Kosaka
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
By Karl Pont
Pomelo peps up a Kobe couple¡¯s life

Editors' Picks

SUMO
March basho opens with Aonishiki on verge of historic promotion
By John Gunning
Aonishiki pictured at Ajigawa stable in Tokyo on Feb. 2
JAPAN
Cherry blossom season set to begin up to a week earlier than usual
By Jessica Speed
Cherry blossoms are expected to bloom earlier than usual this year, with flowering forecast to begin in Nagoya on March 17 and in Tokyo on March 19, according to Japan Meteorological Corp.
ASIA PACIFIC
Taiwan¡¯s FM calls for Taipei to be part of 'first island chain' security framework
By Gabriel Dominguez
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung speaks during an interview last week in Taipei. Lin has called on Japan and other partners to step up cooperation in areas such as intelligence-sharing, joint exercises, defense-industry tie-ups, data links and dealing with hybrid threats such as China¡¯s gray-zone activities.
JAPAN
Netflix deal shuts out Japan¡¯s sports bars from freely showing WBC
By Kanako Takahara
Fans watching from Tokyo react after Japan beat the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023.
JAPAN
¡®My hope has fear inside it¡¯: Iranians in Japan react to attacks back home
By Jessica Speed and Yukana Inoue
Somayyeh Mehri speaks in an interview on Monday in Tokyo. The psychological weight of watching events unfold from Japan is gut-wrenching for Mehri.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

As Japan accelerates AI adoption, policymakers and corporations frame the technology as essential to offsetting a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040.
Japan is betting big on AI. Few workers have used it.
By Eric Margolis

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WHAT¡¯S TRENDING

JAPAN
Drones and missiles: U.S. Marines in Okinawa evolve for sea-denial role
By Gabriel Dominguez
Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks to marines and sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America at Naval Base White Beach in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 10.
JAPAN
Over 60% of 91²Ö¿â unmarried young people do not want children, survey says
By Yukana Inoue
More than 60% of single men and women don't want to have children amid concerns over the economic burden of child-rearing, a survey showed.
ASIA PACIFIC
China military flights near Taiwan resume after mysterious seven-day absence
By Jesse Johnson
Taiwanese Air Force ground crew scramble toward an F-16 fighter jet during an annual military exercise ahead of Lunar New Year in Chiayi, Taiwan, on Jan. 27.
SUMO
March basho opens with Aonishiki on verge of historic promotion
By John Gunning
Aonishiki pictured at Ajigawa stable in Tokyo on Feb. 2
JAPAN
Cherry blossom season set to begin up to a week earlier than usual
By Jessica Speed
Cherry blossoms are expected to bloom earlier than usual this year, with flowering forecast to begin in Nagoya on March 17 and in Tokyo on March 19, according to Japan Meteorological Corp.