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May 02, 2026
 

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River Akira Davis
The interior of Ume-no-yu, a public bathhouse in the city of Nagano. Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to a storied Japanese institution: the sento, or traditional public bathhouse.
JAPAN / Society
May 2, 2026
Not even Japanese bathhouses are immune from shocks of Iran war
Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to the traditional public bathhouse.
A ¡°not available¡± sign is posted on a fuel dispenser at a gas station amid fuel shortages, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Quezon City, Philippines, on March 26.
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2026
This is what happens when the gas runs out
Countries in Asia are bracing for a complete cutoff in coming days of Middle Eastern LNG, a fuel that underpins power generation and industrial output across much of the region.
Joichi Ito in Tokyo in 2016. Ito resigned in 2019 from a prominent position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after revelations about his efforts to conceal millions of dollars he raised through connections to Jeffery Epstein.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2026
How a close associate of Epstein¡¯s found career redemption in Japan
Joichi Ito resigned in 2019 from a prominent position at the MIT after revelations about his efforts to conceal millions of dollars he raised through connections to Epstein.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber¡¯s chief executive, in Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture. The ride-hailing giant¡¯s chief executive has made a bet on how it can finally grab a bigger piece of one of the world¡¯s largest taxi markets.
BUSINESS
Jan 24, 2026
Uber¡¯s quest to crack Japan leads through a rural hot-springs town
Since Uber entered Japan in 2014, the country, one of the world¡¯s largest taxi markets, has remained a fortress, but the company is now making inroads in rural areas.
A Honda dealership in Irvine, California
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2025
Japanese automakers warn of billions in tariff losses
Toyota, Honda and Nissan describe the import duties as a "new normal¡± that the industry will be forced to endure for the foreseeable future.
A Uniqlo store in New York. In recent years, Uniqlo¡¯s affordable, well-made basic clothes have struck a chord, especially with younger American shoppers, fueling a rapid business expansion.
BUSINESS
Oct 18, 2025
For Uniqlo¡¯s founder, conquering America is personal
Uniqlo's affordable, wellmade basic clothes have struck a chord, especially with younger American shoppers, fueling a rapid business expansion.
A Swedish snowboard instructor works at the Niseko ski resort area on Hokkaido, in Kutchan, in December 2022
JAPAN / Society
Oct 4, 2025
A Japanese ski resort town is roiled by a debate over immigration
Residents are protesting a planned housing facility for foreign workers, exposing the conflict between labor needs and worries over immigration.
Convenience stores are a fixture of Japanese life and 7-Eleven, a chain that began in the U.S. in 1927, opened its first store in Japan in 1974 ¡ª and then became wholly Japanese-owned in 2005 through parent company Seven & I Holdings.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2025
Is America ready for Japanese-style 7-Elevens?
Facing a stagnant and highly competitive retail market in Japan, Seven & I¡¯s growth is expected to come from overseas.
The factory of Asahi Tekko, which produces parts for Toyota vehicles, in Hekinan, Japan, on Aug. 18
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 28, 2025
The backbone of the global auto supply chain is at risk from Trump¡¯s tariffs
Industry experts expect a devastating effect on the dense networks of auto parts suppliers that make everything from pistons to wiring.
Japan has walked a delicate path ¡ª taking steps to hedge its dependence on China while distancing itself from the politics of Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 23, 2025
Trump¡¯s trade war with China puts Japan in a tight spot
Japan had long maintained deep economic ties with both China and the United States. Recent trade tensions may challenge that approach.
The seaside town of Shika on the Noto Peninsula, where the local power provider, Hokuriku Electric, has been fighting for a decade to restart a nuclear power plant in the town¡¯s center.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 2, 2024
Can quake-prone Japan ever embrace nuclear energy again?
The government, its makeup in flux after the LDP lost seats this week, will soon need to make decisions that will shape 91²Ö¿â future nuclear policy.
The construction site of the Rapidus chip factory in Chitose, in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The Rapidus chip factory in Chitose is a collaboration with IBM and backed by billions of dollars in government funding.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 14, 2024
Japan tries to reclaim its clout as a global tech leader
To do this, Japan is working with foreign tech leaders ¡ª an outward-looking, collaborative approach that decades earlier would have been unthinkable.
LINE, the app at the center of a tug-of-war for control. Line was introduced in Japan in 2011 by Naver, the operator of South Korea¡¯s leading search engine.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 24, 2024
Japan and South Korea are fighting over an app at a tense time
Leaders on both the Japanese and South Korean sides appear determined to prevent the quarrel over Line from escalating.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
Japan secures enough petroleum-derived naphtha to last into 2027
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a government meeting on the Middle East on Thursday at the Prime Minister's Office.
Yen, Japanese government bonds and Tokyo stocks decline as oil prices spike
The yen is trading at levels last seen in July 2024.
For tourists in Japan¡¯s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan's famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country's outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
¡®Sashiko¡¯ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'
Traditional Japanese needlework has exploded in popularity, but a book from a third-generation artisan aims to bring more context to the craft's newfound popularity.
Tennis trailblazer Kei Nishikori announces his retirement
Kei Nishikori, who has won 12 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as No. 4 in the world rankings, on Thursday announced his retirement.
Documentary captures the long echo of Fukushima's nuclear disaster
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
A buttermilk-inspired marinade gives a rich umami flavor to your fried chicken.

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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