WEATHER ALERT
Japan records a trade deficit in October for a 4th straight month, despite export recovery
Read full article: Japan records a trade deficit in October for a 4th straight month, despite export recoveryJapan racked up a trade deficit in October for the fourth month in a row, as a weak yen and rising energy prices kept import costs high.
Japan's economy grows for a second straight quarter on the back of consumer spending
Read full article: Japan's economy grows for a second straight quarter on the back of consumer spendingJapan’s economy eked out an annual rate of 0.9% growth in the July-September quarter as consumer spending held up.
Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accident
Read full article: Japan to resume V-22 flights after inquiry finds pilot error caused accidentThe Japanese army's fleet of hybrid-helicopter aircraft have been cleared to resume operations after being grounded following an accident last month.
Japan's SoftBank returns to profit after gains at Vision Fund and other investments
Read full article: Japan's SoftBank returns to profit after gains at Vision Fund and other investmentsJapanese technology conglomerate SoftBank Group swung back to profitability in the July-September quarter, boosted by its Vision Fund investments.
US regulators investigating whether engines on 1.4 million Hondas might fail
Read full article: US regulators investigating whether engines on 1.4 million Hondas might failU.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that engines can fail on as many as 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles.
Japan's reelected Prime Minister Ishiba vows to step up reform
Read full article: Japan's reelected Prime Minister Ishiba vows to step up reformJapan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has pledged to take tougher measures against misuse of political funds after he was reelected by parliament following a major loss in the polls last month by his governing coalition.
A tiny grain of nuclear fuel is pulled from ruined Japanese nuclear plant, in a step toward cleanup
Read full article: A tiny grain of nuclear fuel is pulled from ruined Japanese nuclear plant, in a step toward cleanupA robot that has spent months inside the ruins of a nuclear reactor at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi plant delivered a tiny sample of melted nuclear fuel, in what plant officials said was a step toward beginning the cleanup of hundreds of tons of melted fuel debris.
Japanese automaker Honda reports lower profits as China sales decline
Read full article: Japanese automaker Honda reports lower profits as China sales declineHonda said its profits slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the fiscal year from the same period the previous year, as sales suffered in China, the Japanese automaker.
Nintendo Chief insists the Switch momentum will keep going, even after its successor
Read full article: Nintendo Chief insists the Switch momentum will keep going, even after its successorJapanese video game maker Nintendo’s chief says its Switch console sales are still going strong, while he promised that a successor is coming.
Tokyo beach volleyball gold medalist Alix Klineman will follow partner April Ross into retirement
Read full article: Tokyo beach volleyball gold medalist Alix Klineman will follow partner April Ross into retirementTokyo Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Alix Klineman announced on social media she is retiring from the sport.
Zheng Qinwen defeats wild card Sofia Kenin to win in Tokyo and clinch WTA Finals berth
Read full article: Zheng Qinwen defeats wild card Sofia Kenin to win in Tokyo and clinch WTA Finals berthTop-seeded Zheng Qinwen of China claimed the Toray Pan Pacific Open title with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over American wild card Sofia Kenin on Sunday.
Japan prepares to cheer on Ohtani and the Dodgers, and the country is dressing for the occasion
Read full article: Japan prepares to cheer on Ohtani and the Dodgers, and the country is dressing for the occasionTelevision ratings in Japan have set records as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani have reached the World Series against the New York Yankees.
Japan’s Toho acquires North American animation company GKIDS, Studio Ghibli's US steward
Read full article: Japan’s Toho acquires North American animation company GKIDS, Studio Ghibli's US stewardThe Japanese entertainment giant Toho has reached an agreement to acquire the Oscar-winning animation outfit GKIDS, the companies said Tuesday.
Nobel prize for A-bomb survivors' group boosts hope for Japanese seeking a nuke-free world
Read full article: Nobel prize for A-bomb survivors' group boosts hope for Japanese seeking a nuke-free worldFor many Japanese survivors of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their relatives, Friday’s awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Japanese organization against nuclear weapons gives them hope for a new momentum to push for a nuclear-free world.
Nobuyo Oyama, voice actor for beloved Japanese cartoon robotic cat Doraemon, dies at age 90
Read full article: Nobuyo Oyama, voice actor for beloved Japanese cartoon robotic cat Doraemon, dies at age 90Nobuyo Oyama, the raspy voice of Doraemon, the beloved cartoon robotic cat from the future, has died.
Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defense
Read full article: Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defenseNew Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has opened his first policy speech in office by expressing deep regrets over the governing party’s slush funds scandal that dogged his predecessor.
Japan's central bank survey underpins optimism about growth
Read full article: Japan's central bank survey underpins optimism about growthBusiness sentiment among Japan’s large manufacturers stood unchanged in the latest quarter from the previous quarter, according to a closely watched survey called “tankan.”.
Japan's new Prime Minister Ishiba vows to push a strong defense under the Japan-US alliance
Read full article: Japan's new Prime Minister Ishiba vows to push a strong defense under the Japan-US allianceJapan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is pledging to stick to the vital Japan-U.S. alliance while calling for it to be more equitable.
Japanese fans bid farewell to beloved panda pair before their return to China
Read full article: Japanese fans bid farewell to beloved panda pair before their return to ChinaThousands of Japanese fans have bid farewell to their beloved panda couple that made their final public appearance at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo before returning to China for medical treatment.
Japan celebrates as Ohtani becomes the first major leaguer to reach 50-50 milestone
Read full article: Japan celebrates as Ohtani becomes the first major leaguer to reach 50-50 milestoneShohei Ohtani's feat of becoming the first major leaguer with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season was met with extra editions of newspapers for fans to read on their way to work.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed as Wall Street gears up for an interest rate cut
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed as Wall Street gears up for an interest rate cutShares are mixed in Asia as world markets gear up for the Federal Reserve's most anticipated meeting in years.
China's Football Association bans 43 people for life after corruption investigation
Read full article: China's Football Association bans 43 people for life after corruption investigationChina’s Football Association says it has banned 43 people for life over allegations of match-fixing and other forms of corruption.
Japan's economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risks
Read full article: Japan's economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risksJapan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending.
Japanese 7-Eleven convenience store chain operator turns down Couche-Tard takeover offer
Read full article: Japanese 7-Eleven convenience store chain operator turns down Couche-Tard takeover offerThe parent company of the Japanese 7-Eleven convenience store chain is turning down a takeover offer from Alimentation Couche-Tard of Canada.
Chinese soccer appears to be getting worse despite President Xi's pledge to make it better
Read full article: Chinese soccer appears to be getting worse despite President Xi's pledge to make it betterJapan defeated China’s men’s national team 7-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Saitama, Japan, a brutal loss that came against one of China’s biggest sporting and geopolitcal rivals in Asia.
US reports 28th death caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators that can spew shrapnel
Read full article: US reports 28th death caused by exploding Takata air bag inflators that can spew shrapnelAnother death is being linked to dangerous Takata air bag inflators by U.S. regulators, the 28th in the United States.
Global benchmarks are mixed in cautious trading ahead of US holiday and jobs report
Read full article: Global benchmarks are mixed in cautious trading ahead of US holiday and jobs reportGlobal shares are mixed in cautious trading ahead of the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. Investors also are looking ahead to the U.S. employment report set for release later this week for an indication of the strength of the American economy.
Storm Shanshan slowly moves across Japan as officials warn of torrential rains in major cities
Read full article: Storm Shanshan slowly moves across Japan as officials warn of torrential rains in major citiesTropical Storm Shanshan is slowly making its way into central Japan, halting trains and leaving underground passages brimming with water as officials warned of torrential rains in major cities, including Osaka and Tokyo.
Japan's defense ministry seeks record budget as it faces growing threat from China
Read full article: Japan's defense ministry seeks record budget as it faces growing threat from ChinaJapan’s Defense Ministry has sought a record 8.5 trillion yen or $59 billion budget for the next year to fortify its deterrence on southwestern islands against China’s increasing threat.
Tropical storm Shanshan lashes Japan with torrential rains and strong winds on its crawl northeast
Read full article: Tropical storm Shanshan lashes Japan with torrential rains and strong winds on its crawl northeastA strong storm is lashing southern Japan with torrential rain and strong winds, causing at least three deaths as it crawls up the length of the archipelago and raising concerns of flooding, landslides and extensive damage.
A robot's attempt to get a sample of the melted fuel at Japan's damaged nuclear reactor is suspended
Read full article: A robot's attempt to get a sample of the melted fuel at Japan's damaged nuclear reactor is suspendedAn attempt to use an extendable robot to remove a fragment of melted fuel from a wrecked reactor at Japan’s tsunami-hit nuclear plant has been suspended due to a technical issue.
Evacuation ordered in northern Japan, power out, flights, trains canceled as a typhoon approaches
Read full article: Evacuation ordered in northern Japan, power out, flights, trains canceled as a typhoon approachesThousands of people in northern Japan were ordered to evacuate because of risks of flooding and mudslides from a powerful typhoon approaching in the Pacific Ocean.
Kishida vows to push rules-based order as Japan's defense chief visits Yasukuni 79 years after WWII
Read full article: Kishida vows to push rules-based order as Japan's defense chief visits Yasukuni 79 years after WWIIJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has vowed to step up his country’s effort to defend a rules-based international order in a solemn ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.
Stock market today: Wall Street leaps, and S&P 500 rallies 1.6% as US shoppers drive the economy
Read full article: Stock market today: Wall Street leaps, and S&P 500 rallies 1.6% as US shoppers drive the economyWall Street rallied close to its record heights after data showed the U.S. economy is holding up better than expected.
Japan's economy grew last quarter on healthy consumer spending and business investment
Read full article: Japan's economy grew last quarter on healthy consumer spending and business investmentJapan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 3.1% last quarter, rebounding from the contraction in the previous quarter.
Stock market today: Wall Street rallies to one of its best days of the year after inflation report
Read full article: Stock market today: Wall Street rallies to one of its best days of the year after inflation reportU.S. stocks rose to one of their best days of the year as Wall Street relaxed after the first of several highly anticipated reports on the economy this week came in better than expected.
Japan's Toyota promises to do better with vehicle testing after major scandal
Read full article: Japan's Toyota promises to do better with vehicle testing after major scandalToyota is promising to strengthen oversight of its vehicle certifications so the scandal that surfaced recently over improper tests will never recur.
US ambassador to Japan to skip A-bomb memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invited
Read full article: US ambassador to Japan to skip A-bomb memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invitedThe U.S. ambassador to Japan has decided to skip this year's atomic bombing memorial service in Nagasaki after Israel was not invited.
Japan's SoftBank reduces its investment losses with gains in Alibaba and other holdings
Read full article: Japan's SoftBank reduces its investment losses with gains in Alibaba and other holdingsJapanese technology giant SoftBank Group has reported a smaller loss for the April-June quarter compared to a year earlier.
Calm returns to Wall Street, and stocks bounce back after their worst drop in nearly 2 years
Read full article: Calm returns to Wall Street, and stocks bounce back after their worst drop in nearly 2 yearsStocks rose on Wall Street as calm returned to the market a day after its worst drop in nearly two years.
Japan rivals Nissan and Honda will share EV components and AI research as they play catch up
Read full article: Japan rivals Nissan and Honda will share EV components and AI research as they play catch upJapanese automakers Nissan and Honda say they plan to share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving.
Blinken says US has 'serious concerns' about announced result of Venezuelan election
Read full article: Blinken says US has 'serious concerns' about announced result of Venezuelan electionU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States has ‘serious concerns’ about the announced result of Venezuela's hotly contested presidential election that authorities say was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro.
Simone Biles shakes off a calf injury to dominate during Olympic gymnastics qualifying
Read full article: Simone Biles shakes off a calf injury to dominate during Olympic gymnastics qualifyingSimone Biles posted an all-around total of 59.566 during Olympic qualifying inside a packed and star-studded Bercy Arena in Paris despite complaining of a left calf injury that had her limping.
US-Japan security talks focus on bolstering military cooperation, underscores threat from China
Read full article: US-Japan security talks focus on bolstering military cooperation, underscores threat from ChinaJapanese and U.S. defense chiefs and top diplomats agreed to further bolster their military cooperation by upgrading the command and control of U.S. forces in the East Asian country and strengthening American-licensed missile production there, describing the rising threat from China as “the greatest strategic challenge”.
Japanese automaker Nissan lowers its profit forecast amid incentive, inventory woes
Read full article: Japanese automaker Nissan lowers its profit forecast amid incentive, inventory woesNissan has lowered its full fiscal year outlook after the Japanese automaker reported a 73% decline in profit in the April-June quarter compared to the previous year.
Stock market today: Asian stocks fall after a torrent of profit reports leaves Wall Street mixed
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian stocks fall after a torrent of profit reports leaves Wall Street mixedAsian stocks are lower as markets digest Japanese and Australian business data, while U.S. stocks held relatively steady as earnings reporting season ramped up for big companies.
British equestrian great Dujardin out of Olympics after coaching video reveals possible horse abuse
Read full article: British equestrian great Dujardin out of Olympics after coaching video reveals possible horse abuseThree-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that the sport’s governing body says shows her “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare.”.
Biles, Osaka and Phelps spoke up about mental health. Has anything changed for the Paris Olympics?
Read full article: Biles, Osaka and Phelps spoke up about mental health. Has anything changed for the Paris Olympics?Athletes heading to the Paris Olympics have more access than ever to resources in the once-taboo realm of mental health and many sound more willing than ever to use them.
Athletes enjoying their first days at the giant Olympic village ahead of the Paris Games
Read full article: Athletes enjoying their first days at the giant Olympic village ahead of the Paris GamesAustralian beach volleyball player Taliqua Clancy got an unexpected surprise walking around the athletes’ village at the Paris Olympics.
Durant returns to practice with US basketball team, 1 week before Paris Olympics
Read full article: Durant returns to practice with US basketball team, 1 week before Paris OlympicsKevin Durant practiced with the U.S. Olympic basketball team on Friday, a major step toward getting him back on track for the Paris Games that open next week.
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall as dive for Big Tech stocks hits Wall St rally
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall as dive for Big Tech stocks hits Wall St rallyAsian shares are mostly lower, with Tokyo's benchmark dipping more than 2%, after Wall Street’s record-breaking rally slammed into a wall of worries over potentially worsening trade tensions with China.
Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed after Dow sets a new record
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed after Dow sets a new recordAsian stocks are mixed as investors grappled with weak economic data from China and waited to see the outcome of a top Communist Party policy meeting in Beijing.
Stock market today: Asian stocks mixed amid volatile yen after Wall St climbs on inflation report
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian stocks mixed amid volatile yen after Wall St climbs on inflation reportAsian stocks are mixed after the latest update on inflation bolstered Wall Street’s belief that relief on interest rates may come as soon as September.
Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Fed chair's comments give scant clues on rate cuts
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares are mixed after Fed chair's comments give scant clues on rate cutsShares are mixed in Asia after testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in front of Congress provided little new guidance on when the U.S. central bank might lower interest rates.
Former Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner draws criticism for saying SafeSport is hindering coaches
Read full article: Former Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner draws criticism for saying SafeSport is hindering coachesOlympic medal-winning gymnast MyKayla Skinner Harmer is drawing criticism for saying the U.S. Center for SafeSport is making it difficult for coaches to do their job.
Tokyo Gov. Koike wins a third four-year term as head of Japan's influential capital
Read full article: Tokyo Gov. Koike wins a third four-year term as head of Japan's influential capitalTokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has easily won reelection to a third four-year term as head of Japan’s influential capital.
Summer Olympians will get their support systems back in Paris after Tokyo's COVID bans
Read full article: Summer Olympians will get their support systems back in Paris after Tokyo's COVID bansAthletes at the last Summer Olympics remember the unmistakable sadness of competing with nearly no one in the stands amid pandemic-era restrictions in Tokyo three years ago.
Japan issues new yen banknotes packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeiting
Read full article: Japan issues new yen banknotes packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeitingJapan has issued its first new banknotes in two decades, yen packed with 3D hologram technology to fight counterfeiting.
Americans favored to top overall medal count in Paris Olympics. China will challenge for most gold
Read full article: Americans favored to top overall medal count in Paris Olympics. China will challenge for most goldThe United States is strongly favored to win the most overall medals when the Paris Olympics open in a month.
American swimming stars Dressel and Manuel settle for relay spots at US swim trials
Read full article: American swimming stars Dressel and Manuel settle for relay spots at US swim trialsComing back from long layoffs, American swimming stars Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel had to settle for relay spots at the Olympics on Wednesday night.
Japan, New Zealand agree on intel sharing pact amid growing regional security concerns
Read full article: Japan, New Zealand agree on intel sharing pact amid growing regional security concernsJapan and New Zealand have agreed in principle on an intelligence sharing pact as their leaders shared concern about the increasingly challenging security environment in the region, including closer ties between Russia and North Korea.
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly gain after Wall St rallies to new records
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mostly gain after Wall St rallies to new recordsShares are mostly higher in Asia after U.S. stocks rallied to more records, with gains for technology companies pushing the benchmarks higher.
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after AI hopes nudge Wall St to records. BOJ stands pat
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after AI hopes nudge Wall St to records. BOJ stands patAsian shares are mixed after Wall Street’s continued frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology nudged indexes on Wall Street to more records.
Stock market today: Asia shares rise amid Bank of Japan focus after the Fed stands pat
Read full article: Stock market today: Asia shares rise amid Bank of Japan focus after the Fed stands patAsian shares are mostly higher as investors turn their attention to what the Bank of Japan might decide on monetary policy later this week.
Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of this week's Fed meeting
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian stocks are mixed ahead of this week's Fed meetingAsian stocks are mixed in a busy week with several top-tier reports on U.S. inflation due along with a policy meeting of the Federal Reserve.
US men’s gymnastics team poised to join American women as medal contenders in Paris
Read full article: US men’s gymnastics team poised to join American women as medal contenders in ParisLast weekend’s U.S. gymnastics championships gave a preview that this summer’s Olympics could be a big one for the U.S. men’s squad.
Tokyo City Hall is developing a dating app to encourage marriage and childbirth
Read full article: Tokyo City Hall is developing a dating app to encourage marriage and childbirthCalled “Tokyo Futari Story,” the city hall’s new site is just that: An effort to create couples, “futari,” in a country where it is increasingly common to be “hitori,” or alone.
Stock market today: Asian stocks trade mixed after Wall Street logs modest gains
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian stocks trade mixed after Wall Street logs modest gainsAsian shares are mixed as investors weighed data highlighting a slowing U.S. economy that offers both upsides and downsides for Wall Street.
Tech news site Gizmodo sold for third time in 8 years as European publisher Keleops looks to expand
Read full article: Tech news site Gizmodo sold for third time in 8 years as European publisher Keleops looks to expandLongtime technology news and review site Gizmodo has been sold for the third time in the past eight years.
Earthquakes in north-central Japan collapse 5 homes that were damaged in deadly January quake
Read full article: Earthquakes in north-central Japan collapse 5 homes that were damaged in deadly January quakeEarthquakes have again struck Japan’s north-central region of Ishikawa that is still recovering from the destruction left by a powerful quake on Jan. 1.
Nissan warns owners of older vehicles not to drive them due to risk of exploding air bag inflators
Read full article: Nissan warns owners of older vehicles not to drive them due to risk of exploding air bag inflatorsNissan is urging the owners of about 84,000 older vehicles to stop driving them because their Takata air bag inflators are at high risk of exploding in a crash and hurling metal fragments.
Olympic boxing medalists in Paris promised cash prizes by rogue governing body
Read full article: Olympic boxing medalists in Paris promised cash prizes by rogue governing bodyThe boxing governing body declared rogue by the International Olympic Committee says it will pay $50,000 in prize money to each gold medalist at the Paris Games.
UN report says that education, social safety nets vital for Asia to grow rich, cope with aging
Read full article: UN report says that education, social safety nets vital for Asia to grow rich, cope with agingA report by the United Nations says that as economies in Asia and the Pacific slow and grow older, countries need to do more to ensure that workers get the education, training and social safety nets needed to raise incomes and ensure social equity.
Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street's slide on worries over interest rates
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street's slide on worries over interest ratesAsian shares have retreated after strong reports on the U.S. economy raised the possibility that interest rates may stay painfully high.
Malaysia PM says his country keeps good ties with US but not China phobia, wants to engage both
Read full article: Malaysia PM says his country keeps good ties with US but not China phobia, wants to engage bothMalaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said his country does not have a “China-phobia” policy and wants to engage both Beijing and Washington, expressing hopes for both powers to resolve their differences.
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher after Wall Street sets more records
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mostly higher after Wall Street sets more recordsAsian markets are mixed in quiet trading, with most of the regions’ benchmarks inching higher after U.S. stocks hit new record highs.
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline after Nasdaq ticks to a record high
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline after Nasdaq ticks to a record highAsian shares have retreated even after most U.S. stock indexes finished higher, especially technology issues like Nvidia.
USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 years
Read full article: USS Ronald Reagan leaves its Japan home port after nearly 9 yearsA U.S. Navy strike group’s flagship aircraft carrier has left its Japanese home port, wrapping up nearly nine years of deployment in the Indo-Pacific, where it served a key role in the U.S. effort to bolster defense ties with Japan and other partners in the region.