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The Japan Times

@japantimes.co.jp

50K followers 18 following 11K posts

News, features and commentary from the oldest (est. 1897) and most widely read English-language media outlet in Japan. JT staff on Bluesky: https://jtim.es/bskysp Our newsletters: https://jtime.es/newsletters Elsewhere: jtim.es/m/social

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 10d

Dreaming of an apartment in Tokyo? Soaring prices, foreign investment and scarce supply are making that dream harder to reach. 👉 ebx.sh/HSLdzt

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 6h

Japan is reportedly considering the purchase of Ford F-150 pickup trucks for use as government vehicles in an effort to fulfill pledges made during trade negotiations with the United States.

Ford F-150 might be imported by the Japanese government: report

The pickup trucks would be used by local transport ministry offices for construction and road patrols.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 7h

The city's performing arts festival brings together international and local talent, crossing genres to include creatives such as Akutagawa Prize winner Sao Ichikawa and sculptor Kohei Nawa.

Autumn Meteorite stages a month of inventive theater in Tokyo

The inaugural performing arts festival brings a variety of shows, from monodramas to 20-people, multivenue ensemble productions.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 7h

BREAKING: The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday, for "keeping the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness."

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado

Machado is 'a brave and committed champion of peace .. who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,' the committee said in a statement.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 7h

Tokyo is still the region’s top performer, but Hong Kong is now the talk of the town with Bar Leone named the world’s best bar. 👉 ebx.sh/hlU8aV

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 8h

A bear appears to have killed a man picking mushrooms in a forest in Iwate Prefecture, local police said Friday, the latest in a spate of suspected confrontations that could set a record if confirmed.

Man killed in apparent bear attack as deaths mount in Japan

The official death toll due to bear attacks has risen to six for the fiscal year starting in April, matching a record high seen in 2023.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 9h

BREAKING: Komeito said Friday it plans to leave the ruling camp, parting ways with the LDP and new President Sanae Takaichi after the LDP failed to accept the party’s proposal on political donations.

Komeito announces split with LDP, clouding Takaichi's bid for PM

Komeito’s decision to end the 26-year partnership with the LDP means the ruling party will need to court opposition parties to vote Takaichi in as prime minister.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 12h

U.S. President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal groups opposed to his agenda is a multiagency effort, officials said, raising alarms about the use of executive power.

Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups

Potential tools to defund or shut down groups include IRS investigations to strip them of tax-exempt status and criminal probes by the Justice Department and FBI.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13h

Kim Hye-seong scored from third base on an 11th-inning error by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering and the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series.

Dodgers advance to NLCS after costly error by Phillies in 11th inning

Roki Sasaki threw three perfect innings for the Dodgers in the win.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13h

An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck offshore in the southern Philippines on Friday, the country's seismology agency said, with a tsunami warning issued.

Tsunami warning issued after strong earthquake strikes off southern Philippines

People in nearby coastal areas were urged to evacuate to higher ground.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13h

Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki virtually ruled out the possibility of his party joining the LDP coalition at the start of an extraordinary session of the Diet.

DPP leader Tamaki negative on joining LDP-led coalition for now

The DPP chief noted that his party would not form a coalition with the LDP if it lacks Komeito.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13h

The heads of Japan’s biggest financial firms are going out of their way to assuage worries that artificial intelligence will take away jobs.

Japan’s top bank CEOs push for AI, soothing worry over human work

In Japan, where the financial sector employs hundreds of thousands of people, the conversation over AI and its impact on work is picking up pace.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 14h

Japan will be the most impacted by a global tourist-service labor shortfall, according to a new report, with a 29% gap forecast in the country in 2035.

Japan set to be most impacted by tourism labor shortages globally, report shows

The country will see a 29% shortfall in necessary labor in 2035, according to the Future of the Travel & Tourism Workforce report.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 15h

From Kamakura to WrestleMania, Iyo Sky reflects on her rise to WWE superstardom — and why being called “crazy” is a compliment.

Iyo Sky takes flight: How the ‘Genius of the Sky’ turned risk into art and fear into fun

After three memorable shows in 2024, WWE returns to Japan for back-to-back nights at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan this month.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

With Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, her spouse, former LDP lawmaker Taku Yamamoto, is set to become the country’s first-ever first husband.

Takaichi taking office will herald arrival of Japan’s first-ever first husband

Former LDP Lower House lawmaker Taku Yamamoto has supported Sanae Takaichi’s position on surnames after marriage and her bid to lead Japan.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

While waiting in 1989 on a supercomputer to analyze the structure of a new crystal, Nobel laureate Susumu Kitagawa said he talked with two other student researchers and came up with the idea of porous materials.

Chemistry Nobel winner Kitagawa says downtime helped him think up new material

Waiting on a supercomputer to analyze the structure of a new crystal gave him time to come up with the idea for a kind of material that could, for example, capture carbon dioxide.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Comedian Takashi “Waka” Wakasugi makes fun of Aussies’ behavior as much as his own “lost in translation” moments. 👉 ebx.sh/KDssHp

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Tokyo has been ranked as the world’s best large city for the second consecutive year, solidifying Japan’s position as a global tourism powerhouse.

Tokyo named world’s best big city for second straight year

Recognition from readers of luxury travel and lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveler comes after Japan welcomed a record 36.8 million foreign visitors in 2024.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Masami Nagasawa is fierce and unforgettable as O-Ei, the woman behind ukiyo-e master Hokusai, in Tatsushi Omori’s gritty historical biopic.

‘Hokusai’s Daughter’ captures the ferocity of a forgotten painter

Masami Nagasawa delivers one of her most compelling performances yet in Tatsushi Omori’s historical biopic.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The yen reached its weakest level since mid-February against the dollar on Wednesday on rising concerns about an increase in fiscal spending in Japan.

Yen weakest since mid-February on fiscal fears

The dollar has likely benefited from a lack of U.S. government economic data as the federal government remains shut.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Commentary: Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s likely first female prime minister, will face key diplomatic challenges with the U.S., China and South Korea, while addressing economic and demographic issues, if she is appointed.

Will Takaichi become the prime minister Japan needs?

An admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is an adherent to Shinzo Abe’s pragmatic yet conservative vision.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Need a non-alcoholic option for your guests? Toss together some roasted green tea and whip up a "horchata," a delicious milk-based drink with warm spices.

Roasted green tea gets a milky makeover

The fragrant brew works well in a 'horchata,' a lightly spiced, milk-based drink that offers a comforting sip this season.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Discussions should be held on how new technologies and ideas showcased at the World Exposition in Osaka will be put to practical use, local business leader Masayoshi Matsumoto said.

Local business leader vows to discuss Osaka expo legacies

The new technologies shown off at the expo include flying cars.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has proposed that the nongovernment camp back Democratic Party for the People head Yuichiro Tamaki as a candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

CDP proposes DPP head Tamaki as unified opposition PM candidate

The proposal is believed to be aimed at putting a brake on the LDP's intensified outreach to the DPP as a potential coalition partner.

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

Faced with a long slump in their mainline petrochemical operations, major Japanese chemical makers are working with other companies over businesses related to semiconductor materials.

Japanese chemical firms seeking partnerships over next-gen chips

Companies are taking measures with others, such as setting up a joint framework, to speed up the development of related materials

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 1d

How all non-European Union citizens, including British visitors, travel to and from the bloc will start to change from Sunday when its long-delayed new biometric entry-check system starts operations.

What the EU's new biometric border checks mean for non-EU citizens

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will require all non-EU citizens to register their personal details, including fingerprints and facial images, when they first enter the Schengen area.