1888 articles
Fashion
How Trader Joe’s tote bags became so fashionable in Japan
While Trader Joe’s tote bags in the U.S. have become a viral sensation due to social media, the canvas bags have long been an unexpect...
Michelle De Pacina
China
Americans name China as US’ greatest enemy for 4th consecutive year: poll
China remains the top perceived U.S. adversary for the fourth consecutive year, with 41% of Americans naming it as the United States’ ...
Asia
Massachusetts family helps return looted artifacts found in later father’s attic to Japan
A Massachusetts family called the FBI for help in returning the nearly two dozen looted Japanese artifacts they discovered while sorting thr...
Bryan Ke
Cat that escaped after fall into vat of chemicals in Japan prompts health warning
A cat that made a daring escape after falling into a vat of hazardous chemicals at a factory in Japan over the weekend has prompted city off...
Entertainment
Hayao Miyazaki won’t be retiring following latest Oscar win
Hayao Miyazaki may not be retiring just yet following his recent Oscar win for “The Boy and The Heron,” despite previously decla...
What the director of ‘Godzilla Minus One’ said about ‘Oppenheimer’
“Godzilla Minus One” director Takashi Yamazaki has a response to fellow Oscar winner “Oppenheimer.” Catch up: “Godzilla Minus On...
Japan’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ nabs top prize at 2024 Asian Film Awards
Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s drama film “Evil Does Not Exist” clinched the top prize at the 17th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kon...
Design
Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto wins the ‘Nobel of architecture’
The 53rd Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto for his five-decade career focused on innovative ...
Mark Zuckerberg discusses AI risks with Japan PM Fumio Kishida
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed artificial intelligence (AI) with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday during a stop on his o...
Food
Why Japanese cuisine is ‘less spicy’ than others in Asia
Japanese food is often considered “less spicy” than other Asian cuisines, and this could be explained by the country’s cul...
Business
Watch: Mark Zuckerberg forges, wields katana in Japan
Mark Zuckerberg has shared videos of himself learning how to make a katana — a long sword used by Japanese samurais — and wielding it during...
Culture
Aging population ends ‘Naked Men’ festival in Japan’s Iwate prefecture after a millennium
After over a thousand years of tradition, the iconic “Naked Men” festival in Japan’s Iwate prefecture has come to an end m...
Ryan General
Japan’s oldest bakery creates ‘romance bread’ using AI to inspire romantic feelings
Kimuraya, Japan’s oldest bakery, is using AI to create “romance bread” to capture the essence of romantic feelings. About the AI bread...
Domino’s Pizza Japan apologizes over viral video of nose-picking employee contaminating dough
Domino’s Pizza Japan has issued a public apology on its official X account after a video of an employee picking his nose and contamina...
Boston
Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphonic Orchestra’s longest-tenured director, dies at 88
World-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa, who served as a director in the Boston Symphonic Orchestra (BSO) for 29 years, has died at 88. What ha...
Animals
Watch: Pod of killer whales trapped in drift ice off Japan coast
A pod of killer whales, also known as orcas, was found trapped in a narrow drift ice off the coast of a town in Hokkaido, Japan, earlier thi...
Hong Kong
Chinese fans slam Lionel Messi for sitting out HK match but playing in Japan days after
Argentine football star Lionel Messi has apologized to Chinese fans for skipping a friendly game in Hong Kong over the weekend due to an inj...
Environmental
Scientists describe new jellyfish species with red ‘cross’, 240 tentacles
A team of international scientists has published a description of a novel jellyfish species with a unique red stomach resembling the Cross o...
Japanese Embassy roots for Taylor Swift, assures fans she’ll make it to Super Bowl
As Taylor Swift finds herself busy electrifying Tokyo for her Eras Tour, the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., assured angsty Swifties F...
Carl Samson
Issues & Racism
Ukraine-born Miss Japan 2024 relinquishes title following report of affair
Karolina Shiino, a Ukraine-born model with Japanese citizenship, has relinquished her title as the 2024 Miss Japan Grand Prix winner after a...
This Japanese cafe lets customers mingle with mini pigs
Mini pigs are now the latest craze in Japan, with one Tokyo cafe offering customers the chance to pet them for a small cost. It’s a hit: Ope...
Majority of AAPI adults are facing financial challenges, poll reveals
A recent AAPI Data/AP-NORC Poll reveals that the majority of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults are facing f...
Watch: Man plays escaped ‘bear’ in educational drill at Hiroshima zoo
A zoo in Hiroshima, Japan, held an animal escape drill over the weekend, letting a staff member in a hilarious bear costume loose. Why it ma...
These Japanese flowers made of ice cream are almost too beautiful to eat
A Japanese ice cream creation made to look like beautiful flowers has taken the internet by storm. Blooms on a cone: The viral ice cream, s...
Japan
Image reveals Japan’s historic SLIM spacecraft landed upside down on the moon
An image of Japan’s historic Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft, which successfully reached the moon last week, revealed ...
Beauty
Model of Ukrainian descent becomes Miss Japan 2024, sparking debate
Carolina Shiino, a 26-year-old Japanese model of Ukrainian descent, became the center of controversy after winning the title of Miss Japan 2...
Pizza Hut Japan releases ramen pizza
Pizza Hut Japan has teamed up with ramen chain Tenkaippin to create a limited-edition ramen pizza. What’s in it: The Kotteri-fuu (“thi...
Japanese man who rents himself to ‘do nothing’ releases memoir in US
A Japanese man who made global headlines for renting himself to “do nothing” has released his memoir in the U.S. About his book: Shoji Morim...
Japanese literary award winner admits getting help from ChatGPT
A Japanese author has opened up about getting help from ChatGPT shortly after winning one of the country’s most prestigious literary awards....
History
Japan becomes fifth country to land spacecraft on the moon
Japan has landed their historic robotic mission, named Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), on the lunar surface, making the East Asi...
Japan Airlines appoints ex-flight attendant as its first-ever female president
Japan Airlines (JAL) has appointed Mitsuko Tottori as its next president, making her the first woman to hold this position in the airline...
Japanese scientists capture plants communicating with each other on video
A group of Japanese scientists has successfully filmed plants communicating and warning others about potential dangers in real-time, making ...
Japanese man with 4 wives, 2 girlfriends wants to have 54 children
A Japanese man in a polygamous relationship with his four “wives” and two girlfriends said he wants to father more children than Tokugawa Ie...
Shohei Ohtani’s dog gets massive fake visa from US Embassy in Japan
United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel presented Shohei Ohtani with a replica visa for his dog Decoy during his visit to the U.S. Em...
Bluefin tuna fetches nearly $800,000 at Tokyo New Year auction
A giant bluefin tuna fetched a record 114.24 million yen ($789,000) at a New Year’s auction in Tokyo on Friday. About the tuna: Weighing 238...
Woman in her 90s rescued from rubble 5 days after deadly Japan quake
A woman in her 90s was rescued alive in Suzu city, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, five days after the deadly earthquake struck the region. Resc...