News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Myanmar junta declares quake ceasefire as survivors plead for aid

  The shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday flattened buildings across Myanmar, killing nearly 3,000 people and making thousands more homeless.

• Trump unveils 10% global tariff, with Japan levy set at 24%

  The higher "reciprocal” rates are based on a government tally of the levies and nontariff barriers those countries impose on U.S. goods.

• Nintendo to launch the Switch 2 on June 5

  The gaming giant's newest console will retail for ¥49,980 for its Japanese-only version and ¥69,980 for multilingual and multiregion support.

• China ends two days of military drills with simulated strikes on Taiwan ports and energy sites

  The large-scale exercises prompted scathing criticism from the U.S. that China was fueling tensions in the region.

• AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says

  Goro Miyazaki says that though nothing can replicate the depth of his father's work, new technology brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge."

• Myanmar's deadly earthquake brings diplomatic payoff for junta chief

  The disaster opens up diplomatic channels closed to the junta for four years after it ousted an elected government in 2021 to unleash a brutal civil war.

• U.S. tourist arrested after bringing a handgun into Japan

  The man has said the gun was for self-defense and that he had packed the firearm by mistake.

• Cory Booker condemns Trump’s policies in longest senate speech on record

  Cheers broke out in the chamber when the senator passed Strom Thurmond's record for longest speech.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Myanmar junta declares quake ceasefire as survivors plead for aid

  The shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday flattened buildings across Myanmar, killing nearly 3,000 people and making thousands more homeless.

• China ends two days of military drills with simulated strikes on Taiwan ports and energy sites

  The large-scale exercises prompted scathing criticism from the U.S. that China was fueling tensions in the region.

• Myanmar's deadly earthquake brings diplomatic payoff for junta chief

  The disaster opens up diplomatic channels closed to the junta for four years after it ousted an elected government in 2021 to unleash a brutal civil war.

• Scores hospitalized after huge fire at gas pipeline in Malaysia

  Authorities said the blaze in the town of Puchong, on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, had been extinguished by midafternoon.

• U.N. urges aid to Myanmar quake survivors before monsoons hit as death toll nears 3,000

  A civil war in Myanmar had already displaced more than 3 million people long before the quake struck.

• China conducts joint military exercises aimed at blockading Taiwan

  The Chinese drills were practicing closing in on the island, with Beijing also warning that efforts toward Taiwan independence meant “war.”

• Deadly quake gives junta a chance to tighten hold over Myanmar

  Even as the damage of Friday’s quake was still being assessed, pro-democracy rebel groups reported fresh airstrikes in areas close to the epicenter.

• U.S. sanctions six Chinese and Hong Kong officials for rights abuses

  The move is the Trump administration's first major move to punish Beijing over its crackdown on the city.

Culture news from Japan Times

• AI may be coming for anime, but Hayao Miyazaki is irreplaceable, son says

  Goro Miyazaki says that though nothing can replicate the depth of his father's work, new technology brings "great potential for unexpected talent to emerge."

• ‘Let’s Meet at Angie’s Bar’: A granny like none other

  Acting veteran Mitsuko Kusabue brings wisdom and wit to Yurugu Matsumoto’s lighter-than-air comedy.

• Nintendo announces Legend of Zelda film for 2027

  Nintendo made the announcement on "Nintendo Today!", a new app for fans that was launched on Thursday.

• Yuki Tejima's metamorphosis from bookworm to literary translator

  An Instagram “bookfluencer” and professional translator for over 10 years, Tejima’s love of books was, strangely enough, a hurdle to working in literary translation.

• Cherry blossom-themed art to see this weekend in Tokyo

  With the cherry blossoms’ ephemeral beauty immortalized in art and literature for centuries, there's plenty of artworks to gaze upon on rainy days.

• Rise and shine with ‘The Wakey Show’

  Broadcaster NHK's first new daily children’s show in years puts puppets and positivity up front.

• ‘Ravens’: Tadanobu Asano plays troubled photographer with scapegrace charm

  Mark Gill’s visually lush film subverts the realism of Masahisa Fukase’s life story by introducing a human-sized raven as an imagined antagonist.

• ‘Boy’: An ambitious portrait of alienated youth

  Director Yuji Dan brings a decades-old project to a close with his portrayal of a young man coming of age amid turmoil in the late 1990s.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Red Bull and Racing Bulls display unity in Tokyo ahead of grand prix

  Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda has moved up to replace Liam Lawson, who was demoted to the junior team.

• Sumo’s 'Big 12' are an eclectic group

  Only a dozen rikishi now active have lifted the Emperor’s Cup on the final day of a tournament.

• More than 1,000 ex-rugby players join concussion lawsuit: legal firm

  "The claimants are suffering with a range of life-altering neurological conditions," said Rylands Garth.

• Elanga wonder-goal sinks Man Utd as Forest eye Champions League berth

  Forest are within touching distance of reaching the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.

• Haaland sidelined by injury in major Man City blow

  The Premier League champions did not provide a timescale for Haaland's return.

• Kasatkina looks ahead to new chapter under Australian flag

  Kasatkina, who was born in the western Russian city of Tolyatti, has not returned to the country in more than two years after coming out as gay.

• No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker

  New Red Bull driver Tsunoda tells The Japan Times he started to believe that a promotion to the senior team might never come — until it did.

• NFL comeback star Damar Hamlin shares life-saving message in Tokyo

  Hamlin’s comeback is bigger than football. It is also a vehicle for him to do something he has done his entire life — help others.

Life news from Japan Times

• Nintendo to launch the Switch 2 on June 5

  The gaming giant's newest console will retail for ¥49,980 for its Japanese-only version and ¥69,980 for multilingual and multiregion support.

• The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan

  A growing industry quietly erases the final traces of those who die alone, exposing deep societal fractures.

• The cold complexity of 'pure' Japanese cocktail ice

  To some Japanese bartenders, the secret to a great cocktail lies not just in the mixologist's skills but also the quality of the ice.

• Feast your eyes on 'The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Cooking'

  In “The Complete Illustrated Guide to Japanese Cooking,” Sachiyo Harada has put together an uncomplicated book that appeals to both home cooks and seasoned chefs.

• Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air

  Linking mountainous Matsumoto and coastal Kanazawa, this clunkily named route includes nonetheless fantastic sites.

• 'Better than real life': In China, virtual boyfriends are emotional aids

  For many, virtual companions offer more than entertainment — they provide emotional fulfilment.

• Michelin awards stars to 172 restaurants in Kyoto and Osaka

  Ten restaurants join the two-starred rank, while Milpa earns Japan’s first-ever star for Mexican cuisine.

• New York's Brooklyn Kura becomes first U.S. sake exporter to Japan

  The brewer’s initial exports are “relatively small,” but it hopes drinkers in Japan are "open to trying" American-made sake.

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