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Japan news from Japan Times

• Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha

  Production methods and economic risks keep the domestic tea industry from ramping up supply.

• Cold with a chance of kimchi meatballs

  Warm up with a comforting hot pot of ground meat stuffed with the Korean fermented vegetable.

• Israel prepares to receive six more Gaza hostages as Bibas body identified

  The fragile truce between Israel and Hamas militants had been threatened with derailment by the misidentification of a body released on Thursday.

• Taiwan President Lai meets with Akie Abe, widow of slain prime minister

  Lai told Akie at the meeting that Taiwan aims to protect the values of freedom and democracy, and deepen its friendship with Japan.

• LDP to actively use social media for election victory

  Achieving a victory in the election for the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, is the most important challenge for the party this year.

• Heavy snow warning issued for Ishikawa

  The weather agency warned of major traffic disruptions in flat areas in the northern part of the Noto region in Ishikawa.

• U.S. Marines start to leave Japan, decades behind schedule

  The U.S. base on Okinawa has relocated 105 Marines. But an agreement to move 9,000 in total is colliding with the perceived threat from a rising China.

• Trump fires top U.S. general in unprecedented Pentagon shakeup

  The decision sets off a period of upheaval at the Pentagon, which was already bracing for mass firings of civilian staff and other dramatic shifts.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Underage social media users show large Australian breaches

  About 80% of children in Australia between 8 and 12 used at least one platform in 2024, a watchdog report has found.

• Hong Kong's oldest pro-democracy party prepares to shut down

  The Democratic Party's fortunes declined after Beijing tightened its grip and imposed a national security law.

• China flies home first nationals from Myanmar ‘scam centers’

  The repatriation is part of a multinational effort to stamp out the centers, a transnational criminal industry that has found havens in Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

• China risks becoming U.S. military’s top priority if Trump cuts a deal with Putin

  U.S. and Russian officials have started talks in Saudi Arabia to negotiate an end to the three-year war, prompting deep concern in Europe and Ukraine itself.

• Ousted South Korean president sought to stop 'dictatorship,' lawyer says

  Yoon Suk Yeol has has been behind bars since he was arrested last month on charges of insurrection.

• Australian spy chief warns of rising role of minors in terror

  Almost all foiled terrorist attacks in Australia over the past year involved the radicalization of children, according to the spy chief's annual assessment.

• Myanmar scam center survivors recall torture and coercion

  "I got a lot of punishments," said one man, who had cuts along his leg. "I received electric shocks every day."

• South Korea willing to take North Korean POWs from Ukraine

  South Korea’s comments came after a captured soldier said in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper that he wants to seek asylum in South Korea.

Culture news from Japan Times

• 'A Hundred Years and a Day': Short stories unfold through the lives of structures and spaces

  In Tomoka Shibasaki’s curious collection, time flows architecturally, plots meander by design and humans are unnamed, ephemeral and often disappear.

• Fuji Rock’s biggest lineup surprise? The debut of Tatsuro Yamashita.

  The summer music festival also promises Vampire Weekend, Vulfpeck and Fred Again.. among the 60 acts named for its 2025 edition.

• Directing is never a monologue at the experimental Yamanote Jijosha theater company

  To mark its four decades of existence, the company stages two Shakespearean tragedies for a triumph.

• Japan release of Shiori Ito's documentary in limbo

  Lawyers including an attorney who fought alongside the journalist in a civil suit against her attacker have raised legal and ethical concerns over the film.

• ‘Yasuko, Songs of Days Past’ puts overlooked star in the spotlight

  Kichitaro Negishi’s drama, based on a real-life love triangle among notable figures of the Japanese literati, captures the flavor of a bygone era.

• ‘Hypnosismic — Division Rap Battle — Movie' lets viewers remix the narrative

  Armed with LED-lined gloves and their smartphones, audiences take control of the action for Japan’s first interactive movie.

• South Korean blockbuster 'Joint Security Area' strikes a chord 25 years on

  Park Chan-wook's tale of inter-Korean friendship was a risky undertaking at the time of filming, but it has since become a celebrated cinematic masterpiece.

• ‘Offline Love’ ditches digital dating and puts old-school romance to the test

  Netflix Japan's new reality series whisks its participants to a picturesque seaside city in France and leans into nostalgia for a simpler time.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Roki Sasaki surprises Dodgers teammates with marriage news

  Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki surprised teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday with the big news.

• Canada beats U.S. to win 4 Nations tournament filled with political tension

  The taut action on the ice mirrored the geopolitical tensions bubbling in North America since U.S. President Donald Trump took office last month.

• Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of regular season with blood clot

  The announcement brings a premature end to another outstanding campaign by Wembanyama.

• Mina Tanaka scores twice as Japan crushes Australia in SheBelieves Cup opener

  In the later match, Catarina Macario scored her first national team goal in nearly three years as the United States beat Colombia 2-0.

• Swallows employee who portrayed popular mascot Tsubakuro dies

  Tsubakuro became a ubiquitous presence at Jingu Stadium after his debut in 1994.

• Abdul Hakim Sani Brown ready to sprint past Paris disappointment

  Despite setting a personal best with a time of 9.96 seconds, Sani Brown finished fourth in his semifinal heat in the 100-meter sprint in Paris.

• WTA stars express concern after Emma Raducanu's incident with 'fixated' fan

  Iga Swiatek, the current world No. 2, believes the tour did the right thing, and acknowledges such situations can be hard to avoid, even with strict safety measures in place.

• Real Madrid and PSG power into Champions League last 16

  Kylian Mbappe scored a hat trick for Madrid, while PSG cruised to a 7-0 victory.

Life news from Japan Times

• Japan struggles to fend off a world without enough matcha

  Production methods and economic risks keep the domestic tea industry from ramping up supply.

• Cold with a chance of kimchi meatballs

  Warm up with a comforting hot pot of ground meat stuffed with the Korean fermented vegetable.

• Bear skulls and pit dwellings: Hokkaido aims to sell ancient history

  The Okhostk culture thrived in northern Hokkaido from the fifth to ninth centuries and may have provided the Ainu with some of their best-known rituals.

• Shimane and Tottori to bewitch tourists with supernatural charms

  The two prefectures are leaning on spooky folklore to draw more travelers.

• Attempting the classics: Deciphering impermanence in ‘Hojoki’

  With modern-day aids, this 13th-century piece of text isn't as challenging as you may think.

• Fresh off awards, Japanese cheese seeks a taste ‘unique to this land’

  A growing number of Japanese cheesemakers are gaining international recognition, and some are aiming for a new frontier of flavor.

• Chewing on race, culture and 'okonomiyaki' quesadillas

  Kiera Wright-Ruiz’s debut cookbook serves up deep thoughts on her biracial heritage alongside delicious recipes.

• Cut and dried daikon: A time-tested frugal treat

  Take some sting out of inflation by stocking up on this preserved radish you can serve in stews and salads.

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