Asia Pacific
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World’s oldest person, Tomiko Itooka, dies in Japan aged 116
Itooka, who died at a care home in Ashiya, enjoyed bananas and had been a keen mountain climberA Japanese woma…
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Weather tracker: Cold air over warm waters brings heavy snow to Japan
Prefectures in north hit by falls of up to 30cm in a day as similar weather pattern affects parts of north Ame…
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Japan urges Australians to head off the beaten track as record numbers flood tourist hotspots
About 807,800 Australians visited Japan between January and November this year, nearly 200,000 more than the p…
- Japan, Environment, Coastlines, Oceans, Marine life, Europe, Climate crisis, Cetaceans, Wildlife, World news, Zoology, Asia Pacific, Whales, Biology, Science, Iceland
‘Extraordinary longevity’: great whales can live a lot longer than we thought – if we leave them alone
Bowhead whales may not be the only species that can live to 200 years old. Researchers have found that the ind…
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Japan’s ‘cat island’ falls victim to demographic crisis
Famous for felines that outnumber its humans, Aoshima is also emblematic of a deeper trend afflicting the coun…
- Japan, Economics, International trade, Global economy, Business, US news, World news, Asia Pacific, China, Shinzō Abe, South Korea, Trump administration, Taiwan, Donald Trump, US politics
Will Japan’s close ties with US survive the caprice and quirks of Donald Trump?
Japan’s complex defence alliances built up over years as protection against China could be put at risk in a Tr…
- Japan, Automotive industry, Business, Nissan, World news, Asia Pacific, Honda, Mergers and acquisitions
Honda and Nissan to start talks on potential mega-merger
Japanese car firms embark on negotiations to combat competition from bigger EV manufacturersJapanese carmakers…
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UK joins Italy and Japan to develop British fighter jet to rival America’s F-35
Joint-venture hailed as a ‘pivotal moment’ for the international aerospace and defence industryPlans to develo…
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Japan chooses ‘gold’ as kanji of the year in nod to Olympics glory – and slush fund politics
The character, chosen by public vote, has won in previous Olympic years but also reflects public anger at a da…
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Japan chooses ‘gold’ as kanji of the year in nod to Olympics glory – and slush fund politics
The character, chosen by public vote, has won in previous Olympic years but also reflects public anger at a da…
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Japanese singer and actor Miho Nakayama dies aged 54
After making her name with J-pop hits, the performer went on to win acclaim for film roles including Love Lett…
- Japan, Food & drink industry, Heritage, Business, Unesco, United Nations, World news, Asia Pacific, Culture
Sake: Japan’s ‘divine gift’ given special status by Unesco
Rice wine enshrined as part of ‘cultural heritage of humanity’ Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-fa…
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Donna Nelson, who claims she was love scam victim, jailed for smuggling drugs into Japan
Donna Nelson sentenced to six years in prison after court finds her guilty of bringing methamphetamine into co…
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Japan’s Nomura bank boss takes 30% voluntary pay cut after worker tries to kill customer
Wealth management employee charged with robbery, attempted murder and arson after home visit to elderly client…
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Replica Harry Potter swords recalled in Japan for breaking weapons law
Police said 86cm stainless steel blade – mounted on a wooden plaque and sold in the hundreds – contravened Jap…
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Remembering Every Night review – drifting drama follows three Tokyo women living their lives
Yui Kiyohara’s film of long shots and silences could be deeply boring or oddly fascinating depending on your p…
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Bear snared after three day supermarket standoff with Japan police
Authorities in Akita prefecture had struggled to locate the animal, which attacked a man and has eaten large q…
- Press freedom, Japan, Newspapers & magazines, Espionage, World news, Media, Asia Pacific, China, Newspapers
China sentences journalist to seven years on spy charges, family says
Dong Yuyu was detained in 2022 after meeting Japanese diplomats named agents of ‘espionage organisation’A vete…
- Japan, Reality TV, World news, Documentary films, Asia Pacific, Television & radio, Television, Culture, Film
The Contestant review – the cruelty of reality TV on show in one of its earliest manifestations
Tomoaki Hamatsu was a sensation over the year he stayed alone in a single room amusing the camera, but this do…
- Music, Pop and rock, Japan, Technology, Artificial intelligence (AI), Computing, World news, Asia Pacific, Culture
‘Hatsune Miku has a special part in my heart’: the 16-year-old pop sensation who does not exist
Miku is a ‘Vocaloid’ – a holographic avatar that represents a digital bank of vocal samples – and performs sel…