CONOMY

‘Tankan’ finds mood of Japanese big business lowest in three years, and expected to worsen

Japanese big manufacturers’ business sentiment deteriorated to the lowest level in nearly three years and is expected to worsen in the coming quarter, a closely watched central bank survey showed, …
7 mins ago

CRIME & LEGAL

Alleged kidnapper of teen girl arrested on release from hospital

A 23-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of abducting a teenage girl from Saitama Prefecture two years ago.
17 hours ago

POLITICS & DIPLOMACY

Obama, Abe, Park stand united against Pyongyang’s ‘provocations’ but China offers no tough talk

U.S. President Barack Obama joined with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday to present a united front over what he called “provocations” committed by …
3 hours ago

SCIENCE & HEALTH

Obokata sticks to guns, launches website boasting way to make STAP cells

Having yet to abandon her claim to be the creator of STAP cells, Haruko Obokata has opened a website showing how to make the cells, although their existence has already …
2 hours ago

CORPORATE | ANALYSIS

How modularization felled Japan’s electronics titans

BY REIJI YOSHIDA

Toshiba, Sharp, Sony, Hitachi and Panasonic — these companies were the pride of Japan for decades after their electronics took the world by storm. But much of that pride has been lost in recent …
WORLD

World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid dies at 65

Internationally renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs included the London Aquatics Centre used in the 2012 summer Olympics, has died aged 65, her company said on Thursday. “It is with great sadness that …
SOCIAL ISSUES

Robotics makes baby steps toward solving Japan’s child care shortage

BY ROY BISHOP

Child care is a hard job, but somebody, or something, has got to do it. Japanese researchers have developed androids to meet that need, which includes happily reading that fairy tale again and again …
NATIONAL

Cherry trees in full bloom in Tokyo, elsewhere across Japan

Cherry trees reached full bloom in central Tokyo on Thursday, three days earlier than usual amid warm weather, and two days later than last year, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. About 80 percent of …
MUSIC

Ryuichi Sakamoto offers his thoughts on politics, Japan and how his music will change ‘post-cancer’

BY JAMES HADFIELD

“The Professor” is back in town. Last weekend, Ryuichi Sakamoto took the stage at Tokyo Opera City for the debut concert of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra, a 105-strong ensemble of young musicians from Iwate, …
CORPORATE | ANALYSIS

How modularization felled Japan’s electronics titans

BY REIJI YOSHIDA

Toshiba, Sharp, Sony, Hitachi and Panasonic — these companies were the pride of Japan for decades after their electronics took the world by storm. But much of that pride has been lost in recent …
WORLD

World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid dies at 65

Internationally renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs included the London Aquatics Centre used in the 2012 summer Olympics, has died aged 65, her company said on Thursday. “It is with great sadness that …