The Japan Times

A ticket for any one of the 90 days of professional sumo each year allows you to watch a wide range of bouts at all levels.

For sumo fans, the drama doesn’t end with the top tier of wrestlers Starting Sunday in Tokyo, myriad storylines are set to play out in sumo's lower ranks.

The Asian Cup begins on Friday with defending champions Qatar as the hosts, Japan as the favorites and Son Heung-min's South Korea vowing to win the title,

Samurai Blue the favorites as Asian Cup kicks off Samurai Blue manager Hajime Moriyasu's team has enjoyed a strong year since, losing only once in 12 matches and winning 4-1 in Germany in a friendly.

Amid concerns over Japan's rapid depopulation, a private panel has proposed that the country should aim to have a stable population of 80 million by 2100 in order to maintain economic growth.

Japan should aim to maintain population of 80 million by 2100: panel A group comprising academics and business leaders say a higher target than the projected 63 million is needed to maintain economic growth.

Reaching beyond official aid, grassroots groups are mobilizing to offer supplies and hope to survivors of the recent quake in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Noto quake: 'In times of crisis, all we have is each other' A team from Iwate Prefecture is just one of many grassroots campaigns mobilizing to support quake victims.

Three-meter tsunami waves were recorded at a nuclear plant in Ishikawa Prefecture after the recent earthquake but did not damage it, its operator reported over a week after the incident.

Three-meter tsunami recorded at Japan nuclear plant after quake The plant is 11 meters above sea level and protected by a 4-meter seawall built after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Honda has announced plans to launch a new electric vehicle series from 2026 as it plays catch-up with global rivals in the shift to battery powered cars.

Honda to launch new electric vehicle series as part of EV push The automaker aims to roll out the first models of its new Honda 0 Series by 2026, with the series to be launched globally, starting with the North American market.

Last year it was Iwate Prefecture's Morioka. This year, the New York Times included Yamaguchi in its list of "places to go in 2024."

Yamaguchi among New York Times '52 Places to Go' list for 2024 Noting its moniker as 'the Kyoto of the West,' NYT praised Yamaguchi's traditional charms and smaller crowds

Overtourism is threatening social and cultural conflicts in Kyoto, including congested public transportation.

Kyoto becoming more proactive in tackling overtourism Threatening social and cultural conflicts, issues arising from overtourism include public transportation congestion.

Singer Aki Yashiro, the grand dame of Japanese enka ballads who had many big hits during her five-decade career, died Dec. 30 at age 73.

Popular enka singer Aki Yashiro dies at 73 Yashiro had suspended her musical activities after announcing in September that she would focus on treatment of a connective tissue illness.

The magnitude 7.6 quake that struck on New Year’s Day was caused by a movement of active faults in the sea off the Noto Peninsula that had been dormant for 3,000 to 4,000 years.

Ishikawa quake triggered by faults that were dormant for 4,000 years Through ground uplift, the total land area of the Noto Peninsula has expanded by 4.4 square kilometers.

Left-handed pitcher S***a Imanaga was among the most sought-after international free agents. ⚾️

Japanese lefty S***a Imanaga signing with Cubs Imanaga, 30, was among the most sought-after international free agents after Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A Japanese court fined American livestreamer "Johnny Somali" for playing loud music and obstructing operations at a restaurant in Osaka.

U.S. livestreamer fined for playing loud music in Osaka restaurant The streamer has faced criticism for his videos, in which he makes light of the atomic bombings in Japan and makes racist comments about Japanese people.

Consumer price gains in Tokyo slowed for a second month in December, in a sign that cost-push inflation may be easing.

Tokyo inflation slows as thrifty consumers curb some outlays Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.1% in the capital, decelerating from 2.3% in November.

Naoya Inoue has agreed to defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship in May in Tokyo against former world champion Luis Nery.

Undisputed champ Inoue to fight Nery in May: report On Friday, Inoue, who is 26-0 with 23 knockouts as a pro, became the first Japanese boxer to be named fighter of the year by the prestigious Ring Magazine.

Can pledges from the United States and military aid truly assist Japan in times of natural disaster?

Opinion: The U.S. role in Japan's domestic disaster relief The U.S. pledge for support offers another example of how the U.S.-Japan alliance contributes to Japan's domestic disaster relief.

The Nikkei average soared Wednesday, ending at a nearly 34-year high for a second consecutive day, as the yen's weakness against the dollar sparked aggressive buying of exporters.

Nikkei stock index surges to near 34-year high for second day The 225-issue Nikkei average ended up 678.54 points, or 2.01%, from Tuesday at 34,441.72, its highest close since February 1990.

Photo essay: Here are glimpses of the Ishikawa quake damage, the massive relief effort and the plight of evacuees, as seen by a Japan Times team who recently visited the hard-hit Noto Peninsula. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/01/09/japan/ishikawa-earthquake-photo-essay/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook =1704860228

Plummeting temperatures, rain and continued aftershocks continued to plague relief efforts in earthquake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture on Wednesday, as the death toll rose to 203.

Plummeting temperatures plague Ishikawa quake relief effort The death toll in the prefecture rose to 203, nine days after a massive temblor rocked the Noto Peninsula area.

While a new school term began on Tuesday in areas affected by the New Year’s Day earthquake, many schools in Ishikawa Prefecture remained closed.

In quake-hit Ishikawa, many schools closed at the start of new term Only about 70% of schools in the prefecture could start the new term as scheduled.

About 10% of Duolingo's contractors were "offboarded" as the company pivots to using generative artificial intelligence to create more content.

Duolingo cuts contractors by 10% amid AI content shift The company said no full-time employees were affected by the cutback.

People struggling in the aftermath of Japan's New Year's Day earthquake have been confronted with the additional challenges from social media misinformation.

Misinformation proving challenge to relief efforts after quake The issue of misinformation following the earthquake has also been noted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Japan has announced new emergency safety measures aimed at ensuring more thorough surveillance and clearer orders on the runway after last week's fatal aircraft collision at Haneda Airport.

Japan unveils new safety measures following Haneda Airport collision The plan includes changes to how orders should be sent out from the control tower.

A rally in tech companies has sent the Nikkei 225 to its highest since Japan's bubble economy era in 1990.

Nikkei 225 hits highest since Japan's 1990 bubble economy era The gains followed a rebound of the Nasdaq 100 Index from last week’s slump and a drop in U.S. Treasury yields.

Midfielder Yasuhito Endo, who was capped a record 152 times for Japan and played in a record 672 J-League first-division games, has retired.

Longest-serving Japan international Yasuhito Endo retires 43-year-old Endo turned pro in 1998 straight out of high school with the now-disbanded Yokohama Flugels.

Sony is planning to call off a $10 billion merger between its India unit and Zee Entertainment due to a standoff over the leadership of the merged entity.

Sony plans to call off $10 billion merger with India’s Zee The plan to cancel the deal is due to a standoff over whether Zee CEO Punit Goenka would lead the merged entity amid a regulatory probe.

It’s a very competitive year for the top Oscar. Here’s what may make the cut.

They can’t all be nominated for best picture, can they? | via The New York Times It’s a very competitive year for the top Oscar. With precursor awards like the Golden Globes coming soon, here’s what may make the cut.

South Korea's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have long called an embarrassment for the country.

South Korea parliament passes bill banning dog meat trade Lawmakers voted 208-0, and the legislation will come into effect after a three-year grace period and final approval from President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Indonesia's Gunung Padang is believed to be a dormant volcano, but some have suggested that it may be the "world’s oldest pyramid." Archaeologists are skeptical.

‘World’s oldest pyramid’ in Indonesia? A study draws skepticism | via New York Times Some have suggested that the site may have been built far earlier by an as-yet-undiscovered ancient civilization.

On Monday afternoon, the prefecture said 323 people were unaccounted for — casting a wide net for information on those it had initially been unable to locate — but by Tuesday morning, it had determined that most were safe.

Number of missing in Japan quake falls as police comb burned-down market Police searched the remains of a market devastated by fire in Ishikawa Prefecture following the massive Jan. 1 earthquake, as the number of missing fell from 323 to 120.

Military deterrence without reassurance is too risky — civil society actors in East Asia understand this better than their governments, writes Sayo Saruta.

Opinion: Dialogue can boost security where military deterrence can’t Military buildup without dialogue is too risky — civil society actors in East Asia understand this better than their governments.