Japan

[ad_1] If you want peace, prepare for war, was the Roman maxim.Following that injunction the U.S. maintains its place as first among superpower equals, even if it is no longer the hyperpower that it was in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But with its depleted armed forces unprepared to fight a major war, or perhaps any kind of war, on its own, Europe (Brexit Britain included) […]

[ad_1] Japan’s lunar lander touched down 55 meters east of its target on the moon’s surface on Saturday, despite losing one of its main engines during its final descent, the nation’s space agency said Thursday.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) had aimed to land within 100 meters of a target site, much more precise than the several to tens-of-kilometers range seen in conventional lunar missions.“We […]

[ad_1] Haneda Airport will introduce new electronic stands for foreign travelers to streamline immigration and customs, in a move to drive inbound tourism. The new stands will allow for speedier entry into the country.A roughly two-month trial run using 10 of the stands, which can capture facial images and scan fingerprints and passports, will begin at one of the country's busiest airports on Jan. 31.The service is expected to be […]

[ad_1] Pokemon imitator and smash hit Palworld may have flown too close to the sun. On Jan. 25, less than a week after Palworld released to immediate and overwhelming success, The Pokemon Company released a statement titled “Inquiries Regarding Other Companies’ Games.” “We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024,” the statement says. “We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokemon intellectual […]

[ad_1] London – In Britain, Japanese novels in English translation are experiencing a boom in popularity among a new generation, with word-of-mouth on social media driving book sales.Trends on social media platforms such as TikTok — where members of the "BookTok" community recommend and theorize about their favorite books, genres and authors — have inspired young Britons to seek out more works translated from other languages.Yet among these, novels reflecting […]

[ad_1] The Liberal Democratic Party’s formal departure from decades of faction-based politics has raised questions about its real commitment to political reform and a break from old party politics.The result of only two weeks of debate and hastily approved Thursday just before parliament convenes, the LDP's party reform interim report appears light on firm actions and risks leaving unpleasant repercussions inside the party.Despite all the high-sounding talk and the apparent […]

[ad_1] Sekiwake Kotonowaka took a step toward his first career championship and promotion to the second-highest rank of ozeki Thursday by retaining the sole lead on the 12th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. Kotonowaka, who is chasing the 13 wins he likely needs here for ozeki promotion, had little trouble securing his 11th against No. 14 maegashira Onosho (8-4), who has plummeted from title contention with three […]

[ad_1] Behind the global success of Japanese video games lies a delicate task: appealing to overseas players whose expectations on issues such as sexism are increasingly influencing the content of major titles.With the majority of sales for big games now outside Japan, everything from slang words to characters' costumes must be carefully considered for a global audience.It is a complex process that has come a long way since the "Wild […]

[ad_1] The Yakuza gangster series has long been seen as a Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto but Masayoshi Yokoyama, one of the main designers of the hugely successful games, dismisses any such comparison."From the start, we decided not to have a game where you can hit people yourself. All fights start with a provocation from the opponent," says Yokoyama, 47, ahead of the release of the latest installment on […]