Global delegates at China's so-called Summer Davos economic forum heard a clear and coordinated message from their hosts: China is open for business. The push by Beijing to drum up outside investment comes amid sluggish economic data and mounting pressure to hit new growth targets. But the effort is being complicated by deepening political tensions, and undercut by risks for foreign businesses.
A year after a powerful earthquake ravaged Japan's Noto Peninsula, residents of one historic neighborhood are banding together to expedite repairs to the centuries-old shrine they consider the heart of their community.
A doctor from Myanmar has been caring for displaced people at her clinic in Thailand for three decades. She says since her native country’s 2021 military coup, the situation has dramatically worsened. Dr. Cynthia Maung is the founder of the Mae Tao Clinic, which was honored in 2002 with the Ramon Magsaysay Award – known as the Asian Nobel Peace Prize.
Japan's eye-catching yellow Shinkansen, affectionately known as "Doctor Yellow," will be retired in coming years due to their age and condition.
The number of young people in rural areas is declining, hit by falling fertility rates and migration into the big cities, and Japanese agriculture is increasingly relying on workers from abroad to take their place.
The total fertility rate in Japan has been in decline for eight consecutive years – a statistic that has profound implications for the country's future. NHK World’s Shimada Yukiko speaks to new and would-be parents about what is holding them back.
NHK interviewed a former prisoner of war who experienced brutality after being captured by Russian forces. His suffering is not unique, according to a United Nations' report based on interviews with hundreds of current and former detainees on both sides. The report claims Russia is carrying out "systematic torture" of Ukrainian prisoners.
Efforts to tackle homelessness in the Japanese city of Osaka are having knock-on effects that are resolving a series of other issues facing the metropolis – from illegally parked bicycles to abandoned dwellings. Win-win solutions are being led by non-profit groups offering employment and shelter to people who have troubled backstories but still want to contribute to society.
Anime has captured the hearts of fans and critics worldwide. Every year, the Japanese industry racks up billions in profits and countless awards. But the gulf between the polished product on the screen and life at the coalface for the creators couldn't be greater. So tough are the conditions for most young animators that they can barely afford food. One CG animator who got tired of seeing his fellow workers quit decided to do something about it. Ten years ago, he opened a subsidized dorm for you...
A price review for visitors at one of Japan's premier tourist attractions is generating controversy over possible discrimination.
Point a camera at a group of Japanese people at a graduation ceremony, a cherry blossom picnic, or any other happy occasion, and you can expect at least one – and usually more – to pose making the peace sign with their hands. Why did this gesture become so popular?
George Bory is the chief investment strategist for the fixed income team at Allspring Global Investments. He recently visited Tokyo and spoke with NHK World’s Hirata Miyu and Esaki Daisuke about the potential impact of US President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda on the US economy in 2025. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
South Koreans reacted with anger and defiance when their President abruptly declared martial law earlier this month. The ensuing turmoil was captured in an iconic image that shows an opposition party spokesperson grabbing the rifle of a soldier amid chaotic protests outside the parliament building in Seoul. Weeks later, Yoon Suk-yeol is suspended from duty following a successful move by the opposition to impeach him, but the reasons for his declaration remain unclear. Former NHK Seoul bureau chi...
Wine lovers who hear the words “Japanese wine” are likely to think of Yamanashi’s rolling vineyards, or the high terrain of Nagano. But up north in Hokkaido, in a climate once considered too cold for quality wines, the famously finicky Pinot Noir grape is thriving.
Nearly 80 years have passed since the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While the suffering of the survivors, known as hibakusha, is well-documented, the suffering of Korean survivors is often overlooked. A documentary film that follows the life of one such survivor highlights his fight against physical suffering and discrimination.
US President-elect Donald Trump won over voters in some surprising places, including reliably blue cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. NHK World's Inoue Yuki takes a closer look at Trump's success amid this swing to red in some of New York's most diverse districts.
The idea that digital hobbies spell the end for their analog forebears no longer holds true. Vinyl LPs and film cameras are cases in point. Sales have soared across the world on the back of a newfound appreciation for music and photos you can hold in your hands. In South Korea, there's a similar resurgence in the realm of good old-fashioned books.
Myanmar's junta is pushing back with a new tactic after sustaining heavy losses in the western state of Rakhine. Military forces have found themselves cornered by the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine armed group ― and in an effort to retaliate, the junta is allegedly recruiting Muslim Rohingya, from the stateless minority group. The tactic is regarded as a ploy designed to incite conflict between the Rohingya and the majority Rakhine population.
China spent decades struggling to contain explosive population growth, but now it’s grappling with the opposite. The combination of a fast-aging society and a record low birth rate have resulted in two successive years of population decline. Even so, the market for maternity goods and services is flourishing, fueled by perceptions around parenting and the expanding affluence of the middle and upper classes.
South Korean pop star group New Jeans surprised fans at its Tokyo concert with a cover of a beloved Japanese '80s hit, sparking a viral buzz back home. NHK World's Aoki Yoshiyuki unpacks why Japanese pop from the 1970s and '80s is enjoying a major revival in South Korea.
Vending machines and traditional wooden kokeshi dolls are both icons of Japanese culture, and a hot spring resort in northeastern Fukushima Prefecture has combined the two. The novelty of being able to buy the dolls 24 hours a day has created a buzz and lifted sales – and is also raising awareness about the need to preserve the handicraft.
Osaka is the first city in Asia to host the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association's (IGLTA) annual global conference, cementing Japan as a dream destination for a diverse range of travelers. About 600 influencers, travel agents, tourism officials, hoteliers, and other industry figures from around the world took in the sights and sounds of Osaka during October.
A remote island in western Japan is a spiritual home for sumo wrestling. For hundreds of years, a competition in Shimane Prefecture's Okinoshima town has honored a local deity. Among more than 200 people who took part in the latest event were wrestlers from Poland who discovered that the sacred ritual is far more than just a sport.
The end of World War Two only marked the beginning of another long nightmare for about 600,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians, detained by the Soviet Union and forced to work under brutal conditions in Siberia. One survivor who remained silent for decades is using his later years to ensure this dark chapter of history is never forgotten.
Rice is in short supply at supermarkets in Japan. During late August, an NHK crew visited a store in Tokyo that usually sells about 10 varieties. But all it had in stock were 16 bags of a single type, with a purchase limit of one bag per customer. As of the end of July, rice stocks were down 32 percent from the same month of last year. Not just extreme weather, but some unexpected factors have impacted both supply and demand of the nation's staple grain.
Teaching children about the atomic bombings can be challenging, given the harrowing subject matter. One man in Nagasaki is using an upbeat performance style, typically used in street advertising, to tackle the topic without leaving his young audience terrified.
Recorded interviews and testimonies are invaluable resources for learning about history. But nothing conveys firsthand experience quite like one-on-one conversation. With the number of World War Two survivors dwindling, a Japanese software company is developing an AI system that ensures their memories never lose the power and urgency of direct appeal.
One of the most tragic human stories that emerged from the United States' atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 is that of Sasaki Sadako. She died aged 12 from leukemia ― believed to be linked to radiation exposure ― after folding more than 1,000 paper cranes that she hoped would save her. Her story has been immortalized in literature and the arts ― and its message of peace is carried on by her surviving brother Masahiro, 83. Almost seven decades after Sadako's passing, he has a new project underw...
When the atomic blast ripped through Hiroshima, few objects near the epicenter survived. These relics―permanent reminders of the horror that nuclear weapons inflict―include a piano that belonged to a teenage girl who died in the attack.
The sequel to the Japanese autobiographical memoir "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" has become a smash hit in China.
