The US and Japan carried out their first coordinated yen-buying intervention in nearly three decades on Friday, stepping into currency markets after the yen weakened to a 40-year low against the dollar. Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama confirmed the operation on Monday and warned that the two countries could intervene together again if needed. The
When I planned my first trip to Japan during cherry blossom season, I knew I wanted to see the tourist highlights in major urban centers like Tokyo and Osaka, but I also wanted to embrace the countryside. I asked my relatives who live in Japan for recommendations, and their suggestions led me to three rural
Jeff Layfield spent years imagining where in the US. He and his wife would retire after leaving Hawaii. Instead, they now live in a traditional house overlooking the sea in Japan. Before retiring, the couple lived in an apartment upstairs in their parents’ home on Oahu. Layfield worked in data management for the Marine Corps,
Nvidia boss Jensen Huang spent two days (July 15-16) in Tokyo courting Japan’s industrial and chip supplier elite, weeks after a keynote speech in Taiwan and months after a visit to South Korea. It left with deals that span Japan’s entire tech ecosystem: a national AI factory, partnerships with the country’s leading robotics companies, and
After three months of keeping the secret, I waited nervously in the hotel lobby. When they got out of the elevator, I held out my hand. “I am your guide, Ash-san.” My father went to shake it, paused, and then said, “Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?” When my mom realized who I
This essay as told is based on a conversation with Koyo Murata, 25, founder and operator of Villa ASO guest house in Taiki, Mie Prefecture, Japan. His words have been edited for length and clarity. I grew up in a quintessential rural town in Japan with about 8,000 people. My elementary and middle schools only
