For @nytimes I wrote about Japan's 'Sound Princess' toilet noise-canceling tech entering men's rooms. With comments by @TheDonnaBurke @kenmogi nytimes.com/2025/12/02/reale…

この浅草地下商店街は昭和30年に開業し、現存する中では日本最古の地下街だそうです。

You can see my office on the 10th floor of one of those buildings below the tower. It very much wasn't there in 1960.

Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart is facing major staffing shortages, so they've decided to...pay Lady Gaga a bunch of money to star in bizarre "What to work at FamilyMart?" commercials.

Mark Carney says he has considered possibility of US military action against Canada bbc.in/4ru8gtr

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada came into @nytimes headquarters today & sat for a 1-hour on-the-record interview with 10 NYT journalists & top editors. We'll be publishing a number of stories from this conversation. Here's the 1st. #cdnpoli nytimes.com/2026/09/23/world…

“We’re seeing volcanoes around the world that we’ve never really had eyes on like this before.” – Matthew Pritchard, NISAR science team See how NISAR captured a volcano that hasn’t erupted since about 1550 ⤵️

Barack Obama at his last press briefing with reporters, 2017: "I have enjoyed working with all of you. That does not, of course, mean that I've enjoyed every story that you have filed, but that's the point of this relationship. You're not supposed to be sycophants. You're supposed to be skeptics. You're supposed to ask me tough questions. You're not supposed to be complimentary, but you're supposed to cast a critical eye on folks who hold enormous power."

In her UN speech, PM Sanae Takaichi pointed to Japan's "consistent support for and contributions to international judicial organs, such as the International Criminal Court". But she didn't say that the first Japanese head of the ICC has been sanctioned by the US govt. Why not?

Reports are surfacing that Japanese used bookstores are seeing a surge in bulk orders for obscure books on topics like philosophy, history and Edo culture. Some suspect they’re being bought for AI training. Over 50 tons of Japanese books have reportedly been exported to the U.S

LMFAO -- Trump is holding an event at the White House right now but there's no audio because the press pool isn't there. The Newsmax host notes that this is an example of Trump's attacks on the press "backfiring just a little bit"

Breaking News: Major TV networks — ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC — agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of President Trump after the White House blocked CNN from its duties. nyti.ms/4yLP5O9

Sumo wrestling doesn't have weight classes, so it can have some very interesting match-ups: 37 year-old Urutora defeated 16 year-old Ryugi, who is more than twice his weight (62.5kg vs. 153.2 kg).

🇯🇵 Wim Wenders' did an amazing job of showing what Tokyo looked like in the middle of the 1980s. Sometimes, it almost looks like a dream or like AI but it's actually completely real.

New cat alert! A call from a wildlife sanctuary about a "weird cat" has led to the first new cat species discovered in over 100 years in Bolivia’s Yungas forest ecoregion. Learn more about this feline surprise: on.natgeo.com/JRuaGj

South Korean court orders North Korea to pay $32.5 million for blowing up joint liaison office apnews.com/article/south-kor…

A survey vehicle moves along the road—and underground conditions begin to take shape in 3D. It’s like a CT scanner on the move. 🚐🏙️ Press play and watch GEO SEARCH’s technology reveal hidden subsurface risks—without excavation. 👀🎥

New arrivals of highly skilled professionals to Japan are down 20%-40% on the year as AI hits demand for IT workers and translators, and tougher immigration scrutiny raises the bar for employers. Japan sees slower inflow of foreign professionals as AI crimps hiring asia.nikkei.com/spotlight/ja…

My latest for @19_forty_five I see no strategic logic or utility in trying to turn Canada into an American enemy. If we are not actually going to invade & absorb Canada (!!), then why are threatening it so much? How does this serve US national interests? 19fortyfive.com/2026/09/amer…

Totally fake

230-seat Boeing 929 Jetfoil arriving at Nishinoomote Port in Japan. The passenger ship is used for high-speed service between Kagoshima and Yakushima and includes 16 premium seats with extra-cushioned seating.