In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Award-winning Myanmar writer Ma Thida says reading and critical thinking are essential tools of resistance — and the foundation of any future democracy. Speaking during a three-city tour of Japan, the former political prisoner, now living in exile in Germany, reflected on post-coup Myanmar, where the military continues to entrench its power despite claiming a return to civilian rule.

South Korea's former president Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of insurrection. The punishment was handed down on February 19 by the Seoul Central District Court and comes 443 days after his declaration of martial law plunged the country into political turmoil. NHK World editor-in-chief and former Seoul bureau chief Aoki Yoshiyuki examines what it means for South K...

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are often taught as history. But for some young people in Japan, they are just as relevant today, and have become a reason to act. Touched by the stories of survivors known as hibakusha, they are choosing to step forward with new ways of keeping their messages alive.

It's been a year since dozens of countries got together to enforce a landmark ban on nuclear weapons, yet the goal of eradication seems as distant as ever. For the states that refused to sign the treaty—countries with nuclear arms and others under their protection—discussions to prevent further spread of nuclear arms are not progressing. That stalemate has prompted some to ask: If the world's most...

Over the 12-year period that followed World War Two, the United States tested dozens of nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands. Residents of the Pacific nation are still grappling with the consequences. Now, however, they face a potentially greater threat.

An elementary school student in Japan has created a picture book about being assigned female at birth but identifying as a boy. The experience has instilled Ayano with a new sense of courage, and helped other people understand the struggle many similar children face in a society slow to support the LGBTQ community.

Nuclear disarmament is one of the key issues at the G7 Summit this week. It has become even more pressing in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as emerging threats from China and North Korea.

A Japanese filmmaker has taken up the story of an atomic bomb survivor whose memory she is determined to honor. Director Kawase Mika wants her documentary "The Postman from Nagasaki" to remind the world that the nuclear horrors inflicted on Japan must never be repeated.

Activists calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons have long relied on the powerful testimonies of atomic bomb survivors, or hibakusha, to grow their movement. But with ever fewer people to offer that testimony, both the hibakusha and activists know those days are running out. NHK World's Yoshida Mayu speaks to different generations who have a common goal: a world without nuclear weapons.

Almost everyone is familiar with Pac-Man, the little yellow character that chomps its way around a maze with its signature "waka-waka" sound. This classic arcade game helped launch Japanese video games onto the global stage, blazing a trail for Mario and Pokémon. The iconic orb is celebrating its 45th anniversary, and it remains as instantly recognizable and beloved as ever. NHK World's Inoue Yuki...

Young people in Thailand have grown up against a backdrop of political chaos and drama. They will have their say in shaping their country's future on February 8 at the House of Representatives election ― but as NHK World discovers, many are torn between security issues and hopes for reform.

Ernest Satoru Arai was 10 years old when the world entered the nuclear age. It was August 6, 1945 ― the young Japanese-American was in Hiroshima for schooling when US forces dropped the atomic bomb that devastated the city. Arai suffered severe burns and radiation exposure that have defined his life ever since. Now 91, he serves as a peace volunteer at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, sharing...

Esports has transformed from a niche hobby into a global phenomenon. Players can log on and compete with rivals anywhere in the world, with major tournaments drawing massive audiences to a market already worth billions of dollars. While gaming has long been seen as the preserve of the young, a recent event in Tokyo challenged that stereotype.

Myanmar's military junta is pressing ahead with a disputed election, the first since the 2021 coup. The voting is being conducted in three regional phases, the first of which took place on December 28. The process is scheduled to conclude by the end of January. While the junta is aiming to use the ballot to legitimize its rule, intense fighting continues to prevent voting across large swaths of th...

Rosalina Harada Mondragon has been waiting her whole life to be recognized as Japanese. She was born in the Philippines in 1940 to a Japanese father killed during the Pacific War. Rosalina is one of thousands of children to Japanese fathers left behind at the end of the conflict. Many became stateless. Eight decades later, 50 survivors are still fighting to be acknowledged by Japan.

Japan's economy is facing mixed signals as 2026 gets underway. Stock market optimism, persistent inflationary pressure, and widening economic gaps will shape the year ahead. NHK Deputy Chief Commentator Iida Kaori breaks down the key forces likely to influence the economic outlook — from wages and prices to interest rates and global risks. *This piece originally aired on NHK NEWSLINE on January 7....

Scientists from around the world gathered in Hiroshima in November with the aim of charting a path toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Chairing the conference was Iraqi nuclear chemist Hussain Al-Shahristani, a man whose own life has been defined by the moral boundaries of science — and by the price he once paid for refusing to cross them.

New Yorkers are preparing to bid farewell to a familiar companion: the MetroCard. Sales of the ubiquitous farecard are set to end by late 2025. For more than three decades, the card could be found in almost every wallet or pocket, swiped daily by the millions who navigated the city's subway. Few of them knew that a Japanese designer's work quietly shaped the way generations of riders moved through...

Composer and musician Shibuya Keiichiro continues to challenge audiences with multimedia productions that marry cutting-edge technology with difficult questions about life and death. His latest work, an android opera, was born out of his own experience of loss.

Fake news, including AI-generated videos, flooded social media in the wake of a major earthquake that struck northern Japan on December 8. NHK World's Yabuuchi Junya explains why people post disinformation, and what we should do when we see it.

A Syrian filmmaker whose documentary about the refugee experience in Europe has found an unexpected source of inspiration during a trip to Japan. Ammar al-Beik's work was honored at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in October — and during his stay he ran a workshop for local schoolchildren. Those children, who al-Beik describes as "angels," helped bolster his confidence and str...

Manga is a 14 billion-dollar industry for Japan, but it would be even bigger if it weren't for online sites offering stolen versions of the comics. A Tokyo start-up hopes artificial intelligence will ride to the rescue. Its specialized AI system can translate manga into multiple languages in just days, getting the latest volumes into fans' hands quickly and providing a powerful weapon to fight the...

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 fell...