In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

A year has passed since South Korea's then-president Yoon Suk-yeol rocked the country with a sudden martial law declaration, but the fallout continues. The nation has since voted in a new leader, yet it remains enveloped in confusion over leadership and governance. 　 While Yoon and many of his henchmen are in custody facing trial, some conservatives still speak highly of the former president. NHK...

Men in Japan are grappling with a problem that has traditionally been one for women alone: The struggle to balance work and childcare. New government data shows a record share of fathers are taking paternity leave, and more men are taking on a greater share of housework, too. But deep-rooted stereotypes mean even though dads are more invested at home, they're not getting any let-up at the office....

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shattered the daily lives of people across the country. Schools have been destroyed, upending the education system. Although schooling has continued online, in underground classrooms and shelters, millions of students and teachers have been displaced. Many people have had to part with their fathers, husbands, and siblings who are fighting in the war. All of thi...

Young people from Japan and South Korea are finding new ways to work together ― and talk more openly about the past. At a youth forum in Sapporo this summer, 34 students from the two countries teamed up on economic projects ranging from food to tourism and technology, discovering common ground along the way. The 20th Japan–Korea Students Future Forum was held in August as the two countries marked...

One of New York City's most iconic street celebrations features a "Thriller" dance performance — but only a lucky few get chosen to join the choreographed spectacle. NHK World correspondent Inoue Yuki met a Japanese academic who took quite the journey to participate.

Japan celebrated when two of its scientists won Nobel Prizes in October. But their wins came amid growing concerns about the future of scientific research ― and both laureates are among those calling for change, reports NHK World's Ishizaka Sae Christine Hall.

Taiwan has been investing in a new air defense system, as the United States and governments around the world take similar steps. NHK World's Sekiya Satoshi explains why everyone is focused on the skies, and why this is all happening now.

School absences in Japan have hit a record high. An education ministry survey released on October 29 showed that over 350,000 elementary and junior high students were chronically absent during the 2024 academic year. The figure has been increasing for 12 straight years. NHK World's Katsumata Chieko explains why concerned experts are calling for systemic educational changes.

Japan has just named its first female prime minister ― a milestone for a country ranked 118th in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index. At the other end of the scale sits Iceland, which has topped the index for 16 straight years. The country took a leap forward 50 years ago when 90% of its women stopped working, doing housework, or looking after their children for a nationwide protest known...

A painting in a Japanese corporate collection is at the center of a forgery storm as the latest in a string of uncovered fakes by notorious German scammer Wolfgang Beltracchi. For many years, gallery visitors have been admiring "Kiki de Montparnasse" as the work of Polish-French painter Moïse Kisling. Suspicions over its authenticity came to light in April. An NHK investigation has uncovered a wav...

A Japanese journalist was killed in Myanmar in 2007 while covering large-scale protests against the military government. Nagai Kenji never let go of his video camera, even after he was shot and fell to the ground. Eighteen years after his death, new allegations have emerged about what later happened to his camera and the tape inside it.

The terms "adult diapers" and "fashion show" are concepts that at first glance do not seem to belong together. But an unconventional event at the World Expo in Osaka brought together seven diaper manufacturers and an underwear company to showcase innovative diaper designs. The initiative was aimed at alleviating the apprehensions some individuals have about wearing the products.

South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon-hee was in the dock this week as her showstopper criminal trial got underway in the Seoul Central District Court. While her husband Yoon Suk-yeol faces his own legal troubles over a martial law move during his failed presidency, 53-year-old Kim faces a raft of charges, including stock manipulation and corruption. She has been in custody since August and her...

For the past 21 months, Palestinian artist Maysaa Youssef has been hosting workshops for traumatized Gaza children to help them process the horrors they experience on an almost daily basis. I first spoke with her in June, and since then I've been in regular contact with her through text messages and video calls.

South Korea's conservative ruling party is lurching from one crisis to another. It lost its president to impeachment following a months-long scandal over an ill-fated martial law declaration, and is now beset by infighting over who should replace him. With campaigning underway for a snap June election, the party finds itself in disarray against an increasingly emboldened opposition. NHK World's Ao...

It's not just former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol who finds himself in hot water now that a new administration has been voted in. His enigmatic wife, Kim Keon-hee, is also under fire over a series of allegations involving stock manipulation, political interference and bribery. The country's National Assembly has passed bills allowing for three special counsels to investigate the couple ― a...

The Burma campaign is remembered as one of the fiercest series of battles of World War Two. It claimed the lives of 190,000 Japanese soldiers as well as a large number of civilians. Over six decades, an annual Buddhist service has been held during July in western Japan's Wakayama Prefecture to pay tribute to those who died. This year, as the service marked its 60th anniversary, attendees included...

Apple is one of America's most recognizable brands. A tech juggernaut known for its innovations in consumer electronics, it is also one of the country's most successful cultural exports. But as one of the company's most famous designers once said, "Apple's soul is half Japanese." The company's connection with Japan dates back to its early years, when Jobs turned to Sony Chairman Morita Akio for in...

Tech icon Steve Jobs was fascinated by Japanese culture, and was particularly passionate about shin-hanga woodblock prints. Interviews with former colleagues and friends reveal that his lifelong love of the art form had its origins in a childhood friendship.

Thousands of people have died in recent years trying to reach Europe via the Canary Islands. Young people from Senegal are seeking more than what their country can give them – even though the nation’s economy is expected to grow, and it offers relative peace and stability compared with its West African neighbors. Three-quarters of Senegal’s 18 million residents are under age 35. NHK World’s former...

The list of atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima includes students from overseas who were staying in the city at the time. Their stories are little-known, but their actions in the bombing’s aftermath left a lasting impact. One man who feels a connection with them is sharing their stories and their legacy eight decades since the devastating attack.

South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung has made his first foray into global diplomacy with trips to Japan and the United States. Meetings with the leaders of those two countries both took place in a positive atmosphere and are being regarded as a success. NHK World editor-in-chief and former Seoul bureau chief Aoki Yoshiyuki looks at how the visits played out ― and considers critical issues that we...

Each of the planet's highest 14 mountains stand more than 8,000 meters tall. Located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges across Nepal and Pakistan, the top of the peaks are called "death zones", where oxygen is one third of what it is on the ground.

Now that the United States has reached a trade deal with Japan, NHK World's Inoue Yuki looks at what's next for Asia, especially as China continues to negotiate. He speaks with experts from two US thinktanks to gain special insight.

South Korea reached a trade agreement with the United States just ahead of the August 1 deadline. US tariffs will be set at 15 percent, the same rate as those levied on Japan and the EU. NHK World's Kitai Genki spoke with an expert about the background and implications of the deal.