In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

The surge in visitors to Japan over the past decade has made the tourism industry an outsize success story for an otherwise laggard economy. So attractive has Japan become as a destination for travelers around the world that international airlines are clamoring to add more routes and services. But they face a problem: Japan's dwindling oil refineries can't supply enough jet fuel to get all of the planes back again.

Sho Igawa Atias was born in Japan and now works as a high school teacher in Tel Aviv. Outside of his main profession, he co-produces graphic novels which he hopes will help build bridges between the two countries where he has roots.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hasn't even turned 40, but he may have already picked his young daughter as his successor. Here, former NHK World Editor-in-Chief Ikehata Shuhei explains why the appearance of a white horse at a recent parade suggests she's the "chosen one". Ikehata currently serves as a director at a Japan-based think tank.

Use of drone technology rose to a whole new level after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year's Day, when damaged roads and landslides in remote areas hampered relief efforts. While drones have been used in disasters to take aerial photos of inaccessible areas, an unprecedented operation showed the unmanned aircrafts' potential to help perform a wide range of survivor aid efforts, surveillance and research.

Translation technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence. Japan's tourism sector is among those benefiting from AI.

Japanese cinema stole the spotlight at the 76th Cannes Film Festival as two industry icons took home two of the biggest prizes. Yakusho Koji won the Best Actor award for his performance in Perfect Days, while scriptwriter Sakamoto Yuji claimed the Best Screenplay prize for the thought-provoking Monster.

When Russian president Vladimir Putin landed in neighboring Mongolia on Monday to help celebrate 85 years since a military victory over the Imperial Japanese army, his hosts were supposed to arrest him. Putin has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for suspected war crimes in Ukraine, and Mongolia is a member of the court. But the arrest never happened and the visit went without a hitch.

India is increasingly a country of haves, and many more have-nots. The latter camp recently used the ballot box to deliver Prime Minister Narendra Modi a stinging rebuke. He secured a third term in office, but must now rule without a single-party majority. Experts say the results of the general election stem from widespread discontent about inequality, and a lack of white-collar jobs.

New technologies like artificial intelligence are raising electricity demand, thwarting global efforts to combat climate change even as much of the world suffers from deadly summer heat. Experts say quick action is needed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal and other fossil fuels, but doing so will not be easy.

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz was introduced in broad strokes to Americans at the party's national convention in late August. His folksy framing as "Coach Walz" resonated with the crowd, but what many might not know about is his long history with China.

From his life in the United States’ Midwest to the crossroads he faced in Beijing, NHK WORLD-JAPAN takes a deeper look into the influences that may have shaped Walz's world view and how he interacts with people.