In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Japan's Supreme Court has begun debating the requirement that transgender people must undergo surgery to remove their reproductive functions in order to legally change their gender. Its decision is expected by year's end.

A recent survey found that shoppers in South Korea spend more on high-end goods per capita than those in any other country. But their lavish expenditure is fueled by a sobering economic reality.

Nestled amid the palm trees and lush, tropical landscape of southern Taiwan is an industry that was until recently a local secret, but is now bursting onto the global stage, captivating consumers with exquisite flavors and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

For centuries, the ninja has occupied an alluring position in the public imagination. The covert warrior of feudal Japan, a favorite subject of movies and manga, has long been depicted as an agent of stealth — cloaked in all-black attire and packing an arsenal of precision weapons while carrying out clandestine missions.

But new research is showing the shadowy character in a very different light, and helping to redraw the stereotype.

NHK World's Yamamoto Saori spoke with two experts to get a clearer understanding of the Japanese icon.

A wild and exciting championship race in the September Grand Sumo Tournament came down to the final match on the final day. A young up-and-comer commanded center stage for most of the competition, leaving the wrestlers in the upper echelons to play catch-up. With multiple rikishi still in contention entering Day 15, the Emperor's Cup winner was decided in an extended climax. Here's a recap by NHK World's play-by-play sumo announcer Hiro Morita.

The wife of a popular hip-hop artist and former lawmaker in Myanmar is pleading with the global community to help save his life. The country's military rulers sentenced Phyo Zeyar Thaw to death after he took part in a peaceful protest against last year's coup. His execution was approved in June.

The Bank of Japan last week quashed speculation it was preparing to dial back decades of monetary easing, declaring instead that it will keep its ultra-low interest rates in place until inflation can sustainably hit 2 percent. The decision, which followed a two-day policy meeting, caused the yen to tumble as investors bet on the continuing interest rate divergence between Japan and the United States.

Face masks are coming off more and more these days in Japan, giving many people a reason to a smile. For some, though, reacquainting themselves with that facial expression is proving something of a challenge.

That's keeping Kawano Keiko busy. She trains people how to smile.

A survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing with stage 4 cancer has started to again train "messengers" to share his experience. Despite his illness, the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has given him a new sense of urgency.

One summer morning, three men in the state of West Bengal in eastern India hugged their elderly mother goodbye and headed out to earn a living. Their jobs took them away for months at a time, but they worked hard to improve their families' lives.

The brothers never returned. They were among the hundreds killed in India's Odisha state on June 2 in one of India's deadliest train crashes in decades.