Anthony Kuhn

There is growing concern in Japan about the dominance of older politicians who lavish welfare spending on older voters, while young politicians are rare. (Story aired on ATC on June 28, 2023.)

In Japan, there are growing concerns about the dominance of older politicians who lavish welfare spending on older voters, while young politicians are rare, in a situation dubbed "silver democracy."

Japan's expected release of radioactive water from a damaged nuclear plant has alarmed South Korea, possibly jeopardizing a fragile rapprochement between the two neighbors and U.S. allies.

For years, Japanese leaders have tried to halt the country's falling birthrate. They might find lessons in the city of Akashi, whose population has been growing.

A visit to baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former little league team in northern Japan sheds light on his roots. Some observers worry whether his dual path is sustainable.

Japan's government has a new plan to halt the country's plunging birthrate. But many Japanese are skeptical, as the government has tried and failed to fix the problem for some three decades.

As Canada and parts of the U.S. confront declines in air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, NPR reporters in Asia, Latin America and Africa share their experiences.

The air quality is plummeting in many parts of North America as the Canadian wildfires continue to burn. We find out how other cities around the world deal with the challenge of living with toxic air.

North Korean state media reported the rocket's second stage malfunctioned, and the projectile fell in the Yellow Sea, off South Korea's West Coast. North Korea says it will try again.

Following the launch, officials in South Korea's capital of Seoul sent alerts for residents to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of damages or disruption.

As President Biden and Group of Seven leaders gathered in Hiroshima, people in Japan wanted the setting to act as a powerful symbol for consensus toward banning nuclear arms.

Ukraine's president Zelenskyy has joined President Biden and G-7 leaders in Hiroshima to talk about Russia's war. The summit also includes discussion about China, North Korea and denuclearization.

Japan is using the venue for the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, the first city to suffer a nuclear attack, to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons — even as it depends on U.S. nukes for protection.

Zelenskyy's expected appearance on Sunday comes as Western allies harden their resolve in support of Ukraine. Russia's military aggression toward its neighbor is on top of the G-7 summit's agenda.

A clash between Muslim students trying to build a mosque and residents who oppose it in South Korea's fourth largest city tests the nation's tolerance of increasing diversity.

An outpouring of criticism has focused on concerns that Seoul gave more than it got, and that the Washington Declaration might even make South Korea's neighborhood a more dangerous place.

The U.S. and South Korea announced steps on Wednesday to strengthen their alliance and deter North Korea, as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made a state visit to Washington.

Wednesday's meeting is the first by a Korean leader in 12 years. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-Korea alliance — both see it as vital to addressing tensions in Asia and beyond.

China usually sends defectors back to North Korea, but Pyongyang wouldn't let them in during the pandemic. That may soon change, and has led to concern among human rights advocates.

A new survey in Japan shows that most Japanese would prefer rather not to live to the age of 100 or beyond.