Same-sex couples in India are anxiously awaiting a ruling from the country's top court that could legalize their right to marry. But experts say a favorable judgment would still require legislative revisions by a conservative government staunchly opposed to change.
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 a university student with roots in Myanmar — the country formerly known as Burma — as well as a historian from Singapore.
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.
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 Johannesburg Bureau Chief Kobayashi Yu visited Senegal to find out why so many young Senegalese try to leave.
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 were left out of the talks and need to be addressed in the future.
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.
It's not just former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yul 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 ― and as they turn their attention to Kim, she has become a hot topic. Kim faced her first round of formal interrogation at the special prosecutor's office in Seoul on August 6. NHK World editor-in-chief Aoki Yoshiyuki, a former Seoul bureau chief, delves into the scandal.
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.
Tomino Yoshiyuki's traumatic childhood experience of World War Two left an indelible impression on his young mind. The raging conflict, which ended 80 years ago this year, eventually inspired him to create the globally renown anime franchise 'Mobile Suit Gundam,' one of the most celebrated depictions of the tragedy of war. The 83-year-old recently spoke with NHK about his most famous work, and why the themes it explores resonate more forcefully now than ever.
A piano tuner in Hiroshima has been travelling across Japan and beyond for decades, sharing the stories of his pianos that survived one of the most destructive events in human history. Nearly eight decades after the U.S. atomic bombing of his city, he has joined together with an unlikely ally on a journey he calls "planting the seeds of peace."
Armed clashes between Myanmar's junta and resistance forces have continued despite a ceasefire that was agreed by the sides following a devastating earthquake in late March. Attacks by the junta appear to be impacting civilians at an increasing rate, with airstrikes taking a particularly heavy toll. During the United Nations Human Rights Council session in June-July, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, noted that military operations in Myanmar are continuing with reported attacks on schools, religious sites, and other protected locations. Open-source analysis by NHK and international investigative group Myanmar Witness has found evidence that an airstrike on a school on May 12 – killing more than 20 children – was likely masterminded by the military.
The Kyiv Express is a night train connecting Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and Poland's capital city of Warsaw. Most of the Ukrainian passengers are women and children, because men of conscription age are banned from leaving the country. Some are fleeing conflict, while others are returning home to Ukraine, even just for a brief time. An NHK World crew boarded the Kyiv Express in March 2025 and found the train filled with people hoping for a better future.
Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro attended the Cannes Film Festival in May for the premiere of the film adaptation of his debut novel, A Pale View of Hills. After the screening, the British author spoke with NHK about the fragility of memory and the power of art to build connections.
Fencing is engaging people across Japan, and a glove from the nation's mitt-making heartland is playing its part.
It has been one month since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office after six months of political turmoil in the country – and so far, he is taking a cautious approach as he works to rebuild public trust and bring about economic stability. NHK World's Aoki Yoshiyuki, a former Seoul bureau chief, checks in on public sentiment and examines the challenges Lee must meet to usher in a new era of calm and unity.
Matcha can do it all: Fixture of the Japanese tea ceremony, beverage of choice for social media's hip young things, and a mainstay in cafes the world over. But the boom is not without its challenges. Japan's farmers are struggling to meet demand while maintaining the standards and traditions that give the green powder it’s unquestionable allure.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says global instability is rising. And few people are better placed to read the warning signs, or see a way forward. Not only did the 99-year-old navigate a host of crises during 24 years and two tenures in power, he also put his country on the path to prosperity—most notably through his "Look East" policy that sought to emulate Japan’s work ethic and technological prowess. NHK World’s Kitai Genki recently spoke to Mahathir in Kyoto, where he delivered a powerful cautionary speech.
More than three years of war between Russia and Ukraine have destroyed many friendships. But the gift of music can transcend borders and hostilities, as shown by a Russian pianist who continues to perform pieces by a Ukrainian composer with whom he has worked for decades.