Mr. Hockenos is a Berlin-based writer. MUNICH — The mesmerizing scene along the banks of Munich’s lime-green Isar River on a recent summer afternoon made me, an out-of-towner, quiver with envy.

Activists hold posters during a rally outside the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Japan has often portrayed itself as a leader in the global ...

A select group of 13 Australian breaststrokers, under the guidance of two-time Olympic head coach Leigh Nugent, have dived head-first into one of the swimming’s hottest melting pots in Japan this week ...