Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 27℃
TOKYO
August 23, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 23, 2025
Nikkei
Trade deal
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Latest News
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15. Political commentator Toru Hashimoto has suggested that Takaichi ought to lead a group of like-minded hawkish politicians out of the Liberal Democratic Party and form their own party.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Is the LDP’s catch-all approach to politics still effective?
By Eric Johnston
With smaller, more ideologically unified parties gaining voter support, some critics say the LDP should split into different groups.

More coverage

LDP mulls pushing back deadline for review of Upper House election
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15. Political commentator Toru Hashimoto has suggested that Takaichi ought to lead a group of like-minded hawkish politicians out of the Liberal Democratic Party and form their own party.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell attends the Kansas City Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium in Moran, Wyoming, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. Fed chair opens door to rate cut as Trump steps up pressure
But Fed chief Jerome Powell also continued to argue that policymakers must guard against the prospect that President Donald Trump’s tariffs lead to persistent inflation.
The Environment Ministry plans to increase subsidies to local governments to fund projects such as setting up fences to prevent bears from encroaching into populated areas, as well as training personnel who can react when there are sightings.
JAPAN
Environment Ministry to boost support for local governments facing bear attacks
By Yukana Inoue
Funds will enable municipalities to secure and train staff able to respond to incidents involving bears.
Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi (center) attends a Lower House session on Aug. 1. Locking Koizumi into the Cabinet is Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s way of turning a potential rival into a team player, according to one expert.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
As farm minister, Koizumi is held ‘hostage’ by Ishiba
By Himari Semans
By naming the popular lawmaker to his Cabinet, the beleaguered prime minister turned a potential rival into a member of his team — at least, for now.
Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
JAPAN / History / Longform
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin
One man’s experience traces the capital's arc from wartime devastation to modern megacity in a story of resilience and reinvention.
Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.

JAPAN

The Toyoake Municipal Government in Aichi Prefecture is planning to enact an ordinance to urge all smartphone users in the city to limit screen time to two hours a day outside work or school.
Japanese city proposes two-hour daily limit for smartphone use
Toyoake's cap will not be binding and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage, according to a draft ordinance.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a speech at the closing ceremony of the Japan-led Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD 9, on Friday in Yokohama.
TICAD adopts Yokohama Declaration to strengthen multilateral trade
The communique emphasized proposals to solve problems facing African states, apparently reflecting Japan's wish to highlight a different approach to that of China.
Japan corrects number of potential megaquake evacuees
Victims of 1944 U.S. torpedo attack remembered in Japan
Japanese American museum blasts Trump's use of internment camp to detain people
Police warn of internet forums soliciting sexual violence

BUSINESS

Nissan's popular "<i>kei</i> car" Roox is seen displayed outside the company's global headquarters in Yokohama in November.
Nissan updates popular 'kei car' as it revamps aging lineup
By Emi Tanimoto
The fourth-generation Roox, better mileage, more safety features and built-in connectivity, will go on sale by the end of the year for ¥1.6 million.
The Port of Los Angeles. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said European carmakers could see relief from the current U.S. tariffs within "hopefully weeks."
EU pushes for reduced U.S. auto tariffs to apply retroactively from Aug. 1
By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder
The statement came as the partners set out details of a framework trade deal struck in July.
Eric Trump to visit Japan in September amid crypto push
By Alice French and Annie Massa
Nvidia CEO says in talks with U.S. over new China chip
By Ben Blanchard and Wen-Yee Lee
Japan eyes 2.6% provisional rate for government bonds in FY2026, Yomiuri says
By Erica Yokoyama
Japan’s inflation hovers well above BOJ’s goal even as it slows
By Toru Fujioka

WORLD

A military drill in Taiwan. Taipei has ramped up investment in military equipment and weapons over the past decade in response to intensifying pressure from China.
Taiwan president ups defense spending target to 5% of GDP
The move comes as China has ramped up military and political pressure over the past five years to assert its claims, which Taipei strongly rejects.
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared of royal defamation charges on Friday.
Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra acquitted of royal insult charges
By Montira Rungjirajittranon
The ruling eases one of the threats to Thaksin's embattled dynasty, which has dominated the nation's politics for two decades.
U.N. declares famine in Gaza, placing blame on Israel
Judge orders halt to new construction at 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center
By Kanishka Singh
U.S. Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut millions worth of medical grants
By Greg Stohr
In huge win for Trump, court throws out half-billion-dollar fraud penalty
By Jonathan Stempel and Luc Cohen

Sports

A boxing match at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Feb. 29, 2016. Japanese boxing has been rocked by a series of serious injuries and deaths.
Japanese amateur boxer in intensive care after latest incident
The JBF, which oversees amateur boxing in Japan, said the man had not fought a match for over 10 years and had been in training to make a comeback.
AFL under fire as another player banned for homophobic slur
By Ian Ransom
Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz joins Forest from Juventus
By Pearl Josephine Nazare
South African Wallis pushes wingsuit flying to global heights
By Sisipho Skweyiya
All Blacks' 'big bodies' look to outmuscle Pumas in Buenos Aires
By Ian Ransom

Opinion

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as they meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15.
Peace in Ukraine is within reach — if the world holds firm
Peace prospects swing with Trump’s erratic diplomacy. Allies, including Japan, need to stress unity and rule of law as they prepare to fill gaps and stabilize support for Ukraine.
Was Trump’s Russia-Ukraine summit doomed from the beginning?
By Kuni Miyake
Ads ruined social media. Now they’re coming to AI.
By Parmy Olson
Why Jimmy Lai’s persecution should worry Japan
By Mark L. Clifford
Urban mining eases the critical minerals crunch 
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

A commuter uses a portable fan on an underground train at rush hour during a heat wave in the City of London financial district.
As temperatures soar in London, regulations, not costs, put cooling beyond reach
By Olivia Rudgard
The British capital has seen a surge in demand for air-conditioning units in high-end homes as climate change raises summer temperatures.
Is historically arid Beijing ready for a wetter future?
By Laurie Chen
Tourism deal puts one of Egypt's last wild shores at risk
By Lobna Monieb
Mozambique's illegal miners reap risky rewards but land suffers
By Samuel Come
Man who bred world’s biggest rhino herd charged with horn smuggling
By Antony Sguazzin

CULTURE

In what is billed as the first major production in English of Hisashi Inoue's "The Face of Jizo,” the Japanese play will have performances at the Seymour Centre in Sydney both in English and in Japanese.
'The Face of Jizo': Hisashi Inoue's play staged in Sydney commemorates WWII victims
By Kris Kosaka
Billed as the first major English-language production of the play, "The Face of Jizo" also increases the variety of roles for Japanese actors in Australia.
‘Happy Life’ brings dignity to family’s struggle with grief and poverty
By James Hadfield
‘Seaside Serendipity’: A pastel-soaked reverie on youthful creativity
By Mark Schilling
‘Fires on the Plain’: Haunting imagery in restored 1959 war film stands the test of time
By Mark Schilling
'Kokuho' rakes in over ¥10 billion at the box office

LIFE

Reigen, Germany's first sake brewery, makes a diverse, nontraditional range of sake that includes fruit-flavored sips and wine barrel-aged renditions.
Germany's first sakemaker offers a bold brew of ideas
By Weiwen Lin
Yellowish in color and high in acidity, German sake won't please the purists, but open-minded consumers, especially wine drinkers, may find something appealing.
Character-crazed Japan has little appetite for Labubu
By Yuko Tamura
Fingers sore from too much phone time? You might have ‘sumaho yubi.’
By Mai Yoshikawa
Expressing annoyance with work group chats in Japanese
By Yaeko Kabe
From a piquant paste to a crisp crust, sesame shines in many forms
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

In honor of his longstanding ties and contributions to Japan's business, legal and nonprofit communities, Carl J. Green was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2018.
Carl J. Green, mentor to a generation of ‘Japan hands,’ dies at 85
By Matthew Goodman
A lawyer and scholar with deep ties to Tokyo’s business and legal communities, Green opened the Ford Foundation’s Tokyo office.
Seri Yanai: ‘We mix modern and analog to create something new’
By Ayako Nakano
Handsome cat looking for brighter days ahead
Solidarity with Tokyo’s homeless residents, one day at a time
By Shyam Bhardwa
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Alicia Keys closed Summer Sonic, but J-pop owned it
By Patrick St. Michel
Summer Sonic’s 2025 lineup demonstrated its strength, showcasing the latest in J-pop, including “new kawaii” act Fruits Zipper.
BUSINESS
Big burgers and bigger ambitions for Japan's Burger King
By Kazuaki Nagata
Kazuhiro Nomura, president of BK Japan Holdings, which operates Burger King in Japan
JAPAN
Tokyo crowned No.1 'workation' spot
By Elizabeth Beattie
Workations were a burgeoning trend in the corporate world for years before the COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged it.
CULTURE
Atsushi Kitagawara’s exhibition finds poetry in architecture
By Gendel Gento
The inverted cone, one of Atsushi Kitagawara’s six signature elements in architecture, is a key feature of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum building.
BASEBALL
Candidates preparing to make final pitches for Sawamura Award
By Jason Coskrey
Hawks pitcher Livan Moinelo has a 1.13 ERA in 19 starts this season.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Ex.Portal By Synergy Media Specialists

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan to revise romanization rules for first time in 70 years
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is recommending replacing the government’s long-standing Kunrei system with more widely used Hepburn-style spellings.
JAPAN
JR East cancels luxury train run over crew's boozing
East Japan Railway said Thursday that it will cancel one trip of a luxury overnight sleeper service, which was originally scheduled to depart from Ueno Station in Tokyo on Aug. 30, after crew members were found to have been drinking alcohol on duty.
COMMENTARY
Demystifying the manufacturing success of China
By Zhang Jun
China’s massive scale, strong education system and competitive local governance have enabled it to reach the technological frontier and dominate high-tech manufacturing despite its low per capita gross domestic product.
JAPAN
Infectious diseases to watch for in Japan this summer amid surge of cases
By Tomoko Otake
An illustration of a colony of the Bordetella pertussis bacterium that causes pertussis, or whooping cough. As of Aug. 10, there were 64,467 cases reported this year, according to the latest data from the Japan Institute for Health Security.
JAPAN
103-year-old remembers Soviet attack right after WWII
Shoichi Takahashi holds a photo of himself when he was younger, in Otaru, Hokkaido, on May 17.