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November 09, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 09, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
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Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki
JAPAN / Politics
LDP sees difficulty in agreeing on Lower House seat reduction in current Diet session
A coalition between the LDP and the JIP says that the two parties will work together to cut the number of Diet members by 10%.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki
The Metropolitan Police Department headquarters in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mother of Thai girl forced into sex work in Tokyo detained in Taiwan
A Japanese man has been arrested for putting the 12-year-old to work at his Tokyo massage shop in a suspected human trafficking case.
Takashi Tachibana, head of the anti-NHK party
JAPAN / Politics
Anti-NHK group's head arrested in libel case
Takashi Tachibana's arrest came after the police determined that he could run or destroy evidence.
HIMAWARI satellite imagery shows super typhoon Fung-wong as it approaches the Philippines on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Philippines evacuates 100,000 people as Fung-wong intensifies into super typhoon
By Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez
With sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph, the super typhoon known locally as Uwan is forecast to make landfall Sunday night at the earliest.
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo’s Spogomi world cup
By Erik Augustin Palm
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 countries scoured Tokyo’s streets for discarded wrappers, crushed cans and half-smoked cigarette butts.
On Oct. 29, teams from 33 qualifying countries scoured the streets of Shibuya for all manners of trash as part of the Spogomi litter-picking competition.

JAPAN

Abandoned Japanese-style inns in the Kinugawa hot springs resort in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, in March 2023
Japan to subsidize demolition of abandoned inns
Many large hotels running since the end of World War II were left to rot in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
By Yukana Inoue
A surge in bear attacks in Japan may be nothing new, revealing a complex mix of ecology, policy and culture.
Takaichi plans pay cuts for herself and her ministers
Japan among countries to target quadrupling sustainable fuel use
Educational expenses for schoolchildren on the rise, survey finds
By Jessica Speed
Flu cases in Japan exceed alert level, health ministry says

BUSINESS

Nomura Holdings decided to fold the fledgling proprietary trading desk in London into other parts of the markets business, ditching an effort to restart the contentious practice.
Nomura abandons effort to restart prop trading desk in London
By Donal Griffin
The short-lived effort shows how Japan’s biggest brokerage continued high-risk bets even as executives say they’ve overhauled to focused on serving customers.
The Olympus Ishikawa research development facility in Tokyo
Olympus cuts jobs, streamlines operations under new leadership
By Kanoko Matsuyama and Yui Hasebe
The company is moving to a leaner, divisional model, with a planned target of 3% annual sales growth by fiscal 2027.
Fuji Media director resigns over falsifying expense claims
China starts work on easing rare earth export rules but short of Trump hopes
Japanese automakers warn of billions in tariff losses
By River Akira Davis
Ex-Renault chairman who worked to forge alliance with Nissan dies

WORLD

Buildings are adorned with advertisements for gambling sites and what appears to be Starlink satellite dishes at KK Park complex in Myanmar's eastern Myawaddy township, as pictured from Mae Sot district in Thailand's border province of Tak on Sept. 17.
Myanmar junta says demolishing 150 scam hub buildings
Experts say the raids are likely limited, choreographed and intentionally publicized as the junta tries to appear cracking down on scammers while still profiting from them.
Rescuers work at the site of a heavily damaged residential building following an air attack in Dnipro, Ukraine. A massive Russian attack hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure, killing two people and prompting power cuts in several regions, Kyiv authorities said on Saturday.
Ukraine scrambles for energy with power generation at 'zero'
Experts said the strikes on energy infrastructure put Ukraine at risk of heating outages ahead of the winter months.
Before talks with Trump, Saudi Arabia doubles down on terms for Israel ties
By Samia Nakhoul
Syrian president arrives in U.S. for landmark visit
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, journalists in West Bank, witnesses say
Denmark set to ban social media platforms for children under 15

Sports

Jenson Button races for Honda during the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008.
Jenson Button brings end to an illustrious racing career intertwined with Japan
By Joel Tansey
The 2009 Formula One champion spent many years in Honda-powered cars and had his biggest post-F1 triumph in 2018 in Japan’s Super GT series.
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula reach semifinal round at WTA Finals
FIFA announces new peace prize to be awarded during World Cup draw
McLaren boss would rather lose title than play favorites in championship race
Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland dies of apparent suicide

Opinion

A news program in Taipei shows the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30.
‘Stability’ in U.S.-China competition isn’t surrender
Brad Glosserman
A recent Rand report urges a stable rivalry between the U.S. and China, emphasizing managed competition and the need for mutual recognition of each other's political legitimacy.
Trump 2.0 diminishes European Union power
By Hitoshi Suzuki and Gabriele Maletta
Make COP30 about human welfare
By Bjorn Lomborg
Domestic issues dominate prime minister's strong Diet debut
Youth is losing to experience in this job market
By Conor Sen

ENVIRONMENT

Oxfam activists wearing big head masks depicting world leaders protest to criticize the inadequacy of decisions made by the world’s largest economies in combating the climate crisis, ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belem, Brazil, on Wednesday.
30 years of climate talks: Progress, pitfalls and a planet in peril
By Valerie Volcovici and Richard Valdmanis
As leaders gather for the U.N. climate summit in Brazil this week, the data charting progress in the fight against global warming tells a sobering story.
World leaders punch back at U.S. climate denial ahead of COP30 negotiations
By Valerie Volcovici, Lisandra Paraguassu and William James
How sickly forests are felling Europe's climate ambitions
By Alison Withers, Kate Abnett and Simon Johnson
Climate-friendly mayors find hope in Trump’s election setback
By Peter Millard, Mariana Durao and Beatriz Amat
Pay to protect: Brazil pitches new forest fund at COP30
By Nick Perry

CULTURE

Aya Fujioka, who hails from Hiroshima Prefecture, takes a less somber approach to the city and its history.
What we see when Japanese women photographers shoot back
By Jennifer Pastore
Women in photography have been less visible than their male counterparts. An anthology of 25 photographers and three exhibitions this autumn are turning the tides.
‘Palaver’: A queer story set in Tokyo searches for a home for the heart
By Grace En-yi Ting
‘Palestine 36’ wins top honor as TIFF wraps a 10-day celebration of cinema
By Alyssa I. Smith
Asian auteurs stole the show at this year's TIFF
By Mike Fu
‘The Obsessed’: Charming anime dances to its own tune
By Matt Schley

LIFE

The Onodera Food Service group, which manages Sushi Ginza Onodera and "kaiseki" specialist Nadaman, has merged a sushi "omakase" (chef's choice) into a kaiseki to create a new dining experience.
At Nadaman, a traditional Japanese multicourse meal gets a new format
By Weiwen Lin
The Onodera group has taken a bold step in merging two of its dining concepts — sushi and “kaiseki” haute cuisine.
‘Deep Blue,’ ‘Morning Sun,’ ‘Clear Sky’: Japan’s top baby names for 2025
By Yuko Tamura
Learning to feel noh: The words that unlock its mystery and emotion
By Eric Margolis
How airlines are refining their in-flight food in Japan's tourism boom
By Tan Pin Yen
A Sichuan-inspired classic gets an umami boost
By Makiko Itoh

COMMUNITY

After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame
Using aluminum cans as his medium, the Tsukuba-based British artist creates intricate sculptures that take months or longer to complete.
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila
Genmai the dachshund has a spring in his step
Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo
By Monique Bae
Florian Wiltschko: ‘Shinto helps me understand and live within Japanese culture’
By Samantha Seghers

Editors' Picks

COMMUNITY
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame
After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
SUMO
Yokozuna duo Onosato and Hoshoryu poised for another clash of titans
By John Gunning
Yokozuna duo Onosato (right) and Hoshoryu clash for the title on the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sept. 28 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
BUSINESS
High-speed rail is expensive and difficult, but seen as a key to growth
By Kazuaki Nagata
Achal Khare, former managing director at India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation, gives a presentation during the IHRA Forum 2025 in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
CULTURE
A 40-year wait for ‘Mishima’ ends at TIFF
By James Hadfield
Made at a time when Japan was still grappling with Yukio Mishima’s legacy, Paul Schrader’s biopic “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” was blocked from screening in the country for decades.
JAPAN
Takaichi’s balancing act: Supporting Taiwan and stabilizing China ties
By Gabriel Dominguez
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan’s presidential adviser, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday in this image posted to Takaichi's official X account.

Podcast

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

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
By Yukana Inoue

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

COMFACTS

New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
The Toyota buyout is a major test for Japan’s reforms
By Juliana Liu
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor, speaks during a media preview at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Oct. 29. Minority investors are challenging the carmaker's bid to take affiliate Toyota Industries Corp. private.
WORLD
New satellite images suggest 'mass graves' in Sudan's El-Fasher
A general view of a berm construction in Kinin Village near El-Fasher.
WORLD
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
By Sofia Christensen, Juliette Jabkhiro and Layli Foroudi
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France — where he had lived since he was a young child — stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
BUSINESS
High-speed rail is expensive and difficult, but seen as a key to growth
By Kazuaki Nagata
Achal Khare, former managing director at India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation, gives a presentation during the IHRA Forum 2025 in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
BUSINESS
Takaichi calls for the updating of Japan's economic security law
By Kazuaki Nagata
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to a panel on promoting economic security in Japan on Friday.