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September 25, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 25, 2025
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The Liberal Democratic Party presidential election candidates in Tokyo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Will Lower House dissolution follow LDP’s leadership vote? Maybe not this time
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Dissolving the Lower House to call a snap general election soon after the appointment of a new party leader is convention, but the current situation seems more complicated.

More coverage

Newcomer or veteran? LDP faces two choices for new party chief
LDP presidential hopefuls failing to stand out on policy
The Liberal Democratic Party presidential election candidates in Tokyo on Wednesday
The “Africa Hometown Initiative,” announced by the Japan International Cooperation Agency at an African development conference in Yokohama in August, sought to foster exchanges that would help bridge four municipalities in Japan with four countries in Africa.
JAPAN / Politics
JICA scraps Africa ‘hometown’ agreement after migration mixup
By Yukana Inoue
Persistent online misinformation about the plan being a ploy to ease immigration from Africa led to the initiative being canceled.
Cargo ships are docked in Navi Mumbai, India, in February. Only 5% of India's exports and imports are carried on Indian-flagged ships.
ASIA PACIFIC
India aims to challenge global shipbuilding giants
By Gabriel Dominguez
The South Asian nation seeks to boost its resilience and strategic self-reliance as China speeds ahead to become a global maritime power.
U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Japan in October, according to media reports.
JAPAN / Politics
Trump may visit Japan during upcoming Asia trip
By Himari Semans
With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stepping down, the U.S. president’s visit to Japan would come at a politically shaky time for the nation.
Kellyann Ball competes at the Venus Sumo Festival in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Rising U.S. women's sumo team hopes to spread the word about Japan’s national sport
By John Gunning
American sumo star Kellyann Ball was impressed by a major Japanese tournament for women held this past weekend. Now she's working on creating a similar future in the United States.
Kellyann Ball competes at the Venus Sumo Festival in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Saturday.

JAPAN

Actor Kenshin Endo has denied allegations of possessing dried cannabis.
Actor Kenshin Endo arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession
Tokyo police allege Endo had 0.4 grams of dried cannabis in his possession earlier this month at the home of fellow actor Hiroya Shimizu, who has been indicted.
The Sapporo Family Court on Friday ruled that a legal provision requiring individuals to undergo genital surgery to change their legal gender is unconstitutional and invalid.
Court rules sex change appearance requirement unconstitutional
A court said that the world has made advances in medicine since the law was established, so genital surgery may not be necessary in some cases.
Prince Hisahito inspects Osaka Expo's Grand Ring
Japan rice prices turn higher despite arrival of new crop
Japan to provide ¥861 million in grant aid to Palestinian territories
'Purikura' photo sticker machines keep offering more 30 years after debut

BUSINESS

The Tokyo Game Show opened Thursday in the city of Chiba with 521 Japanese exhibitors and 615 exhibitors from overseas — the largest share yet.
Tokyo Game Show kicks off with largest lineup yet
By Jessica Speed
The four-day event is hosting a record 4,157 booths and 1,136 exhibitors, more than half of which are from overseas.
Market expectations for a rate hike when the Bank of Japan next sets policy on Oct. 30 have been gaining momentum as inflation has held steady and the economy has showed resilience.
BOJ may raise rate as soon as October, says former board member
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Market expectations for a rate hike when the bank next sets policy have been gaining momentum as inflation has held steady and the economy has showed resilience.
'ChatGPT, what stocks should I buy?' AI fuels boom in robo-advisory market
By Joice Alves
Apple blames EU tech law for postponed features, app marketplace risks
Japan and ASEAN nations to cooperate on bolstering supply chains
South Korea says U.S. projects unlikely to progress until visa issue resolution
By Soo-hyang Choi, Shery Ahn and Heesu Lee

WORLD

Activists wave Palestinian flags as they gather to support a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid in Ajaccio, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, on Sept 12.
U.N. calls for probe after alleged drone attack on Gaza-bound aid flotilla
By Ella IDE and Youcef Bounab
Italy has dispatched a frigate to provide protection for the vessels, while Spain has said it will dispatch a navy ship as well to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump speak during a bilateral meeting at the 80th session of the U.N.’s General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday.
Trump’s new shift on Ukraine leaves Europe feeling on the hook
By Natalia Drozdiak, Alberto Nardelli and Ewa Krukowska
The U.S president's newly upbeat view of Kyiv’s prospects against Moscow's invasion shows signs of a familiar move — his upping the pressure not on Russia but on Europe.
Morocco High Atlas whistle language strives for survival
Poland becomes top importer of Taiwanese drones, skirting China
By Agnieszka Barteczko and Yian Lee
Denmark's Aalborg airport closed due to drones
By Louise Rasmussen
‘Most prevalent’ Chinese hacking group seen targeting tech and law firms
By Patrick Howell O'Neill

Sports

The Dodgers' Roki Sasaki pitches against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Wednesday.
Dodgers activate pitcher Roki Sasaki with eye on stabilizing bullpen
The activation of Sasaki comes as Los Angeles seeks late-inning stability before October.
Cal Raleigh reaches 60 homers as Mariners clinch first division title since 2001
Europe and United States prepare to add new chapter to Ryder Cup rivalry
Cowboys and Packers try to downplay Micah Parsons' return to Dallas
Europe's Justin Rose would gladly accept Ryder Cup trophy from Donald Trump

Opinion

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators take part in a march near the U.N. headquarters in New York on Tuesday, during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Turning the tide back toward peace in the Middle East
Jose Manuel Albares Bueno
The 2025 United Nations General Assembly opened with a major step toward implementing a two-state solution.
Welcome back Jack Ma. Don’t forget the little guys.
By Juliana Liu
An Orwellian lesson from Xi and Putin
By Sergiy Korsunsky
The U.S. assault on the U.N. rests on a tragic misunderstanding
By Andreas Kluth
An identity crisis is haunting Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party
By Gearoid Reidy

ENVIRONMENT

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses members of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday. At a climate summit hosted by Guterres on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 7%-10% from its peak by 2035.
Beijing takes the lead with new climate plans amid Washington’s denial
By Valerie Volcovici and Yukun Zhang
China's reduction target marked the first time the world's biggest emitter pledged a cut in emissions, rather than just limiting their growth.
In bid to upend global energy policy, Trump denies climate change in U.N. speech
By Brian Kahn
The unexpected upside of Canada's wildfires 
By Ed White
NASA scientist starts food crisis hotline with tech giant funding
By Agnieszka de Sousa
International treaty protecting world's oceans to take effect

CULTURE

American saxophonist Patrick Bartley is the leader of J-Music Ensemble, a jazz-fusion band specializing in instrumental covers of Japanese music.
Finding jazz in J-pop: Patrick Bartley’s musical second language
By Ryne Hisada
The J-Music Ensemble leader translates Japanese culture into a classic American musical tradition.
‘Hero’s Island’: Okinawa-set epic is lavishly realized but lacks bite
By James Hadfield
The familiar is made surreal in ‘After the Quake’
By Mark Schilling
Tokyo film festival to open with Everest and close with some Shakespeare
By Alyssa I. Smith
Yoko Tawada’s wandering trilogy concludes search for the 'land of sushi'
By Thu-Huong Ha

LIFE

Filled with red bean paste and covered in "kinako" soy flour, green "zunda" soybean mash and black sesame, "o-hagi" sticky rice balls offer a delicious interplay of sweet and savory flavors.
Celebrating autumn with timeless sticky rice balls
By Elizabeth Andoh
Filled with red bean paste and sheathed in various coatings, the spherical sweets evoke the gentle mood of the season.
With new Tokyo bar, Shingo Gokan's bartending journey comes full circle
By Melinda Joe
‘Pluriversal’ Singapore Design Week brings solution-oriented works
By John L. Tran
Behold the glory of Japan’s fruit boxes
By Thu-Huong Ha
How Japanese captures the subtle shift into autumn
By Yaeko Kabe

COMMUNITY

Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Linda Joyce moved to rural Tochigi Prefecture in 2024 for a career shift from teaching to hospitality and sustainable tourism.
Linda Joyce: ‘We hope people recognize the benefits of exploring rural areas’
By Louise George Kittaka
Former teacher Linda Joyce shifted careers to the tourism industry in 2024 and now works at a historic property in rural Tochigi Prefecture.
A friendly Kai ken dog with a big heart
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan
By Christoph Sponsel
When a typhoon isn’t really a typhoon, I’ll be there to tell you about it
By Daniel Traylor
Calisthenic companions bridge cultures and generations
By Swastika Jajoo

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
As Japan keeps buying gas, Aboriginal Australians pay the price
By Mara Budgen
Paulina “Jedda” Puruntatameri with Antonia Burke and Tiwi fisher Clinton offshore of Melville Island, one of the Tiwi Islands, in Australia's Northern Territory. Together with other Tiwi, Jedda has been campaigning for years to stop Australian company Santos and its backers, including Japanese investors, from drilling for natural gas at the Barossa gas field.
JAPAN
Who’s who in the LDP presidential race?
By Eric Johnston
(Clockwise from top left) Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi; former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi; Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Shinjiro Koizumi; former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi; and former minister of state for economic security Sanae Takaichi
COMMUNITY
Tax-advantaged investments no lost cause for U.S. residents of Japan
By Gendel Gento
While some American taxpayers assume they are ineligible to participate in Japan’s tax-deferred savings schemes, certified public accountant Rick Gundlach says that this is no longer the case.
CULTURE
Aichi Triennale’s message from the world: Free Palestine
By Thu-Huong Ha
“Between Currents and Bloom,” an eye-popping crocheted seascape by Indonesian artist Mulyana, dazzles with Instagram-ready cuteness while recalling a vibrant ocean now threatened by warming seas.
BUSINESS
Twice-a-year injection could make HIV prevention easier, developer argues
By Francis Tang
Jared Baeten, Gilead Sciences' senior vice president and virology therapeutic area head, hopes regulatory approval elsewhere for lenacapavir as a preexposure prophylaxis — for reducing the risk of contracting HIV — could lead to real discussions toward ending HIV in Japan.

Podcast

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

Longform

"Shake hands with Lima-chan," a statue that shares the name of the Peruvian capital looks in the direction of Peru, where a sister statue, "Sakura-chan," is located. Erected in Yokohama's Rinko Park in 1999, it commemorates Peruvian-Japanese friendship.
The journey of Peru’s Nikkei: Finding identity in Japan
By Christoph Sponsel

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
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WHAT’S TRENDING

COMMENTARY
South Korea’s baby bust threatens its demographic future
By Lee Jong-wha
Marriage is rapidly declining in South Korea as rising education and career aspirations collide with traditional gender norms.
MORE SPORTS
The Japanese face and body patches that have had the world wondering
By Mai Yoshikawa
Japan's Mebuki Suzuki in action with Uganda's Oscar Chelimo in the men's 10,000 meter final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept. 14
BUSINESS
German companies choosing Japan as Asia manufacturing hub: survey
By Elizabeth Beattie
Japan has many positive qualities for German companies, but the market does face some challenges, such as talent acquisition and retention, particularly as demand for skilled workers grows, a survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan showed.
CULTURE
Why Japan’s most melancholic writer speaks to today’s youth
By Kris Kosaka
Osamu Dazai struggled with depression and addiction, themes that were also central to his writing.
JAPAN
Osaka Expo tickets being resold at exorbitant prices as closing date nears
By Jessica Speed
With just three weeks left until the closing of the Osaka Expo, most admission slots are nearly fully booked. On auction sites, however, many reserved tickets are being traded at high prices.