Home page

 
Menu
Search
 
Menu
Search
Tokyo Weather 30℃
TOKYO
August 07, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 07, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
Trade deal
Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Latest News
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019.
WORLD / Politics
Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says
By Andrea Shalal, Gleb Bryanski and Mark Trevelyan
Such a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting U.S. and Russian president since Joe Biden met Vladimir Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019.
Liberal Democratic Party youth division head Yasutaka Nakasone (center) and other members speak to reporters in Tokyo on July 25.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Will the movement seeking Ishiba’s resignation succeed?
By Eric Johnston
It is unclear whether the core personalities looking to unseat him have what it takes to make that happen.
A rice farm in Niigata Prefecture. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday that the government will reconsider its long-standing policy of limiting rice production — a measure that has been in place since around 1969 in response to chronic oversupply.
JAPAN
Ishiba to reverse rice curb policy as government admits to miscalculating demand
By Yukana Inoue
“We had assumed that production volume was adequate, despite the lack of sufficient analysis,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He told CNBC that investment pledges are like signing bonuses.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump: The $550 billion pledged by Japan is 'our money'
By Francis Tang
The U.S. president told CNBC that he is free to invest the funds however he wishes.
A video on Bayraktar's Instagram of approaching an elderly worker in Tokyo's Shibuya has gone viral, garnering almost 9 million views.
LIFE / Digital
Photographer Bleg Bayraktar is winning social media with politeness
By Laura Pollacco
Japan holds a special place in the heart of the Belgian photographer, who has shot portraits in various countries and cultivated a reputation for being incredibly respectful.
A video on Bayraktar's Instagram of approaching an elderly worker in Tokyo's Shibuya has gone viral, garnering almost 9 million views.

JAPAN

The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
By Gabriel Dominguez
Japan's successful bid will serve as a confidence booster and could set a precedent for other countries to consider Japanese capabilities for their own militaries.
Kunihiko Iida speaks about his experience as a hibakusha, in the city of Hiroshima on July 14.
Orphaned hibakusha continues to tell of the destructive reality of nuclear weapons
Kunihiko Iida has made it his mission to share his experience, believing that conveying the truth of the bomb will "lead to the abolition of nuclear weapons."
Japan approves price cut for Alzheimer's drug Lecanemab
Documents show U.S. initially estimated Hiroshima bombing victims at 100,000
80 years on, a Japanese American hibakusha recalls the day the bomb dropped
By Elizabeth Beattie
Hiroshima calls for nuclear-free world on 80th anniversary of atomic bombing
By Kanako Takahara

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as he and Apple CEO Tim Cook (not pictured) present the tech company's announcement of a $100 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but zero percent for U.S. investors like Apple
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Catherine Lucey and Ian King
The U.S. president has said he could unveil separate levies on all products containing semiconductor chips as soon as next week.
A cargo ship at the port of Oakland, California, on Aug. 4
U.S. trade deficit narrowed 16% in June as high tariffs cast shadow on services
By Dan Burns
Days after reporting that the goods trade deficit fell to its lowest since September 2023, the U.S. said the full deficit including services was also its narrowest since then.
Honda raises annual profit guidance despite U.S. tariff impact
By Nicholas Takahashi
Japan ruling party heavyweight warns against BOJ rate hike
By Leika Kihara and Yoshifumi Takemoto
Seven & I sets expansion targets to win back investor confidence
By Kanoko Matsuyama and Koh Yoshida
Switzerland’s go-it-alone approach tested by Trump tariff shock
By Hugo Miller and Levin Stamm

WORLD

A port in the western state of Gujarat, India
India-U.S. spat over trade and oil threatens wider fallout
By Krishna N. Das, David Brunnstrom and Shivam Patel
The tension could derail other areas of cooperation as domestic political pressures drive both sides to harden their stances, analysts say.
A Palestinian girl carries buckets of water in Gaza City on Wednesday
Israeli military chief opposes Gaza war expansion, raising pressure on Netanyahu
By Alexander Cornwell and Nidal al-Mughrabi
Taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, the military chief warned.
Musk vs. Modi: Inside the battle over India's internet censorship
By Munsif Vengattil, Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra
Poland’s next political battle starts as president takes office
By Agnieszka Barteczko and Maxim Edwards
South Korea's former first lady questioned in probe over bribe allegations
By Soo-hyang Choi
Saudi Arabia’s new tourism play trades skyscrapers for nature
By Christine Burke

Sports

Otake <i>oyakata</i> and his wrestlers at Otake stable in April 2018
Fresh start for stable founded by legendary yokozuna Taiho
By John Gunning
In a historically significant move, the Otake sumo stable will be taken over by someone without a direct connection to its founder.
Son Heung-min 'here to win' after joining LAFC for record transfer fee
Shin returns to South Korea vowing to revitalize fallen powerhouse Ulsan
By Michael Church
Curling champion Constantini set to throw rocks at 'special' hometown Games
By Aadi Nair
Sizzling Osaka to face Tauson in WTA Canadian Open semis

Opinion

This undated handout photo released by the Australian Defence Force on Tuesday shows the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force JS Mogami frigate sailing at an undisclosed location.
The Japan-Australia frigate sale is a big deal. Here’s why.
Michael MacArthur Bosack
For the Japanese government, this will make for the largest defense export to date.
Were the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings necessary?
By Edo Naito
Moving nuclear subs isn’t something you announce on social media
By James Stavridis
The true costs of Trump’s economic agenda
By Kaushik Basu
Trump’s tariffs defy the doomsayers — so far
By Brad Glosserman

ENVIRONMENT

People cool off under water jets in Madrid on Monday.
'Silent killer': the science of tracing climate deaths in heat waves
By Nick Perry
Heat can claim tens of thousands of lives during European summers but it usually takes months to count the cost. Scientists are aiming to change that with faster studies.
Toxic algae bloom off South Australia devastates marine life and tourism
China struggles to capitalize on record renewables build-out as grid work lags
Pressure from oil producers and U.S. threaten global pact on plastics pollution
By Olivia Le Poidevin and Valerie Volcovici
'Let's go fly a kite': Capturing wind for clean energy in Ireland
By Peter MURPHY

CULTURE

Three teenage student nurses (from left: Karin Ono, Asuka Kawatoko and Hinako Kikuchi) face the aftermath of the atomic bombing of their hometown in “Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash.”
‘Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash’ honors young nurses thrust into hellish nightmare
By Mark Schilling
Searing and based on true accounts, Jumpei Matsumoto’s drama follows teenage girls turned wartime caregivers as they navigate the unthinkable.
'Glass Heart’: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit
By James Hadfield
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson
From far and wide, overseas visitors flock to Fuji Rock
By Alyssa I. Smith
A weekend in Naeba: Rain or shine, the fun never stopped at Fuji Rock '25
By Alyssa I. Smith

LIFE

A video on Bayraktar's Instagram of approaching an elderly worker in Tokyo's Shibuya has gone viral, garnering almost 9 million views.
Photographer Bleg Bayraktar is winning social media with politeness
By Laura Pollacco
Japan holds a special place in the heart of the Belgian photographer, who has shot portraits in various countries and cultivated a reputation for being incredibly respectful.
Saved from the worst, Kyoto still bears scars of war
By Edward J. Taylor
In Tokyo, fish-shaped ‘taiyaki’ treats offer a sea of options
By Russell Thomas
'Over the Sun': A podcast for Japanese women who’ve lived a little
By Yuko Tamura
A language built on the wind, from mountain gusts to wind chimes
By Eric Margolis

COMMUNITY

Canadian-born Jesse Cunningham came to Japan to teach in the JET Programme, and later found opportunities to learn traditional blacksmithing in Kochi Prefecture.
The international artists supporting Japan’s craft legacy
By Laura Pollacco
From Kochi to Kamakura, non-Japanese craftspeople are training with local artisans and carving out a niche for themselves.
‘Mad cute’ Scottish fold to brighten your day
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life
Boys’ love dramas from Thailand make waves in Japan
By Agnese Dionisio
Ayaka Ohira: ‘Being outside of the traditional path gave me more freedom’
By Zoria Petkoska

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Australia announces new warships will come from Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Niyodo sails at an undisclosed location in this image released Tuesday.
CULTURE
Fuji Rock's weekend of surprises was one of its best yet
By Patrick St. Michel
Radwimps lead singer Yojiro Noda threw himself into the rock band’s Green Stage performance ahead of headliner Vampire Weekend.
ENVIRONMENT
How Trump is gaslighting on climate change — with Japan’s help
By Mara Budgen
The Bishu Maru LNG tanker, owned by Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, next to the Freeport LNG terminal in Texas
LIFE
With a new distillery, Suntory makes a spirited move on gin market
By Weiwen Lin
A staff inspects a distillation pot still at Suntory's new Osaka Spirits & Liqueurs Craft Distillery, which will focus on gin production and help Suntory capture a bigger slice of the fast-growing gin market.
LIFE
Junglia brought dinos back to Okinawa. But will it bring tourists?
By Owen Ziegler
At Panorama Dining, one of Junglia’s two proper restaurants that also doubles as the rooftop Inifinity Terrace overlook, guests can pay extra to sit in balcony tables made to look like birds’ nests overlooking the park grounds.

Podcast

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

Longform

A mushroom cloud from the atomic bombing on Hiroshima taken from a U.S. military aircraft on Aug. 6, 1945. Copying the photo without permission is prohibited.
80 years on, a Japanese American hibakusha recalls the day the bomb dropped
By Elizabeth Beattie

JT Directory Service

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Ex.Portal By Synergy Media Specialists

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Develops “Yukigesho Castella” as Part of Sake Upcycling Project
Tsunan Sake Brewery Develops “Yukigesho Castella” as Part of Sake Upcycling Project
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

ASIA PACIFIC
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel
An Indian Air Force pilot gets out of a Rafale fighter jet during its induction ceremony at an air force station in Ambala, India, September 2020.
COMMENTARY
China’s unbeatable new production model export
By Jeffrey Wu
China is not merely moving more goods; it is exporting a new, ruthlessly efficient production model powered by automation, AI and state-guided industrial optimization.
BUSINESS
Trump: The $550 billion pledged by Japan is 'our money'
By Francis Tang
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He told CNBC that investment pledges are like signing bonuses.
JAPAN
Australia announces new warships will come from Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez and Jesse Johnson
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate Niyodo sails at an undisclosed location in this image released Tuesday.
JAPAN
Japan swelters as previous heat record melts
By Yukana Inoue
A worker tries to cool down a street in central Tokyo Tuesday as wide swaths of the Kanto region sweltered under intense heat. In Gunma Prefecture, the temperature rose 41.8 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded in Japan.