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November 21, 2024
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 21, 2024
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DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
The package will include cash handouts to lower-income households and subsidies to help families cope with rising utility bills.
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Ukrainian service personnel use searchlights to look for Russian drones in Kyiv on Wednesday.
WORLD
Ukraine fires U.K. cruise missiles into Russia, a day after using U.S. ATACMS
By Anastasiia Malenko, Tom Balmforth and Max Hunder
The strikes were widely reported by Russian war correspondents on Telegram and confirmed by an official on condition of anonymity.
The Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 (right) is anchored while being monitored by a Danish naval patrol vessels in the sea of Kattegat, near Jutland, Denmark, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Chinese ship stirs suspicions after Baltic Sea cables damaged
By Sanne Wass
The Yi Peng 3 bulk carrier was in the vicinity of fiber optic cables — one connecting Finland and Germany, and another, Lithuania and Sweden — when they were damaged.
Rengo chief Tomoko Yoshino speaks at a news conference in Tokyo in October.
BUSINESS
Union chief calls for Ishiba to step up wage hike efforts
By Erica Yokoyama and Akemi Terukina
Rengo's Tomoko Yoshino was keen to emphasize that wage gains have to spread more to workers at smaller firms.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands during a signing event in Brasilia on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Xi and Lula elevate China-Brazil ties in state visit
By Eduardo Baptista and Ricardo Brito
The state visit capped a regional tour by Xi that showcased Beijing's growing diplomatic clout during a tricky government transition in Washington.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands during a signing event in Brasilia on Wednesday.

JAPAN

Shizuo Aishima's son next to a photo of his father in March. Aishima was one of the executives of spray-dryer Ohkawara Kakohki arrested on charges of illegal exporting in 2020. The charges were later dropped by prosecutors.
Ohkawara investigators referred to prosecutors over falsified documents
Executives at Ohkawara Kakohki were arrested in 2020 on suspicion of illegally exporting chemical machinery, but the charges were later dropped.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force take part in a joint military drill involving Japan, the United States, Britain and Australia at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in January 2023.
Japan hosts Five Eyes group meeting for first time
By Gabriel Dominguez
The move highlights the growing cooperation between Tokyo and its allies amid shared concerns about a rapidly deteriorating security environment.
Nomura ex-employee charged with attempted murder
By Nao Sano and Takashi Nakamichi
Ishiba ends South America tour with results and challenges
Japan's local digital currencies increasingly exploited by fraudsters
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record

BUSINESS

Nissan Motor slashed its earnings outlook earlier this month and said it would cut 9,000 jobs and a fifth of its manufacturing capacity.
Hedge fund Effissimo stirs speculation with its stake in Nissan Motor
By Hideyuki Sano and Lisa Du
News of the investment sent Nissan’s shares soaring 13% on Nov. 12.
Korea Zinc Chairman Yun B. Choi, a grandson of a co-founder, last week agreed to scrap a controversial plan to issue new shares in the zinc refiner to help fend off a takeover attempt.
Korea Zinc takeover battle tests Seoul's resolve on tackling 'Korea discount'
By Hyunjoo Jin, Cynthia Kim and Kane Wu
South Korean firms tend to have lower valuations compared to their overseas peers due to low dividend payouts and the dominance of family-run conglomerates.
Chipmaker Kioxia to receive market listing approval, sources say
By Miho Uranaka and Sam Nussey
Nvidia's AI chip demand still booming but slowing sales worry investors
By Max A. Cherney — Arsheeya Bajwa — Stephen Nellis
Nissan urges U.K. to ease EV targets amid weak demand
Seven & I buyout funding to be finalized by next month, sources say

WORLD

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks while on stage with Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump during a rally at the site of the July assassination attempt against Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 5.
U.S. government efficiency panel to use Supreme Court rulings for agency cuts
The panel will be led by Elon Musk, billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of biotech firm Roivant Sciences.
A Palestinian man points at a damaged building in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Israeli strikes kill 48 people in Gaza as hospital in north makes distress call
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
Operations have focused for weeks on the northern edge of Gaza, where Israel has laid siege to three major towns and ordered residents to flee.
Strategic subsea cables: the vulnerable links that enable our digital lives
By Emilie BERAUD
Apple Daily: The Hong Kong tabloid that dared to challenge China
U.S. cites new Russian tactics for decision to supply landmines to Ukraine
U.S. envoy en route to Israel in bid toward ceasefire with Hezbollah
By Maya Gebeily

Sports

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates after closing out an inning during Detroit's playoff series with Cleveland last month.
Braves' Chris Sale and Tigers' Tarik Skubal collect Cy Young honors
Both left-handers won the pitching Triple Crown and were the clear favorites in Cy Young Award voting.
Ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji dies at 82
'Sport will have the last word' as World Rally title goes down to the wire in Japan
U.S. women to host Japan, Australia and Colombia in 2025 event
Brilliant Paolini leads Italy to fifth Billie Jean King Cup title
By Fernando Kallas

Opinion

Originally debuting on a coin purse, Hello Kitty became a national phenomenon in Japan and is now the second highest-grossing media franchise worldwide.
Hello Kitty looks pretty at 50 (and is worth more than ever)
Gearoid Reidy
Kitty’s broad appeal, especially to adults, helped popularize the Japanese concept of kawaii (cuteness), which has since become a global trend.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
By Edo Naito
It’s too soon to say wokeism is dead
By Adrian Wooldridge
Bird flu in pigs is one step closer to endangering humans
By F.D. Flam
What progressives must learn from Trump’s campaign
By Peter Singer

ENVIRONMENT

Rice fields in the town of Ozu, Kumamoto Prefecture. The water-filled paddies glistening under the sun is a symbol of a long-running effort to preserve the prefecture’s groundwater.
Japan's chipmaking rush pressures Kumamoto's special water supply
By Tomoko Otake
TSMC and others hope that support for existing projects and proper wastewater management can avoid undermining water development efforts lauded by the U.N.
Can a COP29 deal clean up scandal-ridden carbon offsets?
By Kate Abnett and Virginia Furness
Biden weighs fossil fuel finance curbs that could outlast Trump
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy
World not listening to us, laments Kenyan climate scientist at COP29
By Nick Perry
Nuclear power was once shunned at climate talks. Now, it’s a rising star.
By Brad Plumer

CULTURE

People visit the "Dragon Ball Daimatsuri" event, to mark the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise, at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in Tokyo.
Japan's manga powerhouse 'Dragon Ball' turns 40
The anniversary comes months after the death of series creator Akira Toriyama.
‘Angry Squad’: A caper comedy with a lot of heart
By James Hadfield
‘Performing Kaoru's Funeral’: Ambitious drama reflects on love that doesn’t die
By Mark Schilling
NHK announces Number_i, Illit and Glay for ‘Kohaku’ lineup
By Patrick St. Michel
‘Route 29’: Misfits come together in touching road movie
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

With Labor Thanksgiving Day approaching in Japan, it's a good time to show some appreciation to your colleagues.
You don’t need an onion bouquet to say thanks — just the right words
By Yuko Tamura
Nov. 23 is Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan and Nov. 28 is Thanksgiving in the United States. That makes it a good time to learn how to show your appreciation.
Healthy low-carb foods on the rise in Japan
Chisou Nishi Kenichi: Modern French with unrivaled Shizuoka seafood
By Andrew Lee
A Danish 'dream cake' inspired by Japan's headline news
By Simon Daly
Thinning up top? Hair loss in Japan is not the end.
By Kat Joplin

COMMUNITY

Omar Nok arrived in Japan 250 days after leaving Egypt. He didn't use a plane for any part of his journey.
Omar Nok: 'There are good people everywhere'
By Ansel Swindells
Omar Nok says the hospitality he has received from locals at every stop on his journey from Egypt to Japan has been nothing short of inspirational.
A bridge between kyogen and the world, Don Kenny dies at 88
By Rintaro Dainichi
Gary Perlman: ‘Kabuki is pure entertainment … the characters and themes are universal’
By Ansel Swindells
How Fugetsu-Do survived the evolution of Little Tokyo in LA
By Meghan McCarron
Japan’s ‘meibutsu’-industrial complex is a wonder to behold
By Jordan Allen

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
By Gabriel Dominguez
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
CULTURE
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
By Thu-Huong Ha
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
MORE SPORTS
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
By Louise George Kittaka
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
COMMUNITY
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
By Mike Fu
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
JAPAN
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
By Tim Hornyak
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

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

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?
By Kathryn Wortley

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions
By Kathleen Benoza
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waves upon arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Callao, Peru, on Friday.
BUSINESS
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
By Masaki Kondo
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
JAPAN
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
By Karin Kaneko
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
BUSINESS
China may soon resume visa exemptions for Japanese nationals, reports say
By Francis Tang
A view inside Beijing Daxing International Airport. Japanese nationals could soon visit China without a visa for up to 15 days, according to reports.
JAPAN
Why Yamanashi gave up building a light-rail system on Mount Fuji
By Yukana Inoue
A rubber-tired tram system, tentatively called the “Fuji Tram,” would run along magnetic markers, reducing environmental damage, according to the Yamanashi Prefectural Government.