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May 25, 2025
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May 25, 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump points as he boards Air Force One en route to New Jersey, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Trump announces Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel ‘partnership’ deal
By Francis Tang
Media reports said the agreement signaled the approval of a takeover of the iconic American company by the Japanese steelmaker.
U.S. President Donald Trump points as he boards Air Force One en route to New Jersey, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, shakes hands with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. and Japan eye June G7 leaders’ summit for possible tariff deal
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, met separately with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington.
A worker walks near a fishing vessel under maintenance at the Kidoura Zosen K.K. shipyard in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Japan looks to use U.S. shipbuilding cooperation as card in tariff talks
By highlighting its cooperative stance toward the United States, the Japanese government hopes to fend off U.S. tariffs.
Visitors walk along Nakamise-dori as they visit Sensoji Temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district in March.
JAPAN
Travelers avoid trips to Japan over viral comic book’s quake prediction
Ryo Tatsuki, whom some claim predicted Japan’s 2011 earthquake, gives July 2025 as the date of the impending event in a 1999 graphic novel.
Not only is the drawing of each frame an important part of the manga-making process, translation has increasingly demanded more attention as the art form gains popularity overseas.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Manga translators walk a fine line between meaning and mayhem
By Eric Margolis
Manga translators face linguistic puzzles, cultural minefields and online backlash — all for the love of a perfectly written speech bubble.
Not only is the drawing of each frame an important part of the manga-making process, translation has increasingly demanded more attention as the art form gains popularity overseas.

JAPAN

Rescue workers transport people using a raft along a flooded street in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, in August 2021.
Japan to create public-private network on disaster relief
The initiative aims to build a network that facilitates cooperation between local governments, companies and nonprofit organizations.
Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito lawmakers meet to discuss a pension reform bill at the Diet in Tokyo on Thursday.
Bill that would raise Japanese pension benefits on track to pass parliament
The ruling bloc will back the CDP's amendment, which includes a plan to raise basic pension benefits.
LDP holds meeting to let proponents of tax cut blow off steam
Aichi police arrest Nagoya teen for involvement in Myanmar fraud ring
Three Upper House candidates are creating headaches for DPP
By Eric Johnston
Ex-boyfriend of dead woman charged over Kawasaki stalking

BUSINESS

Honda's assembly plant in Greensburg, Indiana, seen Friday, makes the hybrid and gasoline versions of its popular CR-V SUV and flagship Civic.
Honda to boost hybrid vehicle production in U.S.
The automaker will also expand procurement of U.S.-made vehicle parts, including batteries for hybrid vehicles.
A U.S. government statement this month showed how the Trump administration is seeking to change the ways the U.S. limits China's access to state-of-the-art semiconductors needed to develop AI.
How the U.S.-China chip conflict is evolving under Trump
By Isabel Kua
The Trump administration is seeking to change the ways the U.S. limits China's access to state-of-the-art semiconductors needed to develop AI.
Tariff crossfire hits Toyota, Nissan and Ford suppliers in Japan
By Maki Shiraki and Daniel Leussink
Boeing agrees to resolve U.S. criminal case over 737 crashes
U.S. tariff tensions test Southeast Asian leaders at regional summit
Trump re-escalates trade threats, aiming at Apple and European Union

WORLD

Mervat Hijazi washes clothes inside the tent they took shelter in after being displaced in Gaza City.
Diary of a Gazan family's descent toward starvation
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud Issa
The family's plight is a snapshot of the misery plaguing the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
The Harvard University shield "VERITAS" sits above a campus entrance gate at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last month.
Long advantageous, Harvard's China ties become a political liability
By Michael Martina
The ties have yielded major financial gifts, influence in international affairs and global prestige for the school.
Boat driver arrests up as EU eyes tighter smuggling laws
By Beatrice Tridimas
Diary of a Gazan family's descent toward starvation
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mahmoud Issa
Long advantageous, Harvard's China ties become a political liability
By Michael Martina
Doubt cast on claim of 'hints' of life on faraway planet

Sports

Onosato after defeating Kotozakura at Ryokugikan in Tokyo on Friday. The win gave him a 13-0 record and clinched the Emperor's Cup, assuring him of promotion to yokozuna next week.
Onosato set for yokozuna promotion after clinching Emperor’s Cup
By Kanako Takahara
The title marks the second in a row for the Nishonoseki stable wrestler and the fourth overall, completing his meteoric rise to the top of the sport.
Siakam shines as Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks
Napoli back on top in Italy after sealing fourth Serie A crown
Lewis Hamilton has more movies in mind after working with Brad Pitt
Thunder cruise past Timberwolves to grab 2-0 lead in series

Opinion

Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's newly appointed agriculture minister, arrives at the ministry building in Tokyo on Wednesday. He replaced Taku Eto, who quit after saying he’s never needed to buy rice, a comment that angered many people.
No more mister rice guy
When the remarks triggered a predictable and understandable backlash, Eto explained that he was trying to make a joke.
How China’s soft power is rewriting Asian culture
By Brabim Karki
How efficiency can transform sustainable development
By Tshilidzi Marwala
To fix the U.S. debt problem, Americans must retire later
By Allison Schrager
Ishiba's Greece debt comparison risks deeper crisis
By Gearoid Reidy

ENVIRONMENT

A partially submerged car is seen in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano Prefecture in October 2019. The Weather Attribution Center Japan, which was founded Tuesday, aims to publicize the results of its climate attribution assessment within days of a typhoon, torrential rain or extreme heat.
When extreme weather hits, Japan scientists will have faster answers on climate links
By Tomoko Otake
The Weather Attribution Center will aim to publish concrete links between global warming and extreme weather events within days, rather than months.
'Serious problem': Afghan capital losing race against water shortages
By Susannah Walden
Fires drive tropical forest loss to 'red alert' record high
By Julien MIVIELLE
The U.K.’s clean power future relies on a 100-year-old technology
By Eamon Farhat
Polar bear biopsies shed light on Arctic pollutants
By Olivier MORIN and Etienne FONTAINE

CULTURE

Director Jafar Panahi, Palme d'Or award winner for the film "Un simple accident" ("It Was Just an Accident"), poses during a photocall after the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
Iranian filmmaker Panahi urges 'freedom' as he wins top prize at Cannes
By Adam PLOWRIGHT and Fiachra Gibbons
The dissident filmmaker's "Un Simple Accident" tells the tale of five Iranians confronted with a man they believed tortured them in jail.
Truth is slippery in ‘Suspicion,’ a detective story based on a true crime
By Kris Kosaka
At Cannes, Fukada spotlights J-pop’s ban on idol romance
By Adam PLOWRIGHT
LGBTQ Thai ghost story wins prize in Cannes
By Alice Hackman
‘I Still Want To Do It With My Wife’: Hapless husband’s self-pity wears thin
By James Hadfield

LIFE

After establishing Lagoon Brewery in 2021, Yosuke Tanaka began making export-only "nihonshu" (Japanese sake) and later, "craft sake," a new genre of sake that isn't bound by the rules of traditional sakemaking.
Brewed from rice, water and tomatoes: The growth of ‘craft sake’
By Weiwen Lin
Hampered yet inspired by the strict regulations for new brewers, a growing breed of sake producers are making the beverage on their own creative terms.
Tokyo's top bites — in a suburban mall food court
By Robbie Swinnerton
As spring unfolds, sea bream turns into a prized catch
By Makiko Itoh
Jeremy Strong brings male power-dressing to Cannes
By Adam PLOWRIGHT
Uh-oh, is the rest of the world making JRPGs better than Japan?
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Born and raised in Japan, Joshua Thomson has been making videos on YouTube and Instagram to poke fun at stereotypes and challenge assumptions about — or from — Japanese society.
Joshua Thomson: ‘Comedy is a pill that’s easier to swallow’
By Laura Pollacco
The bilingual YouTuber talks about his hybrid cultural heritage and his aspirations in the entertainment industry.
Tuxedo cat Cupcake is a special treat
Detroit-Nagoya network empowers women-owned businesses around the world
By Jessica Kozuka
Ayano Kikuchi: ‘People need to take care of themselves holistically’
By Olivia Boissel
Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'
By Kat Joplin

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
AI fiction is already here. Are humans ready?
By Thu-Huong Ha
After last year’s controversy over using AI to write about 5% of her novel, Rie Qudan was asked by an advertising magazine to write a short story where she uses AI for 95% of it. The resulting short story, “Kage no ame” (“Rain Shadow”), was published March 25.  
CULTURE
Six short films that capture our world in mere minutes
By Mark Schilling
“Marion” provides a glimpse into the lives of bull dodgers, who perform a nonlethal version of bullfighting.
JAPAN
As Taiwan looks to boost ‘unofficial ties,’ Paraguay’s leader offers facilitator role
By Gabriel Dominguez
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena speaks during an interview with The Japan Times in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
GCAP next-gen fighter joint venture likely to be running by this summer
By Gabriel Dominguez
A concept model of the Global Combat Air Program's fighter jet is displayed during the DSEI Japan defense exhibition in the city of Chiba on Wednesday.
JAPAN
NTT develops world's first 'flying lightning rod' using drones
By Jessica Speed
NTT's drone — aimed at triggering, then redirecting lightning — is described as a "flying lightning rod."

Podcast

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

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

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
Trump announces Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel ‘partnership’ deal
By Francis Tang
U.S. President Donald Trump points as he boards Air Force One en route to New Jersey, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Friday.
JAPAN
Travelers avoid trips to Japan over viral comic book’s quake prediction
Visitors walk along Nakamise-dori as they visit Sensoji Temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district in March.
BUSINESS
Tokyo's Yamanote Line resumes suspended train operations
All services on East Japan Railway's Yamanote Line in Tokyo were suspended for early Friday morning due to wire trouble.
SUMO
Onosato set for yokozuna promotion after clinching Emperor’s Cup
By Kanako Takahara
Onosato after defeating Kotozakura at Ryokugikan in Tokyo on Friday. The win gave him a 13-0 record and clinched the Emperor's Cup, assuring him of promotion to yokozuna next week.