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March 16, 2025
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March 16, 2025
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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second from left) cheers along with other members of the Liberal Democratic Party during the party's annual convention in Tokyo on March 9.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
As it turns 70, LDP struggles to find its fountain of youth
By Eric Johnston
Having lost 60,000 members in 2024 amid a slush funds scandal, the party is under pressure to seek out new blood, but its old ways may be a turnoff for many.

More coverage

Ishiba on shaky ground over budget and gift vouchers
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second from left) cheers along with other members of the Liberal Democratic Party during the party's annual convention in Tokyo on March 9.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions during an Upper House Budget Committee meeting Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Opposition smells blood in the water as Ishiba digs his own grave
Ishiba, already hurt by low public support, has found himself in a bind ahead of this summer's Upper House election as the scandal shakes his image as a "clean politician."
Shion Miyanishi (center) was arrested on the spot on Friday after attacking NHK Party head Takashi Tachibana in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Man arrested for NHK Party head attack had strong intent to kill, police say
Police said the suspect also used a stun grenade right before the attack in order to cause panic.
While climate demonstrations around the world often draw thousands of participants, in Japan such demonstrations rarely break the 100-person barrier.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Japan’s youth climate activists still searching for a breakthrough
By Eric Margolis
With Japan endorsing climate targets criticized as unambitious, activists are looking to education and more tailored strategies to make an impact.
Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights
By Robbie Swinnerton
A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.

JAPAN

A bullet train at Tsuruga Station on March 16 last year, the day the Hokuriku Shinkansen line was extended to Fukui
Fukui enjoys visitor boost after shinkansen extension
About 6.42 million people visited Fukui between March 16 last year and Feb. 15 this year, up by about 1 million from a year before.
Urbanization is amplifying pollen-related allergies as grasslands and soft soil give way to concrete and asphalt.
As pollen season peaks, Japan's allergy struggle emerges from hibernation
By Jessica Speed
In Tokyo and Sendai, high cedar pollen levels will persist into late March, followed by cypress pollen peaking from late March to early April.
Private clubs quietly open in Tokyo for free-spending Chinese businesspeople
By Takehiro Masutomo
Former U.S. senator who aided Japanese-American internees dies
Ex-police official regrets delays in raiding Aum facilities
Unification Church faces dissolution in Japan
By Natsuko Fukue

BUSINESS

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month establishing the 'Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.'
Trump's bitcoin reserve to be a 'digital Fort Knox'
By Lucie Lequier
The reserve is funded by about 200,000 bitcoins — worth nearly $17 billion — that have been seized in the U.S. as a result of civil and criminal cases.
Yoji Muto
Japan, China and South Korea eye trade ministers meeting
Japanese trade minister Yoji Muto will attend the envisaged meeting if he receives parliamentary approval.
'Impossible': U.S. breweries buffeted by Trump tariffs
By Beiyi Seow
AI pioneer wants Europe to forge its own nimbler way forward
By Jonathan Tirone
Japan to invite small businesses to declare ¥10 billion sales targets
U.S. commerce chief rules out auto tariff exemption for Japan
By Jesse Johnson

WORLD

The Tourville, a new French navy nuclear attack submarine, stops in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Friday.
As Trump stirs doubt, Europeans debate their own nuclear deterrent
By Steven Erlanger
Talk of replacing the American nuclear umbrella over Europe with the small British and French nuclear armories is in the air, however vague and fanciful.
A U.S. Navy ship fires missiles at an undisclosed location, after President Donald Trump launched military strikes against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday over the group's attacks against Red Sea shipping, in this screen shot.
Trump launches large-scale strikes against Yemen's Houthis
The strikes — which could last days and maybe weeks — are the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.
At least 33 dead as tornadoes ravage central U.S.
Trump freezes U.S.-funded media outlets including Voice of America
Judge halts Trump’s wartime powers plan to speed deportations
U.S. Democrats fume as some in party cave to Trump on spending bill

Sports

Hanshin pitcher Hiroto Saiki threw five scoreless innings as the Tigers topped the Dodgers in an exhibition game on Sunday in Tokyo.
Tigers shut down Ohtani to take exhibition game over Dodgers
By Jason Coskrey
After giving up a home run to the Dodgers star two years ago, Hiroto Saiki got the best of Shohei Ohtani on Sunday as the Tigers completed a weekend sweep of MLB clubs.
IOC's Bach says Paris Games gender row was product of Russian fake news
By Karolos Grohmann
Alpine star Marco Odermatt clinches fourth straight overall World Cup title
To get big in China, NBA stars enlist social media surrogates
By Alex Prewitt
Formula One boss to visit Thailand for talks on Bangkok race

Opinion

The Nikkei stock average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Many firms on the TSE have price-to-book ratios of less than 1, lowering the perceived quality of the exchange, which should consider taking steps to increase valuations and trading volume.
Tokyo Stock Exchange must weed out underperforming firms
Nicholas Benes
Tokyo wants to become Asia's top financial hub, but faces big obstacles. Among them, the presence of too many companies with low profitability and growth prospects.
Fear and loathing in the Oval Office
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
Duterte may yet pay for his lawless war on drugs
America doesn’t need an official language
By Carlos Lozada
Southeast Asia must learn to defend itself
By David Hutt

ENVIRONMENT

Thames Water's Beddington Sewage Treatment Works near Croydon, south London, on Friday. Thames Water, and other British water companies privatized since 1989, are under fire for allowing the discharge of large quantities of sewage into rivers and the sea.
A stain on Britain: Sewage contaminates its waterways and seas
By Kate Holton and Dylan Martinez
Failings with the most basic services in British society, such as water and sewage, have been harming the broader U.K. economy.
Carbon capture industry tweaks message for the Trump era
By John BIERS
Nepal community efforts revive red panda population
By Anup OJHA
Many U.S. bird species seen as reaching population 'tipping point'
By Will Dunham
On the Mongolian steppe, climate change pushes herders to the brink
By Rebecca Bailey

CULTURE

Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time” won the award for best film at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony.
‘A Samurai in Time’ wins top prize at Japan’s premier film event
By Alyssa I. Smith
This country’s answer to the Oscars also saw awards go to “Oppenheimer” and “Faceless.”
Augmented reality artist Omega C navigates a precarious scene for XR art
By Erik Augustin Palm
K-Ballet Tokyo marks 25 years of passion and perseverance
By Kris Kosaka
The sci-fi satire 'Mickey 17' might be a classic — someday
By Mark Leydorf
‘Ravens’ is a portrait of art, love and inner demons
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Tucked away behind the historic Tsuchida sake brewery, Ventinove's location and sleek, angular architecture make for impressive destination dining.
At Ventinove, Tuscan specialties taken to new heights
By Robbie Swinnerton
A former Italian favorite in Tokyo now enjoys a renaissance in a bucolic village in Gunma Prefecture.
A classic combination for spring
By Makiko Itoh
‘Resorts for the spirit’: Touring Kagawa’s art and architecture
By Jennifer Pastore
Square Enix Cafe had everything going for it, except the ability to adapt
By Isabelle Steen
From 'commuting' to 'passing through,' meet the kanji that's always on the move
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Hiromi Okuda’s study abroad experience at the University of Mumbai inspired her to build a career at the intersection of social welfare and IT.
Hiromi Okuda: 'Humans and emerging tech should exist symbiotically'
By Jessica Kozuka
For the past 30 years, Hiromi Okuda has forged a career at the intersection of social welfare and technology.
A shy Shiba mix is ready to bloom
Redevelopment and resistance in historic Nishiogikubo
By Aviraj Gokool
How a Canadian missionary found spiritual transformation in Shikoku
By Suzanne Kamata
Mike Sunda: ‘Creative production comes with a bigger responsibility than ever before’
By Mike Fu

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
As pollen season peaks, Japan's allergy struggle emerges from hibernation
By Jessica Speed
Urbanization is amplifying pollen-related allergies as grasslands and soft soil give way to concrete and asphalt.
JAPAN
Japan to get tough on businesses not taking heatstroke countermeasures
By Tomoko Otake
A construction site in Tokyo in July 2018. Businesses failing to take measures to prevent severe heatstroke among employees will be subjected to criminal punishment from June.
BASEBALL
In a sea of Dodger Blue, Japanese superfan ready to cheer on the Cubs
By Mai Yoshikawa
Takuya “Moby” Okamoto after Game 5 of the 2016 World Series, which the Cubs went on to win in seven games to snap a 108-year drought
ASIA PACIFIC
Drones, budgets and infighting: Taiwan's daunting defense challenges
By Gabriel Dominguez
Officials from Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), the Ministry of National Defense’s research arm, say the lessons from the Ukraine conflict are clear for the democratic island: drones and other autonomous systems are crucial for its defense.
JAPAN
How Upper House pressure led to Ishiba's stunning reversal on medical cost caps
By Himari Semans
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends an Upper House Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Monday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Wealthier women in the prewar era had been the targets of various media-related health campaigns that mistakenly encouraged them to avoid everything from riding bicycles to reading novels when their monthly cycles came around.
Menstruation in Japan: Breaking the silence, slowly
By Tomoko Otake

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WHAT’S TRENDING

WORLD
Canada has a new prime minister with a very hard first assignment
By Vjosa Isai
Mark Carney, Canada's incoming prime minister (center), during a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday. Carney has been sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister, bringing the former central banker to power in the middle of an explosive trade war with the U.S.
WORLD
Despite tough talk, economic woes may force Iran to bargain with Trump
By Parisa Hafezi
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looks on during a meeting with students in Tehran on Wednesday.
JAPAN
The U.S. says Japan has a 700% tariff on American rice. Is that the case?
By Yukana Inoue
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a piece of paper with information about tariff rates at the White House on Tuesday.
WORLD
As Trump thaws ties, Russia has a new public enemy No. 1: Britain
By Andrew Osborn
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as he arrives to attend a summit held at Lancaster House in central London on March 2.
BASEBALL
Japanese superfans turn dental clinic into Ohtani mini-museum
By Irene Wang
Japanese dentist Yusuke Kamimura poses for a photograph in front of a private collection dedicated to MLB player Shohei Ohtani, inside his dental clinic in Koshigaya, north of Tokyo, on Feb. 28, 2025.