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May 22, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
May 22, 2025
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New farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / FOCUS
‘Rice minister’ Koizumi faces urgent task to bring prices down quickly
By Yukana Inoue
Lawmakers have been questioning whether auctioning stockpiled rice is really effective in bringing down prices.
New farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks during a news conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Itsunori Onodera (fourth from left) visits a driver's license center in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, on Wednesday to see how foreign driver's licenses are converted into Japanese ones.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Japan considers toughening rules on driver's license conversions
By Karin Kaneko and Kanako Takahara
The National Police Agency revealed the plan amid concerns that the system for converting a foreign license is too easy.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato (right) and Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda wait for a group photograph to be taken at a meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank governors’ in Banff, Canada, on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan and U.S. reaffirm commitment to letting markets set currency rates
By Francis Tang
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have made a point of not discussing a target yen-dollar rate.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba walks past members of the Philippine Coast Guard at the coast guard's headquarters in Manila on April 30.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba doubles down on weapons cooperation, says no country can go it alone
By Jesse Johnson
Japan has sealed a spate of defense equipment and technology transfer deals in recent years while also looking to build up its homegrown defense industry.
NTT Docomo will retire its iconic Docomo Emoji, ending a 26-year run that helped shape the visual language of mobile communication.
BUSINESS / Companies
NTT Docomo to retire iconic emoji set after 26 years
By Jessica Speed
Beginning next month, newly released Android smartphones and feature phones sold by Docomo will no longer include the carrier’s original emoji.
NTT Docomo will retire its iconic Docomo Emoji, ending a 26-year run that helped shape the visual language of mobile communication.

JAPAN

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan has strongly urged Israel to provide a full explanation of the incident.
Tokyo lodges protest after Israel fires shots at diplomats in West Bank
The diplomats were inspecting a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Police have arrested a former taxi driver on suspicion of drugging and raping a female passenger, with media reports saying there could be dozens more victims.
Japan taxi driver suspected of raping 50 women, reports say
Reports say that the police found about 3,000 videos and images of him sexually assaulting around 50 women in his taxi or his home.
Hiroshima opens up stone chamber containing register of A-bomb victims
Ishiba Cabinet approval falls to 20.9% in new poll
Government to set numerical goals for regional revitalization
Japan police to launch team targeting tokuryū masterminds

BUSINESS

A cargo ship bound for China during a ceremony at a port in the northern Taiwan city of Keelung. Skittish foreign investors have pulled nearly $11 billion out of Taiwan stocks this year.
No place to hide from any China-Taiwan conflict, investors say
By Ankur Banerjee
For investors, the options are to stay out of Taiwan completely or stay invested and hope for the best.
Economic uncertainty and concern about the Bank of Japan reducing its bond purchases have hit Japanese debt recently, taking the 30-year yield to the highest level since records began in 1999.
Treasurys vie for demand with Japan’s bonds
By Alice Gledhill
Economic uncertainty and concern about the Bank of Japan reducing its bond purchases have hit Japanese debt recently.
Japan’s largest business lobby reports pay hikes exceeding 5%
By Erica Yokoyama
Core machinery orders grew for second straight month in March
BOJ dove Noguchi sees no need to change JGB tapering plan
By Yoshiaki Nohara
Sumitomo Mitsui among banks stepping up deals for blended finance
By Sheryl Tian Tong Lee

WORLD

Ushers replace a European Union flag with a Ukrainian flag on the day of an EU leaders' special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense in Brussels on March 6.
'Massive sanctions': Can the EU do much more to punish Russia?
By Max DELANY
Diplomats say it is becoming increasingly difficult to agree on areas to hit Moscow, a task made even tougher by Russia-friendly Hungary.
U.S. President Donald Trump hands papers to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
Trump accuses South Africa of white genocide in Oval Office meeting
By Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason
The carefully choreographed onslaught against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was reminiscent of his February ambush of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Two Israeli embassy staffers shot and killed outside Jewish museum in Washington
By Ben Sheppard
India's mother tongue teaching spells reading success
By Philippe Alfroy
North Korea's Kim offers rare admission of 'serious accident' with new destroyer
By Jesse Johnson
Hacker behind U.S communication breach stole data from across government
By A.J. Vicens and Raphael Satter

Sports

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton attempts a shot against Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Jalen Brunson.
Pacers rally late to stun Knicks in Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals
Tyrese Haliburton scored 31 points and Aaron Nesmith added 30 for the Pacers.
Enhanced Games, where athletes can use banned substances, to start in 2026
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min realizes dream as club wins Europa League
Lindsey Vonn feeling 'amazing' ahead of bid to make U.S. Olympic team at age 40
Iga Swiatek's French Open reign under threat after turbulent year

Opinion

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes part in deliberations on pension system reform in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Ishiba’s comparison of Japan’s finances to Greece’s during a tax debate drew backlash for spooking markets and misrepresenting the country’s debt situation.
Ishiba's Greece debt comparison risks deeper crisis
Gearoid Reidy
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s comparison of Japan’s finances to Greece’s during a tax debate drew backlash for spooking markets and misrepresenting the country’s debt situation.
How efficiency can transform sustainable development
By Tshilidzi Marwala
To fix the U.S. debt problem, Americans must retire later
By Allison Schrager
Why Ishiba pulled a 180 on the gaffe-stricken farm minister
By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Trump’s wake-up call for India’s foreign policy
By Brahma Chellaney

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

An unsuccessful screenwriter (Shunsuke Kazama, right) tries to rekindle the flame with his high-powered spouse (Megumi, left) in “I Still Want To Do It With My Wife.”
‘I Still Want To Do It With My Wife’: Hapless husband’s self-pity wears thin
By James Hadfield
Actor Megumi stands out as the much better half of a sex-starved man-child in Shin Adachi’s autobiographical film.
LGBTQ Thai ghost story wins prize in Cannes
By Alice Hackman
‘Crosspoint’ can’t quite find its target
By Mark Schilling
Adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel premieres at Cannes
By Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray
Women fight for the spotlight in India's macho movie industry
By Seema SINHA

LIFE

With the weather warming up, there's no better time to make a bowl of chilled "surinagashi-jiru" (pureed soup).
Flaunt your seasonal greens with Japan’s traditional pureed soup
By Elizabeth Andoh
Get the best flavor out of your peas and pods by simmering them in a dashi-based broth.
A Japanese dining icon gets a (minor) facelift
By Weiwen Lin
In Nintendo’s backyard, foreign indie game devs are thriving
By Gendel Gento
Fighting Osaka Expo fatigue? Walk the 21-km Loop Line for a cure.
By Edward J. Taylor
Closing the gap between what you learn and what you say in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

FemUniti was founded in 2024 by Setsu Suzuki (right) and Meagan Ward (second from left) to empower women entrepreneurs and connect them to resources and opportunities.
Detroit-Nagoya network empowers women-owned businesses around the world
By Jessica Kozuka
Supporting women in business is a “blueprint for the future,” says the cofounder of femUniti — and she has the data to back it up.
Ayano Kikuchi: ‘People need to take care of themselves holistically’
By Olivia Boissel
Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'
By Kat Joplin
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Nippon Ishin grapples with poor governance ahead of Upper House election
By Eric Johnston
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns
By Yukana Inoue
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
SUMO
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
By John Gunning
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
CULTURE
A window into the mind of Esperantist and political activist Teru Hasegawa
By Martin Laflamme
Teru Hasegawa, Esperanto name Verda Majo, wrote leftist political essays during WWII.
BUSINESS
Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 
By Kazuaki Nagata
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.

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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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
BUSINESS
Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 
By Kazuaki Nagata
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.
BUSINESS
Japan confirms hard-line position ahead of possible tariff talks in Washington
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, at a news conference on Tuesday. He said that when Japan states it wants the tariffs reviewed, it means Tokyo wants them removed.
JAPAN
Tokyo to cover cost of base service fees for water utilities through summer
By Yukana Inoue
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is looking to make the cost of base service fees in water utility bills free during the summer, hoping the financial support will allow residents to turn on their air conditioners and protect themselves against heatstroke.
COMMENTARY
Trump’s wake-up call for India’s foreign policy
By Brahma Chellaney
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 13. Trump’s coercive use of trade threats against India during the Pakistan military crisis has undermined trust in the U.S.-India partnership and exposed Washington as an unreliable security ally.