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TOKYO
August 31, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 31, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Members of a trade association hold posters of U.S. President Donald Trump and shout slogans during a protest against the recent tariff hikes imposed by the U.S. on India in New Delhi on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. trading partners ‘dazed and confused’ after tariff court loss
Japan, which made an oral deal with little in writing, may choose to slow walk current efforts until there is more U.S. legal clarity, experts said.
Members of a trade association hold posters of U.S. President Donald Trump and shout slogans during a protest against the recent tariff hikes imposed by the U.S. on India in New Delhi on Saturday.
Ryosei Akazawa
BUSINESS / Economy
Top Japan trade negotiator canceled U.S. trip over rice, report says
Officials are unhappy that a U.S. presidential order would include plans for Japan to increase purchases of American rice and a reduction of tariffs on agricultural products.
U.S. President Donald Trump wears a "Trump Was Right About Everything!" hat, as he visits The People’s House: A White House Experience museum in Washington on Aug. 22.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Seeking more power, Trump uses firings to test presidential limits
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jeff Mason
The actions underscored Trump's desire for influence in sectors normally seen as independent from overt political control.
Chinese People's Liberation Army troops attend training ahead of a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing on Aug. 20.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Defying West, China's Xi gathers 'Axis of Upheaval' for military parade
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un will attend the "Victory Day" parade on Sept. 3 — the first time they have appeared in public alongside Xi.
Tattoos have a complex history in Japan, but new types of temporary ink are letting locals curious about body art experiment without the commitment.
LIFE / Style & Design
Japan is warming up to tattoos — just not permanent ones
By Saki Toi
Tokyo’s tattoo artists say natural dyes and ‘made-to-fade’ inks are helping to push back on the long-held stigma against body art.
Tattoos have a complex history in Japan, but new types of temporary ink are letting locals curious about body art experiment without the commitment.

JAPAN

Foreign tourists at Narita Airport in June. A report released Friday stresses that Japan is at a turning point and that current ad-hoc measures on immigration are no longer sufficient.
Japan to launch broad review of immigration policies amid rise in foreign nationals
By Jessica Speed
The government is set to create a task force to review its immigration plans and prevent social division between foreign nationals and citizens.
A group of Ground Self-Defense Force service members discuss drone operations and capabilities at a joint static display during the Orient Shield 24 opening ceremony at the Yausubetsu Training Area in Hokkaido in July last year.
Japan looks to build drone ‘shield’ in record defense budget request
By Jesse Johnson
The Defense Ministry is seeking a budget exceeding ¥8.8 trillion that includes a ¥128.7 billion plan to build a multilayered coastal defense system.
British defense chief emphasizes close security ties with Japan
U.S. to temporarily deploy powerful Typhon missile system to Japan for drills
Bookmaker linked to ex-Ohtani interpreter sentenced to prison
Government agencies draw up fiscal year 2026 tax reform requests

BUSINESS

A building which houses the Hokuhoku Financial Group headquarters in Toyama.
Best-performing Japan bank plays BOJ outlook with short debt
By Taiga Uranaka
The president of Hokuhoku Financial Group said he expects the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in October or December if "things go smoothly.”
A sleepy Tokyo-listed operator of nail salons is aiming to reinvent itself as one of the world’s largest corporate holders of Bitcoin.
Japanese nails salon attempts reinvention as major bitcoin holder
By Suvashree Ghosh
The shift is the latest in a wave of radical financial reinventions pulling the likes of biotech firms and regional banks into crypto’s orbit.
Indian PM Modi tours Miyagi chip plant with Ishiba
By Sakura Murakami and Gareth Allan
Samsung and SK Hynix lose U.S. waiver on chip gear for China use
Most Trump tariffs are not legal, U.S. appeals court rules
Citigroup asks two Japan bankers to rethink leaving in talent war

WORLD

Andriy Parubiy delivers a speech during a NATO session in Budapest in 2015. The Ukrainian lawmaker, who formerly served as speak of parliament, was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday.
Andriy Parubiy, a leading political figure in Ukraine, shot dead
Parubiy was a former speaker of Ukraine's parliament and was a top figure in the country's pro-European protest movements in 2004 and 2014.
Anutin Charnvirakul speaks during an interview in Bangkok in 2023. Anutin, whose father briefly served as Thailand’s caretaker leader in 2008, said late Friday he had support of enough lawmakers to become prime minister.
Anutin leads race to become Thai PM with pledge to hold poll
By Patpicha Tanakasempipat
Anutin, whose father briefly served as Thailand’s caretaker leader in 2008, said late Friday he had support of enough lawmakers to become prime minister.
Protesters set fire to Indonesian parliament buildings in several provinces
Senior U.S. senator expects joint weapons production with Taiwan
Beyond the 'bling,' China aims for deterrence in military show
By Greg Torode
China's Xi prepares meeting of SCO security bloc to rival U.S.-led world order

Sports

Red Bull's Max Verstappen during a practice on Saturday against of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen: Fan favorite but — for once — not race favorite for home GP
It is impossible to avoid Max Verstappen at Zandvoort during the Dutch Grand Prix. But for once, the Dutch start won't be the favorite at his home race.
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber blasts 4 home runs in win over Braves
F1 leader Oscar Piastri backs McLaren over moves at Hungarian Grand Prix
Hawaii kicker Kansei Matsuzawa walks unique path in college football
By Jason Coskrey
Sebastian Coe confident gene testing will be completed for Tokyo worlds

Opinion

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba meet in Tokyo on Aug. 23, before Lee traveled to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lee Jae Myung had a very good week
Lee said that he had read the “Art of the Deal” — Trump’s ghost-written magnum opus — before their meeting and reportedly got advice on handling the U.S. leader from Ishiba.
The global perils of China’s new ‘superdam’ project
By Brahma Chellaney
Japan must prepare for a post-American Indo-Pacific
By Stephen R. Nagy
McDonald’s 'Pokemon' frenzy shows the collecting boom’s dark side
By Gearoid Reidy
Trump’s tariffs should spur Indo-Japan convergence
By Varuna Shankar

ENVIRONMENT

A worker wearing protective equipment walks near the Electric Arc Furnace at the 7 Steel facility in Cardiff, Wales, on July 18.
Sky-high electricity costs hindering the U.K.'s progress toward net zero
By Kate Holton and Susanna Twidale
Energy bills have stripped firms of money to improve efficiency, deterred the shift to lower-carbon power sources and made wind-farm, pylon and battery production less competitive.
Record wildfires burn more than 1 million hectares of EU land this year
By Kate Abnett
Are bridges near you safe? This MRI-like scan may prevent disaster
By Coco Liu
'Restoring dignity': Kenya slum exchange offers water for plastic
Spain's 16-day heat wave is 'most intense on record'

CULTURE

Headlining the second day of YouTube Music Weekend is Vocaloid artist Kikuo, who, with 1.46 million YouTube subscribers, is one of the most popular artists in the genre.
YouTube Music Weekend is where Japan’s internet-born performers go global
By Patrick St. Michel
YouTube's three-day weekend of online performances features a medley of Vocaloid, hyperpop, rock and pop artists in a supportive, cultural festival atmosphere.
ChatGPT controversy is the least interesting part of 'Sympathy Tower Tokyo'
By Thu-Huong Ha
Sakurazaka46 wants the world to dance along
By Patrick St. Michel
In pictures: Koenji Awa Odori 2025
By Johan Brooks
Virtual singer Kaf's music becomes magic in 'Kamitsubaki City Under Construction'
By Alicia Haddick

LIFE

Tattoos have a complex history in Japan, but new types of temporary ink are letting locals curious about body art experiment without the commitment.
Japan is warming up to tattoos — just not permanent ones
By Saki Toi
Tokyo’s tattoo artists say natural dyes and ‘made-to-fade’ inks are helping to push back on the long-held stigma against body art.
A fuss-free Okinawan stir-fry to boost your energy in the heat
By Makiko Itoh
Sip a bespoke coffee for ¥4,000
By Melinda Joe
How to complain politely: Lessons from the McDonald’s Pokemon debacle
By Yuko Tamura
Sega's ninja-themed Shinobi series is back from the dead
By Owen Ziegler

COMMUNITY

Jesse Kirkwood is part of a vibrant field of translators who have nurtured what might be called a “post-Murakami era of Japanese literature and translation,” one book at a time.
Jesse Kirkwood: ‘Languages are entire cultural universes with all sorts of baggage’
By Kris Kosaka
The Japanese-English literary translator reflects on catching the recent wave of “post-Murakami” fiction and how he balances reading for work versus pleasure.
Tosca turns a new leaf in a new home
More Than Music makes space for creative communion
By Shyam Bhardwa
Seri Yanai: ‘We mix modern and analog to create something new’
By Ayako Nakano
Carl J. Green, mentor to a generation of ‘Japan hands,’ dies at 85
By Matthew Goodman

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Japan to launch broad review of immigration policies amid rise in foreign nationals
By Jessica Speed
Foreign tourists at Narita Airport in June. A report released Friday stresses that Japan is at a turning point and that current ad-hoc measures on immigration are no longer sufficient.
CULTURE
YouTube Music Weekend is where Japan’s internet-born performers go global
By Patrick St. Michel
Headlining the second day of YouTube Music Weekend is Vocaloid artist Kikuo, who, with 1.46 million YouTube subscribers, is one of the most popular artists in the genre.
JAPAN
Japan looks to build drone ‘shield’ in record defense budget request
By Jesse Johnson
A group of Ground Self-Defense Force service members discuss drone operations and capabilities at a joint static display during the Orient Shield 24 opening ceremony at the Yausubetsu Training Area in Hokkaido in July last year.
JAPAN
Can anime carry the memories of World War II?
By Yukana Inoue
Many schools in Japan show "Grave of the Fireflies" as educational material to tell the emotionally grueling story of a boy who has no means to prevent his sister from starving to death.
COMMUNITY
Jesse Kirkwood: ‘Languages are entire cultural universes with all sorts of baggage’
By Kris Kosaka
Jesse Kirkwood is part of a vibrant field of translators who have nurtured what might be called a “post-Murakami era of Japanese literature and translation,” one book at a time.

Podcast

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

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons
Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Philippine bid to acquire used Japanese warships gains steam
By Gabriel Dominguez
Tokyo is looking to transfer Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines as part of broader efforts to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
JAPAN
Japan to launch broad review of immigration policies amid rise in foreign nationals
By Jessica Speed
Foreign tourists at Narita Airport in June. A report released Friday stresses that Japan is at a turning point and that current ad-hoc measures on immigration are no longer sufficient.
BUSINESS
Top Japan trade negotiator canceled U.S. trip over rice, report says
Ryosei Akazawa
JAPAN
Most Japanese teens struggling with school find end of summer ‘painful’
By Jessica Speed
Some 93.1% of Japanese teenagers who struggle with school life said they felt like they “wanted to disappear from the world" at the end of summer vacation ahead of the start of a new term, according to a recent survey released by Yokohama-based nonprofit Daisan Kazoku.
BUSINESS
Most Trump tariffs are not legal, U.S. appeals court rules
Workers hang a large poster of U.S. President Donald Trump on the facade of the Department of Labor headquarters building in Washington on Wednesday.