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September 06, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 06, 2025
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U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, shake hands.
BUSINESS / Economy
Trump signs order reducing tariffs on Japanese autos
By Francis Tang
The executive order signed by the U.S. president on Thursday in Washington sets auto tariffs on Japan at 15%.

More coverage

Japan's $550 billion investment pledge outlined in MOU
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, shake hands.
Cannabidiol products in New York in October 2014. Tetrahydrocannabinol, which gives the “high” often associated with marijuana, is illegal in Japan if it exceeds a certain amount.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Japan has ‘strictest standard in the world’ when it comes to CBD products
By Yukana Inoue
The country’s threshold for tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound derived from cannabis that gives the “high,” is just 10 parts per million, compared with 3,000 ppm in the U.S.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles (left) and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (second from left) pose with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (second from right) and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
After China’s military parade, Japan and Australia agree to elevate defense ties
By Gabriel Dominguez
The countries’ top diplomats and defense chiefs committed to deepening collective deterrence amid shared concerns over the security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.
The National Police Agency has issued a rulebook for cyclists detailing violations subject to fines from April 2026 onward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
New rulebook for cycling in Japan details fines for minor violations
By Jessica Speed
Traffic offenses that will prompt police to issue tickets for fines on the spot include talking on the phone or staring at it while cycling and railroad crossing violations.
A statue of World Athletics Championships mascot Riku One stands outside National Stadium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Tokyo organizers begin final countdown to World Athletics Championships
By Sam Byford
Organizers have introduced a number of measures to keep fans safe from the heat during the nine-day event.
A statue of World Athletics Championships mascot Riku One stands outside National Stadium in Tokyo.

JAPAN

A construction crew works at the site of a massive sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, in February.
Saitama sinkhole attributed to hydrogen sulfide corrosion
Hydrogen sulfide was detected in corroded concrete fragments recovered from the accident site.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba heads toward the Upper House hall in Tokyo on Aug. 1.
Ishiba reaffirms intent to stay on after tariffs lowered
By Sakura Murakami and Gareth Allan
In a further sign of his intention to stay on, he also announced later in the day that his government will compile an economic package this autumn.
Man served new arrest warrant over access to Japanese comedian's account
Japan to start a new support system for crime victims next year
Japan to experience blood moon lunar eclipse on Monday
By Elizabeth Beattie
Tropical Storm Peipah brings heavy rain to parts of western Japan

BUSINESS

Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory in Gruenheide, Germany, in March 2022.
Tesla offers unprecedented $1 trillion pay package to Musk
The long-awaited proposal, designed to incentivize Musk to lead Tesla for years to come, sets a series of ambitious benchmarks he must meet to earn the full payout.
The new Prelude model released by Honda, on Thursday in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward
Honda to revive Prelude sports car after 24 years
The major Japanese automaker targets annual domestic sales of 3,500 units for the new Prelude, a hybrid coupe.
Japan to hike minimum wage by record amount, backing BOJ’s rate hikes
By Erica Yokoyama and Keiko Ujikane
BOJ’s October rate stance tough to call, its ex-chief economist says
By Toru Fujioka and Sumio Ito
Trump's pick for Fed tells Senate panel he's 'not at all' president's puppet
By Ann Saphir and Bo Erickson
Trump asks Supreme Court to quickly uphold global tariffs
By Greg Stohr and Zoe Tillman

WORLD

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron speak during a news conference following the Coalition of the Willing Summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on Thursday.
26 nations vow to give Ukraine postwar security guarantees, Macron says
By John Irish
A meeting of the "coalition of the willing" was intended to finalize security guarantees for Ukraine and ask U.S. President Donald Trump for backing.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of the Bhumjaithai party, ahead of his election as prime minister of Thailand, in parliament in Bangkok on Friday.
Thailand's Anutin Charnvirakul elected PM by parliament
Anutin trounced the candidate of the Shinawatra family's once-dominant ruling party to end a week of chaos and political deadlock.
Nepal to block some social media platforms, including Facebook
By Gopal Sharma
These Trump voters back his immigration crackdown, but some worry about his methods
By Julia Harte
Could humans live forever, as Putin was heard telling Xi?
By Julien DURY and Daniel Lawler
Trump to rename Department of Defense the 'Department of War,' official says
By Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali

Sports

Members of the Japanese team for the World Athletics Championships pose for photos at Meiji Kinenkan on Thursday.
Team Japan seeks ‘passionate support’ at World Athletics Championships
By Sam Byford
The World Athletics Championships kick off at Tokyo’s National Stadium on Sept. 13.
Itochu sells Japan’s first orange bonds for gender equality
By Takahiko Hyuga
Naomi Osaka inspired by performance as U.S. Open run ends in semifinals
Super Bowl champion Eagles hold off rival Cowboys in NFL season opener
Aryna Sabalenka ready to take fight to Nick Kyrgios in 'Battle of the Sexes' showdown

Opinion

East Asia’s fertility plunge is driven not just by financial costs but by perfectionist cultural expectations that burden parents with intense educational and social demands.
‘Confugenics’ and East Asia's demographic crisis
Waka Ikeda
The numbers are staggering when you dig into them. Parents in Japan covered half of higher education costs in 2024 — more than double the OECD average.
Putin sees only U.S. weakness in Ukraine
By Max Hastings
China looks to the past to signal its future
AI doesn’t just lie — it can make you believe it
By F.D. Flam
Who’s winning the U.S.-China artificial intelligence race?
By Stephen S. Roach

ENVIRONMENT

Scorched land following a wildfire in the village of San Vicente de Leira, in Galicia, Spain, on Aug. 21.
How Europe lost an area the size of Cyprus to wildfires this year
By Laura Millan and Joe Wertz
Climate change is playing a major role in Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, as searing heat and drought fueled this summer’s blazes.
Scientists assail ‘cherry-picking’ of Trump administration climate report
By Eric Roston
New wave: Sea power turned into energy at Los Angeles port
By Romain FONSEGRIVES
Ancient tombs unearthed in Iraq due to drought
How Tokyo's Ueno Zoo helps their animals cope with extreme heat
By Carolina Pichardo

CULTURE

“Swallows” examines the intersections of class and reproductive issues with a focus on its protagonist who is talked into becoming a surrogate for a wealthy couple.
‘Swallows' untangles the murky ethics of selling motherhood
By Kris Kosaka
“Swallows” examines the intersections of class and reproductive issues with a focus on its protagonist who is talked into becoming a surrogate for a wealthy couple.
‘How Dare You’ turns environmental activism into a youthful adventure
By Mark Schilling
‘A Pale View of Hills’: A chilling, borderless adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel
By Mark Schilling
English textbook targets a skills gap in Japan’s growing anime industry
By Matt Schley
ChatGPT controversy is the least interesting part of 'Sympathy Tower Tokyo'
By Thu-Huong Ha

LIFE

At Syn, chef Naoto Ohno's playfulness is evident in the "Apple," a replica fruit filled with applejack-flavored foie gras and served on a plate decorated with a familiar logo.
With a global approach, Syn gives French cuisine plenty of latitude
By Phoebe Amoroso
Up-and-coming chef Naoto Ohno draws from his rich travel experiences to redefine cooking traditions at his restaurant in Fukuoka.
Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91
By Ella IDE
Vogue appoints Chloe Malle to replace fashion doyenne Anna Wintour
Mark Japan’s Sleep Day by making some lifestyle changes
By Yuko Tamura
A fuss-free Okinawan stir-fry to boost your energy in the heat
By Makiko Itoh

COMMUNITY

The Betsukai Pilot Spirits welcomed new players (left to right) Yuta Yamanaka, Roman Guthrie, Scott Bellina and Leo Jiminian this year, pictured here with Yassir Lachkar of the Ishikari Red Phoenix.
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall
The residents of Betsukai, Hokkaido — where cows outnumber people 7-to-1 — have extended a warm welcome to five players from overseas who joined the Pilot Spirits.
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms
Jesse Kirkwood: ‘Languages are entire cultural universes with all sorts of baggage’
By Kris Kosaka
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

Editors' Picks

SUMO
London’s calling and sumo’s top division — along with Hello Kitty — are ready to answer
By John Gunning
Yokozuna Hoshoryu and Hello Kitty, an ambassador for sumo's upcoming tour to London, at Tokyo's Kokugikan on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Resonac creates 27-member consortium to pursue advanced chip developments
By Kazuaki Nagata
Representatives from member companies of JOINT3, a consortium working together on semiconductor-related developments announced by Resonac, pose for a photo in Tokyo on Wednesday.
CULTURE
Haru Nemuri’s radical new album refuses easy listening
By Patrick St. Michel
Musician Haruna Kimishima, better known as Haru Nemuri, confronts Japan’s politics, nationalism and censorship on her recent output.
COMMUNITY
Overseas sluggers step up to bat in small-town Hokkaido
By Justin Randall
The Betsukai Pilot Spirits welcomed new players (left to right) Yuta Yamanaka, Roman Guthrie, Scott Bellina and Leo Jiminian this year, pictured here with Yassir Lachkar of the Ishikari Red Phoenix.
ASIA PACIFIC
Xi — joined by Kim and Putin — delivers stark warning at military parade
By Jesse Johnson
Chinese leader Xi Jinping walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing on Wednesday.

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

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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

COMMENTARY
Bangladesh is a South Asian time bomb
By Brahma Chellaney
Many Bangladeshis hoped that the overthrow of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina last year would revitalize the country’s democracy after an authoritarian lurch under the “iron lady.” Instead it has led to proliferating human-rights abuses, intensifying repression and widespread Islamist violence.
JAPAN
Tropical Storm Peipah brings heavy rain to parts of western Japan
Tropical Storm Peipah made landfall in western Japan on Friday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue warnings of landslides and other disasters due to heavy rainfall in several areas.
BUSINESS
Trump signs order reducing tariffs on Japanese autos
By Francis Tang
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, shake hands.
BUSINESS
Tamagotchi hatches 100 million shipments worldwide thanks to ’90s nostalgia
By Elizabeth Beattie
The latest version of Tamagotchi, called Tamagotchi Paradise, is awarded the best digital toy at Tokyo Toy Show on Aug. 28.
BUSINESS
Japan alerting consumers to cash-on-delivery problems
In fiscal 2024 through March this year, the National Consumers Affairs Center received inquiries and gave advice on problems associated with cash-on-delivery services.