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July 22, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
July 22, 2025
Japan elections
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“As the first party in parliament, we have to fulfill our responsibility with the public so as to prevent politics from stagnating or drifting away,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Ishiba clings to leadership after election setback
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
In the wake of another electoral setback, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s political capital has plunged.

More coverage

Foreign residents closely follow Japan's election and party pledges
‘Japanese First’ Sanseito emerges as powerful force after Upper House poll
“As the first party in parliament, we have to fulfill our responsibility with the public so as to prevent politics from stagnating or drifting away,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a news conference at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the administration of President Donald Trump's priorities in tariff deals are not the inner workings of the Japanese government, but the American people.
BUSINESS
U.S. seeking best deal for Americans in talks with Japan, Bessent says
The treasury secretary said the inner workings of the Japanese government are not a priority, in an apparent check on Tokyo's aim to review U.S. automobile tariffs.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the start of bilateral talks during the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aides to Trump and Xi discussed autumn U.S.-China leaders' meeting
By Trevor Hunnicutt
Ideas floated include a Trump stopover around the time of an APEC summit in South Korea or talks on the sidelines of the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 event.
The Microsoft logo is seen at the Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest industrial trade fairs in Hanover, Germany, on March 31.
BUSINESS / Tech
Microsoft rushes to stop hackers from wreaking global havoc
By JAKE BLEIBERG, Jane Lanhee Lee and Mark Anderson
Unidentified hackers are exploiting a flaw in the SharePoint document management software to break into the systems of governments, businesses and other organizations.
In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan
By Alex K.T. Martin
AI chatbots are becoming stand-ins for pets and partners — offering comfort, connection and raising new concerns.
In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.

JAPAN

Kunashiri, one of the four islands seized by Russia in the last days of World War II, is visible from the Shiretoko Peninsula in northeastern Hokkaido.
Ex-residents of Russian-controlled islands off Hokkaido want grave-site visits resumed
By Eric Johnston
Now in their advanced years, the former residents want the visits to be restored for them to honor their ancestors whose grave sites are located on the four islands.
Ayaka Shiomura, running for an Upper House seat on a Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan ticket in the Tokyo district, was one of 42 women elected in Sunday's election.
Japan elects record number of women to Upper House
By Yukana Inoue
Female candidates won 42 of the 125 seats contested on Sunday, up from 35 seats in the last election in 2022.
Zelenskyy taps fluent Japanese speaker as new envoy to Tokyo
Lawyers file lawsuit to nullify Upper House election
Japan briefs Australia on frigate for export
Swimming lessons disappearing from Japan's public junior high schools

BUSINESS

Upper House votes being counted on Sunday. The Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the upper chamber of parliament, but could still be effective in thwarting the opposition.
Consumption tax cut not a given even after Upper House election
By Kazuaki Nagata
Political and economic realities suggest that opposition policies will not skate through.
Chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa in Osaka on Saturday. On Monday, Akazawa flew to the United States for another round of tariff negotiations.
Akazawa jets to Washington for tariff talks after historic election
By Francis Tang
If an agreement with the U.S. can't be reached before Aug. 1, the "reciprocal" tariff rate imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump rises to 25%.
Scandals put Japanese nonlife insurers' business model at a crossroads
Japanese bonds remain vulnerable as unpopular Ishiba holds on
By Alice French
Lawmakers want U.S. tech CEOs to address concerns about submarine cables
By David Shepardson
Meta, X and LinkedIn appeal unprecedented VAT claim by Italy
By Emilio Parodi

WORLD

The Dragon Bravo Fire burns on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon as seen from Grandeur Point on the southern rim, in Arizona, on July 14.
Trump staff cuts force firefighters to clean toilets, critics say
By Andrew Hay
The U.S. is grappling with decade-high wildfire numbers this year.
An armored truck transports Russia's Geran unmanned combat aerial vehicles before a military parade on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, in Moscow on May 9.
Russian TV shows teenagers making arms at 'world's biggest drone factory'
By Andrew Osborn
The suicide drones are used by Russia to attack Ukraine.
Landmine dispute escalates tensions between Thailand and Cambodia
Philippine president and top U.S. officials vow to ramp up deterrence
By Jesse Johnson
Anxiety and pride among Cambodia's future conscripts
By Suy SE
Western aid cuts cede ground in Southeast Asia to China, study suggests

Sports

Ichiro Suzuki will soon become the first Japanese player to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Induction of Ichiro has Cooperstown fretfully preparing
By Evan Drellich
The star's entry into baseball's Hall of Fame could bring an influx of fans from far away.
England players suffered racist abuse from fans in Argentina, World Rugby says
Del Castillo and Spain 'full of hope' ahead of Germany Euro 2025 semi
By Pablo Melian
Rowland targets multiple titles after Formula E breakthrough
By Alan Baldwin
European captain Luke Donald agrees to Ryder Cup rules change

Opinion

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba takes part in a campaign event in Yokohama on July 6. Japan faces deep structural challenges but lacks bold political vision and leaders willing to take risks for transformative change.
Performative ‘elections’ expose a sad lack of vision
Stephen R. Nagy
Political parties jostle for position and trade barbs but offer no clear plan for Japan’s growing structural challenges.
Scientists can’t stay in their ivory tower
By Yuko Kakazu
Why there isn’t a best chef in the world
By Howard Chua-Eoan
The Middle Ages are making a political comeback
By Adrian Wooldridge
Conservatives win big in Japan — just not the Liberal Democratic Party
By Michael MacArthur Bosack

ENVIRONMENT

Polymetallic nodules — bulbous lumps of rock that are rich in battery metals such as cobalt and nickel which carpet huge tracts of Pacific Ocean seabed — in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands on June 12.
Trump’s critical minerals obsession reignites deep-sea mining
By Todd Woody
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order expediting U.S. licensing of seabed mining, departing from international law.
Restoring sea floor after mining may not be possible, researchers warn
By Amelie Bottollier-Depois
Pakistan's quiet solar rush puts pressure on national grid
By Zain Zaman Janjua
How schools are being built for extreme heat — without air conditioning
By Emma Batha
World risks up to $39 trillion in losses from vanishing wetlands: report
By Duncan Miriri

CULTURE

One of Leonard Foujita’s biggest muses was himself. He painted self-portraits, often with a cat on his side, looking back at the viewer. He posed for photographers throughout his life, the displayed photos showing he retained his signature bowl cut and round glasses.
The self as a muse: Leonard Foujita's world in paintings and photos
By Jennifer Pastore
“Foujita: Painting and Photography” at Tokyo Station Gallery is being billed as the first exploration of the artist as a photographer and has been a decade in the making.
What to pack if you are heading to the Fuji Rock Festival
Kawaii Lab redefines idol pop for the TikTok generation
By Patrick St. Michel
Akutagawa and Naoki award decision marks rare absence of literary prizewinners
By Alyssa I. Smith
‘Love Doesn't Matter to Me’: Romance takes a backseat to female friendship
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

You don't need an oven to make Kenji Morimoto's easy and delicious Miso Sticky Toffee Crepe Cake.
In microbes we trust: Embracing the nature of fermented food
By Simon Daly
With simple, fuss-free recipes, Kenji Morimoto's debut cookbook effortlessly guides home cooks into the unpredictable but rewarding world of fermentation.
In Gaza-made obi, Palestinian embroidery meets Japanese kimono
By Anna Sakamoto
Dancers, festivals and one very useful Japanese grammar point
By Yaeko Kabe
Cool to be square: A block of tofu with veggies to chill your summer
By Elizabeth Andoh
Sega’s first Japan store signals ‘immersive entertainment’ push
By Gendel Gento

COMMUNITY

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan
By Megha Wadhwa
Remote work is reshaping how Indian professionals navigate life, family and identity in a post-pandemic Japan.
The mothers holding up Japan's Vietnamese community
By Nguyen Bao Anh
Lilimi settles into a new life
Tobias Bieker: ‘A good interviewer helps the guest shine’
By Gendel Gento
A furever friend: Tips for responsible dog ownership in Japan
By Kat Joplin

Editors' Picks

ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s top brands get tied up in the great sunscreen debate
By Tomoko Otake
A coral reef in Okinawa in July 2022. Some jurisdictions around the world have moved to ban certain sunscreens in a bid to protect coral reefs, but some say the impact on reefs is far from clear.
WORLD
Pentagon looks to unleash ‘military drone dominance’
By Gabriel Dominguez
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10.
CULTURE
‘Noto Democracy’ and the slow work of civic change
By Moe Shimizu
Yukio Iokibe’s “Noto Democracy" centers on Motoyuki Takii, a former junior high school teacher who publishes a handwritten newspaper every month to encourage the residents of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, to engage in local politics.
LIFE
In microbes we trust: Embracing the nature of fermented food
By Simon Daly
You don't need an oven to make Kenji Morimoto's easy and delicious Miso Sticky Toffee Crepe Cake.
LIFE
Touring the Silk Road — without leaving Tokyo
By Kimberly Hughes
One of the entrances to Pao Compound, a nine-story Silk Road-inspired complex in Tokyo's Higashinakano neighborhood

Podcast

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

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Japan ruling bloc loses majority in Upper House after election drubbing
By Kanako Takahara, Gabriele Ninivaggi and Francis Tang
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who serves concurrently as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, leaves at the party's headquarters following announcement of Upper House election result projections in Tokyo early Monday.
JAPAN
‘Japanese First’ Sanseito emerges as powerful force after Upper House poll
By Himari Semans
Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya in Tokyo on Sunday night
JAPAN
Foreign residents closely follow Japan's election and party pledges
By Jessica Speed
A police officer walks past posters of Liberal Democratic Party candidates, as well as one showing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, outside the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday. As Japan’s foreign population continues to rise, one of the talking points during Sunday’s election was how the country should deal with the increase of international residents.
ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s top brands get tied up in the great sunscreen debate
By Tomoko Otake
A coral reef in Okinawa in July 2022. Some jurisdictions around the world have moved to ban certain sunscreens in a bid to protect coral reefs, but some say the impact on reefs is far from clear.
MORE SPORTS
Hitomi Obara, 2012 Olympic champion in wrestling, dies at 44
Hitomi Obara competes at the London Olympics in August 2012.