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June 09, 2025
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June 09, 2025
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Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho attends a news conference to announce his retirement from the Japan Sumo Association and reveal his future plans in Tokyo on Monday.
SUMO
Former yokozuna Hakuho leaves Japanese sumo; plans to develop sport outside JSA
By Kanako Takahara
The impetus for the decision, Hakuho said, was the failure of the JSA to provide a clear timeline about the restoration of Miyagino stable.
Former <i>yokozuna</i> Hakuho attends a news conference to announce his retirement from the Japan Sumo Association and reveal his future plans in Tokyo on Monday.
Online brokerage accounts are being taken over through the use of malware, phishing and other techniques.
BUSINESS / Markets
Online brokerage account hijackings continue in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
In May, over 2,000 unauthorized transactions were logged by the Financial Services Agency.
Members of the California National Guard stand outside the Edward R. Roybal federal building after their deployment by U.S. President Donald Trump, in response to protests, in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
LA clashes escalate as Trump, Newsom spar over National Guard
By Alicia A. Caldwell and John Gittelsohn
The tense demonstration follows two days of protests sparked by sweeping U.S. immigration raids across the region.
Officials and government leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin (center right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow on May 9.
WORLD / Politics
Secret Russian intelligence document shows deep suspicion of China
By Paul Sonne, Anton Troianovski and Jacob Judah
Some officials believe Beijing is trying to recruit Russian spies and steal sensitive military tech, at times by luring disaffected Russian scientists.
For Isamu Tatsuno, the founder and CEO of outdoor gear maker Montbell, his youth was all about reaching the pinnacle. Today, he’s far more interested in enjoying the journey.
BUSINESS / Companies
Montbell founder went from a feeble boy to a renowned mountaineer
By Elizabeth Beattie
Drawing on his experience as a climber, Isamu Tatsuno planned ahead for the survival of his outdoor gear and clothing company. It paid off.
For Isamu Tatsuno, the founder and CEO of outdoor gear maker Montbell, his youth was all about reaching the pinnacle. Today, he’s far more interested in enjoying the journey.

JAPAN

The Kadena U.S. Air Force Base in Okinawa Prefecture. An emergency call was made at around 11:15 a.m. reporting that a small-scale explosion occurred at a storage depot for unexploded shells.
Explosion at U.S. air base in Okinawa injures four
Four Ground Self-Defense Force members were injured in the incident, but none of them are in critical condition.
Visitors at the Osaka Expo in the city of Osaka on Friday
Osaka Expo sees strong ticket sales
If the current pace continues, total cumulative sales may reach 18.4 million, the level that makes the operation of the six-month Osaka Expo profitable.
Ishiba agrees to strengthen ties with South Korea's Lee in call
Chinese aircraft carrier enters Japan's economic waters, says Tokyo
Religious corporation sales rising in Japan amid tax evasion concerns
Construction of Tohoku nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant ongoing after 30 years

BUSINESS

Japan's gross domestic product shrank at an annualized pace of 0.2% in the three months through March, the revised data showed, confirming the country's economy shrank even before U.S. President Donald Trump amped up tariff pressure in April.
Japan confirms GDP contraction, backing BOJ’s cautious stance
By Erica Yokoyama
GDP shrank at an annualized pace of 0.2% in the three months through March, a less severe drop than the initial estimate of a 0.7% decline.
The BYD Han full-size luxury sedan. EV industry analysts say a combination of weaker demand and extreme overcapacity will slice into profits at the strongest brands and force feebler competitors to fold.
BYD unleashes an EV industry reckoning that alarms Beijing
The price war engulfing China’s electric vehicle industry has sent share prices tumbling and prompted an unusual level of intervention from Beijing. The shakeout may just be getting started.
Meta set to throw billions at startup that leads AI data market
By Rachel Metz
Nomura to shut branch in China as it scales back wealth business
Elliott calls for Sumitomo Realty improvements in rare letter
By Lisa Du
Goldman CIO service suddenly catches on in Japan after 10 years
By Lisa Du, Takashi Nakamichi and Echo Wong

WORLD

Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg speaks together with part of the crew of the ship Madleen, before departure for the Gaza Strip, in Catania, Italy, on June 1.
Israel blocks Greta Thunberg’s ship from reaching Gaza, group says
By Alisa Odenheimer and Jon Herskovitz
The vessel was intercepted about 200 kilometers from Gaza, according to coordinates provided by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd at St. Peter's square in the Vatican on Sunday.
Pope Leo condemns 'exclusionary mindset' in Pentecost address
The pope's choice of language was significant, encouraging people to "open borders" within their hearts and minds.
South Korean president's election law violation trial postponed indefinitely
Can big stars bring higher-spending tourists back to Hong Kong?
By Tiffany May
Russian intelligence says it collects WeChat data. What does that mean?
By Aaron Krolik and Paul Sonne
Italy holds referendum on citizenship and workers' rights

Sports

Carlos Alcaraz (center) celebrates with the ball boys and girls after his win in the French Open final in Paris on Sunday.
'Prince of Clay' Carlos Alcaraz stages epic rally to retain French Open crown
The victory made Alcaraz only the second man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win his first five Grand Slam singles finals.
Junto Nakatani remains on collision course with Naoya Inoue after latest win
By Jason Coskrey
French Open champion Coco Gauff proud to represent 'Americans that look like me'
Thunder roll past Pacers in Game 2 to even NBA Finals
Junto Nakatani wins slugfest against Ryosuke Nishida to unify WBC and IBF titles
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

Japan is the world's biggest market for Iqos, a heat-not-burn tobacco product marketed by its maker Philip Morris as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes — a claim not backed by independent scientific research.
Smoke and mirrors: How big tobacco manipulates science in Japan
Shiro Konuma
In Japan, not only does the tobacco industry have close ties to government, but universities are also vulnerable to its influence. In this equation, public health loses out.
A return to normalcy in South Korea, but hard work lies ahead
Mark Zuckerberg finally found a use for his Metaverse — war
By Dave Lee
A new generation of 'Japan hands' and a changing world
By Joshua W. Walker
South Korea's new president has a chance to clean up
By David Fickling

ENVIRONMENT

The small village of Blatten in the Swiss Alps was destroyed by a landslide after part of a glacier collapsed last week.
How Switzerland's Birch glacier collapsed
By Robin Millard
There are strong theories on the causes, and to what degree it is linked to climate change — but these are yet to be confirmed by scientific analysis.
Swiss glacier collapse is a lesson on climate disaster management
By Laura Millan
Octopus invasion in English Channel flags marine heat wave risks
By Joe Wertz
Half the world has faced an extra month of extreme heat, study finds
China is eroding Japan's LNG dominance. How does that affect Japanese buyers?
By Nithin Coca

CULTURE

Lee Sang-il’s "Kokuho" stars Ryo Yoshizawa as an orphan from a yakuza clan who rises through the world of kabuki to become a star performer.
‘Kokuho’ finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
By Mark Schilling
Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama deliver stage performances that are both convincing as kabuki and arresting as drama in Lee Sang-il’s ambitious film.
Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain
By Natsuko Fukue
‘Strangers in Kyoto’: Tea, tradition and passive-aggressive politeness
By James Hadfield
'Kokuho' illuminates the high price of becoming a national treasure
By Matt Schley
Six months into 2025, J-pop is having a full-on identity crisis (and a great time)
By Patrick St. Michel

LIFE

The Eggplant, Trang Pepper and Mole dish encapsulates Igniv Bangkok's philosophy of weaving Thai ingredients into its creative Swiss food.
With Igniv Bangkok, the Thai capital’s fine dining scene gets a boost
By Phoebe Amoroso
The progressive Swiss restaurant is emblematic of the city’s evolution toward a diverse gourmet destination that includes choices from modern German to creative Japanese.
From Belgian waffles to Nordic sushi: What to eat at the 2025 Osaka Expo
By Patrick St. Michel
Japanese mollusks with a tangy lift
By Simon Daly
At a mountainside shrine, yuzu candy made by imperial decree
By Lance Henderstein
What’s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

Since moving to Tokyo from New York City in 2014, Hiraku Morilla has been promoting Keith Haring’s legacy in his professional life and advocating for LGBTQ+ community.
Hiraku Morilla: ‘Pride means respect for those who walked so we could run’
By Gendel Gento
The New York-raised director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection reflects on his queer, multiracial identity and LGBTQ+ rights in Japan.
‘A garden is a grand teacher’: The Kamakura Gardener nurtures via YouTube
By Alex Michael Dwyer
Mateusz Urbanowicz: ‘Miyazaki inspired me to put the audience first’
By Naomi Oren
This charming Shiba enjoys life’s simple pleasures
A moving meditation: Finding serenity in tea ceremony across space and time
By Michele Laudig

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
What can Kenji Yanobe’s cosmic cats teach us about humanity?
By Jennifer Pastore
Kenji Yanobe’s spacesuited cats are the main characters of “Ship’s Cat Island,” the inaugural exhibition at Hyper Museum Hanno in Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN
From ridicule to redemption: Rice crisis returns Koizumi to the spotlight
By Eric Johnston
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to the media as he inspects a warehouse storing stockpiled rice in Kanagawa Prefecture on May 30.
CULTURE
New Naoshima museum bets on Asia, not the West
By Thu-Huong Ha
Detail of Takashi Murakami, “Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu: Iwasa Matabei RIP” (2023-25)
JAPAN
Japan’s prison reform focuses on rehabilitation
By Karin Kaneko
Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Suzuki said preparations for the changes that will focus more on rehabilitation are being actively made at each correctional facility.
JAPAN
Accidents raise concern over how Japan vets foreign drivers
By Karin Kaneko
Keita Ueno (right), the owner of Kiki Driving School and an instructor who supports both foreign nationals and Japanese citizens returning from abroad in getting their foreign driver’s licenses converted, is worried about the current lax system for the process.

Podcast

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

Longform

After the asset-price bubble crash of the early 1990s, employment at a Japanese company was no longer necessarily for life. As a result, a new generation is less willing to endure a toxic work culture —life’s too short, after all.
How Japan's youth are slowly changing the country's work ethic
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after
Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Japan won’t wait for G7 summit for possible U.S. trade deal
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top negotiator in tariff talks with the U.S. speaks to reporters at the Japanese Embassy in Washington on Friday.
JAPAN
Japanese universities step up to help international students after Harvard ban
The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University. U.S. President Donald Trump has barred Harvard from accepting international students, prompting Japanese universities to offer support.
JAPAN
Japan eyes tougher rules for foreign residents and tax hike for tourists
By Jessica Speed
A tax-free shop in Kyoto in April 2024. Last week, members of a Liberal Democratic Party study group drafted a proposal seeking to scrap the country's tax-free shopping system altogether.
JAPAN
Foreign tourists with unpaid medical bills in Japan to be denied entry
By Karin Kaneko
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during ministerial meeting meeting on foreign residents in Japan on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office.
JAPAN
Victims mourned 17 years after Akihabara indiscriminate attack
A mourner prays for the victims of an indiscriminate fatal attack on a street of Tokyo's Akihabara district on the 17th anniversary of the incident on Sunday.