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April 30, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 30, 2025
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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak during an even to to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on April 23.
BUSINESS / Markets
Trump eases auto tariff burden as Lutnick touts foreign trade deal
By David Lawder, Andrea Shalal and Kalea Hall
A group representing Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and nine other foreign automakers said Trump's order provided some relief but that "more must be done."
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick listens to U.S. President Donald Trump speak during an even to to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on April 23.
An unidentified weapons system is fired from the deck of North Korea's latest destroyer, the Choe Hyon, during two days of tests on Monday and Tuesday in this undated photo released Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
North Korea's Kim sets sights on nuclear-armed navy
By Jesse Johnson
Leader Kim Jong Un directed officials to push forward equipping his naval forces with nuclear weapons following the unveiling of his country’s biggest destroyer.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stands beside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during the singing of the national anthem at Malacanang Palace in Manila on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
‘Almost like allies’: Tokyo and Manila eye two more defense pacts
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Japanese and Philippine leaders agreed to launch talks on both a military intelligence-sharing pact and a deal to allow their armed forces to share fuel, food and services.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
At BRICS meeting, China vows to stand firm against ‘bully’ Trump
By Josh Xiao
On Tuesday, China’s Foreign Minister warned BRICS nations not to cave to U.S. tariffs, urging resistance to pressure amid growing trade tensions.
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.

JAPAN

Japanese junior high school students attending a traditional calligraphy class
Foreign tourists get taught the Japanese high school experience
By Tom Bateman and Rocky Swift
Amid a tourism boom fuelled by an extremely weak yen, repeat visitors to Japan are looking for more immersive activities.
A USB-type charging connector of a laptop was burned during charging due to foreign objects also being in the charging port.
Technology institute warns of digital device accidents amid a series of fires
The warning comes as some students interact with electronic devices for the first time under the "giga school" initiative of distributing information devices to every student.
Japan approves first restart of a nuclear reactor in four years
By Stephen Stapczynski
Families of abductees in North Korea meet with U.S. official
Kabuki actor Kikunosuke assumes the name Onoe Kikugoro VIII
U.S. forces and Okinawa officials to meet in May to address local concerns

BUSINESS

Industrial production dropped 1.1% in March compared with the previous month, according to the industry ministry.
Japan's factory output falls in sign of frailty before tariffs
By Toru Fujioka
Industrial production dropped 1.1% in March compared with the previous month, the industry ministry reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 0.4% drop.
Japan’s carmakers are being pushed to combine their resources in an environment roiled by tariffs, as well as to counter Chinese auto firms’ rapid expansion.
Japan's carmakers face consolidation amid tariffs, China's rise, says hedge fund
By Yasutaka Tamura
Man Group’s Stephen Harget thinks the phenomenon could be Japan-specific as automakers in other regions have already been through such a cycle.
Nomura’s China losses narrow as brokerage seeks turnaround
Japan keen to team up with ASEAN for free trade system
Amazon denies tariff label pivot after Trump called to complain
By Swati Pandey, Ben Westcott, Skylar Woodhouse and Matt Day
Trump officials eye changes to Biden's AI chip export rule
By Karen Freifeld

WORLD

A trader kicks a picture of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest in Karachi on Tuesday.
Pakistan says India planning strike as tensions rise after Kashmir attack
On April 22, 26 men were killed in the tourist hub of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, in the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years.
U.S. President Donald Trump at his 100th day rally in Michigan on Tuesday
Trump bashes Powell and touts tariffs at rally marking 100 days
By Jennifer A Dlouhy
The president’s denunciation came even though earlier this month he said he did not plan to fire the central bank chief.
U.S. and U.K. forces conduct joint military operation in Yemen, Britain says
By Kanishka Singh and Gnaneshwar Rajan
Nuclear submarine deal lurks below surface of Australian election
Chinese navy patrols South China Sea, saying Philippines creating 'disturbances'
Xi is trying to turn world against U.S. as Trump cuts deals

Sports

Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks controls the ball while being guarded by forward Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in February.
NBA mulling All-Star Game change: USA vs. World
Silver said an international format is appealing because the game will air on NBC during the middle of that network's Winter Olympics coverage.
MMA to make Asian Games debut next year in Japan
Dembele sinks Arsenal as PSG seizes edge in Champions League semifinal
By Steven Griffiths
Zverev crashes as Swiatek scrapes into Madrid Open quarterfinals
By Reem Abulleil
Stephon Castle named Rookie of the Year, second straight for Spurs

Opinion

Demonstrators hold a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on Harvard University at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 17.
Stop scaring future world leaders off U.S. campuses
Andreas Kluth
To the extent that a U.S. education gets others to think as Americans think, it is the ideal tool of soft power
How to make America truly 'Great Again'
By Sergiy Korsunsky
Placating China won't prevent it from invading Taiwan
By Dee Wu
Is there a method behind the Trumponomics madness?
By Kazuto Suzuki
The world is waking up to the dangers of superpollutants
By Lara Williams

ENVIRONMENT

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin
Last year the government issued its first "megaquake" advisory. Ever since, those living in the areas it's expected to hit have been preparing for the worst.
Trump administration targets scientists behind key climate assessment
By Valerie Volcovici
Pope Francis saw defending the climate as an urgent priority for the world
By Eric Roston
Countries could use forests to 'mask' needed emission cuts, report says
By Kelly Macnamara
Global warming is a security threat and armies must adapt, experts say

CULTURE

On the surface, "Wildcat Dome" tells a personal story of damaged children — now adults — bound together by tragedy. Underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of political consequence, invisible and pervasive like radioactive particles.
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
By Kris Kosaka
Prolific writer Yuko Tsushima explores themes of militarization, colonialism and occupation through the identities of mixed-race orphans in postwar Japan.
China’s first K-pop concert in years signals efforts to mend ties
By Hyonhee Shin and Shinhye Kang
Sasuke Haraguchi’s provocative soundtracks for digital natives
By Patrick St. Michel
‘She Taught Me Serendipity’: A quiet reminder not to take people for granted
By Mark Schilling
Thumbelina's bedtime is before 8. Her exhibition runs till 5 a.m.
By Tomohiro Osaki

LIFE

2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
By Patrick St. Michel
At Expo 2025 in Osaka, mascots from around the world borrow from Japan’s character culture — but none can match Myaku-Myaku’s gloopy charm.
How to bring up bad news in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura
Savoy, Tokyo’s top pizzeria, fires up in Sapporo
By Simon Daly
A modern Japanese cookbook that is ‘a beautiful mess’
By Simon Daly
Built in a flash, Osaka Expo pavilions wrestle with sustainability
By Thu-Huong Ha

COMMUNITY

Magokoro Yoshihira (center) is the managing director of Yui Associates, which operates the neighborhood fixtures of Sanya Cafe and Juyoh Hotel. Yusuke Takahashi (left) met Yoshihira during a difficult period in his life and now works as the cafe’s chef. Nancy Anne (right) has worked for over 10 years at Juyoh Hotel and enjoys the multicultural environment.
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Since 2018, Sanya Cafe has been building community in one of Tokyo’s most colorful — and infamous — neighborhoods.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa
How to spend the perfect day in Hiroo, Tokyo’s expat enclave
By Eric Margolis
Noriko Shakti: ‘Music reflects my journey and learnings’
By Miikka J. Lehtonen
Tokyo Humanities Cafe feeds hungry minds
By Jessica Kozuka

Editors' Picks

MORE SPORTS
Could this be Japan’s year at the Kentucky Derby?
By Jason Coskrey
Christophe Lemaire rides Admire Daytona, who was bred in Japan, during the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on April 5.
BUSINESS
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave
By Mai Yoshikawa
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
JAPAN
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
By Yukana Inoue
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
JAPAN
U.S. secretary of the navy weighs ‘dual-use’ shipbuilding with Japan
By Gabriel Dominguez
John Phelan at a Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. secretary of the navy in Washington in February

Podcast

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

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones
Tsukuba massif granite, one of the world’s few heritage stones

WHAT’S TRENDING

ENVIRONMENT
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
BUSINESS
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani's example could change Japan's views on paternity leave
By Mai Yoshikawa
Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka announced the birth of their first child on April 19.
JAPAN
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
By Yukana Inoue
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
ASIA PACIFIC
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
By Jesse Johnson
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.