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April 28, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
April 28, 2025
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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.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
The many possible reasons there are so few U.S. cars in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
One reason is size, with American cars tending to be larger and not generally suited for driving in busy cities with many narrow roads, such as Tokyo.
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.
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
By Jessica Speed
AI-generated content is not explicitly covered under the country's legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during a signing ceremony following bilateral talks in Pyongyang last June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
North Korea confirms troop deployment to Russia for first time
By Jesse Johnson
Leader Kim Jong Un called the move "a sacred mission to further consolidate as firm as a rock the traditional friendship and solidarity between the two countries."
A man holds a Canadian flag ahead of Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party election campaign event at candidate Amarjeet Sohi’s campaign office, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Candidates in Canada election make final pitches under shadow of Vancouver tragedy
By Promit Mukherjee and Allison Lampert
Sunday was the final day of a five-week campaign for the candidates to make their case ahead of an election entered largely on Trump's tariffs and threats to annex Canada.
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
LIFE / Lifestyle
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.
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.

JAPAN

Keiichi Uchida, a member of a team of Japanese doctors who performed a colostomy reversal surgery on the younger of a pair of Vietnamese conjoined twins 30 years ago, shows a postcard he received from his former patient, Nguyen Duc, in February in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
Japanese pediatrician recalls Vietnamese twin he operated on 30 years ago
The younger of a pair of conjoined twins — believed to have been affected by chemicals used by the U.S. during the Vietnam War — underwent colostomy reversal surgery in Japan.
The site of a cave-in accident in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Jan. 30
Over 20% of Japan's water pipes are past their service life
The proportion of pipes in operation for over 40 years is expected to reach around 70% by fiscal 2042.
Sapporo enacts ordinance to foster diversity and inclusion
By Eric Johnston
Nobel laureates urge Trump, Putin to meet on denuclearization
Three killed in two multiple-car accidents on Tohoku Expressway
'Voluntary' school clubs face reform amid excessive burdens

BUSINESS

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda. The BOJ is getting into a tough spot between high inflation and a likely economic slowdown.
BOJ to hit pause on rate-hike path as economic risks mount
By Toru Fujioka
Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s board is poised to keep the benchmark rate at 0.5% at the conclusion of the two-day gathering on Thursday, according to all 54 economists surveyed.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda proposed a buyout of Toyota Industries, seeking to consolidate his grip on Japan’s biggest business empire.
Akio Toyoda buyout plan lifts shares and raises governance concerns
By Nicholas Takahashi
Shares of Toyota Industries remain untraded so far Monday but are set to rise by their daily limit of 23%. Toyota shares rose as much as 5.2%.
Trump promised a markets boom. 100 days in, stocks have only seen damage.
By Esha Dey
Advertising giants brace for tariff-induced cuts to ad spending
By Chloe Meley and Redd Brown
Revived corporate bond deals in Japan underline need for funding
By Ayai Tomisawa
Haneda terminal operator unit underreports income by ¥100 million

WORLD

A person wears a sign with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and U.S. President Donald Trump on it, at an inauguration party held outside the U.S. embassy in Budapest on Jan. 20.
'Trump tornado' leaves Hungary’s Orban and other far-right leaders reeling
By Anita Komuves, Andrew R.C. Marshall and Krisztina Than
Far-right leaders must now calculate whether unflinching support for Trump will damage their domestic popularity at a time of growing economic pain.
Lee Jae-myung delivers a speech during the national convention of South Korea's Democratic Party to choose their candidate for upcoming presidential election, in Goyang, South Korea, on Sunday.
South Korea martial law put Lee Jae-myung back on track for presidency
By Josh Smith
If elected, he would face polarized politics and rising economic concerns while negotiating with Donald Trump.
Conflicts spur 'unprecedented' rise in military spending
By Johannes LEDEL
Trump’s polls decline near 100-day mark, raising tax-plan stakes
By Mario Parker
U.S. aid cuts create 'perfect storm' for malaria in Africa
By Nita Bhalla
100 days of DOGE: lots of chaos, not so much efficiency
By Tim Reid, Alexandra Alper and Nathan Layne

Sports

Liverpool's Wataru Endo (left) and Harvey Elliott celebrate after the club beat Tottenham to clinch the Premier League title in Liverpool, England, on Sunday.
Liverpool roars past Tottenham to clinch Premier League crown
The win leaves Liverpool with 82 points, 15 ahead of Arsenal with just four games remaining.
Timberwolves outlast Lakers to take 3-1 lead in first-round series
Son of Falcons coordinator apologizes for prank call to Shedeur Sanders
Liverpool fans revel in chance to finally celebrate Premier League title
Mao Saigo wins playoff to claim first major title at Chevron Championship

Opinion

An artist's impression of the K2-18b super-Earth, the only super-Earth exoplanet known to host both water and temperatures that could support life
In a galaxy far, far away ... did we find life?
F.D. Flam
K2-18b, which has eight times the mass of Earth, just might be covered with a massive ocean and blanketed by an atmosphere complete with water vapor and rain clouds.
Time for a civic uprising
By David Brooks
Japan needs clarity as an antidote to contradictory tariffs
By Shin Oya
The Catholic church loses a lion
Trump’s tariff chaos could reverse 80 years of economic progress
By Anne O. Krueger

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.
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
Indonesia food plan risks 'world's largest' deforestation
By Marchio Gorbiano and Sara Hussein

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.
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
The floor is art: Takuro Tamayama transforms mundanity
By Kim Kahan

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
Craft Sake Week is back with its usual brand of cool
By Weiwen Lin

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

CULTURE
‘Wildcat Dome’ challenges Japan's historical narratives
By Kris Kosaka
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.
COMMUNITY
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
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.
BUSINESS
Amid uncertain tariffs, is now the time to buy a new iPhone?
By Elizabeth Beattie
An Apple store in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in September. Prices for the newest iPhone models start at around ¥100,000 ($700) in Japan.
LIFE
Built in a flash, Osaka Expo pavilions wrestle with sustainability
By Thu-Huong Ha
Kengo Kuma & Associates oversaw the construction of the Malaysia pavilion, which is encased in interwoven rows of bamboo that appear to ripple.
BUSINESS
Japan weighs using U.S. rice imports as tariff negotiation tool with Trump
By Yukana Inoue
A restaurant owner pours California-grown Calrose rice into a rice cooker at his restaurant in Tokyo

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

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027
Looking ahead to Yokohama’s Green × Expo 2027

WHAT’S TRENDING

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.
BUSINESS
Japan to resist Trump efforts to form trade bloc against China
By Alastair Gale, Haze Fan, Yoshiaki Nohara and Sakura Murakami
As Japan gears up for the trade talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also seeking to cushion the blow that the U.S. tariffs may have on the domestic economy.
WORLD
As many as nine dead after driver plows into Vancouver festival crowd
An ambulance is parked at the site of the Lapu Lapu day festival, where a vehicle drove into a crowd killing several people in Vancouver on Saturday.
JAPAN
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
By Jessica Speed
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.
LIFE
How to bring up bad news in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura
As in other cultures, when someone shares bad news in Japanese it’s best to respond with supportive words.