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June 10, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
June 10, 2025
Japan elections
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Visitors look at replicas of the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong at the People's Liberation Navy Naval Museum on the 75th founding anniversary of the navy in Qingdao, China, in April last year.
JAPAN
Two Chinese aircraft carriers conduct simultaneous drills in Pacific for first time
By Jesse Johnson
The moves highlight the Chinese Navy’s growing ability to punch through the “second island chain,” officials say.
Visitors look at replicas of the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong at the People's Liberation Navy Naval Museum on the 75th founding anniversary of the navy in Qingdao, China, in April last year.
California National Guard members stand outside the Federal Building as people gather to protest in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on Monday.
WORLD
U.S. deploys Marines to Los Angeles as Trump backs arrest of California governor
By Idrees Ali and Jane Ross
Marines have been deployed domestically for major disasters but it is extremely rare for U.S. military troops to be used for domestic policing matters.
U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (L) and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (R) shake hands as they pose for a photo during trade discussions at the Lancaster House in London on Monday.
BUSINESS
U.S.-China trade and minerals talks in London set to extend to second day
By Kate Holton, Andrea Shalal and Alistair Smout
Washington and Beijing are trying to revive a temporary truce struck in Geneva that had briefly lowered trade tensions and calmed markets.
Former yokozuna Hakuho gives a news conference to announce his retirement from the Japan Sumo Association and reveal his future plans in Tokyo on Monday.
SUMO
Hakuho vows to grow sumo globally after exiting domestic sports body
By Kanako Takahara
The impetus for the decision, Hakuho said, was the failure of the Japan Sumo Association to provide a clear timeline about the restoration of Miyagino stable.
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.
Japan to study ways to help more pregnant women in danger
Ohkawara president asks Tokyo police not to appeal damages suit ruling
Ten-year sentence sought for U.S. marine in Okinawa for sexual assault
No-confidence motion against Ishiba Cabinet could lead to double election
By Eric Johnston

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.
JSDA said to probe brokerages on unsuitable Japanese bond sales
By Takahiko Hyuga
Meta set to throw billions at startup that leads AI data market
By Rachel Metz
Online brokerage account hijackings continue in Japan
By Kazuaki Nagata
Nomura to shut branch in China as it scales back wealth business

WORLD

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a news conference about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest autism survey in Washington on April 16.
Kennedy dismisses all 17 members of U.S. CDC vaccine panel
By Ahmed Aboulenein, Michael Erman and Julie Steenhuysen
All sitting members were appointed under former President Joe Biden's administration.
Ukrainian prisoners of war are seen after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released on Monday.
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
By Aleksandar Vasovic and Vladyslav Smilianets
The return of prisoners of war and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead is one of the few things the two sides have managed to agree on.
Israeli forces seize Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
By Crispian Balmer and Rami Amichay
Los Angeles police order immigration protesters in downtown to go home
Israel blocks Greta Thunberg’s ship from reaching Gaza, group says
By Alisa Odenheimer and Jon Herskovitz
South Korean president's election law violation trial postponed indefinitely

Sports

Junto Nakatani celebrates after defeating Ryosuke Nishida to unify the WBC and IBF bantamweight titles at Ariake Coliseum on Sunday.
Junto Nakatani remains on collision course with Naoya Inoue after latest win
By Jason Coskrey
Nakatani will have to move to a higher weight class to challenge Inoue.
French Open champion Coco Gauff proud to represent 'Americans that look like me'
Thunder roll past Pacers in Game 2 to even NBA Finals
'Prince of Clay' Carlos Alcaraz stages epic rally to retain French Open crown
Junto Nakatani wins slugfest against Ryosuke Nishida to unify WBC and IBF titles
By Jason Coskrey

Opinion

By spurring the ASEAN countries to deepen cooperation, with one another and with others, U.S. tariffs could bring about an even more prosperous — and, crucially, resilient — grouping.
Trump vs. a united ASEAN
Kishore Mahbubani
By spurring the ASEAN countries to deepen cooperation, U.S. tariffs could bring about an even more prosperous — and, crucially, resilient — grouping.
The MAGA odd couple turns combustible
By Nia-Malika Henderson
Solar EVs are a ray of hope for cutting emissions
By Ashish Khanna and Mridula Bharadwaj
Whose side is the U.S. on? Doubts strain alliances
By Max Hastings
NFL stars don’t belong on the Olympics' flag football field
By Adam Minter

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
New Naoshima museum bets on Asia, not the West
By Thu-Huong Ha

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
What’s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.
By Yuko Tamura
In Elden Ring Nightreign, the FromSoftware formula goes awry
By Owen Ziegler

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 the 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
‘Kokuho’ finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
By Mark Schilling
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.
MORE SPORTS
Junto Nakatani remains on collision course with Naoya Inoue after latest win
By Jason Coskrey
Junto Nakatani celebrates after defeating Ryosuke Nishida to unify the WBC and IBF bantamweight titles at Ariake Coliseum on Sunday.
LIFE
At a mountainside shrine, yuzu candy made by imperial decree
By Lance Henderstein
Descendents of the original "Gonin Byakushō" families are the only vendors allowed inside the gates of Kotohira Shrine, where they sell "kamiyoame," a golden-hued, yuzu-flavored candy meant for good fortune.
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.

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

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

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
Explosion at U.S. air base in Okinawa injures four
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.
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.
SUMO
Hakuho vows to grow sumo globally after exiting domestic sports body
By Kanako Takahara
Former yokozuna Hakuho gives a news conference to announce his retirement from the Japan Sumo Association and reveal his future plans in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN
Victims mourned 17 years after Akihabara indiscriminate attack
A mourner prays for the victims of a stabbing rampage on a street in Tokyo's Akihabara district on the 17th anniversary of the incident on Sunday.
BUSINESS
Top banker vows loyalty to DEI at Tokyo Pride Parade as Trump’s pushback rages
By Keiko Ujikane
Akihiko Ogino, president and CEO of Daiwa Securities Group, says Japan should press ahead with diversity initiatives as he attends the Tokyo Pride parade in the capital's Shibuya area on Sunday.