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July 24, 2025
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July 24, 2025
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan chief tariff negotiator, in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Japan and U.S. both claim win in surprise 11th-hour tariff deal
By Francis Tang
The "reciprocal" rate is set at 15%, while the rate on autos is 12.5%
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan chief tariff negotiator, in Tokyo
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba looks on after meeting with the Liberal Democratic Party executives at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Ishiba denies reports he will resign next month, leaving his fate unclear
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Some media outlets had reported that the prime minister was poised to step down in the coming weeks.
European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) join hands with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba prior to a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan and EU launch trade ‘alliance’ amid concerns over U.S. and China
By Gabriel Dominguez
The new agreement will expand bilateral trade ties, promote business cooperation and explore ways to diversify critical mineral supply chains.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks to The Japan Times at Europa House in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Wednesday, ahead of an EU-Japan summit.
JAPAN / Politics
EU and Japan aim for deeper defense cooperation in high-tech arena
By Gabriel Dominguez
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says she sees "a lot of room for cooperation" with Tokyo, particularly in technology-driven areas.
Sohei Kamiya, founder of the Sanseito, which campaigned on a “Japanese first” message and tough immigration rhetoric, speaks at a rally in Gunma Prefecture on July 6.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Ignore the election hype, foreign residents are here to stay
Edo Naito
While the number of foreign residents reached a record high last year, it’s still barely over 3% of the total population, low by international standards.
Sohei Kamiya, founder of the Sanseito, which campaigned on a “Japanese first” message and tough immigration rhetoric, speaks at a rally in Gunma Prefecture on July 6.

JAPAN

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas attends a meeting in Brussels on July 14.
China singled out at EU-Japan summit
By Jesse Johnson and Himari Semans
The two sides reiterated their opposition to “any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion” in the East and South China seas.
Supporters of the Sanseito party leader react during the party’s rally in Tokyo on Monday, a day after the Upper House election.
DPP backers abandoned party for Sanseito in Upper House poll, analysis shows
By Eric Johnston
An analysis of voter trends in both parties in the months leading up to the election has indicated a significant shift to Sanseito by those who once voted for the DPP.
Senior member of 'Luffy' crime ring gets 20 years in prison
Nobel committee chair visits Hiroshima
Interpol removes anti-whaling activist Paul Watson from wanted list
As Japan grays, government looks to aid public-private cooperation in nursing care

BUSINESS

McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
By Elizabeth Beattie
Japan is among the countries aiming to develop localized artificial intelligence models to target national priorities.
Car dealerships in Tokyo. Some of Japan's automakers are raising loan rates amid higher costs for servicing loans.
Japan carmakers put squeeze on households with higher loan rates
By Nicholas Takahashi and Masatsugu Horie
More than a year after the Bank of Japan’s first interest rate increase in 17 years, the volatile march higher in superlong bonds is raising the cost of servicing loans.
JFTC gives OK to Visa Worldwide's business improvement plan
Trump's Golden Dome looks for alternatives to Musk's SpaceX
By Mike Stone
Inside a U.S. guitar string-maker's strategy to navigate the trade war
By Timothy Aeppel
AI should run on 100% renewable energy by 2030, U.N. chief says
By Laura Millan

WORLD

Palestinians, mostly children, attempt to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
More than 100 aid groups warn of 'mass starvation' spreading across Gaza
Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the entrance to the West Wing of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
U.S.-Philippines trade talks yield modest tariff shift after Trump-Marcos meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines after what he said was a "beautiful visit" by the Philippine leader.
The Pacific island nation that wants to mine the ocean floor
By Steven TRASK
Retrial opens for South Korean woman who bit off attempted rapist's tongue
Stalin makes a comeback in Putin’s wartime crackdown on dissent
Trump claims Obama 'coup' as Epstein questions mount
By Sebastian Smith

Sports

Ichiyamamoto (left) defeats Gonoyama to secure a winning record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, at IG Arena on Monday.
Disappointing start to Nagoya tournament turns into fascinating final stretch
By John Gunning
Sumo’s schedule makers will almost certainly ensure that if Ichiyamamoto is going to taste glory for the first time, he’ll have to do it the hard way.
Jonas Valanciunas sets record straight: He will play for Nuggets
Brisbane 2032 Olympics on track seven years out but with little wiggle room
By Nick Mulvenney
Qatar bids to host 2036 Olympic Games in Doha
Venus Williams wins in singles return as Osaka lines up Raducanu match

Opinion

Sohei Kamiya, founder of the Sanseito, which campaigned on a “Japanese first” message and tough immigration rhetoric, speaks at a rally in Gunma Prefecture on July 6.
Ignore the election hype, foreign residents are here to stay
Edo Naito
While the number of foreign residents reached a record high last year, it’s still barely over 3% of the total population, low by international standards.
Britain and Europe are changing together
By Mark Leonard
Why markets may soon call America’s tariff bluff
By Penelopi Koujianou Goldberg
What turning a blind eye to deviant behavior is doing to London
By Adrian Wooldridge
Trump can’t put the Epstein genie back in the bottle
By Timothy L. O'Brien

ENVIRONMENT

Vanuatu's Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu (left) welcomes United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the tarmac of Port Vila's international airport, on May 18, 2019.
Vanuatu calls upcoming ICJ ruling a 'game-changer' for climate justice
By Richard CARTER
Vanuatu's climate change minister says he hopes the International Court of Justice will say it is the "legal obligation of states to address climate change."
Trump staff cuts force firefighters to clean toilets, critics say
By Andrew Hay
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

CULTURE

Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
By Johan Brooks, Alyssa I. Smith, Patrick St. Michel, Mark Thompson and Philip Brasor
Ready for Fuji Rock? Here are The Japan Times crew's recommendations for must-see artists at next weekend's three-day music festival.
Heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76
By Peter HUTCHISON
‘Noto Democracy’ and the slow work of civic change
By Moe Shimizu
What to pack if you are heading to the Fuji Rock Festival
The self as a muse: Leonard Foujita's world in paintings and photos
By Jennifer Pastore

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.
Touring the Silk Road — without leaving Tokyo
By Kimberly Hughes
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

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

BUSINESS
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
By Elizabeth Beattie
McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.
BASEBALL
Induction of Ichiro has Cooperstown fretfully preparing
By Evan Drellich
Ichiro Suzuki will soon become the first Japanese player to be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
CULTURE
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
By Johan Brooks, Alyssa I. Smith, Patrick St. Michel, Mark Thompson and Philip Brasor
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
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.

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

BUSINESS
Japan and U.S. reach tariff deal with ‘reciprocal’ rate at 15%
By Francis Tang
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Japan on Tuesday, saying the agreement would create "hundreds of thousands of jobs."
JAPAN
Ishiba denies reports he will resign next month, leaving his fate unclear
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba looks on after meeting with the Liberal Democratic Party executives at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Japan and U.S. both claim win in surprise 11th-hour tariff deal
By Francis Tang
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan chief tariff negotiator, in Tokyo
JAPAN
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan
By Alex K.T. Martin
In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
JAPAN
Rice grain-sized earphone may have been used to cheat on TOEIC English test
A pendant-shaped relay device suspected to have been used to cheat on the TOEIC English proficiency test, in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Tuesday