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May 22, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
May 22, 2025
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Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
JAPAN / Politics
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Taku Eto resigned from the post after coming under fire for bragging about how much rice his supporters give him.

More coverage

Why Ishiba pulled a 180 on the gaffe-stricken farm minister
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
A mock-up of Japan's state-of-the-art railgun, which is currently undergoing testing, is displayed at the three-day DSEI Japan defense exhibition in the city of Chiba on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Railguns, missiles and lasers: Japan uses massive defense event to highlight shift
By Gabriel Dominguez
The range of products and systems being displayed at DSEI Japan in Chiba is both diverse and sophisticated, and comes amid soaring international tensions.
Nippon Ishin no Kai co-leader Seiji Maehara speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nippon Ishin grapples with poor governance ahead of Upper House election
By Eric Johnston
Scandals, resignations and local election losses have left it far short of becoming Japan’s largest opposition force or a ruling party.
A female Osaka prosecutor in her 50s speaks about how she was sexually assaulted, at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Female prosecutor says she experienced secondary victimization in rape case
By Karin Kaneko
The prosecutor said the prosecutors office where she worked turned a blind eye after she reported the case, and slanderous comments about her spread at work.
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns
By Yukana Inoue
The Consumer Affairs Agency urges consumers to verify the legitimacy of websites offering rice at unusually low prices before making any purchase.
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.

JAPAN

The family of a woman who was found dead in her ex-boyfriend's house in Kawasaki have complained that the Kanagawa Prefectural Police failed to make any moves after she went missing.
Family of deceased stalker victim had complained about police inaction
According to the family, the victim had frequently told her friends and relatives, as well as the police, about harassment and stalking by the former boyfriend.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, gestures during an election campaign rally in Seoul on Monday. Officials in Tokyo are closely watching Lee’s remarks for hints of how bilateral relations could shift if he is elected.
South Korean presidential front-runner says he's not hostile toward Japan
By Jesse Johnson
Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung has in recent months sought to highlight a more centrist agenda ahead of the presidential election.
More than 270 candidates to run in Tokyo assembly election
Japan's tourist arrivals soared 28.5% in April to hit record 3.9 million
By Natsuko Fukue
Taiwan voices regret over Nagasaki peace ceremony snub
Name lists of former Imperial Japanese Army biowarfare units released

BUSINESS

Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top tariff negotiator, is set to visit Washington to have talks with U.S. officials as early as Saturday.
Japan, U.S. may hold third round of tariff talks as early as Saturday
Chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa is set to make a three-day visit to the U.S. from Friday.
Although Japan's rate of cashless transactions remains relatively low compared with those of other countries, the share of such payments in personal consumption has surpassed 40% for the first time.
Cashless payments top 40% of consumer spending in Japan
The country's cashless payment penetration remains low globally, with the risk of fraud and service interruptions due to natural disasters presenting hurdles to growth.
Toyota considers making tiny trucks for U.S. market as demand booms
By Chester Dawson
Mitsui OSK assessing EU sanction impact on its LNG vessels
Japan enacts revised NTT law
All three major Japanese nonlife insurers log record net profits

WORLD

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday.
Iran faces U.S. without Plan B as nuclear red lines collide
By Parisa Hafezi and John Irish
Iran may turn to China and Russia as a "Plan B," but with Beijing's trade war with Washington, and Moscow distracted with its war in Ukraine, the backup plan seems shaky.
Ukrainian Armed Forces fire a mortar toward Russian troops in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on May 16.
EU and Britain go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump
By Andrew Gray, Susan Heavey and Sam Tabahriti
The measures would zero in on Moscow's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers and financial firms that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
Deportations to South Sudan appear to violate court order, U.S. judge says
By Nate Raymond
Canada seeks to send 'strong message' with Ukraine at G7 finance talks
By Beiyi Seow and Marion Thibaut
U.S. intel suggests Israel preparing strike on Iran's nuclear facilities
Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza as international criticism of Israel grows
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and May Angel

Sports

Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
By John Gunning
It's been 5½ years since two yokozuna battled head-to-head for an Emperor's Cup. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion, that streak could soon be over.
Tokyo Verdy Beleza hope to stay on top after long-awaited WE League triumph
By Alex Bishop
Yankees cruise past Rangers to notch ninth win in 12 games
Rodri returns as Man City closes in on Champions League
By Kieran CANNING
Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder rally past Timberwolves

Opinion

Agriculture minister Taku Eto answers reporters questions at the at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
Why Ishiba pulled a 180 on the gaffe-stricken farm minister
Michael MacArthur Bosack
Taku Eto is the first minister to fall since the Japanese leader formed his Cabinet last October
Trump’s wake-up call for India’s foreign policy
By Brahma Chellaney
China’s building crash is rewinding 22 years of growth
By David Fickling
Don’t reopen the ‘demon's gate’ debate in Japan
By Gearoid Reidy
A king’s ransom: The eye-watering cost of Charles III
By Rosa Prince

ENVIRONMENT

A partially submerged car is seen in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, in Nagano Prefecture in October 2019. The Weather Attribution Center Japan, which was founded Tuesday, aims to publicize the results of its climate attribution assessment within days of a typhoon, torrential rain or extreme heat.
When extreme weather hits, Japan scientists will have faster answers on climate links
By Tomoko Otake
The Weather Attribution Center will aim to publish concrete links between global warming and extreme weather events within days, rather than months.
Fires drive tropical forest loss to 'red alert' record high
By Julien MIVIELLE
The U.K.’s clean power future relies on a 100-year-old technology
By Eamon Farhat
Polar bear biopsies shed light on Arctic pollutants
By Olivier MORIN and Etienne FONTAINE
For Formula E, ‘sustainability is at the heart’
By Joel Tansey

CULTURE

Author Kazuo Ishiguro (left) and director Kei Ishikawa pose during a photocall for the film “Toi Yamanamino Hikari” ("A Pale View of Hills") at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
Adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel premieres at Cannes
By Hanna Rantala and Miranda Murray
The author says that adapting the novel — which he wrote when he was 25 — was different from bringing his other books to the big screen.
Women fight for the spotlight in India's macho movie industry
By Seema SINHA
On a high: Austria's JJ wins Eurovision 2025
Traditional performing arts are plugging into modern audiences
By Phoebe Amoroso
Netflix to stream Studio Ghibli's 'Grave of the Fireflies' in Japan

LIFE

With the weather warming up, there's no better time to make a bowl of chilled "surinagashi-jiru" (pureed soup).
Flaunt your seasonal greens with Japan’s traditional pureed soup
By Elizabeth Andoh
Get the best flavor out of your peas and pods by simmering them in a dashi-based broth.
A Japanese dining icon gets a (minor) facelift
By Weiwen Lin
In Nintendo’s backyard, foreign indie game devs are thriving
By Gendel Gento
Fighting Osaka Expo fatigue? Walk the 21-km Loop Line for a cure.
By Edward J. Taylor
Closing the gap between what you learn and what you say in Japanese
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

FemUniti was founded in 2024 by Setsu Suzuki (right) and Meagan Ward (second from left) to empower women entrepreneurs and connect them to resources and opportunities.
Detroit-Nagoya network empowers women-owned businesses around the world
By Jessica Kozuka
Supporting women in business is a “blueprint for the future,” says the cofounder of femUniti — and she has the data to back it up.
Ayano Kikuchi: ‘People need to take care of themselves holistically’
By Olivia Boissel
Kotomi Li: 'I refuse to choose death'
By Kat Joplin
Reclaiming Sanya, one meal at a time
By Kim Kahan
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
By Megha Wadhwa

Editors' Picks

SUMO
Onosato’s march to yokozuna could usher in golden age for sumo
By John Gunning
Onosato (left) battles Gonoyama on Day 6 of the Summer Basho. With Onosato on the cusp of promotion to yokozuna, there could soon be two titans at the top of the sport fighting for titles.
CULTURE
A window into the mind of Esperantist and political activist Teru Hasegawa
By Martin Laflamme
Teru Hasegawa, Esperanto name Verda Majo, wrote leftist political essays during WWII.
BUSINESS
Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 
By Kazuaki Nagata
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.
JAPAN
Random stabbing cases in Japan raise fears: Could the next victim be me?
By Karin Kaneko
Police officers stand guard on May 7 outside Todaimae Station in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward after a random stabbing that injured a University of Tokyo student.
BUSINESS
Japan confirms hard-line position ahead of possible tariff talks in Washington
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, at a news conference on Tuesday. He said that when Japan states it wants the tariffs reviewed, it means Tokyo wants them removed.

Podcast

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

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb
By Alex K.T. Martin

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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

JAPAN
Shinjiro Koizumi takes farm ministry reins after predecessor's rice gaffe
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
Agriculture minister Taku Eto (left), who resigned on Wednesday, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi
BUSINESS
Nissan’s troubles might go all the way back to Ghosn 
By Kazuaki Nagata
A lot at a Nissan plant in Mexico. The company may have overextended itself during the Ghosn era.
BUSINESS
Japan confirms hard-line position ahead of possible tariff talks in Washington
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, at a news conference on Tuesday. He said that when Japan states it wants the tariffs reviewed, it means Tokyo wants them removed.
JAPAN
Tokyo to cover cost of base service fees for water utilities through summer
By Yukana Inoue
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is looking to make the cost of base service fees in water utility bills free during the summer, hoping the financial support will allow residents to turn on their air conditioners and protect themselves against heatstroke.
JAPAN
Japan sets goal of having doors on 4,000 train station platforms by fiscal 2030
By Jessica Speed
While the cost and logistics of installing platform doors have proven challenging, railway operators are adopting new solutions to lower expenses and increase flexibility.