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TOKYO
November 13, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 13, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
China
Bear attacks
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A protester holds a sign related to the release of case files of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Epstein emails say Trump ‘knew about the girls’
By Nathan Layne — Doina Chiacu
The swearing-in of a new Democrat after a long delay should pave the way to compel a House vote to release all unclassified records related to the disgraced financier.
A protester holds a sign related to the release of case files of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
The Republican-controlled House passed the package to end the shutdown by a vote of 222-209, with President Donald Trump's support largely keeping his party together in the face of vehement opposition from Democrats.
WORLD / Politics
Deal to end longest government shutdown in history clears Congress
By David Morgan — Nolan D. McCaskill — Bo Erickson
The Republican-controlled House passed the package by a vote of 222-209.
The yen has fallen about 4.5% against the dollar so far this quarter, the most among its Group of 10 peers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan’s slumping currency intensifies debate over intervention
By Mia Glass — John Cheng
As the yen slumps toward levels that previously drew authorities into the market, traders are increasingly skeptical that direct intervention will work this time.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during an Upper House Budget Committee session on Wednesday in Tokyo
JAPAN / Politics
Takaichi sidesteps commitment to decades-old nonnuclear principles
By Jesse Johnson
The prime minister refrained from saying her government would maintain Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles, leaving the door open for a revision.
A maiko walks down a street crowded with tourists in Kyoto. Challenges that come with a massive influx of overseas visitors and foreign nationals buying up real estate are just some of the immigration problems that have become hot-button political issues in Japan. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Government and bad actors are at the root of the foreign national issue
Edo Naito
Japan has experienced an explosive increase in overseas tourists since the COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted, and its global appeal as a travel destination has grown.
A maiko walks down a street crowded with tourists in Kyoto. Challenges that come with a massive influx of overseas visitors and foreign nationals buying up real estate are just some of the immigration problems that have become hot-button political issues in Japan. 

JAPAN

A farmer harvests rice in a field in Chikusei, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Oct. 9. Prices will most likely remain in the ¥4,000 range for 5 kilograms of the grain at least until the 2026 harvest is released next summer.
New Cabinet searches for effective rice policy amid resurging prices
By Yukana Inoue
Officials are considering the distribution of “rice tickets” to make the nation’s staple grain more affordable for certain households.
Seiichi Katsurada, president of tour boat operator Shiretoko Yuransen, bows in front of the Kushiro District Court on Wednesday prior to the first hearing of his trial.
Head of Hokkaido tour boat operator pleads not guilty over fatal sinking
The operator’s president apologized to the bereaved families of the accident, which left 20 passengers and crew members dead and six others unaccounted for.
LDP and JIP eye out-of-pocket price hike for OTC-like drugs
Japanese immigrants gain attention with farming method in the Amazon
Tottori governor promotes local goods in Paris
Police officer arrested for leaking information to illegal scout group

BUSINESS

Toyota’s battery manufacturing plant in Liberty, North Carolina, officially opened on Wednesday.
Toyota pledges up to $10 billion in U.S. operations investment
By Chester Dawson
The announcement comes less than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump flagged that the Japanese carmaker planned such an investment.
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is aggressively seeking to capitalize on booming investment in AI and chips, even as he scales back other investments.
SoftBank sells Nvidia stake for $5.8 billion to fund AI bets
By Min Jeong Lee
The Tokyo-based company now boasts a portfolio that includes some of the world’s most sought-after names in artificial intelligence: OpenAI and Oracle.
MUFG’s asset manager targets Japan buyers for its first CLO fund
By Nao Sano
Penguin-less Suica to take on PayPay in payments with QR codes and higher limits
By Kazuaki Nagata
German court rules against OpenAI in copyright case
By Femke COLBORNE - Jan Mueller
Concentration of corporate power a 'huge' concern: U.N. rights chief
By Nina LARSON

WORLD

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand (center) leads a G7 session on maritime security during the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, on Wednesday.
G7 diplomats mull how to get Russia to engage in Ukraine peace talks
By Daphne Psaledakis - Maria Cheng
Efforts to organize a summit between the presidents of Russia and the U.S. were put on ice last month after Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
Israeli soldiers walk out from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on June 8.
U.S. had intel on Israeli forces using human shields in Gaza, sources say
By Erin Banco
The U.S. intelligence gathered in the final months of 2024 raised questions inside the White House and the intelligence community about how widely the tactic was being used.
Ukraine moves to quell $100 million energy corruption scandal
By Dan Peleschuk
Australia and Indonesia announce new security treaty
By Kirsty Needham — Stefanno Sulaiman
Rohingya survivor recalls deadly boat sinking; more bodies found   
By Mandy Leong - Devjyot Ghoshal
Communities donate meals and funds as U.S. food aid remains in limbo
By Brad Brooks — Leah Douglas — Andrew Hay

Sports

Onosato (right) beats Wakatakakage via <i>oshidashi</i> at the Fukuoka International Congress Center on Tuesday.
Onosato dominates in early days of Kyushu tournament
By John Gunning
Ex-ōzeki Takayasu, rising talent Hakuoho and former Emperor’s Cup winner Wakatakakage were successively brushed aside with ease.
Women's 100-meter final slated for Day 1 at LA28 as officials look to start with bang
Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki generate ¥132.8 billion in economic impact
By Yukana Inoue
China's 13-year-old Yu claims first Asian record at National Games
By Ian Ransom
Red Bull F1 teams to hold 2026 launch in Detroit in January
By Alan Baldwin

Opinion

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks at the 2023 U.S. Business Day and Taiwan-U.S. Supply Chain Partnership Forum in Taipei. Taiwan's leadership is advocating for a supply chain initiative among democratic nations that reduces reliance on China.
How Taiwan’s ‘nonred’ supply chain might work
Akhil Ramesh
Proposed as an alternative to China-dominated supply chains, the initiative urges democracies to cooperate in securing advanced manufacturing supply chains.
What if the COVID-19 vaccine could save cancer patients too?
By Lisa Jarvis
How accurate are U.S. crime statistics?
By Justin Fox
Can China catch up with the U.S. economically?
By Keun Lee
Continued purges by Xi reveal his insecurity
By Brahma Chellaney

ENVIRONMENT

A damaged home in Treasure Beach, Jamaica, following Hurricane Melissa. Its solar panels survived.
Jamaicans have been turning to solar power. It paid off after the storm.
By Hiroko Tabuchi
Solar power is seen as a way for Jamaica and other nations in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions to become more resilient to ever-intensifying storms.
Nearly half of all refugees to face extreme climate hazards by 2040, says UNHCR
As Typhoon Kalmaegi wreaks havoc in Southeast Asia, scientists say rising temperatures are to blame
By David Stanway
World leaders punch back at U.S. climate denial ahead of COP30 negotiations
By Valerie Volcovici — Lisandra Paraguassu — William James
How sickly forests are felling Europe's climate ambitions
By Alison Withers — Kate Abnett — Simon Johnson

CULTURE

Tatsuya Nakadai had the look of a leading man in his youth, but his large and searching eyes suggested the pain and loneliness of an old soul.
Tatsuya Nakadai: A masterful leading man and postwar icon
By Mark Schilling
Tatsuya Nakadai worked with nearly every major Japanese director of the postwar era, but it was his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa that cemented his legacy.
Predictability weighs down ‘A Light in the Harbor’
By James Hadfield
‘Tokyo Taxi’: A simple fare becomes a voyage through time
By Mark Schilling
Renowned Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai dies at 92
By Weiwen Lin
What we see when Japanese women photographers shoot back
By Jennifer Pastore

LIFE

Among the long list of Japanese video game innovators, Tetsuya Mizuguchi stands alone for his unique approach to music, rhythm and puzzle-solving gameplay.
Hearing colors and seeing sounds with Tetsuya Mizuguchi
By Gendel Gento
The creator of Japan’s answer to Tetris has long been obsessed with the concept of synesthesia in games.
Brine and dine: A guide to pickling your Japanese vegetables
By Simon Daly
Industry experts weigh sake’s global future at Kyoto summit
By Cindy Bissig
Cleanliness gets competitive at Tokyo’s Spogomi world cup
By Erik Augustin Palm
‘Deep Blue,’ ‘Morning Sun,’ ‘Clear Sky’: Japan’s top baby names for 2025
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
By Joseph Tame
Using aluminum cans as his medium, the Tsukuba-based British artist creates intricate sculptures that take months or longer to complete.
Bach the bobtail brightens up a Tokyo household
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila
Wielding a weapon of yore at a community dojo
By Monique Bae
Florian Wiltschko: ‘Shinto helps me understand and live within Japanese culture’
By Samantha Seghers

Editors' Picks

SUMO
As Japan’s female leader rises, can she cross sumo’s sacred line?
By Mai Yoshikawa
Japan Sumo Association Chairman Hakkaku (front center) delivers a speech on the first day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Sunday. Centuries of belief and tradition still underpin the all-male association's stance of excluding women.
JAPAN
Takaichi doesn’t mince words on Taiwan, but dramatic policy shift unlikely
By Jesse Johnson
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions during a House of Representatives Budget Committee session in parliament on Tuesday.
LIFE
Florist Nicolai Bergmann flourishes outside the box
By Elizabeth Beattie
Florist Nicolai Bergmann shops for fresh flowers at the Ota flower market in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
China delivers warning to U.S. and Japan with third aircraft carrier
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, carries out sea trials at an unknown location in May last year.
MORE SPORTS
Jenson Button brings end to an illustrious racing career intertwined with Japan
By Joel Tansey
Jenson Button races for Honda during the Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008.

Podcast

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

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
By Yukana Inoue

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality
Tokyo Gas lights the way to carbon neutrality

COMFACTS

New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
New Food Products Utilizing Tsunan Sake Brewery’s Sake Lees Unveiled at “TORANOMON JUST RIGHT NEW FOOD” Tasting Event
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

WORLD
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
By Sofia Christensen - Juliette Jabkhiro - Layli Foroudi
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France — where he had lived since he was a young child — stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
BUSINESS
Tokyo ranked world’s richest city by GDP, with Osaka-Kobe also rated highly
By Elizabeth Beattie
Tokyo has a gross domestic product of $2.55 trillion, just ahead of New York’s $2.49 trillion and Greater Los Angeles’ $1.62 trillion, according to CEOWorld’s global wealth index.
JAPAN
Tokyo looks to keep ‘monster parents’ at bay with new protocols
By Yukana Inoue
New guidelines are addressing struggles by teachers to deal with the burden of parents who make irrational complaints that go beyond what is considered socially acceptable, often referred to as "monster parents," which is overwhelming their workload.
JAPAN
China delivers warning to U.S. and Japan with third aircraft carrier
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, carries out sea trials at an unknown location in May last year.
JAPAN
Japan lawmakers eye firm response to Chinese envoy's threat to behead PM
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Friday.