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August 10, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 10, 2025
Shigeru Ishiba
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press briefing in Kyiv in May.
WORLD
Europe stresses need to protect Ukrainian interests ahead of Trump-Putin talks
Trump plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were close to a deal.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press briefing in Kyiv in May.
An embankment on the Amikake River that collapsed due to heavy rain in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Friday. Downpours continued in the Kyushu region over the weekend.
JAPAN
Weather agency warns of landslides and flooding in Kyushu as heavy rain continues
Wide areas of the country also experienced rainfall Sunday due to a large stationary front. Rainfall is projected to continue until at least Tuesday morning.
People huddle near a large fan blowing icy-cold mist at the Osaka Expo on July 12. Amid Japan's relentless summer heat, organizes have put myriad measures in place in order to keep guests safe.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Osaka Expo highlights the challenge of holding events in Japan's scorching summer
By Joel Tansey
Giant umbrellas, mist fans and human-sized ice boxes are some of the many ways organizers are offering respite to visitors.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s top trade negotiator, said U.S. officials expressed regret that the stacking rule had been applied to Japan despite a verbal agreement, and said Washington would refund any overpaid levies.
BUSINESS / Economy
U.S. and Japan working to announce tariffs won’t stack
By Chris Gallagher, Yoshiaki Nohara and Sakura Murakami
The United States is working to finalize an announcement that would end the stacking of universal tariffs on Japanese goods.
Sung in Japanese, German and Ukrainian, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast. Belgian soprano Ilse Eerens will originate the titular role, with Japanese mezzo-soprano Hiroka Yamashita as Arato and German baritone Christian Miedl as their trickster guide.
CULTURE / Stage
‘Natasha’ distills global zeitgeist on the opera stage
By Kris Kosaka
An original work commissioned by the New National Theatre, Tokyo, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast from Japan, Germany and Belgium.
Sung in Japanese, German and Ukrainian, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast. Belgian soprano Ilse Eerens will originate the titular role, with Japanese mezzo-soprano Hiroka Yamashita as Arato and German baritone Christian Miedl as their trickster guide.

JAPAN

Terumi Tanaka (left), co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, and Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, hold a news conference in Tokyo on July 27.
Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor calls on young people to inspire movement
"The era of hibakusha themselves working to share their experiences and talking about nuclear weapons is coming to an end," 93-year-old Terumi Tanaka said.
Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft on board the SpaceX recovery ship Shannon after he and other crew members landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California, on Saturday.
Four astronauts home from space station after splashdown
The spacecraft carrying U.S. astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov splashed down off California's coast at 8:44 a.m.
Mayors for Peace adopt the 'Nagasaki Appeal'
Cram school lecturers may teach at public schools in Japan
Ishiba says he will assess his responsibility based on election review
Nagasaki marks 80 years since atomic bombing as hibakusha numbers dwindle
By Jesse Johnson

BUSINESS

General contractor Taisei aims to buy all Toyo Construction shares partly through a tender offer.
General contractor Taisei to buy out Toyo Construction
Through the move, the two companies hope to expand their business and strengthen their earnings power while streamlining operations.
The Financial Services Agency Commissioner Yutaka Ito is interviewed in Tokyo last week.
FSA eager to back regional bank realignment
Ito, who took office in July, stressed that cooperation with nonfinancial businesses is also crucial for the management of regional lenders.
The hottest new credit deals in Europe are anything to do with defense
Chugai stock drops the most since 1977 on disappointing obesity drug data
By Hideyuki Sano
Summer bonuses at major Japan firms hit record
Japan's household spending rises 1.3% in June

WORLD

Einav Zangauker, mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, sits on the shoulders of Michel Illouz, father of deceased hostage Guy Illouz, as they attend a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday calling for the release of hostages.
Thousands rally in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu’s new Gaza plan
A day earlier, Israeli officials had decided to seize Gaza City, expanding military operations in the devastated Palestinian territory.
Thai soldiers on the back of an army truck in the border province of Si Sa Ket on July 26.
Thai soldiers injured by land mine near Cambodia amid fragile ceasefire
One soldier lost a foot and two others were injured after one of them stepped on a land mine.
Ukraine drone attack kills one and damages buildings in Saratov, Russia says
China detains senior diplomat Liu Jianchao for probe, WSJ reports
Defense to take top billing at U.S.-South Korea summit as Trump eyes alliance reset
By Gabriel Dominguez
As Gaza faces starvation, reluctant Germany starts to curb support for Israel
By Riham Alkousaa and Matthias Williams

Sports

Kunishige Kamamoto waves after a match commemorating his retirement in Tokyo in 1984.
Japanese soccer legend Kunishige Kamamoto dies at 81
Kamamoto scored a record 75 goals for the national team and was widely considered the greatest striker in Japanese soccer history.
Hiroshima school exits Summer Koshien tournament over bullying
Ohtani hits 40th homer as Dodgers rout Blue Jays
Defending champions Sabalenka and Sinner cruise through Cincinnati second round
Jen Pawol becomes first woman to umpire in MLB
By Jim Slater

Opinion

A model of the upgraded Mogami-class frigate is displayed at the Defense Security Equipment International Japan exhibition at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on May 21.
The Japan-Australia frigate deal is more than a weapons pact
The scale of the agreement is sweeping. Japan has never before won a bid this size.
Espionage and tariffs can’t tarnish TSMC’s crown
By Catherine Thorbecke
Xi steals a page from Mao’s foreign-policy playbook
By Kazuko Kojima
Stagflation is hitting Russia’s war economy
By Anders Aslund
RFK Jr.’s mRNA decision may be his worst yet
By Lisa Jarvis

ENVIRONMENT

An Afghan woman walks next to a pile of trash full of plastic bags in Kabul.
Momentum sagging at U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks
By Robin Millard
The negotiations have four working days left to strike a legally-binding instrument that would tackle the growing problem choking the environment.
How Canadian wildfire smoke is jeopardizing health across North America
By Robert Tuttle, Brian K Sullivan and Danielle Bochove
U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks progress not 'sufficient': chair
Pacific microstate sells first passports to fund climate action
Death of a delta: Pakistan's Indus sinks and shrinks
By Zain Zaman Janjua

CULTURE

Sung in Japanese, German and Ukrainian, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast. Belgian soprano Ilse Eerens will originate the titular role, with Japanese mezzo-soprano Hiroka Yamashita as Arato and German baritone Christian Miedl as their trickster guide.
‘Natasha’ distills global zeitgeist on the opera stage
By Kris Kosaka
An original work commissioned by the New National Theatre, Tokyo, “Natasha” is a multilingual opera with a multinational cast from Japan, Germany and Belgium.
Futuristic mermaid tale ‘ChaO’ makes a splash
By Matt Schley
'Glass Heart’: A flashy rock fairytale scrubbed of grit
By James Hadfield
‘Nagasaki: In the Shadow of the Flash’ honors young nurses thrust into hellish nightmare
By Mark Schilling
The families that rock together at Fuji
By Mark Thompson

LIFE

At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
Punching above its own weight, the intimate restaurant is one of the growing number of quality establishments that are helping to cement Toyama's status as a dining destination.
In a coffee-mad neighborhood, a gin distillery is a clear alternative
By Melinda Joe
A walk through Kokura, the city spared nuclear destruction
By Edward J. Taylor
Tokyo’s WWII museums hold diverse views on war and peace
By Mark Schreiber
Brave the Bon holiday traffic to discover tourism gems off the beaten path
By Yuko Tamura

COMMUNITY

From left to right: Green Legacy Hiroshima volunteer staff Mariko Kikuchi, Tomoko Watanabe, Nassrine Azimi and Sophie Qano stand before one of the trees that survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
A campaign to preserve Hiroshima’s historic trees for another 1,000 years
By Patrick Parr
A total of 170 trees survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Since 2011, a nonprofit organization has been dedicated to sharing their seeds and saplings with the world.
Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings
By Louise George Kittaka
‘Mad cute’ Scottish fold to brighten your day
The international artists supporting Japan’s craft legacy
By Laura Pollacco
Charming Chikuwa has a zest for life

Editors' Picks

LIFE
At Himawari Shokudo 2, Italian food with a Japanese soul
By Robbie Swinnerton
At Himawari Shokudo 2, chef Hozumi Tanaka serves Italian-inspired fare with a focus on Toyama produce, such as this appetizer of lightly blanched "hotaru ika" (firefly squid) served atop mixed wild plants and a crepe prepared from "yamato-imo" yam.
MORE SPORTS
Cheer with caution: Expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
By Mai Yoshikawa
A Cardinals fan fans himself during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2022.
JAPAN
Australia's warship selection signals Japanese defense industry's arrival
By Gabriel Dominguez
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Mogami-class frigate. Australia's selection of an upgraded version of the Mogami-class warship for its next frigate class could prove to be a watershed moment for Japan’s defense industry.
BUSINESS
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
By James Wongvipat
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.
JAPAN
Will the movement seeking Ishiba’s resignation succeed?
By Eric Johnston
Liberal Democratic Party youth division head Yasutaka Nakasone (center) and other members speak to reporters in Tokyo on July 25.

Podcast

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

Longform

Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

COMFACTS

Regenesome Launches “SAISEI Regenesome Supplement” – A Science-Backed Agingcare Functional Food
Regenesome Launches “SAISEI Regenesome Supplement” – A Science-Backed Agingcare Functional Food
REGENESOME INC.

WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
U.S. backtracks on Japan tariff calculation, taking effective rate lower
By Francis Tang
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, said the U.S. made a clerical error in not including a “reciprocal” tariff rate ceiling for Japan in the trade deal.
BUSINESS
Japan's inheritance tax is high, unforgiving and sometimes avoidable
By James Wongvipat
The National Tax Agency at the Ministry of Finance, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. Japanese tax authorities can bill foreign residents in Japan for assets inherited globally.
JAPAN
Japan starts survey on foreign nationals' unpaid resident taxes
In the most recent regular session of parliament, problems were highlighted regarding some foreign workers leaving Japan without paying outstanding taxes.
ASIA PACIFIC
How Pakistan shot down India's cutting-edge fighter using Chinese gear
By Saeed Shah and Shivam Patel
An Indian Air Force pilot gets out of a Rafale fighter jet during its induction ceremony at an air force station in Ambala, India, September 2020.
JAPAN
The horrors of Nagasaki, in first person
By Naoko Abe
Koichi Tagawa’s diary entry from Aug. 9, 1945, describes the day of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.