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TOKYO
October 16, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
October 16, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
Osaka Expo 2025
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Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Coalition talks could bring Takaichi closer to being PM
By Kanako Takahara and Himari Semans
If the LDP and Nippon Ishin agree to link up, they will only be two votes short of a majority in the Lower House.

More coverage

A frustrated LDP weighs its options now that Komeito is out
Could an opposition candidate become Japan's next prime minister?
Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Steel products are the target of two anti-dumping probes Japan has begun so far this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Japan turns to anti-dumping measures as international trade gets complicated
By Francis Tang
An uptick in number of probes this year indicates an evolving strategy.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announces his intention to resign on Sept. 7.
BUSINESS / Economy
Ishiba to leave office with a mixed record on the economy
By Francis Tang
The outgoing prime minister achieved a few successes and left some important business unfinished.
The Saitama Prefectural Police headquarters in the city of Saitama. Police have apprehended a former employee of a care facility in Saitama Prefecture following the deaths of two residents who were discovered bleeding and unconscious on their beds early Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Former employee of Saitama care home held after deaths of two residents
A staffer at the facility in Tsurugashima called the police after a nurse found the two women in their 80s and 90s bleeding and unconscious on their beds.
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen
By John Gunning
The British capital is playing host to the Japan Sumo Association’s first European exhibition in over three decades.
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

JAPAN

Takuya Matsui, head of a library run by the town of Shari in Hokkaido, stands in July in front of the library's bulletin board filled with answers to students' questions, holding a book made by compiling the answers.
Book offering life tips from Hokkaido library's bulletin board becomes nationwide hit
The library's director said a question box was set up in 2023 to expose teens to diverse ways of thinking "in today’s social media-centric world."
Work to dismantle and remove exhibits begins at several pavilions of the Osaka Expo on Tuesday, a day after the event ended.
Osaka Expo drew 25.57 million visitors over 184 days
A total of 207,889 people visited the site on Monday, the last day of the event.
Government flooded with public comments against dual surnames
Education technology on rise in Japan to ease teachers' burden
Death penalty sought over fatal crossbow attack
Contactless payments to become option for Okinawa water buffalo cart rides

BUSINESS

The Asahi Group Holdings headquarters complex in Tokyo
Personal information possibly leaked in cyberattack on Asahi group
The company was hit by a ransomware attack last week in which more than 9,300 data files were stolen by a hacker group calling itself Qilin.
Japan National Stadium will be called the MUFG Stadium from 2026 to 2030.
MUFG buys Japan National Stadium naming rights for five years 
By Kazuaki Nagata
The financial services company anticipates opportunities from the investment.
Trump’s trade hostilities unite Lula and Modi in search for new markets
By Andrew Rosati, Daniel Carvalho and Sudhi Ranjan Sen
Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to ban flying over Russia on U.S. routes
By David Shepardson
EU considers forced tech transfers for Chinese investments
By John Ainger and Jorge Valero
Daito Trust to upgrade construction site toilets in gender diversity bid

WORLD

People flee, cough, and cover their faces as the neighborhood fills with tear gas deployed by federal agents on the southeast side of Chicago on Tuesday.
Military tactics by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Chicago fuel backlash
By Alicia A. Caldwell and Myles Miller
Agents trained to spot illegal border crossings, who normally police the frontier, are being sent into densely populated neighborhoods deep inside the country.
Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone strike on the outskirts of Odessa, Ukraine, on Monday.
Ukraine raises alarm over foreign components in Russian drones
By Daryna Krasnolutska and Aliaksandr Kudrytski
Kyiv estimates that more than 500 drones and missiles launched by Russia in one of its major barrages on Oct. 5 contained more than 100,000 foreign components.
Seoul sends team to Cambodia over scam center kidnappings
Unexploded bombs pose 'enormous' risks in Gaza, mine-clearing organization warns
Hamas launches Gaza crackdown as Trump vows to disarm group
U.S. seizes $15B in bitcoin and charges Cambodian mogul with cyberfraud
By Patricia Hurtado

Sports

Japan's Ayase Ueda (center) scores the winning goal against Brazil at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan’s downing of Brazil puts world on notice
By Sam Byford
The turnaround was reminiscent of wins against major soccer forces at the previous World Cup in Qatar.
Tearful Osaka battles injury to reach Japan Open quarterfinals
Australia's team is worst since 2010-11 Ashes, says England's Broad
By Aadi Nair
Son wants South Korea to be more aggressive at World Cup
By Aadi Nair
Japanese pro baseball to introduce paternity leave

Opinion

Japan's political center is in turmoil, with the ruling party losing its long-held dominance and a series of complex negotiations ahead. The country’s leadership future is now uncertain.
A negotiator’s nightmare in Nagatacho
Michael MacArthur Bosack
The LDP has since pushed back the date to vote for the next prime minister to Oct. 21.
Asia can learn from Europe’s immigration mistakes
By Waka Ikeda
China’s visa uproar is part of a DeepSeek illusion
By Juliana Liu
The U.S. is losing hearts and minds in Southeast Asia over Gaza
By Karishma Vaswani
Is the global economy as resilient as it seems?
By Eswar Prasad and Caroline Smiltneks

ENVIRONMENT

Family members of Yuichi Hirotsu harvest kerner grapes at their vineyard producing pinot noir, kerner and other grapes in Yoichi, Hokkaido, on Oct. 6.
A Japanese pinot noir town blessed by climate change now worries about the weather
By Mariko Katsumura
Yoichi had its hottest summer since record-keeping began, with average temperatures of 22.1 degrees Celsius between June and August.
Europe's bees and butterflies at risk, conservation body says
U.K. spearheads polar climate change research as U.S. draws back
By Joe JACKSON
Indonesia says no to scrap metal after shrimp radiation scare
By Chandra Asmara
Trump calls climate change a con; science braces for more
By David Sherfinski

CULTURE

Chloe Zhao’s "Hamnet"
What you need to see at this year's Tokyo film festival
By James Hadfield, Mark Schilling and Matt Schley
From slow cinema and satire to moving biopics and restorations of classics, the TIFF lineup has something for every cinephile.
D'Angelo, trailblazing neo-soul singer, dies at 51
By Jasper Ward and Danielle Broadway
Taylor Swift Eras Tour six-part docuseries coming to Disney+
By Molly Schuetz
'Ghost Nation' puts Taiwan’s history in present context
By Athena Tong
Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton dead at 79

LIFE

This year’s World's 50 Best Bars list features bars from 29 cities worldwide, including debuts from Eastern Europe.
Tokyo earns three spots on World’s 50 Best Bars list
By Weiwen Lin
Bar Benfiddich climbs ranks, but Hong Kong steals the show with Bar Leone making history as the first bar in Asia to be named No. 1 in the listing.
A bitter pale ale from Yokohama finds a sweet win at World Beer Awards
By Jeremy Wilgus
Nara inn offers room, board and an ancient burial mound
By Kimberly Hughes
From straight to curly: Getting your hair done in Japanese
By Mishu Callan
Roasted green tea gets a milky makeover
By Simon Daly

COMMUNITY

<i>Sashiko</I> dates to the Edo Period (1603-1868) and began as a technique that allowed working-class people to prolong the lifespan of their clothing.
Beauty in slowness: Life lessons from Japanese embroidery
By Cassie Xu
After taking up the practice of sashiko stitching six years ago, a Chinese Canadian woman found an anchor in the traditional craft amidst major life transitions.
Shrunali Ranade: ‘Stepping back isn’t failure but another form of strength’
By Megha Wadhwa
Student groups nurture Japan-South Korea dialogue and cultural ties
By Moe Shimizu
Linda Joyce: ‘We hope people recognize the benefits of exploring rural areas’
By Louise George Kittaka
Stirred, not shaken: Kyoto business platform blends local and global
By Samantha Seghers

Editors' Picks

JAPAN
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
By Eric Johnston
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
BUSINESS
Pace eyes great strides for Japan’s art market
By Elizabeth Beattie
Pace Japan Vice President Kyoko Hattori, the de facto head of the nation’s business, believes a larger, more lucrative art market will allow Japan to be more attractive for collectors.
JAPAN
A frenetic diplomatic schedule looms for Japan’s next leader — whomever that may be
By Jesse Johnson
As horse-trading and speculation surge over who will be elected the next prime minister in parliament — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sanae Takaichi or a possible candidate put forward by a unified opposition — Japan’s next leader will be confronted with a quick succession of key diplomatic events.
LIFE
Ghost of Yotei’s bloodstained fun sidesteps Ainu identity
By Owen Ziegler
Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to 2020's smash hit Ghost of Tsushima, is a violent, vengeful and engaging romp through 17th-century Hokkaido that fails to stick the landing on its most sensitive cultural material.
ENVIRONMENT
At Osaka Expo, gas giants promote a greener future. But is it a lot of hot air?
By Joel Tansey
The Gas Pavilion had welcomed around 500,000 visitors by the end of August, making it one of the most popular exhibits at the Osaka Expo.

Podcast

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

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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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

COMMENTARY
Hypothermia in the land of the rising Sanae
By John Authers
Amid the election of Sanae Takaichi as Liberal Democratic Party president, and possibly the next prime minister, Japan's economy shows signs of recovery, but weak wages, a conservative corporate culture and currency issues raise doubts about a true economic thaw.
JAPAN
Number of scenarios now on the table for who might be Japan’s next prime minister
By Eric Johnston
Newly-elected leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Sanae Takaichi (right) celebrates with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after winning the LDP leadership election in Tokyo on October 4.
JAPAN
Could an opposition candidate become Japan's next prime minister?
By Gabriele Ninivaggi
The lawmaker that secures a majority of votes in the Lower House will become prime minister. If no one gets a majority, the two top contenders will enter a runoff in which the person with the highest number of votes gets elected.
JAPAN
Coalition talks could bring Takaichi closer to being PM
By Kanako Takahara and Himari Semans
Nippon Ishin no Kai leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura meets with Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
As temperatures drop in Japan, bear attacks shoot up to historic highs
By Yukana Inoue
Bear warning signs at the Akita Prefectural Government building