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September 18, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
September 18, 2025
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Signage atop the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo. Japan’s ruling party faces a tough decision over its future as it searches for a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, stop the slide in its support at the polls and reassure investors.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
After seven decades, is it finally time for the LDP to split up?
By Eric Johnston
With the LDP fraying at the seams, some wonder if the patchwork party will split along ideological lines instead of stitching itself back together.
Signage atop the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo. Japan’s ruling party faces a tough decision over its future as it searches for a new leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, stop the slide in its support at the polls and reassure investors.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Powell rallies Fed colleagues as economic and political risks grow
By Jonnelle Marte
The decision to cut rates was nearly unanimous, with the lone dissent coming from Fed Gov. Stephen Miran, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. military personnel board the USS Wasp aircraft carrier at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in 2019.
JAPAN
U.S. State Department sees Japanese role in AUKUS defense pact
By Tony Capaccio
Japan "expressed interest in a range" of projects underway as part of the second leg of the pact, an assessment said.
China's cyberspace regulator told companies this week to stop testing a Nvidia chip that can be repurposed for artificial intelligence applications.
BUSINESS / Tech
China tells companies to stop buying Nvidia’s repurposed AI chip
By Mackenzie Hawkins and Luz Ding
The move marks Beijing’s latest step to wean the country off Nvidia hardware and boost domestic alternatives.
Race walker Hayato Katsuki earned bronze for Japan on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Still plenty to fight for, says Japan’s team leader at worlds
By Jason Coskrey
Race walker Hayato Katsuki has Japan's only medal so far, but team officials are optimistic that there's more to come.
Race walker Hayato Katsuki earned bronze for Japan on the opening day of the World Athletics Championships on Saturday.

JAPAN

(From left) Tadashi Morishima,Takeshi Saiki and Hiroki Abe hold a news conference at parliament after submitting their letters of resignation to Nippon Ishin no Kai on Sept. 8.
Nippon Ishin expels three member lawmakers
Noting the three also called on other member lawmakers to leave Nippon Ishin, the party rapped the trio for engaging in acts that disrupted order within the party.
Kunio Yanagida, author of a nonfiction book about Typhoon Ida and the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, speaks at a symposium in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Sunday.
80 years after bombing and typhoon, Hiroshima guide warns of double tragedy risk
Typhoon Ida killed 3,756 people in Japan, including atomic bomb survivors and specialist medics, just a month after the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Japan to boost support for its anime and film industry
Kansai Electric to complete survey for new nuclear reactor in 2030
300 kilometers of Japan's sewers need rapid action
Foreign visitors to Japan hit record 3.42 million in August

BUSINESS

Stocks in Tokyo have been rallying for months on political and trade hopes and in anticipation of a rate cut on the United States.
Nikkei 225 ekes out record in choppy trade following Fed rate cut overnight
By Francis Tang
U.S. stocks hit all-time highs on Wednesday in New York.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday.
After Fed rate cut, Powell says jobs market no longer very solid
By Catarina Saraiva
Chair Jerome Powell pointed to growing signs of weakness in the labor market to explain why officials decided it was time to cut rates.
Chinese startup pitches tiny EVs to European markets
By Chunying Zhang
China is sending its world-beating auto industry into a tailspin
Japan’s top shipping company to expand LNG fleet as global demand climbs
By Shery Ahn and Tsuyoshi Inajima
TikTok lives: U.S. and China in deal for app to keep operating in United States

WORLD

The RAF Red Arrows perform a flyover at Windsor Castle in the U.K. on Wednesday.
Apple and Citi CEOs join Trump and King Charles at state dinner
By Catherine Lucey, Kate Sullivan and Maddie Parker
The guest list of the event nodded to the work that Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer face as they attempt to bring the special relationship back onto stronger footing.
Sebastien Lecornu became France's fifth prime minister last week.
Tax the rich or fall: French prime minister faces budget ultimatum
By Leigh Thomas
Sebastien Lecornu, who last week became France's fifth prime minister, is racing to draft a budget that is due to be sent to lawmakers by Oct. 7.
Britain wants social mobility but private schools still dominate
By Irina Anghel
'I don't cry anymore': In U.S. jail, Russian dissidents fear deportation
By Maria DANILOVA
Military spending eats into Africa's climate finance
By Kim Harrisberg and Joanna Gill
Israel opens new route out of Gaza City as death toll passes 65,000
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer

Sports

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani pitches during the third inning against the Phillies on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Dodgers considering using Ohtani as a relief pitcher
The two-way superstar has been superb on the mound as a starting pitcher this year after not pitching at all in 2024 as he recovered from elbow ligament surgery.
PSG overwhelms Atalanta 4-0 in Champions League opener
By Julien Pretot
Katie Moon beats fellow American Sandi Morris for gold in pole vault final in Tokyo
By Sam Byford
Ohtani's no-hit start and 50th HR aren't enough for Dodgers
Onosato and Hoshoryu off to hot starts as other contenders fall
By John Gunning

Opinion

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the State Department in January.
Japan and India must anchor America in the Indo-Pacific
Stephen R. Nagy
Neither Japan or India possess the military strength to counter China independently.
Did Putin finally overplay his hand with Ukraine?
By Marc Champion
Why Nepal’s new power brokers should worry India and China
By Karishma Vaswani
Artificial intelligence is not your friend
By Peter G. Kirchschlager
Trump 2.0 and the U.S.-South Korea alliance
By Kohtaro Ito

ENVIRONMENT

Artificial intelligence avatar Una will appear at the U.N. pavilion at Osaka Expo later this month as part of initiatives to combat climate change.
Japan-backed AI avatar to promote climate action at expo
The anime-inspired female character, Una, was developed as part of climate initiatives supported by the Japanese government.
Climate change led to at least 16,500 heat deaths in Europe this summer
By Emma Court
Malaysia's largest island state aims to be region's 'green battery'
By Jan HENNOP
Rising oceans to threaten 1.5 million Australians by 2050, report says
By Laura Chung
U.S. moves to scrap emissions reporting by polluters

CULTURE

A woman walks past the poster of Lee Sang-il’s kabuki drama "Kokuho" outside a cinema in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
From high risk to record-breaker, ‘Kokuho’ defied expectations to become a megahit
By Mark Schilling
Lee Sang-il's three-hour kabuki drama overcame doubts over subject matter to find its audience.
‘There Was Such a Thing Before’: Fukushima grief and fury in monochrome
By James Hadfield
‘Dear Stranger’ confronts marriage in turmoil, but lacks subtlety
By Mark Schilling
Japan’s box office belongs to 'Demon Slayer' as latest film ranks second all time
By Tomohiro Osaki
Robert Redford, screen idol turned director and activist, dies at 89

LIFE

The promise of autumn is one of relaxation and just being cozy overall.
How Japanese captures the subtle shift into autumn
By Yaeko Kabe
From the equinox to cooler mornings, Japanese grammar and expressions reflect how the season gradually deepens into autumn.
From tofu to teriyaki: Japanese essentials for the home cook
By Simon Daly
In Bali, the Ritz-Carlton’s ultraluxury Mandapa hotel marks 10 years
By Owen Ziegler
The sweet rise of Okinawan rum
By Miriam Gradel
'He's a regular man, not unlike us': Marking 40 years of Mario games
By Kilian Fichou and Mathias Cena

COMMUNITY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Swastika Jajoo (fourth from right) began attending the daily radio calisthenics routine at Sendai’s Kitasanbancho Park and struck up unexpected friendships with a group of elderly residents.
Calisthenic companions bridge cultures and generations
By Swastika Jajoo
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a doctoral student in Sendai found friendship in unexpected places.
Melos Han-Tani: ‘Figuring out what you value is valuable for any artist’
By Gendel Gento
Gentle care is the key to Cymbal’s heart
Canadian-born politician tackles Ibaraki’s issues big and small
By Gendel Gento
Smiley, spirited Hampen will run into your arms

Editors' Picks

BUSINESS
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
By Elizabeth Beattie
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
MORE SPORTS
Japanese athletes inspired by raucous home fans at World Athletics Championships
By Sam Byford
Fans cheer on the home favorites during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
CULTURE
Japan's major art events converge this fall
By Zoria Petkoska and Thu-Huong Ha
Shinji Ohmaki’s “Tokinokage” exhibited at Fuji Textile Week 2021 shows the use of fabric as art.
MORE SPORTS
Tara Davis-Woodhall leaps to gold and finds redemption at world championships
By Jason Coskrey
Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrates after winning the women's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships at Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday night.
LIFE
An aesthetic escape to Hakone’s art-drenched hills
By Erik Augustin Palm
Between traditional examples of fine art and sleek, modern exhibitions that blend with nature, Hakone offers a unique escape from Tokyo's urban sprawl.

Podcast

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

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’
By Alex K.T. Martin

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WHAT’S TRENDING

BUSINESS
Wealthy foreign nationals picking up ultimate souvenir — a condo in Tokyo
By Elizabeth Beattie
A high-end property in the fashionable Daikanyama district in Tokyo
JAPAN
Japan dispatches five language education 'partners' to India
Five members of the Japan Foundation's Nihongo Partners program (front) gather at the Japanese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday.
BUSINESS
Struggling train firm in Chiba Prefecture turns to self-deprecating humor
"Laughter is important when you're in a difficult situation," said Katsunori Takemoto, president of Choshi Electric Railway, on Aug. 5 in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.
JAPAN
Japan's elderly population down at around 36.2 million
The estimated number of people age 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, accounting for record 29.4% of the country's total population, according to the internal affairs ministry.
JAPAN
Japan’s front-line researchers see bright path ahead for dementia treatment
By Tomoko Otake
A scientist looks at scans of grains at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 6, 2023.