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November 04, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
November 04, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
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Waseda University in Tokyo
JAPAN
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
By Jessica Speed
Many university officials in Japan believe bringing an international environment onto campus is a cheaper, safer way to produce highly skilled graduates.
Waseda University in Tokyo
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and then-Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa shake hands on the day they visit the U.S. pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka in July.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
The top U.S. Court can't stop all of Trump's tariffs. Deal with it, officials say.
By David Lawder
Under one legal authority or another, Trump's tariffs are expected to stay in place long-term.
Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko, acknowledge the crowd during the World Series championship parade at downtown Los Angeles.
BASEBALL / MLB
Ohtani teases 'three-peat' as Dodgers parade draws Los Angeles crowds
By Lisa Richwine and Rory Carroll
Blue and white confetti showered fans as players rode by atop double-decker buses.
A worker sorts fresh fruit and vegetables at a food pantry in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Oct. 29, days before food aid benefits, including SNAP payments, were to be suspended starting Nov. 1 amid the ongoing U.S. government shutdown.
WORLD / Politics
U.S. to pay reduced food aid benefits, but warns of weeks or months delay
By Nate Raymond and Leah Douglas
SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, lapsed for the first time ever on November 1 during the federal shutdown.
Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
BUSINESS / Companies / Longform
The second life of Japan's net cafes
By Alex K.T. Martin
Once symbols of urban solitude, these spaces are finding new purpose as coworking hubs for a changing, wired generation.
Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.

JAPAN

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday.
Takaichi says she told North Korea of desire for summit with Kim
By Jesse Johnson
The new Japanese leader’s remarks echo those of her predecessors and come as time runs out for families of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang decades ago.
Ground Self-Defense Force personnel unload a box trap during a training exercise on wildlife damage control.
SDF to provide logistical aid for bear capture efforts
There have been over 8,000 reported bear sightings in the prefecture this fiscal year, and 50 people have suffered injuries, including three fatalities.
China to extend visa exemption for Japanese visitors
Police say 1999 killing of Nagoya housewife most likely premeditated
JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita to stop using secretary’s firm
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii recognized in Japan autumn honors

BUSINESS

Japanese companies have raised $132 billion in foreign-currency bond and loan deals arranged by banks so far in 2025, up 56% from a year earlier.
Japan’s $132 billion borrowing binge reshapes global credit
By Finbarr Flynn
Underscoring the unprecedented shift onto the global stage, annual overseas note issuance is on course to exceed debt sales in yen for the first time ever.
Takeda's dengue vaccine shows seven years of strong protection against infection and hospitalization, marking the longest efficacy reported to date.
Takeda’s dengue vaccine shows long-lasting protection
By Kanoko Matsuyama
The results bolster confidence in Takeda’s two-dose regimen, especially as countries grapple with record dengue outbreaks fueled by climate change.
Kansai Electric will soon begin survey for new nuclear reactor, sources say
Death becomes a growing business in aging, lonely South Korea
By Claire Lee
Trump’s global tariffs to face challenge before Supreme Court
By Beiyi Seow
In the black: The business of mourning Thailand's queen mother

WORLD

Kim Yong Nam, then-chairman of North Korea's Presidium of the country's Supreme People’s Assembly, arrives at Miraflores Palace in Caracas for a meeting with Venezuela's leader in November 2018.
North Korea says former ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam dies
Kim, the face of Pyongyang's diplomacy for decades and the only person outside of the ruling family dynasty to serve as North Korea's nominal head of state, was 97.
The commercial hub of Lagos Island, in Lagos on Monday. Nigeria has faded from U.S. focus in recent years, and it was unclear what prompted U.S. President Donald Trump's Saturday announcement.
Whiplash: How Trump's threat to strike Nigeria further reshuffles Pentagon priorities
By Phil Stewart, Steve Holland and Idrees Ali
Trump's announcements in the past week on everything from nuclear testing to Nigeria have caught many off guard.
Gaza's psychological trauma brings large numbers to seek help
By Dawoud Abu Alkas and Ramadan Abed
Hunger monitor confirms famine in Darfur's al-Fashir and one other city
By Nafisa Eltahir
Israel arrests former top army lawyer over leaked abuse video
By Emmanuel PARISSE
U.S. wants U.N. sanctions on seven vessels over North Korea exports
By Michelle Nichols

Sports

South Africa wing Kurt-Lee Arendse scores a try against Japan at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday.
Springboks plunder nine tries in 61-7 rout of Japan
Japan’s lone try came via fullback Yoshitaka Yazaki in a rare entry into the Springbok 22, but they could not cope with the physicality of their opponents in difficult conditions.
Rybakina downs Swiatek to enter semis at WTA Finals
Djokovic confirmed for ATP Finals, says Italian federation boss
Scotland bids to end 32-test winless streak against All Blacks
Canadian teen sensation Mboko makes top-20 debut in rookie season
By Shrivathsa Sridhar

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a self-made politician from a humble family, earned her way into Japan’s old-boys’ club through sheer determination, an achievement worth celebrating.
Takaichi deserves better than gendered stereotypes
Waka Ikeda
Takaichi’s diplomatic interactions don't strike me as “selling her womanness” to Trump, as some have claimed.
Tokyo’s coolest neighborhood? There isn’t one.
By Gearoid Reidy
Seemingly conscious artificial intelligence is coming soon
By Mustafa Suleyman
In Russia, enemies are everywhere
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
Bill Gates is wrong to quiet-quit the climate fight
By Mark Gongloff

ENVIRONMENT

People walk on the street amid debris, after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Black River, Jamaica, on Thursday.
Climate change made Hurricane Melissa four times more likely, says study
Warming caused mainly by burning fossil fuels increased both the likelihood and intensity of the devastating Category 5 hurricane, the study found.
Trump pivot is a ‘watershed moment’ for climate, says EU’s Hoekstra
By Danielle Bochove
Volunteers race to save U.S. climate data from Trump’s purge
By Carey L. Biron
The world’s biggest consumers of electricity are hidden in plain sight
By Akshat Rathi
Climate change and poor planning drive Vietnam flooding

CULTURE

The current exhibition at 21_21 Design Site is A-POC Able’s first venture outside fashion, though it follows in the footsteps of its founder Issey Miyake, who launched a lighting collection in 2011 with Italian company Artemide.
New generations of designers carry Issey Miyake's legacy
By Phoebe Amoroso
From pleated garments to glowing lamps, the designer’s philosophy continues to evolve through new brands, collaborations and generations.
Kenshi Yonezu, 'Chainsaw Man' and the art of pop ubiquity
By Patrick St. Michel
First European Photography Month in Tokyo
By John L. Tran
‘Flames of a Flower’: A bold interrogation of Japan’s pacifist identity
By James Hadfield
‘Baka's Identity’ exposes an underworld of stolen names and lost souls
By Mark Schilling

LIFE

All Nippon Airways' gourmet program, The Connoisseurs, showcases the Japanese concept of "shun" (peak season for ingredients), giving passengers a preview of the refined cuisine that awaits them in Japan.
How airlines are refining their in-flight food in Japan's tourism boom
By Tan Pin Yen
With chef collaborations, exclusive pours and vegan choices, the region’s top carriers are taking their meals for premium class passengers to new heights.
A Sichuan-inspired classic gets an umami boost
By Makiko Itoh
Sun-dried and sustainable, Japan’s persimmon dye lives on
By Joanna Kawecki
Renowned wine critic James Suckling brings Great Wines World back to Tokyo
By Weiwen Lin
Tokyo’s first JW Marriott brings a whole floor of mindfulness
By Gendel Gento

COMMUNITY

Indonesian students at Hiroshima University hold posters of the 17+8 Demands, demanding transparency and action from their homeland’s government.
Young Indonesians in Japan find their political voice
By Nadila
From Hiroshima to Tokyo, Indonesian diasporic communities in Japan are expressing their support for compatriots back home and building solidarity online and offline.
Genmai the dachshund has a spring in his step
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
Lovely listener Jimena just needs time and care

Editors' Picks

LIFE
How airlines are refining their in-flight food in Japan's tourism boom
By Tan Pin Yen
All Nippon Airways' gourmet program, The Connoisseurs, showcases the Japanese concept of "shun" (peak season for ingredients), giving passengers a preview of the refined cuisine that awaits them in Japan.
JAPAN
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
By Elizabeth Beattie
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.
CULTURE
Anime isn’t competing with Hollywood — it’s beating it
By Alicia Haddick
After its July release, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle,” an animated feature adapted directly from a TV arc, became the highest-grossing Japanese film ever.
CULTURE
Oasis returns to Japan after 16 years — and fans can still sing every word
By Adam Davidson
Liam Gallagher commanded the stage with effortless charisma during Oasis' Tokyo Dome set on Saturday.
BUSINESS
At Japan Mobility Show, BYD gears up to conquer Japan's EV market
By Kazuaki Nagata
BYD Auto Japan President Atsuki Tofukuji unveils the Racco at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes
By Alex K.T. Martin

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

JAPAN
The unstoppable rise of konbini tourism
By Elizabeth Beattie
Guests typically follow Ryo Ito’s lead as he weaves through the narrow, colorful aisles of convenience stores.
JAPAN
More Japanese universities pushing toward teaching in English
By Jessica Speed
Waseda University in Tokyo
ASIA PACIFIC
A narrow Pacific waterway at heart of U.S. plans to choke China’s vast navy
By Karen Lema and david lague
Philippine and Australian troops fire an M777 howitzer during live fire exercises as part of joint military drills in Laur, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, in August.
BUSINESS
Trump would make U.S. Supreme Court history by attending tariffs case
There is no record in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 235-year history of a sitting president ever attending arguments, according to Clare Cushman, director of publications and resident historian at the Supreme Court Historical Society.
BASEBALL
Dodgers clinch back-to-back World Series titles as Blue Jays downed in thriller
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and teammates celebrate after winning the World Series against the Blue Jays. Yamamoto was named MVP for the series.