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October 30, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
October 30, 2025
Sanae Takaichi
Trump visit
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U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during a visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
Experts called the PM’s meeting with the U.S. president an “overwhelming success,” especially considering the tumult and uncertainty in bilateral relations over the past year.

More coverage

Hegseth says U.S. never demanded Japan defense spending hike
North Korea answers Trump entreaties with nuclear-capable missile test
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during a visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's trade minister, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met on Sunday and Monday for lunch.
BUSINESS / Economy
No projects finalized under Japan's $550 billion investment pledge
By Francis Tang
Fact sheets issued during the recent Japan-U.S. summit offered little insight into any progress made.
BYD Auto Japan President Atsuki Tofukuji unveils the Racco at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
At Japan Mobility Show, BYD gears up to conquer Japan's EV market
By Kazuaki Nagata
The Chinese EV manufacturer’s Racco minivehicle is its first model exclusively made for a specific market.
KDDI said its AI service, which will be launched in spring 2026, will “protect the rights of content providers.”
BUSINESS / Companies
KDDI enters into ‘responsible’ AI agreement with Google
By Elizabeth Beattie
The “responsible” AI service would only shows content that creators have given consent to.
SoftBank shortstop Imamiya (right) celebrates after making a catch off Hanshin's Sakamoto's hit in the sixth inning at Koshien Stadium on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Imamiya's spectacular Game 3 catch may live on in SoftBank lore
By Jason Coskrey
​The veteran shortstop said the key to his performance is preparation, especially when it comes to playing on a surface as unfamiliar as Koshien Stadium’s all-dirt infield.
SoftBank shortstop Imamiya (right) celebrates after making a catch off Hanshin's Sakamoto's hit in the sixth inning at Koshien Stadium on Tuesday.

JAPAN

Lawyer Hidetoshi Masunaga (front, left) and others seeking the invalidation of the July Upper House election walk to the Nagoya High Court's Kanazawa branch on Oct. 1.
Court finds July poll was held in an unconstitutional state
A group of lawyers sought the invalidation of the Upper House election.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gifts U.S. President Donald Trump a putter owned by late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a golf bag signed by Hideki Matsuyama and a gold leaf golf ball in Tokyo on Tuesday.
With gifts and hospitality, Takaichi taps Abe's legacy to forge bond with Trump
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and John Geddie
Talk turned to Abe as soon as the U.S. leader stepped into the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo to exchange pleasantries with Japan's recently appointed prime minister.
First hearing on fatal Hokkaido tour boat sinking set for Nov. 12
Nobel winner's team develops tech to make regulatory T cells
Elementary and junior high schools see record nonattendance figure
Three workers at nuclear fuel reprocessing plant possibly exposed to radiation

BUSINESS

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama
U.S. treasury chief Bessent signals support for Bank of Japan independence
By Francis Tang
The U.S. treasury secretary’s comments come as Abenomics is back in fashion with Japan’s leaders.
An electronic quotation board in Tokyo shows the Nikkei 225 stock average topping 51,000 on Wednesday.
Nikkei 225 breaks 51,000 for the first time ever
By Francis Tang
The stock index achieved the 50,000 mark just two days ago.
U.S. and South Korea finalize trade deal after months of talks
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Heesu Lee
Takaichi pushed back on U.S. request to ban Russian energy imports, report says
Japanese insurers trim foreign debt as domestic yields soar
By Naomi Tajitsu and Masahiro Hidaka
Saudi AI chief vows to avoid Huawei tech in bid for U.S. chips
By Mark Bergen

WORLD

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, on Wednesday.
Trump lands in South Korea to face trade talks and North Korean missiles
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Jihoon Lee
The U.S. president will address a summit of CEOs and meet with South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung in Gyeongju.
A Palestinian man reacts next to the body of a man, who according to medics was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday.
Israel strikes Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating U.S.-brokered ceasefire
By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi
The development is the latest test of the fragile deal brokered earlier this month.
India to repatriate 500 nationals who fled Myanmar scam center: Thai PM
Modi skipped summit to avoid Trump face-off denting poll prospects, sources say
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen
How Venezuela's Nobel Prize winner built a high-stakes alliance with Trump
By Julia Symmes Cobb and Sarah Kinosian
Pakistan says peace talks with Afghanistan 'failed'

Sports

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a two-run home run during the third inning against the Dodgers during Game 4 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Blue Jays swat Dodgers 6-2 to level World Series
By Rob Woollard
Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first title in 32 years.
Hiroki Kokubo pushes right buttons as Hawks move to brink of Japan Series title
By Jason Coskrey
Michael Jordan appalled by NBA 'load management'
Cameron Norrie stuns world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz at Paris Masters
By Janina Nuno Rios
With 100 days to go, Milan Winter Olympics chiefs 'can see finish line'
By Jerome Rasetti and Coralie Febvre

Opinion

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets with U.S. President Donald Trump at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday. The encounter capped a strong first week for the new prime minister.
With Trump, flattery will get Takaichi everything
Gearoid Reidy
Whereas Takaichi’s predecessor, Shigeru Ishiba, played for a draw at his White House meeting in February, this encounter was redolent of Abe’s best moments.
India’s geoeconomic options in a Trumpian world
By Manish Sharma
Meta’s chatbot scandal is really a culture problem
By Gautam Mukunda
Wall Street risks shorting freedom in Hong Kong
By Mark L. Clifford
Takaichi’s road to rebuilding the LDP’s ‘big tent’
By Taro Tsuda

ENVIRONMENT

Protesters take part in a march in The Hague on Sunday to demand more action against climate change.
World far off track to meeting climate goals, U.N. warns
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that slow action from nations meant it was "inevitable" efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius would fail.
Mosquitoes discovered in Iceland for first time
'What is the value of a human life?' In Nigeria, oil giant Shell may find out.
By Susan Njanji
Climate change and population growth threaten to spark malaria resurgence
Bali grapples with flood reckoning as overdevelopment and waste take toll
By Marchio Gorbiano

CULTURE

Director Junji Sakamoto (left) walked the Tokyo International Film Festival red carpet with Sayuri Yoshinaga (center) and Non (right), who both play mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, in the biopic "Climbing for Life."
Tokyo Film Festival opens with global stars and a spotlight on Asian storytelling
By Alyssa I. Smith
From Juliette Binoche’s directorial debut to Paul Schrader’s Mishima biopic, this year’s festival celebrates cross-cultural creativity.
‘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
Tokyo Biennale hides the art in plain sight
By Kim Kahan
New book scrutinizes sustainability of traditional Japanese textiles
By Jessica Kozuka

LIFE

Inspired by "oyakodon," a chicken and omelet rice bowl, the "oyako" sandwich is perfect for a quick breakfast.
Turn a Japanese comfort food into a fuss-free sandwich
By Simon Daly
The secret to a two-minute “oyako” chicken omelet filling for your bread roll is mayonnaise.
Bodybuilders find new calling in Japan’s struggling care industry
By Tomohiro Osaki
Lentil by lentil, Nepali food takes shape in Tokyo
By Aarohi Narain
Have you heard? This year Shibuya wants us to have a ‘good Halloween’
By Yuko Tamura
Nakatsu keeps its cool as gentrification looms
By Edward Hewes

COMMUNITY

The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.
By Thu-Huong Ha and Mike Fu
From the desperate and defeated to the blissful and breezy, readers share their experiences of getting a driver’s license in Japan.
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
A samurai-loving radio host prepares to become Oda Nobunaga for a day
By Gendel Gento

Editors' Picks

CULTURE
Oasis returns to Tokyo: Rain, rapture and rock
By Patrick St. Michel
Fans wait to get into the Oasis show at Tokyo Dome on Saturday. While lining up in the rain, some broke into impromptu versions of the British rock group's hits.
SUMO
Kyushu banzuke sets the stage to cement 2025’s sumo narratives
By John Gunning
Onosato ahead of his bout against Aonishiki at The Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Oct. 18
CULTURE
Tokyo Film Festival opens with global stars and a spotlight on Asian storytelling
By Alyssa I. Smith
Director Junji Sakamoto (left) walked the Tokyo International Film Festival red carpet with Sayuri Yoshinaga (center) and Non (right), who both play mountaineer Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Mount Everest, in the biopic "Climbing for Life."
CULTURE
Spanish artist and Japanese writer duos diversify the manga talent pool in Japan
By Gendel Gento
"Menheim” is a dark fantasy manga with a story that centers on a girl’s quest to find a cure for her ill brother.
ENVIRONMENT
Japan’s youth are apathetic toward the climate crisis. Could anime change that?
By Tomoko Otake
“Future Kid Takara,” a series of anime shorts to be aired on NHK Educational TV in November, attempts to educate children about climate change.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
By Alex K.T. Martin

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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
Inside Tokyo's 'phantom' stations — and the stories they tell
By Alex K.T. Martin
Mamoru Iwai, stationmaster of Keisei Ueno Station, says that, other than earthquake-proofing, the former Hakubutsukan-Dobutsuen (Museum-Zoo) Station has remained untouched.
JAPAN
At first summit with Trump, Takaichi pledges 'new golden age' for alliance
By Jesse Johnson, Gabriele Ninivaggi, Gabriel Dominguez and Francis Tang
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist as U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of U.S. Navy personnel on board the U.S. Navy's USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the American naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Abe shooting suspect Yamagami pleads guilty to murder
By Tomoko Otake
Members of the media gather outside the Nara District Court in the city of Nara on Tuesday hours before the start of the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.
JAPAN
Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit
By Jesse Johnson and Gabriel Dominguez
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during a visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
JPYC, world’s first yen stablecoin, is issued
By Kazuaki Nagata
Noritaka Okabe, head of Japanese startup JPYC, at a news conference for the first yen stablecoin in Tokyo on Monday