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August 20, 2025
The Independent Voice in Asia
August 20, 2025
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with top European leaders in the White House Library in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Trump says no ground troops, but maybe air support, to back Ukraine peace deal
The path to peace remained uncertain as the U.S. and allies prepared to work out what military support for Kyiv might include.

More coverage

Ishiba says Japan considering role in security guarantees for Ukraine
Zelenskyy and his allies turn on charm to keep Trump’s favor
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with top European leaders in the White House Library in Washington on Monday.
The Bank of Japan maintains a wait-and-see approach as calls grow for it to raise rates.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Bank of Japan encouraged to increase rates soon, before it’s too late
By Kazuaki Nagata
Business and political leaders argue that inflation is too high and must be brought under control soon.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and U.S. President Donald Trump. Son has promised to invest $100 billion in the United States.
BUSINESS / Companies
SoftBank buying about 2% of Intel for $2 billion
By Francis Tang
CEO Masayoshi Son earlier pledged to invest a total of $100 billion in the United States.
Tokyo stocks moved higher on Tuesday morning in uninspired trading.
BUSINESS / Markets
Tokyo stocks hit a fourth all-time high in six trading days
By Francis Tang
Nikkei 225 ekes out another record and then falls back to end the day down.
Workations were a burgeoning trend in the corporate world for years before the COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged it.
JAPAN / Society
Tokyo crowned No.1 'workation' spot
By Elizabeth Beattie
Japan’s capital topped the rankings for its “exceptional broadband speeds, transport infrastructure, safety, culture, and new digital nomad visa.”
Workations were a burgeoning trend in the corporate world for years before the COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged it.

JAPAN

High temperatures are forecast to last for another month in Japan, according to the weather agency.
Searing heat in Japan to persist for a month, boosting power use
By Mary Hui
A high-pressure system that keeps warm air near the surface has caused prolonged hot weather in Japan since June, the national weather forecaster said.
The My Number health insurance card enables online verification of a patient's eligibility via card readers installed at medical institutions.
My Number health insurance card uptake remains persistently low
Confusion and doubts over the new system have stalled the government's push to digitalize medical records and services.
Japanese woman faced hardships in Australia after World War II
Passing on the stories of kamikaze pilots as 'human beings, not heroes'
Atomic bomb survivor uses English to convey horrors of nuclear weapons
Kyoto University group successfully creates jawbone from iPS cells

BUSINESS

Trucks heading toward the Jianxiawo lithium mine, in Yichun, Jiangxi province, China. The U.S. government said it will increase scrutiny of lithium, steel and other materials imported from China.
U.S. targets Chinese steel and lithium for forced-labor scrutiny
By Jennifer A Dlouhy
The move fits within Trump's trade goals and previous government action against alleged forced labor in China.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on June 5. Soruces say Lutnick has been pushing the idea of the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that receive CHIPS Act funding, and that Trump likes the idea.
Washington eyeing government stakes in chipmakers given CHIPS Act funds: sources
By Nandita Bose and Max A. Cherney
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is said to be exploring how the U.S. can receive equity stakes in firms such as Micron, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung.
Air Canada strike talks resume as flight attendants defy back-to-work order
By Ben Simon
U.S. spy chief Gabbard says U.K. will drop data 'backdoor' order for Apple
By Kanishka Singh
South Africa artisanal miners want stake in critical minerals boom
By Kim Harrisberg
Don Quijote operator plans 250 new stores in tourism bet

WORLD

Israeli women take part in a protest demanding the end of the war in the Gaza Strip near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, close to the Israeli border with Gaza, on Aug. 10.
As Netanyahu expands Gaza war, some reservists grow more disillusioned
By Emily Rose
They accuse the government — the most far-right administration in Israel's history — of perpetuating the war for political reasons.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a signing ceremony at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, in 2018.
Modi hails ‘friend’ Putin and boosts China ties in tilt from U.S.
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen
The move is another sign the South Asian nation is tilting away from the U.S. in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
Israel weighs Hamas offer of 60-day Gaza truce and hostage release
By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi
U.S. and NATO planners start to craft Ukraine security guarantee options
By Idrees Ali, Jonathan Landay and Sabine Siebold
Trump approval holds at 40%, lowest level of his term, poll finds
By Jason Lange
Battle-tested cop is Mexico's hope to tame cartels and placate Trump
By Alex Vasquez

Sports

Two boys pose with Pocari Sweat and Aquarius sports drinks in a park near Tokyo.
The great sports drink debate: What’s best for athletes?
By Mai Yoshikawa
When it comes to the classic debate of Pocari versus Aquari, fans on both sides have strong opinions about which sports drink reigns supreme.
Defending champions trump singles stars in revamped US Open mixed doubles
By Amy Tennery
Colts name Daniel Jones QB1 as QB2 Anthony Richardson 'respects' call
Brazil nixes red World Cup jersey amid political outcry
Isak says 'change' best for everyone after Newcastle trust broken

Opinion

Russian and Chinese naval officers take part in a ceremony marking the start of joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan, following the arrival of Chinese military vessels in Vladivostok, Russia, on July 31.
Trump’s transactional policies threaten global stability
Anand Kumar
In Trump’s second term, economic protectionism now overrides strategic consistency, and trade wars are being used as tools of geopolitical leverage.
All is not quiet on the Western front
By Yuichi Hosoya
Demystifying the manufacturing success of China
By Zhang Jun
Ten ways to force Putin back to the bargaining table
By James Stavridis
The AI building boom is bound to bust
By Thomas Black

ENVIRONMENT

Villagers pan for gold in Bombana district of Indonesia's Southeast Sulawesi province in 2009.
Indonesia grapples with small-scale illegal gold mining
Local authorities face the challenge of encouraging villagers to keep to less-destructive ways of making money, such as sustainable agriculture.
Hong Kong scientist puts hope in nest boxes to save endangered cockatoos
By Jiaxing Li and Yan Zhao
A startup is tapping underground parking garages for clean energy
Tough U.S. stance casts gloom over plastics pollution deal after Geneva flop
By Olivia Le Poidevin and Emma Farge
'Bad actors' blamed as plastic pollution treaty talks end again without deal
By Robin Millard

CULTURE

The inverted cone, one of Atsushi Kitagawara’s six signature elements in architecture, is a key feature of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum building.
Atsushi Kitagawara’s exhibition finds poetry in architecture
By Gendel Gento
Award-winning architect Kitagawara's work is displayed at the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection museum he designed, making it both a venue and a centerpiece of the exhibition.
‘Fires on the Plain’: Haunting imagery in restored 1959 war film stands the test of time
By Mark Schilling
'Kokuho' rakes in over ¥10 billion at the box office
Sho Miyake's 'Tabi to Hibi' wins top prize at Locarno Film Festival
Osaka Asian Film Festival gets an expo boost
By Matt Schley

LIFE

Beniya Mukayu, a traditional "ryokan" inn located in Ishikawa Prefecture, considers itself at "the heart of onsen towns, local residents, farmers, fishermen, sake brewers and artisans" — all of which need new, sustainable methods of serving visitors to survive into the future.
In preserving Japanese hospitality, ‘details are everything’
By Melinda Joe
As part of a new UNESCO initiative, the elite Relais & Chateau hospitality group will empower its Japan-based members to preserve the country’s “omotenashi” culture.
From a piquant paste to a crisp crust, sesame shines in many forms
By Simon Daly
Reading the Japanese clock: Are times a-changin'?
By Peter Backhaus
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

COMMUNITY

Kinga Skiers (left) co-founded the Tokyo chapter of Food Not Bombs in 2023. The organization aims to provide the capital’s homeless population with food and other essentials.
Solidarity with Tokyo’s homeless residents, one day at a time
By Shyam Bhardwa
Since 2023, the Tokyo chapter of Food Not Bombs has been supplying vegetarian meals and everyday goods to homeless people across the city.
Handsome cat looking for brighter days ahead
Kindred spirits, kindergarten connections: From Buenos Aires to east Tokyo
By Francisco J. Villarreal
A campaign to preserve Hiroshima’s historic trees for another 1,000 years
By Patrick Parr
Briton brings artistic view to Japanese buildings
By Louise George Kittaka

Editors' Picks

BASEBALL
Candidates preparing to make final pitches for Sawamura Award
By Jason Coskrey
Hawks pitcher Livan Moinelo has a 1.13 ERA in 19 starts this season.
JAPAN
Winning warship bid gives Japan confidence boost as Tokyo eyes more exports
By Gabriel Dominguez
Australia’s decision to select Japan's upgraded Mogami-class warship, seen in this computer-generated image, has been “well received across Japanese industry," a Defense Ministry official said.
LIFE
In Paris, chefs Chizuko Kimura and Kei Kobayashi make their mark
By Kyoko Nakayama
Chef Kei Kobayashi is France's only Japanese chef with three Michelin stars.
LIFE
In preserving Japanese hospitality, ‘details are everything’
By Melinda Joe
Beniya Mukayu, a traditional "ryokan" inn located in Ishikawa Prefecture, considers itself at "the heart of onsen towns, local residents, farmers, fishermen, sake brewers and artisans" — all of which need new, sustainable methods of serving visitors to survive into the future.
LIFE
A seaside hotel built on competitive Japanese cycling
By Jessica Kozuka
In a region more associated with art, Keirin Hotel 10 takes a decidedly more athletic approach to attracting tourists.

Podcast

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

Longform

Members of the nonprofit group Japan Youth Memorial Association search for the remains of dead soldiers in a cave in Okinawa Prefecture in February.
The long search for Japan’s lost soldiers
By Tomoko Otake

JT Directory Service

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SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

COMFACTS

Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
Tsunan Sake Brewery Launches Limited-Edition “Yukigesho Castella” Featuring Sake Lees at “Tsunan Sake Brewery Sunflower Festival 2025”
TSUNAN SAKE BREWERY

WHAT’S TRENDING

JAPAN
JICA to designate four Japanese cities as 'hometowns' for African nations
By Yukana Inoue
The Japanese flag (left) with the flag of the African Union
JAPAN
Osaka fire kills two firefighters and leaves four injured
Firefighters work at the scene of a fire in the Dotonbori district in the city of Osaka on Monday.
JAPAN
Winning warship bid gives Japan confidence boost as Tokyo eyes more exports
By Gabriel Dominguez
Australia’s decision to select Japan's upgraded Mogami-class warship, seen in this computer-generated image, has been “well received across Japanese industry," a Defense Ministry official said.
JAPAN
Two Japanese nationals shot dead in Manila
Commuters cross the street through traffic in Manila.
BUSINESS
A factory town in crisis shows Japan’s fading manufacturing era
By Nicholas Takahashi
Nissan workers walk outside its Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. Nissan plans to shut the plant by the end of fiscal 2027.